Healing Aura

Not a soul will be there

Only us without a care

My face, raised up to yours

Your eyes full of stars

Take me on a journey

That’s serious and funny

Hot as pepper and sweet as honey

This alley of mildew lights

Promises romantic flights

Everything else melts away

Our emotions hold sway

Home, fly the falcons

Yes the sky darkens

Look now, a path of love beckons

Give me your hand, do

And your lovely heart too

Let’s take this path together

In this promising weather

Step for step we tread

Don’t you fear or dread

It is on a path of love that we head

Your smile will now be

Only mine and for me

My laughter will belong

To you before long

Take me with you

Just when the night dew

Alights, sparkles and twinkles anew

——-Gauri Kanyalkar——-

The heart sure grows fonder

Do souls meet, you wonder

How does it ever happen?

But it sure feels like heaven

The time indeed draws near

And the outcome is crystal clear

Our hearts beating a tandem

Echoing across at random

Across centuries and births

And countries and hearths

You have found me before

And will do so once more

I know myself no more

It’s only you I see afore

It’s you in my stillness

Rock solid is the sureness

We are destined to meet

Oh my delectable sweet

Let this heat build

And I will be your shield

When you finally stand

Across me, holding my hand

Time will again stand still

Our eternal love to reveal!!

——Gauri Kanyalkar—–

The poem was originally written for http://dontgiveupworld.com/keep-your-pride/

Oh so tired of this rigmarole
How do I rest a tired soul?
What do I do to make me whole?

Yes the world’s ways upset
My perceptions to despair set
Caught in the throes of hate

The bird’s tweet becomes noise
Such non-sense, but what’s the choice?
Lord-o-mercy where is my poise?

My soul, my friend, think awhile
How is that my life I spoil?
Will I be able to bear this guile?

Shake me awake at such foolishness
It’s not me alone in this holy mess
Struggling are plenty with no harness

I get thrown this way and that
Why complain, life is indeed a bet
Take the risk, God handles the rest

Give credence to this reality
Life does not end through misery
Despair begets even more agony

Something that costs nothing
Happiness is the blessed thing
Give me more of its zing

Mother-nature looks after me
Hers are the birds and the bee
And the creatures of the sea

She drowns me in high tide
And lifts me up on one side
Teaches me to keep my pride

This poem was originally written for http://dontgiveupworld.com/dignity/ 

You can read the original story that inspired this poem here : http://passionwriters.com/2011/05/mountain-berries/

On top of the mountain
Where the sun beats down
Sacrificial turns rule
And loneliness abounds

We and our hatchback
Traversing the bends
The harshness of cliffs
Craggy rocks never end

Where man dreads
To tread the road
No water to quench
No morsel or food

A woman charges forth
To the middle of the drive
To travelers minuscule
“Buy my berries,” she cries

Though dismayed greatly
We continue the journey
The woman’s picture
Etched in our memory

We have to return
By the self same road
Unconsciously looking out
For the “berries” code

It’s not the woman
That we see this time
But two little girls
With faces sublime

“Buy our berries,sir
Oh! Please do!”
What, but to stop
Without much ado

They sell us their ware
And obtain their fare
When they are certain
They have our attention

“Give us something to eat!”
They imply with reticence
Such dignity in struggle
Such strength in action

——-Gauri Kanyalkar——

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When shadows of night
Weigh on your heart
No candle ignites
And no mate takes part
Still fear not the dark
Or the night stark
Yours is the next day
And dawn of a new start!

When sorrow overwhelms
And dreams seem madness
Your heart consoles you
In engulfing sadness
Fear not the dark
Or the night stark
Yours is the next day
And dawn of a new start!

Your heart barren in spring
And drowning in midstream
Your gloomy spirit, it wavers
But the heavens above scream
Fear not the dark
Or the night stark
Yours is the next day
And dawn of a new start!

When life becomes dreary
And silent nights stretch
A smile dares to twitch
This rhyme forever to etch
Fear not the dark
Or the night stark
Yours is the next day
And dawn of a new start!

——Gauri Kanyalkar——

This post was originally written for http://dontgiveupworld.com/fear-not-the-dark/

This write-up was written by my 10 year old son and I felt that it was an engaging description. Here it is, and does it show, how situations impact childrens lives and help shape them as human beings!

