Poems Page - From www.HumNRI.com

Thursday December 29, 2005

Family Gathering

It's Christmas Day,
the day of family gathering,
the parents were looking forward to this for the whole year,
their empty nest has been quiet for a while,
today it will humming with the voices and smiles of the children,
today will be the day we will remember for ever.

The children of all ages are here,
the infants are amused, crying and smliling,
the young boys and girls are playing all around,
the teen and young are playing games of all kind,
the adults and mature folks have texas hold em in their mind.

The Mom and ladies are making their best cuisine for tonight,
they make sure every one has unforgettable dinner tonight,
Mom wished she had more than one chances to host her family,
Dad is all excited and full of love and smile,
there is an excitement in the air,
there is love and family affinity in everyone's hearts.

The children waited till the Christmas morning,
till Santa brought all their gift thru the chimney overnight,
the excitement of opening the gifts reflected on their faces,
some wished why it was not Christmas day everyday.
Even the white elephant gift exchange amongst all the grown ups,
brought the excitement and glee in their eyes.

The Christmas music playing in the background,
reminded us all the true meaning of Christmas,
The gift exchange and warm wishes are mere traditions,
It's the love and respect for the family which counts.

Didicated to Prospero and Aurora Mendoza.

Posted by narain2 at 10:13 AM

0 Comments

Thursday December 22, 2005

Yellow Rose

She came in my dreams last night,
She left a yellow rose and a love note on pillow next to me,
As always the inscription read,
"we are friends for ever and in the eternity".

Since a rose is a rose,
why the red rose shines in the glory of love?
why the white roses remind us of our departed souls?
and why the yellow rose shines the rays of friendship in all of us?

Like sunshine bursting through grey clouds,
The aura of friendship emanates from its golden petals,
The frozen dew drops on its soft satin petals,
glorifies tears on my cheeks in the times of sadness,
Its mere presence and the fragrance,
fills my heart with the scent of warmth and affection.

Yellow rose you are perfection in creation,
I wonder why you have to wither away in time,
With every falling petal, a heart is broken,
with every withered yellow rose, a token of eternal friendship is lost.

Posted by narain2 at 5:19 PM

1 Comments

Sunday December 18, 2005

Sharad Birha (Winter Separation Song)

Shardi ke kuhre me kambal me sikud raha hoon main,
angithi me jalti hui chingarian kewal jism hi garm kar rahi hain,
mere dil ki tanhaian kewal tumahri yaado me khoi hui hain,
osh ki boond boond men kewal tumahri hi tasveer dikhai deti hai.

Sarad raat me jab chakmakate sitaron ko dekhta hoon,
lagta hai ki smaya pal bhar ke liye jam gya hai is tandh me,
chandni saham gayi hai kisi ke pyar ki pukar se,
dil jal raha hai tumhare birah ki jwala se.

Raat me joro se chalti hui tandhi hawa,
tumhare hridya ki baichani ka sangeet sunati hai,
Sheetal raat me jab khubsoorat Chand ko dekhta hoon,
tum utni hi door pyar se muskarati hui najar aati ho.

English Translation

Shivering in cold, wrapped up in the blanket,
the heat from the fireplace tries to warm my body,
With my lonely heart lost in your thoughts,
I see your picture in every dew drops on the glass window.

When I look at the twinkling stars in the cold nights,
I feel that time has frozen for a while in this cold,
the moonlit night is sad with the echoes of the songs of missing love,
My heart is burning with the passion of distant love.

The gusty cold winds in the night,
sing the song of your anxious heart,
When I look at the beautiful moon in this cool night,
I see you smiling from a far away distance with the loving heart.

Posted by narain2 at 5:08 PM

1 Comments

Thursday December 15, 2005

I am glad .. I am getting old.

Every morning when I feel the sunshine,
filtering in my room over the hills and trees,
I remember my care free childhood mornings,
when my parents would happily toss me up and down in air,
I remember the beautiful dawn of my married life,
when me and my wife would feel eternally bonded together in the sunshine,
Now I am all alone welcoming the cheerful day,
The shadows of the past have made me think that I am getting old.

I look at my picture album sometimes,
I wonder why my hairline is shrinking away,
I wonder why it is getting harder to chew the food everyday,
I wonder where my adrenaline is gone these days,
why can't I play the soccer and the tennis as I used to,
till my kids and people around me remind me,
that I am not only getting old, but I am old.

I used to look for respect in my younger days,
till I realized that the respect is given not expected,
now I find it everywhere even from people I never knew,
Now I feel relaxed with no fears and pressures of life's turmoil’s,
I love young and old, I try to find the meaning of my life,
I am at peace with myself, I am in love with nature,
I am glad, I am getting old.

Posted by narain2 at 8:48 AM

3 Comments

Sunday December 11, 2005

I just want to be with you....

I will be waiting for you down the road,
you are my beautiful garden,
where I would love to sit and adore your beauty,
you are delightful twinkling stars in the dark skies,
I would love to stare at you with my vivid imaginations,
I just want to be with you.

I will be waiting for you for down the road,
My eyes have been dreaming of our meeting,
My heart has been beating hard in anticipation,
Flowers and gifts would not make me happy,
you bring yourself to me, it's just what matters,
I just want to be with you.

I will be waiting for you for down the road,
I don't expect anything from you when we meet,
Even if you say something or nothing,
Even if you don’t kiss me and embrace me,
it would not matter it's just your presence what matters,
I just want to be with you.

Posted by narain2 at 3:50 PM

2 Comments

Wednesday December 07, 2005

Geeta Jayanti

On the anniversary of Geet Jayanti,
it is nice to reflect on the eternal conflict between,
the righteous consciousness and the worldly attachments,
As Lord Krishna preached it to Prince Arjuna to fight a war with his cousins.

War kills, not only the enemies, but also kiths and kins,
But why worry and fear of killing in a just war,
Because Atma(Self) is never born, and never does it die.

Whatever happened, happened for good,
whatever will happen, happen for good,
you should not repent the past,
you should not worry about the future,
the present will keep on rolling past us.

Change is the law of nature,
what you see as death, is really the life,
In one instant you may be a millionaire,
in other you may turn into a pauper.

The emotional attachments and desire of having more,
brings in the lustful trishna(hopes),
and troublesome happiness,
Remember we all came empty handed,
and we will all go the same way,
Eliminate the trishna, then everything is yours,
you will become a part of everyone and the universe will be yours.

The breathing body is neither yours, nor you are for the body,
It is a body in transit for your soul,
But the Atma(Self) is an integral part of ParamAtma(God),
If one gives himself to the God,
he would be free from worldly fears and anxieties.

Whatever you do(karma),
you have all the rights to do it,
but the outcome is not in your hands,
Dedicate it to God,
This is the way you would enjoy,
the eternal happiness of your life.

Posted by narain2 at 8:53 AM

0 Comments

Saturday December 03, 2005

Merry Christmas

When I used to live in Colorado,
My dreams of a white Christmas always came true,
the Santa's sleigh with all the reindeers with red noses,
would shine in the mellow glow of the moon lit sky,
the white snowy landscape and snowy mountain tops in sun shine,
would extend my joy to the extreme heights to almost reach Him.