They say “A friend in need is a friend indeed.” You could say that my best friend is just that. His name is Chirag. He has a big family, a big name and big dreams. We both dream about the same thing - cars! I hope we will someday act upon it and build a striving car company.

Now I am going to narrate to you all an incident which happened with me last year. Our class teacher Elaine John had taken the whole of 4th D to the area near the K.G. Park, where there were small rocking ducks and dolphins on which the K.G. & 1st standard students could enjoy themselves. We were playing the game - dog & the bone with a book. We all were enjoying ourselves.

Finally it was my turn to face a tall girl from the opposition. Her name was Shruti. As she was tall, she was easily at an advantage. I finally made my move. I tried to take the book and run away, but she was quite fast, fast enough to catch my collar and push me to the ground, snatching the book from my hands.

She ran to her team with her face lit up with joy and pride, whereas I lay there, tears rolling down my cheeks, as my knee was bleeding. Then suddenly someone wiped my tears off with his soft fingers and helped me stand. I realized that it was Chirag. He told me to jump a few times so that I could stop crying. He accompanied me to the Healthcare Centre under Elaine maam’s command. She then dealt with Shruti for her ruthless behaviour. Safely bandaged, I came back to the ground with Chirag.

Now I do not fear the world, because I have a friend like Chirag with me, who would assist me, would help me in good and bad times. A friend indeed!

——– Yash S. Kanyalkar ——–

At the outset, let me categorically qualify – this blog is not a spill-over from the “Women’s Day” jubilations. It’s just about how a person (it may be a man or a woman) could be bogged down from all sides and still chooses not to play the victim but makes the most of life.

I have a very good “bus” friend – we working women in India normally have a “train” friend, a “rickshaw-sharing” friend and where company buses ply (even in public buses) – a “bus” friend. Well, like I said before, I have a very good “bus” friend. She is maybe a good 12 to 15 years elder to me, but we still get along like a house on fire. It all rests on the fact that lively, smiling people make you loosen up and set the mood for the day. I like her, because she is unlike me – radiant and smiling always!! And I forgot she is quite “vocal”, giving her opinion like it is, without any misgivings – truth is what you get.

It is just this Monday – 21^st March 2011 to be precise – that we were on our company bus and passing the Teen Hath Naka stop in Thane……..I think I have to attribute an alias to my “bus” friend, otherwise this narration is going to be difficult! Alright, here goes ……….. I am calling her Nimmi. She suddenly spotted another of her “bus” friends - Neha and I happened to remark that she looked elegant and poised in her sarees. Yes, this woman almost always wore sarees and she wore them well! The outfit added to her character and personality – that is what I thought and expressed it too.

I don’t know what it was that prompted Nimmi to share Neha’s circumstances with me. Neha was married, was part of a five-member family - college-going daughter, husband, father-in-law and until recently mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law had been bed-ridden for several years and recently expired. The father-in-law had gone blind following some medical complications. Neha was always a working woman and since years had managed house and career. Every morning she cooked for the entire family and left the house at 7.30 am sharp. At work also, she had a considerably responsible portfolio.

The husband and wife had bought a bigger house two years back. With lot of pride and hope, they moved into the new house with the family. Within days it was obvious to Neha that her blind father-in-law was not in a position to find his way about in the new house. Instead of inconveniencing the old man, she decided to move the entire family back to their old house and rent out the new one. Since the elders in the family are dependent on others due to medical reasons, husband, wife and daughter have very little opportunity to move out for holidays or outings. She does have brothers-in-law who do not want to take the responsibility of their own parents even for a couple of days. Still Neha has looked after them not only as a responsibility, but with love. The same values are instilled in the daughter, who misses her grandmother immensely. Neha enjoys cooking. In addition to her career responsibilities, she take orders for delicacies – not I suppose due to a dearth of money, but because she enjoys it.

After Nimmi narrated the above quite factually, the reason for her to do so occurred to me. Maybe it was to forewarn me lest I jump to conclusions that Neha came from a settled, no-problems background, based on her always elegant and poised persona. It was maybe to halt my thoughts and make me reflect. With strength of purpose and character, elegance followed. People’s aura shone with the strength with which they made life decisions. So the next time you see a face with lot of character, stop and consider that maybe, just maybe life has tested the person time and again!!

I don’t know what it is?

Why do my brows crease?

My eyes loose their sparkle

My heart is ill at ease?

Why are my thoughts inane?

Why does negativity freeze?

Triumphs do not satisfy

My heart is ill at ease?

My missions don’t reassure

Why do uncertainties tease?

I don’t have belief in me

My heart is ill at ease?

Why do I crave acceptance?

And try to always please?

Even when I know it’s wrong

And my heart is ill at ease?

Ill at ease, ill at ease….

Why this harping noise?

The daring and the righteous

Grow in stature and size!!

—–Gauri Kanyalkar—–

It is a red-brick house at the turn of the winding road, which climbs a hillock overlooking the pristine sea-shore on its right. Anyone who stands in its tiny porch in the afternoon will have their eyes blinded by the sun, and the same sun will tease the waves at early evening to send the sparkle to your eyes. A wonderful serenity I feel, whenever I look at it! Its silhouette seems like an embrace welcoming me. It seems to talk to me, I don’t know what and I don’t know why! What is its fable?

Once upon a time, there lived an old woman in this house. An ever ready smile lit up the otherwise commonplace and dark face. Her village dialect course, but sweet to the ears all at once! This was one of the many houses she had occupied through her living years. This was perhaps the best of the lot, because she lived here for the longest time. And also because her youngest son had given his young years to pull it down and build it again in solid red bricks. How could his wife live in the old ramshackle house, whenever he married?

The old woman wanted to spend the sunset years of her life here, in her rightful house. The house now had all necessary amenities for her to lead a peaceful life at least (though it was a far cry from a five star). How would it be possible? Her husband was no more, all her girls were married with grandkids and her youngest son would have to leave the village to find a job – he had to pay off the loan he had taken to build the house. Even if the house had become habitable, she was old and there was no one to help her with the everyday chores. Against her wishes, she would have to go and stay with her daughter, who had a bustling household, with children and grandchildren. Her great grandchildren – the thought soothed her, she had seen it all and there really was some satisfaction in it.

There was another house, built by her elder son, where she would have loved to stay, but circumstances did not allow her to dream about it. And she did not spell it in words. Life had been difficult, many moves, many fields, many abodes, many falls and many upheavals later she finally spent the last years with one of her daughters and sons alternatively. And finally reached her rightful house, that of God!

Part of the house on the hillock is let out by the old woman’s youngest son. Still, whenever I pass it, it reaches out to me, waiting for someone of its own to come and occupy it, to make it complete. The youngest son is married, works in the city. Will he at least enjoy the fruit of his labor? Will the “Orphan House” beget its members? It is an abode in waiting, standing there like some elder, waiting for the prodigal son to come back.

14^th February (2011) is most often than not such a happy day. I experienced a very different kind of valentine feeling today – one which touched my heart in a very different and potent way. I met one of my office friends’ after practically one whole month and just last week I was wondering where she was.

She looked a tad washed out and tired, making me think – maybe she had been sick and badly so. I asked her the obvious question and she nodded (she is habitually a very silent person – you have to probe and pry to open her up). Old habits die hard and I was not satisfied with the answer. Her eyes looked so full of pain. “What happened?” I asked. “I had an abortion!” the words hit me bang at my core as if I had lost my own and in spite of myself my hand was on her back soothing her.

Her eyes immediately filled with unshed tears. I cursed myself. The company bus arrived before I could convey my regret and pain at her loss. Even now as I type this my day has been incomplete, I could not relieve one would-have-been mom’s guilt, pain at not being able to carry her child to full term. My friend this is a valentine to you from your baby!

I know just how badly

You wanted me mom

How much you persisted

Your love for me was firm

It’s difficult to love

Someone you never saw

But believe me mom

I love you so much more

I promise you mom

It’s only a matter of time

This separation is short

I will be back in no time

So give nature a chance

To again bring us together

To be tied in such a bond

Strong - in every weather!

Believe in me mom

And my father in heaven

He thought it best to wait

And unite us forever!!