Now I live in the city by the Bay,
There is no white Christmas but wintery rain,
Cotton snow, cardboard trees and Santa in the malls,
cheering the spirit of children of all ages with joy,
Whether they were naughty or not,
Santa always brought some nice gifts,
to all the children on the Christmas eve,
as he did centuries ago,
when he welcomed the Little Baby to the world,
to make us all believe in the truth and wisdom.

Posted by narain2 at 11:54 PM

1 Comments

Thursday December 01, 2005

Intzaar

Tumhara Intzaar hai har pal,
per koi chahat nahi kisi pal,
tum pyar ki ek sunder pratima ho,
jise phoolon se sajana chahta hoon,
tum sagar ke tat per ek shila ho,
jise lahron ki tarah har pal choomna chahta hoon.

Tumhara Intzaar hai har pal,
per koi chahat nahi kisi pal,
tum mere sapno ki malika ho,
jise apni sari dastan sunana chahta hoon,
tum mere dil ke ummido ki bhavna ho,
jise har parah jigar me samet ker rakhna chahta hoon.

Tumhara Intzaar hai har pal,
per koi chahat nahi kisi pal,
tum mere pyar ki manjil ho,
jahan main kabhi tumse vida nahin hona chahta hoon,
tum mere armano ki wo madhushala ho,
jahan bas jam pikar har palak tumahre sang bitana chahta hoon.

Posted by narain2 at 12:04 AM

1 Comments

Thursday November 24, 2005

Dry Tears

I cry, cry and cry,
I hope the crying will relieve me of my painful sorrow,
but I can not feel tear drops rolling on my cheeks,
my heart is crying but the tears are drying inside me.

When I lost my long time love,
I wished she would appear in the reflection of my tear drops,
The loving memories of the past played back in my mind,
the eyes would fill with drops of sadness,
but the tears of emotion would dry up inside me.

When I come home every night,
I don't find her waiting for me with her big smile,
I look at her picture and try to invite her back in my life,
the tears of memories flood my eyes,
only to dry up in a moment,
when I realize that she is gone away for good from my life.

In the lonely nights, when I miss you so much,
No one hears me crying and turning my agony in tears,
Before the tears dry up inside my heart,
I feel like I found you and liberated my soul.

Posted by narain2 at 11:58 AM

1 Comments

Friday November 18, 2005

My Birthday

It's my birthday,
After a while I stopped counting which one it is,
nevertheless it's the same old joyous day,
when I look at the past I survived and enjoyed,
and anticipate the golden future lying ahead of me.

In whatever language you wish,
In English, Happy birthday to you!
In Hindi, Janm din ki subh kamnaye!,
In Bengali, Shuvo Janmdin!.
In Gujarati, Janma Divas Mubarak!,
In Malyalam, Pirannal Aasamsakal!,
In Punjabi, Janam din diyan wadhayian!,
In Spanish, Feliz Cumpleaños!,
In Telgu, Janmadina subha kankshalu!,
In Tamil, Piranda naal vaazhthukkal!,
In French, Joyeux Anniversaire!,
It carries a deep appreciation from my heart.

The birthday parties, gifts and dinners,
all celebrate my life on this joyous day,
even if you forgot my birthday,
it does not matter,
come and enjoy this special day,
there is one life to live,
Celebrate at it for any cause you can think of.

Posted by narain2 at 12:32 PM

1 Comments

Monday November 14, 2005

My Search

I have been searching for a long time,
something I am missing in my life,
I hear you whispering your songs in the blowing autumn leaves,
I see you playing hide and seek with me in the fluffy wandering clouds.

Sometimes I see momentary brightness in my dreams,
I see your figure moving like a ray of hope in the bright sunny days,
I envision your smile filling my heart with warmth in the light soaking rains,
I feel your presence giving me a will to live in the dark and dreary nights.

I searched for you all over the town,
I thought I would find you in the miracles of cyberspace,
I wandered looking for you in temples and chuches,
I thought I might even find you amongst our friends and relatives.

May be you are always very close to me,
In searching every corner, I forget to look inside me,
when I seek earnestly, I discover,
you are waiting for me in my heart, as always, forever.

Posted by narain2 at 11:37 PM

0 Comments

Saturday November 12, 2005

Save Our Rivers

Oh my beautiful river,
what we have done to you in so many years,
Long time ago, the water was so pure and blue,
the banks would be blooming with lotus and wonderful flowers,
I would even try to catch fish and shrimp with bare hands passing by me,
With the refinery built on the banks of the river some years ago,
now the water is pale and yellow,
the fish and shrimp have all died,
the beautiful lotus and water chestnut does not grow anymore,
the birds and wild animals have all disappeared forever.

In my early days,
me and my friend would jump and play in the water,
innocently we adored the purity of the Ganges,
far away from big cities and maddening crowds.

In Varanasi, the Ganges river is considered so holy,
Millions of people come there to take a dip,
and rinse away their sins and miseries,
Would you like to bathe and take a drink of that water?
Of course not, even the locals are afraid to do so.

Pollution of any form,
the discharge from small and big industries,
the disposal of waste and garbage from the cities,
should be banned if we want to keep our rivers alive.

When our rivers die,
we die with them,
not because of purity of drinking water,
but also because of destruction of our natural resources.

Posted by narain2 at 10:58 AM

1 Comments

Tuesday November 08, 2005

My River

I am sitting by the bank of the river,
reflecting what my reflections in the water mean to me,
the calm and serenity of the eddies and waves,
sends my thoughts in the endless tranquility.

The images of my childhood play before my eyes,
jumping and playing in the water was a sheer joy,
Buffaloes and cows would come near us,
the drink of water kept them alive in the hot sunny days,
the flute music from the shepherd boy sereneded our play,
we looked forward to seeing all the girls coming to fetch the water our way.

On our honeymoon days,
we would sit by the bank hand in hand,
the tantalizing songs of the flowing water,
made us fall deeper and deeper in love there after.

The lush beauty of the river abounds in the country side,
The white and pink lotus flowers gracefully adorn several spots,
the sunflower would shine like sun on the banks,
the bamboo plants would dance and whistle in the wind.

The spirit of sharing bubbles through the sparkling stream,
In the intense summer heat, the thirsty gets their precious drops,
In the heavy rains, the overflow from the banks,
irrigate the paddy fields to the sheer joy of the farmers.

The water in the river keep flowing,
like a lover in anticipation with open arms,
it's eager to get to its vast oceanic destination,
where the lover meets the beloved in deep ocean of love.

River, you are my eternal friend,
lovers and loved ones will come and go,
I will always find you when I need you,
May it be the moments of happiness or sorrow.

Posted by narain2 at 8:55 PM

1 Comments

Saturday November 05, 2005

Alone

Loneliness has many forms,
My loneliness is,
like a flickering candle,
in an empty home.

When I open the windows,
and try to gaze you in dark starry nights,
the mild gust of wind,
almost blows off my feeble kindle,
reminding me of my meaningless presence.

My candle is melting away,
my tears keep on freezing at the base,
In my solitude no one cares,
whether me or my feelings are slowly vanishing away.

Then one day you appear from nowhere,
you shield the glow of my feeble candle,
the candle burns steadily with radiance,
my heart beams with joy and glee.

When I was daydreaming of love and romance,
you suddenly disappear forever,
my candle is full of fear and insecure,
as the winds of life may finally blow it off for good.

Posted by narain2 at 10:39 AM

1 Comments

Thursday November 03, 2005

My Trust

Trust is
A mirror of my consciousness,
Uncertain and fragile,
delicate and tender like a thin sheet of glass,
Hard to hold and hard to keep,
Once broken hard to repair.

Trust is
A ray of faith and hope,
A dose of deep devotion.

Trust is
the healer of the pain in the heart,
the shield against the insecurity.

Trust is
the glow in your eyes with everlasting love,
the smile on your lips with eternal bliss,
the magic to make you feel special and wanted,
the illusion to believe in unbelievable.

Posted by narain2 at 9:32 PM

0 Comments

Wednesday November 02, 2005

A Fan Mail by Linda Walters

A Gentleman Named Jay

Across the miles I flew one day to make a home with my child.
To the hills, valleys, bays and lakes, giant redwood forest, and flowers growing wild.

Fresh fruits and vegetables we bought at the farmers’ places,
So carefully grown by folks of many races.

We picked our holiday pumpkins and Christmas trees from the fields,
We visited San Francisco and found some great deals.

We took a Pacific Ocean tour to see the great whales,
And heard lots of sea faring tales.

We watched the holiday light shows,
With all the glitter, sounds, and glows.

We were high upon the hills overlooking the bay,
And on one lucky day in cyberspace, I met a gentleman named Jay.

Some of life’s journeys have spared him no pain,
And yet he fulfills his life’s commitments and does not complain.

He claims to be shy and an introvert one,
Yet his writing about life all tell of great obstacles faced, and victories won.

This gentleman named Jay is wise beyond his years,
And stands very tall among friends and his peers.

He has witnessed the cycle of life more times than one,
Yet bravely faces the victories yet to be won.

He sees and understands the vast beauty of our Maker’s plan,
And writes wise and beautiful poems as he travels this land.

A gentleman named Jay,
Found living by the bay.

A treasure found, a joy to know,
A true friend to last forever and never let go.

Posted by narain2 at 9:01 AM

1 Comments

Sunday October 30, 2005

Life

Life is a mystery,
if I only knew what's in my future,
I would have enjoyed all this very moment.

Life is a puzzle,
If I only knew how to fit in the pieces,
I would have solved an endless enigma of desires.

Life is a riddle,
if I only understood its underlying meaning,
I would have enjoyed the ups and down of the life.

Life is like a coin,
On one side of the flip,
it's love, joy and happiness,
On the other side of the flip,
it's despair, loneliness and unhappiness.

Life is like the nature's never ending weather cycle,
Spring brings the birth of a new life,
The seeds of hope and emotions start to prosper,
Summer brings the ultimate desire to cherish,
the pleasures, love and lust in life,
Fall seems not far behind to remind us,
there is so much to do and yet so little time,
Winter brings the calm and philosophy,
Life is an adventure, a gift from God,
Take the life in stride,
As the end may be lurking on side.

Posted by narain2 at 6:38 PM

2 Comments

Wednesday October 26, 2005

Happy Diwali

Dark and starry new moon night,
Garland of bones and skulls,
shining sword and dark surprised deity,
reminds me of Kali Puja on this Diwali evening,

Flickering little earthen lamps,
no match to decorative electric lights,
eliminate darkness from the night and hearts,
arouses feeling of hope for the future in the world of darkness.

Colorful paper streamers, and sky lanterns,
homes shining with fresh paint in vibrant colors,
the beauty and charm of decorations,
makes the eyes and mind go wild with vivid imaginations.

Sparklers, rockets, spinners and fireworks,
brings excitement and adventure in the minds of young at hearts,
The appetite for Laddoo and sweets offered in Ganesh and Laxmi Puja,
starts a sweet happy new year to most of us..

Sandhya(Darkness) and Prakash(Light) make up the legendary love story,
Sandhya bids farewell to Prakash every evening with dusky eyes,
Prakash awakens Sandhya every morning with the bright and happy sunrise,
However on the Diwali night, Prakash beams with happiness from every little lamp,
Sandhya feels the warmth of the everlasting love and joy in her heart.

Happy Diwali to All !

Posted by narain2 at 1:17 PM

2 Comments

Sunday October 23, 2005

My Chat Love

The cyberspace has opened many new avenues,
You click here and there and find what you want,
Here I find an instant friend thousands of miles away,
her handle ID is different than her real name,
I even don't know who is she and what she looks like,
She may be a he, she may be a teenager or even an oldie.

The chat begins with truncated cryptic messages,
sometime a message like see you tom,
sends my head spinning whether she is even chatting with me,
Sometimes requests for sal or asl makes me confused,
I think I am talking to some medical doctor.

The chat goes on for hours and hours,
I type a long question with my two slow fingers,
the reply comes like ya, i.c, y, or lol,
with a complaint that I am too slow for chat.

With time the formalities disappear,
I see signs of love appearing in messages,
sometimes messages carry deep emotions like i m n luv w u,
sometimes I see the tear down the eyes with i m brd n lnly,
sometimes it seems that the chat love will last for ever with wt dnt go,
sometime it seems that my chat love will disappear in deep blue yonder with c ya agn.

After a long chat, my yearning to meet my love intensifies,
My heart wants to see some one close to me,
Holding my hand and sharing my feelings,
But when I turn off my IM, my chat love disappears into eternity.

Posted by narain2 at 12:18 PM

3 Comments

Thursday October 20, 2005

Halloween

It's Halloween night,
the full moon is in sight,
Do you see the witches flying on the broom?
Do you see vampires rising out of the tomb?

Tonight is the ancient Celtic New year,
It's All Hallows eve for the Catholic Church,
It's night to honor all the Saints,
It's also the night when space and time stays still,
It's the night when the disembodied spirits of the past year dead,
come looking for living bodies to possess,
That’s why children of all ages dress up in ghoulish costumes,
they parade around the town making noises to frighten the ghouls away,
That’s why we keep our fireplaces cold,
to make sure that the spirits don't find a comfortable place.

On the all Souls day in mid ninth-century Europe,
People would walk from village to village,
begging for the soul cake made of bread and currants,
More soul cakes one would gather,
More prayers would he say to expedite dead souls passage to heaven.

When you dress up as Ghosts, goblins, skeleton, and ghouls,
and go trick or treating door to door,
remember not only to sweeten your sweet tooth,
but also to pray for the departed loved ones.

When you see a flickering light in the Jack-o-lantern,
remember the Jack who was notorious as drunk and trickster,
He tricked and trapped the Satan onto a tree,
only to let him go free if he did not tempt him ever again.
On his death, poor Jack could not enter either heaven or Hell,
as he was a sinner and had tricked the devil,
However the devil game him an ember,
to light his way thru the frigid darkness in his lost world.

The Halloween,
is it devil worship or a harmless vestige of pagan rituals?
Is it the night when green goblins roam and bats swarm the skies?
The holiday spirit and celebrations on this night can be shaped to be,
As evil and spooky as you want it to be.

Posted by narain2 at 7:55 PM

0 Comments

Monday October 17, 2005

My Dad

Behind the stern and strict disciplinarian face,
lied a gentle and humble hearted man,
He was the guiding light of my life,
He was my Father who I respected all my life.

He bestowed deep love and faith in all of his kids,
He provided all the necessary freedom and financial support,
He knew we would achieve our hopes and dreams,
with the dedicated effort and commitments in our goals.

He would wonder sometimes,
why all his children hang around Mom all the time,
He works so hard to provide us what we need,
He makes all the sacrifices which we can't dream of.

Although it was uncommon to get a hug or handshake from our Dad,
He would pat on our backs to shown his appreciation,
He would touch our forehead to show his affection,
He showed us how to be humble and simple in spite of his achievements,
His wisdom and foresight opened up many successful avenues for us.

Although I hardly saw any emotional outburst on my Dad's face,
He had great tenderness and love for his family,
He was the shining light house,
On the banks of seas of our family life.

Posted by narain2 at 9:36 PM

2 Comments

Saturday October 15, 2005

My Poems

Poetry is a beautiful tapestry,
Of love, pain, sorrow, desires and fantasies,
For a long time I could not weave a single string,
Because the power of expression in poems were unknown to me,
But then the turn of events in the unknown paths of life,
Made me to discover a poetic medium to express my state of mind.

Poetry is a fascinating endless stream of emotions,
It's a mysterious medium which accords hope,
to a life wandering in the dark alleys of loneliness,
to a heart broken with the loss of loved ones.

Poetry is the source of heavenly inspiration,
In love, you can paint the most beautiful mural with sweet words,
In agony, the poems comes out from the bottom of your heart,
In happiness, the joyous poem knows no bounds in exaltation.

I will keep on imagining my life in poems,
It has saved my soul from living extinction.

Posted by narain2 at 6:02 PM

0 Comments

Monday June 20, 2005

Surfer !

Strolling on the beach on one sunny afternoon, my mind wondered,

" who is more pretty?, the mountain or the sea ?"

The mountain stares endlessly at the beauty of the sea, It eternally listens to the romantic music of the endless waves, the sensuous touch of gentle waves, transforms the sea as its queen of dreams.

The sea admires the majestic mountain, standing tall and high in the beautiful blue sky, With the colorful trees, flowers and water falls, the mountain looks like the prince of dreams.

They never argue who is prettier, They feel like they are eternally made for each other.

Next I wonder, "who is more passionate? "A lover or a surfer?"

In the successive waves, small and high, the surfers wait patiently on their surfboards in the cold sea, they float over the small tides, they even flip over the high tides, they wait and wait till they catch the breaking wave, they jump up and ride the wave, with ecstasy of joy and happiness.

The passion for surfing lies strong in their heart.

The lover sees his beloved sitting on the beach, with flowing hair and beautiful smile on her face, she asks, "who is more passionate, me or the surfers "?

The lover whispers in her ears, your passionate love is a treasure in my heart, when I look at you on the beautiful beach, I don't even see the surfers anymore.

Posted by narain2 at 11:22 PM

2 Comments

Tuesday June 21, 2005

Pyar ki manjil !

tum sama gayi ho mere pyar ki manjil me,
meri nigahe tumhe dekhti hain her nazaro me,
hame to tum hi tum nazar aati ho her pairo ki ahat me,
tumhare jism ki khushboo bhar gayi hai mere sanso me,
tumahri haseen adayen hi nachti hain mere sapno me,
mujhe ummid hai ham kabhi jaroor milenge is sunhare pyar ki manjil me.

Posted by narain2 at 11:26 PM

13 Comments

Thursday June 23, 2005

Trishna !

Oh Trishna,
you provoke greed, lust and desire for ever more in my heart,
you set the illusion of immortality and permanence in my mind.

I always wonder,
why I live in a doghouse under the freeway in sunny California?
why can't I live on that beautiful mansion on the hill ?
why I have to drive an old beat up car?,
why can't I drive a new Ferrari speedster?
why I have to wear my clothing from Mervin's?
why can't I get dressed in the wardrobe from Saks Fifth Avenue?
why I have to eat my unappetizing cooking everyday?
why can't I enjoy the fancy French restaurant food every night?
why I spend hours reading business and sports pages from a newspaper?
why can't I spend few minutes reading some Good books?
why my loved one has to die before me?
why didn't she keep her promise of going after me?

I keep on dreaming of all the nice things,
the desire for more money, love and material pleasures,
makes me running around aimlessly in the vicious circle of life.

Lord Buddha once prophesized,
trishna is the source of all pain and suffering for the human race.
One must give up trishna as nothing is permanent in the universe.

I should try contentment as the first step to counter trishna,
I should learn how to live with what I have.
My house will seem like a palace, my car would run like a Masarati,
my cooking will become gourmet, and my wardrobe would look like fancy attire.

The second step would be to gain some knowledge,
the poems by Doodlebug will inspire me for a generous living,
the studies of philosophy of various religions would enrich my soul,
I should also look into my past,
and try to learn from my past mistakes.
I may attain Buddhitsva(Learned state),
and may find Nirvana for my soul.

The third thing I should learn is to love and respect others,
I am sure that if I love my enemies and sharp critics,
they would one day become my best buddies.

The last thing I should try to understand,
that there is nothing in the universe,
which is of permanent nature,
we all have to part one day with our beloved possessions and loved ones.
When we do not expect returns for our endeavors,
we fulfill our souls with eternal pleasures.
When we extend our hands to help other people in need,
we will fulfill the dreams of our happy soul.

Posted by narain2 at 6:05 PM

5 Comments

Monday June 27, 2005

Graduation Song!

It's the hour of the graduation,
hope soars beyond imagination,
The hard work and sleepless nights,
are only the memories of the bygone days.

Feel free, as we always wanted,
Aim for the rosy future, as we always dreamt of,
Be, as we were meant to be.

The time has come for the,
exciting new life to begin,
The fear and anxiety of an unknown future,
don't even creep in mind.

The sweet touch of hugs and kisses,
from family and friends,
would be everlasting in the indebted heart.
the joy and happiness on their faces,
would be engraved forever in thoughts.

Feel free, as we always wanted,
Aim for the rosy future, as we always dreamt of,
Be, as we were meant to be.

Posted by narain2 at 11:59 PM

3 Comments

Wednesday June 29, 2005

Beach Bum !

Do you hear your favorite music in the songs of cascading waves?

Do you see the beauty of your beloved in the inviting surf?

I do! I am a beach bum.

You may think of me,
as a social derelict and drunk,
as an unkempt person with long hair and dirty clothes,
as a vagabond wandering on the beach.

I don't need rum and whisky to get intoxicated,
the beauty of the endless sea keeps me high and enchanted.
Don't underestimate me by my looks,
I am an artist of some sort,
my sand portrait of Mona Lisa,
would make some collectors very jealous.
My sand castles on the beach,
makes me feel like a king for ever.

The morning Sun over the mountains,
greets the ocean with twinkling exuberant rays,
the waves welcome me with gentle caress,
and wish me a sparkling day.

When I get ready for a swim,
the sea welcomes me with the cool and refreshing embrace,
it does not care whether I am a prince charming or an ugly duckling,
it does not care whether I am old or young,
the sight of waves proceeding to greet me in succession,
fills my heart with the unimaginable love and romance.

The music of ever vibrant waves,
fills my ears with the most melodious tunes,
it calms and soothes the pain and sorrow,
of my ever lonely hearts.

The sight of people playing all sorts of games,
the kites and birds of various colors flying all over,
makes me paint the most beautiful portrait in my mind.

When the weather gets bad,
the tides get high and mean,
the strong blowing wind,
sends me to an ecstasy,
of flying like a bird ,
over the sand dunes and tide pools.

I would not care a less,
if the high tide accidentally sweeps me,
in the endless watery grave,
because there is no place,
lovelier than the ocean beach.

Posted by narain2 at 10:44 PM

0 Comments

Saturday July 02, 2005

Fireworks !

It's beautiful night,
the sky is full of twinkling starts,
the moon shines with its cool rays,
Suddenly there is a big sparkling light show,
the exclamation of Oooh Aaah proceeds,
the burst of fireworks.

The fireworks celebrates,
the arrival of New Year,
the beginning of new wedded life,
the beginning of freedom for a nation and its souls,
the start of a new era in life.

Playing with the sparkling sparklers,
bring memorable joy on the faces of young and old,
Launching rockets and screamers,
bring the daring experience in the minds of teens and adults.

The finally with multiple shots of Big bangs,
paints the sky with multiple colors,
the mild explosions fill the ears with rhythmic music.

The firework show fills the heart,
with the true spirit of freedom and happiness.

Posted by narain2 at 11:39 AM

3 Comments

Monday July 04, 2005

Sibling in the midde !

Sibling in the middle,
lost in thoughts.
The parents get twinkle of joy in their eyes,
when they play and laugh with the eldest,
They see pupil of their eyes,
when they hold the youngest up high.
I am the sibling in the middle,
always ignored and overlooked in life.

Do I have to be a rebel and revolt against you?
Do I have to write hate notes on you in my diary?
Do I have to feel depressed and lonely?
Do I have to cry?
Do I have to complain to my friends,
that my parents don't care about me?

Think of me as your forgotten child,
play and laugh with me so that I feel wanted.
All I need is the same hug and kiss,
which you give it to your other kids.

Posted by narain2 at 10:50 AM

13 Comments

Wednesday July 06, 2005

Drugs and my brother !

My brother was a cool cat in his senior year,
Handsome with broad shoulder,
he attracted all the girls in school.
He was an honors student,
He loved to play with me,
I looked up at him as my only role model.

He got a summer job,
and bought him his own car,
it was fun to ride with him in his fun little old car,
which would breakdown in the middle of our trip to the mall.

He would go to the parties during the weekend,
leaving me home alone with my dull parents,
he would come late in night,
he would smell funny and seemed intoxicated,
he would avoid any eye contact with me and sneak into his room,
only to get up late next afternoon.

I would wonder what he did in the parties,
his friend Andy told me one day,
our parties are fun,
we have very cool music,
lots of food, alcohol,
and cool experiences with drugs.
Staring at the light show,
with puff of joint and a drink of beer,
blows our mind out of this world.
With a little snort of white powder,
we reach the ecstasy of our life.

My brother came back home,
from college after few months,
he could not keep up his grades,
and got kicked out of college.
He had changed quite a lot in last few months,
his eyes seemed little weary,
his arms twitched once a while,
he seemed to be under some hallucination,
I saw the despair on my Dad's face,
Mom hid her tears,
and spent lots of time at the prayer altar.

My brother thought Andy was his best friend,
Once a while I went searching for him,
only to find him in Andy's place,
with the white powder and,
syringe scattered around in his room.
My heart cried at that pathetic sight,
I saw them wasting their brain and life.
I wondered how they got into this mess?
was it the peer pressure?
lack of communication with parents,
or their own sheer desire?

My Dad tried everything in vain,
from councilors to advices from kith and kins,
Out of desperation, one day my parents decided,
that my brother was going to join the Marines,
The recruiter sympathized with our dilemma,
no sooner my brother was one of the chosen few.

For next four years,
our lives were full of uncertainities,
my parents spent many sleepless nights,
thinking and praying about welfare of my brother.
Only the deep devotion in God,
and our family unity kept us going.

The career at the Marines changed my brother,
not only he graduated with honors from college,
he is a young retired officer with a nice wife,
and a bright new leash on his life.

Now my borther is not only my role model,
but he has become the hero of our family.
I wish my brother had become a hero in some other way,
where we did not have to go thru all the emotional pain and suffering.

Posted by narain2 at 8:05 PM

4 Comments

Friday July 08, 2005

Domestic Violence !

My heart cries,
my eyes can not hold back tears,
sobbing and hiding behind the door,
me and my sister watch the unthinkable,
our parents are having their first fist fight.

Dad does not drink,
he does not have affair with other woman,
he is usually very cool and calm,
and stays away from the trouble,
He is little stubborn though,
always ignores Mom's requests,
for household work help,
sometimes he gets very agitated,
when we return from our shopping spree.

For weeks, the noise of argument from parent's bedroom.
had been getting louder and louder,
Tonight the volcano has erupted,
with the smashing of glass door on the closet,
We thought the California earthquake just rocked us,
we rush to our parent's room for safe haven,
only to find them yelling at each other,
Dad is pulling her hair,
Mom is trying to scratch his face,
they are both swinging their hands fiercely at each other.

We start to cry loudly,
it quiets their temper,
they go to different rooms,
and shut the doors.

Dad tells us the show is over,
you guys better go to sleep.

I thought that they will never sleep together again,
only to find them in together,
in their bedroom in the morning.

The next day people at work wondered,
whether the Dad's scratches on his face,
was really from his pet cat's misbehavior.
Mom has to explain bruises on her face to her friends,
as the accidental running into the wall.

I don't know why two loving adults,
get into fierce fight like enemies?
Did they try to listen to each other's problems?
Did they make compromises in their lives?
Did they try to live within their means?
Did they really love each other?

The domestic violence,
leaves a permanent scar,
in the loving hearts.
For us little kids,
it is a big emotional nightmare,
it haunts us not only in our childhood,
but stays in our minds for years to come.

Posted by narain2 at 9:36 AM

2 Comments

Saturday July 09, 2005

House Husband !

I am excited,
I am entertaining the idea,
of becoming the house husband!

Now that my housewife has raised all the children,
she has set up our dream home world,
she always wanted to have a career,
she is young and energetic,
may be it is good time for her to get out of wraps.

Think of all the possibilities of a house husband,
Being empty nesters,
I will have the entire house by myself,
I will have all the time to play,
all the games I always dreamt of.
I will have all the time to surf and chat,
with the unknown strangers.
I will try to cook as a dedicated husband,
I may cook the bread which may come out as tart,
I am sure she would not like my cooking,
and would end up cooking by herself any ways.
I would love to clean the house in my own way,
I would love to reorganize the decorations in my style,
I am afraid I may get kicked out,
If I try too much to force my ways.

You all the happily married guys,
you don't day dream,
as I am talking about,
my retirement plan.

Posted by narain2 at 1:54 PM

3 Comments

Tuesday July 12, 2005

Blue Bird

Every Spring, I watch the blue bird pair scouting,
every corner and nook around my house.
The pair works whole day,
bringing every straw and twig,
In course of few days,
they make the most beautiful nest,
I could ever imagine one can make.

The day of anticipation finally arrives,
the female bird lays the egg,
she sits over it day and night,
guarding it alertly from unwelcome guests.
Have you ever seen closely in the eyes of mother,
what a treasure the young one's are to her heart?

Finally my most exultant moment arrives,
I see the little bird hatched out of the egg,
the mother and little one silently and alertly,
stare at me doing my yard work.
The male bird keeps on bringing all the food,
he finds in the neighborhood.
The birds enlighten me,
with the wonders of a happy family life.

I keep on wondering,
how the little blue jay will feel,
when he would be able to fly on his own,
and experience the beauty of freedom,
and self esteem.

Alas, one day in early fall,
the blue bird pair and the young one,
all fly away deserting their nice little home.

I don't know why they leave every fall,
I wait for them to come back next spring,
I love to see the cycle of life,
portrayed by my favorite blue birds.

Posted by narain2 at 9:29 AM

1 Comments

Friday July 15, 2005

Happy Birthday

Oh Happy Birthday,
My wife was celebrating my first birthday,
I was fifty and reaching my golden years,
the love, emotions, and friendly gestures,
sent my mind to find the true meaning,
of a happy birthday.

I watched my children being delivered,
the tears of joy and happiness,
in my wife's eyes made her forget,
the pain and miseries she had endured.
When she held the baby in her arms,
the radiant smile on her face was deep and divine.
As a Dad I would day dream even at work,
the warmth of love and affection,
brought by the wonderful infant in the family.

The day of the miracle of creation,
the day of exuberant joy and happiness,
I will always remember as a memorable Birthday.

We celebrated our kids’ birthdays,
year after year with lavish parties,
the habit of getting all the presents,
made the kids count days to their next birthday.

The idea of presents kind of baffles me,
For a grown up like me,
the love and affection from my loved ones,
would made me wait for my next birthday.

I am waiting for my second birthday party,
I hope I would be around to see that wonderful day.

Posted by narain2 at 12:02 PM

1 Comments

Sunday July 17, 2005

My Missing Half !

When I wake up in the morning,
I want to hear your beautiful voice,
Only the radio alarm makes me realize,
that my other half is missing from my world.

You bestowed so much love and affection,
that you became the other half of mine,
For thirty some inseparable years,
we were each others heart and mind.

Your call to the pearly gates of the heaven came too early,
no one could save you from the dreaded heart attack,
I watched in deep sorrow and pain,
my other half vanishing before my eyes on the banks of river Ganges.

There is lingering emptiness in my heart,
I try to find my missing half anywhere I could,
Sometimes I see you in the waves of the ocean,
other times I see you smiling in my garden with roses.

You were a shadow of my self,
Now I can't find that shadow even in the midday Sun,
However I see that shadow in the full Moon,
smiling at me and filling my empty heart with love divine.

Posted by narain2 at 11:56 PM

4 Comments

Wednesday July 20, 2005

Me and My Teenagers

I dream of those lovely early days,
I would escort my crying little children,
to their kindergarten classrooms.
When I went to pick them up,
they would hug and greet me,
with irresistable joy and happiness.
All through the middle school years,
we enjoyed playing tennis and golf,
I would coach them soccer,
and watch them playing baseball.
I will spend countless hours,
watching them become,
sophisticated dancers and musicians.

Time passes us by,
the little ones have transformed into teens,
their voice have changed,
they have grown taller than me,
they have become independent boys and girls.
The peer pressure has given them new attitude,
"It's not cool to be seen with old dudes".

Things are changing around me,
The morning school drop off point is,
a block away from the school entrance,
The tennis and golf games are very rare,
as I have grown too slow for them.
I thought they liked my cooking as kids,
now they would rather eat pizza and spaghetti.

My evening tube viewing hours have become minutes,
most of the time either they are playing video games,
or watching teen boy and girl shows.

My interest in internet surfing is also waning,
as I get scrutinized on every mose click,
when I try to oversee their visiting website,
suddenly computer screen goes blank.

All our weekend family trips are becoming distant memory,
as they want to go to the mall during the day,
I can't even go to my evening parties,
as they need the car to go out with their friends in night.
They promise to return by the midnight,
only to sneak silently in home at 2 a.m.,
while I am tossing and turning in bed.

I can't even share my wisdom with them,
I am usually rebuffed with the reminder,
"Dad I am grown up now,
I know what I am doing."
I can only give suggestion,
and watch their actions anxiously.

With God's good grace,
I survive all the heartache and headaches,
now they are in college.
Now they don't like the dorm food,
"Dad bring us food and money over the weekend".
As a nice Dad, I am there with all their requests,
to find that they have only five minutes to spare,
for the Dad who drove hundred miles to see them.

I am glad the miseries are finally over,
the college graduation day has finally arrived,
the teenagers have become adults now,
they give me slight hint of appreciation,
for all my love and dedication,
they even think that,
Dad has finally matured after all these years.

Posted by narain2 at 7:35 PM

12 Comments

Saturday July 23, 2005

Mayusi

Mere dil ki ek choti si kashti,
daria ke dhare me bhatak rahi hai,
ishki na to koi manjil hai,
ishka na koi thikana hai.

ye zakhmi dil ki tanhai,
judai ka ghame anjaam hai.
daria ke her dhare,
gugunati hain dard bhare naghme.

ye dil ki mayusi,
hum kaise dil se nikale?

socha ki sharabe jaam pine se,
jaam me ye gham ghul jayenge,
lekin jaam ke nase me,
ye gham aur bhi badhte jate hai dil me.

kisi ne kaha,
gham bhulane ke liye,
mohabbat ki jaroorat hoti hai,
ek hamdard ki talash karo,
sare gham mit jayange.
Mujhe dar hai ki kisi hasina ne,
mohabaat me bewafaii ki,
to hum jite ji mar jayenge.

Posted by narain2 at 11:57 AM

9 Comments

Wednesday July 27, 2005

Eternal Love

What is an eternal love?

It's being with you,
and thinking of no one else.

It's looking at each other in eyes,
and getting lost in each other's thoughts.

It's holding hands and strolling on the beach,
and not even noticing the beautiful waves.

It's indescribable love written on your beautiful face,
It's undiscovered joy in your sensuous smile,
It's uncontrollable lust in your close embrace,
It's endless desire in the your deep beautiful eyes.

It's a painted mural in my heart,
It's inscriptions can't be erased with your loss,
if it ever gets repainted with a substitute love,
it's engravings always remain intact in my soul.

Posted by narain2 at 10:24 PM

8 Comments

Sunday July 31, 2005

Butterfly

Butterfly, Butterfly..
You're the nature's most creative splendor,
the color patterns on your wing are so pretty and vivid,
no designer or an artist can even apprehend it.

When you fly in bunches or you fly alone,
my garden springs to life with your inaudible song,
When you fly in circle around me,
I am stunned with the beauty of nature around me.

As a young boy,
I would chase you thru fields and parks,
I would even try to catch you,
while you were kissing your dream flower,
I would dance pretending to embrace you,
and dream of flying to the heavens with you.

You can fly with such a grace,
all thru the sunny days,
the wind does not make you stray,
the shadows do not deviate your ways.

Beholding you the Butterfly,
My heart fills with joy and hope,
with a new beginning in the spirit of my life,
My unfinished dreams come alive,
with the hope of reaching new ambitious heights..

Posted by narain2 at 10:39 AM

5 Comments

Tuesday August 02, 2005

My Destiny

When I am happy,
bustling with successes in life,
When my dreams are fulfiiled,
with love and riches I desired,
I do not even think that,
my destiny brought me here,
I just give credit to myself.

When we meet our beloved,
when we start to love and miss each other,
why we give all the credit to fate and destiny?
We strove to get into that enchanted world,
we played all the rituals of the love acts,
There is no destiny,
we got into it by our own free will.

When we are sad,
with the miseries of life and death,
with broken dreams of happy life,
with tormented heart in our love oasis,
why we think that all of it was in our destiny?
Life is like an ocean wave,
it has low tides,
soon to be followed by the high tide,
All we need is faith and determination,
to get over the notion of our predetermined destiny.

Destiny does not shape our future,
we do by our deeds and actions,
I do not beleived in pre professed destiny,
because I shape my own destiny.

Posted by narain2 at 8:46 PM

7 Comments

Saturday August 06, 2005

Partners in life

In the midst of twinkling stars in dark starry nights,
you arrived in my life as a breakaway star,
the bright trail you left in sky,
sparkled my heart with heavenly joy.

Like two strangers we met on that life's road,
Forsaking everyone we had in this world,
Like two loving hearts strolling as one,
we made our journey together in the paths unknown,
Like the twinkling stars in the sky,
we were eternally there for each other.

The fun and excitements of life,
we enjoyed together as delicate wine,
The pain and sorrows of life,
we shared together as bad dreams,
The joy and worries of raising family,
we cherished with sublime sweet emotions.
The unhappiness and discord in life,
we overcame with our trust and love divine.

No matter what lies at our unknown destination,
rest be assured that I will be yours,
and you will be mine.

Posted by narain2 at 6:00 PM

6 Comments

Wednesday August 10, 2005

Engagement Ceremony

I have known you for a while,
our friendship grew into a romance,
romance led us to boundless love depths,
We felt inseparable from each other,
you finally expressed our hidden desire,
you proposed to me,
and we are having this ceremony to celebrate it.

I am looking pretty in my best dress,
I am lost in my dreams with the charming bouquet in my lap,
I smell your presence next to me in the most beautiful attire,
I feel the exalted joy on the faces of my parents and siblings,
I see their dream coming true before their eyes,
I feel the warm hug and congrats from my friends,
It is making this evening unforgettable in my memory.

After all the blessings and good wishes from the well wishers,
you finally take out the beautiful sparkling ring,
As the ring slips on my finger,
I feel the ecstatic sensation of love and passion,
I keep floating in the dream clouds of inseparable intimacy,
I silently hear the pomises of everlasting love,
I feel the joy and happiness radiating all around from my ring, the circle of love.

This is a day so memorable,
it will last in my dreams and breath,
for the entire life I live.

Good Luck Rachna and Mike.

Posted by narain2 at 11:00 AM

0 Comments

Friday August 12, 2005

Our 58th Independence Day

I am saluting the tricolor flying high together with the old glory,
hanging from my garage in my adopted land,
My spirits are high and full of hope,
for the people of my motherland.
I live in the middle of big Indian community,
we have more Indian associations than the Indian languages I know,
We celebrate our Indepence day every year,
with floats, parades and cultural festival.
We have charity groups of all kind,
we share our wealth and knowledge with needy here and back home,
I wish we did not adhere socially to our own linguistic groups,
we should live here only as Indian not as separate subgroups.
As a community to prosper, we have to remember that,
United we stall tall and aim for ambitious heights,
Divided we get ignored and fall to the depths unknown.

Posted by narain2 at 11:47 AM

10 Comments

Monday August 15, 2005

Divorce

Why did I get divorced?

I loved my spouse,
we had dreams of a happy family paradise,
we were passionately in love with each other,
we thought we were made in heaven for each other.

When our disagreements grew,
why didn't we talk with a smile,
why didn't we try to compromise,
marriage is nothing but a rocky road,
where two minds always collide,
marriage is nothing but an art of survival,
where compromises reshape two distinct lives.

I would have happily left you,
If you had affairs with another pretty women,
I would have gone my own way,
if you had drinking problems with the intent of physical abuse,
I knew our love for each other,
had conquered the suspicion and fear from our hearts.

Why didn't we manage our anger properly,
why didn't you give me a hug and kiss after our fight over meaningless things,
I was waiting as usual for you to take the lead,
I was dreaming of wiping the traces of anger with passionate love.

Why didn't we have more time for each other,
I still remember our strolls in the hiking trails in the moonlit nights,
Why didn't we take interests in each other's hobbies,
I was always waiting to sing for you the most heart warming gazals.

I wish we had a few children,
love for children overcomes most of the daily miseries of a married life,
I love to play with little children,
their innocent faces and smiles makes my heart brim with pleasure.

I agree that the divorce is caused by the mistakes of both spouses,
I would have done anything to save our marriage,
instead with greatest pain and agony,
I am filing for a divorce based on irreconcilable differences.

In many circumstances, people miss their dead spouses with reverence,
without any hope of ever seeing each other,
In case of our divorce, it is painful to hate your living beloved spouse,
without any desire of ever seeing again.

Posted by narain2 at 10:26 PM

5 Comments

Tuesday August 16, 2005

I hate you !

I hate you, I hate you, and I hate you,
But strangely somewhere in my heart,
I love you.

I hate you when you ignore my loving gestures,
I hate you when I cry in lonely pastures.

Why this hate and love always linger together,
Like the darkness following the sunny days,
Like the sadness overwhelming the happy days.

My dreams go wild whenever you say I like you,
I hate when you say that I don't love you,
I love it when you think that I am a nice,
I hate it when you say that our chemistry is on ice,
I love it when you talk to me smilingly,
I hate it when you tell me to look for someone else unwillingly,
I love you as a friend in need,
I hate you as an over sympathizer in deed.

However much I hate you,
I love you even more.

But however hard I attempt,
Our hearts would drift further apart,
As love is a two way street,
Of meeting of mind, soul and heart.

Posted by narain2 at 8:16 PM

0 Comments

Wednesday August 17, 2005

Meri Yaaden

Dur gaon ka matiala path re,
mere dil ko lubhae re,
kahan le chala mujhko aaj re,
mere tan man ki awaaz re,

kis mod per milenge aaj re,
mere bachpan ke yaar re,
panghat pe jayengi sakhia kab aaj re,
unki payal ki jhankar mere dil me samaye re,
kab paro se hogi mulakat re,
devdas ke dil ki ye aah re,

cahrwaho ki jhund kahan milenge aaj re,
unki bansuri ki dhun se mai mohit ho jaun re,
kab bhet hogi kisan chacha se aaj re,
unki mehnat se kheto me hariyali bhar jaye re,
halwai chacha ki dukan pe kab jayenge aaj re,
lakhto aur batasha khane ki bahut hi chah re,

Dur gaon ka matial path re,
mere dil ko lubhae re,
kahan khatam hogi yeh rah re,
ye bhooli bisri yaadon ki rah re.

Posted by narain2 at 9:36 PM

1 Comments

Sunday August 21, 2005

Tomorrow

Will there be a tomorrow for me?
I don't know.

When I wake in the morning,
I am happy as a dog,
as I have made into another day,
I have endured joys and sorrows of life,
I have experienced many roller coaster emotional rides.

With the sun breaking out of the fog over the mountains,
the birds flying cheerfully out of their nest,
the flowers greeting the sunshine with big smiles,
I know it's going to be a great day.

Will there be a tomorrow for me?
I don't care to know,
I enjoy every moment of life in the best way,
I do things which I always dreamt of,
I find my love in the eyes of my loved ones,
I relish affection and friendship from others,
I try to achieve enlightenment for my soul,
with the best preaching anywhere in the world.

Hopefully I am in the last decade of my life,
I have achieved my goals and desires,
I am happy as a bee with whatever honey I have,
I feel that the days of the achievements,
should to be replaced with the acts of redemptions.

Whether I am there tomorrow or not,
I feel my extension should be there for the eternal continuity,
I see my extension in my children and grand children,
I see my extension in my selfish world.

I see more opportunities in the unselfish universe,
I try to help disadvantaged children for their bright future,
I try to help needy for their needs,
Unselfish love for the humanity,
brings exalting peace to my heart.

Will there be a tomorrow for me?
I don't need to know,
I would live a life full of hope,
I would lead a life full of compassion.

Posted by narain2 at 11:53 AM

6 Comments

Tuesday August 23, 2005

Jeevan

Ek gulab ki kali,
bade umang se baag me khili hai,
diwas ke surya ki roshani me,
sunderta ki chabi bichati hai,
raat ke sheetal kohre me,
chandani ke chadar me simati jaati hai,
vasant ki varsha ki rim jhim me,
bhingi hui pankhuria saham jaati hai,
Tej hawa ki jhokhe me,
pankhurian saare baag me bikhar jaati hai,
Ye bikhri hui pankhuria,
chaman me khusboo chod jaati hai.

Ye hai ek Mombatti ki kahani,
jalti hoon main prakash ki jyoti ko failane ke liye,
andhkar ke bhay ki paheli ko suljhane ke liye,
pighalkar apni astitva arpit karti hoon main,
udyaan me vishwas ki sugandh badhane ke liye.

Kas jindagi bhi foolon jaisi hoti,
jite ji apne sugandh se logon ka dil jeet leti,
bikhri hui pakhurio ki tarah,
ant samay me bhi jahan me hamdardi ki bhavna bhar deti,
kas Mombatti se hame prerna milti,
kushal vichare hridya ka andhkar mita deti,
jeevan arpan se sansar ko sukh shanti ki anmol bhet milti.

Posted by narain2 at 11:11 PM

3 Comments

Friday August 26, 2005

Seven Sins

I wonder about my arrival in this world,
was that a sin on my part?
I was scared, I was crying,
I was stepping in this strange world.

As I grew up from my innocent childhood,
I realized the meaning of sin for the first time,
when I committed an act against my conscience.

We were taught to take pride in ourselves,
to enhance our self confidence,
then how come Pride is a cardinal sin?
When I indulge in vanity,
when I think I am better than others,
when I step on someone's pride,
then I am breaking my own humility,
then my virtuous Pride has really become a sin.

Jealousy comes to my mind,
when I see someone richer than me,
when I see my coworker getting preference over me,
I realize that I am hindering the good of others for their sake,
The Envy has taken over me and my conscience.

When things don't go my way,
when I have run out of patience and compassion,
I am Angry like hell,
I am committing a deadly sin,
I need a dose of love and kindness to sooth my soul.

When I get lazy and expect my destiny to bring me riches,
when I forget my right to karma(work) and not to its results,
when I drift into complacency to my spiritual needs,
I have become a Sloth and lost the zeal of my life.

I would love to be a generous person,
I would love to praise and commend on others achievements,
I would love to help others without any return expectations,
but my heart wants its own share of recognition or more,
my earthly desires and temptations overtake my generosity,
I am overtaken by the sinful feeling of Greed.

Why should I eat only the regular burger and fries,
when I can super size it for a few more pennies,
Why I only go to a party to only enjoy company,
why not I get drunk to have the best of good times,
there should not be any limits to my pleasures,
as I have been overtaken by my sinful sense of Gluttony.

When I see a pretty woman,
My mind goes into the wild dreams of romance,
When I get a drive to gain more power,
I try to enhance my ego's image.
Lust has overtaken my self control,
it is suffocating my soul with pleasures.

I wonder whether the death will be my last sin,
I will be leaving all the loved ones,
it will be a natural act against my earthly wishes.

Posted by narain2 at 12:35 PM

2 Comments

Sunday August 28, 2005

Spirit of Sex

Children play together,
never noticing girls or boys,
in their innocent years.

In the teen years,
something changes,
boys find girls interesting,
girls find boys appealing,
the mysterious desire of sexual attraction,
has come to their prime attention.

The attraction between opposite sexes,
leads to intimate love and affection,
the first embrace becomes electrifying,
the first kiss becomes sensual sublime,
The ecstasy of physical closeness,
fills the mind with the lust for sex.

The sex is a dilemma by itself,
it's like the forbidden fruit,
eat it, want it more,
don't eat, miss it more,
sex is admiration of blossoming beauty,
it's ultimate love and contentment of bodily desires,
it's mistaken as mere biological need,
it's a responsibility in deed,
it's an assertion on the perpetuality of creation,
it's the reality and it's life.

Posted by narain2 at 11:23 PM

4 Comments

Monday September 05, 2005

Happiness

In the pursuit of happinees

I explore thee in the glorious sunrise over the lake,
I search thee in the joyous flight of birds,
I wish the bright sun rays would fill my heart with cheers,
I hope the spirit of freedom will uplift my emotions,
Yet I feel an emptiness in me overshadowing your existence.

I chase thee in the drifting clouds,
I pursue thee in the green mountain valleys,
I wish you would fill my instincts with the cloudlike divine ecstasy,
I hope you would paint my mind with the valley's eternal gaiety,
Yet I can't discover you in the wonders of nature.

I gaze thee amidst twinkling stars in starry nights,
I probe thee in the moon light over the dark shadows,
I wish you would comfort me from my agony and distress,
I hope you would give me strength to overcome my fears,
Yet I mysteriously elude you from my feelings and emotions.

I seek thee in the deep blue eyes of my love,
I quest thee in the money and riches,
I wish your love would last forever in me,
I hope money and wealth would bring some glitter in me,
Yet I am disheartened as I can't find you in materialistic pleasures.

I know you are waiting for me somewhere,
I would love you with deep passion,
I wish my pain and sorrow would be replaced with joy with your touch,
I hope my dreams and hopes would come alive with your presence,
Yet only if I could just find you somewhere.

Posted by narain2 at 12:00 PM

3 Comments

Thursday September 08, 2005

Picture on the wall

My beautiful wife in the picture on the wall,
stares at me with the wide beautiful eyes,
greets me in the morning with the graceful smile,
welcomes me in the evening with her enchanting charm,
at one time she would be waiting for me at the door,
now she waits for me smilingly from the picture on the wall.

In the bright sunny days,
when the house is an empty nest,
She comes out of the captivity from the picture,
She quietly enjoys the beautiful music,
all the oldies and songs fill up her soul,
She enjoys her spurt of the moment dances,
in the melody of inaudible musical songs.

She adorns her neck with the immortal silk flowers garland,
Her body blossoms with the beauty of surrounding flowers,
All her dreams seem to come alive,
with the glow of love radiating from her face.
She stretches and extends her hands,
to meet her family thru the invisible bond.
The warmth of her presence,
is omnipresent even in the dim lights of the room.

In the dark starry nights,
the mellow moon light shines on her,
She smells as fragrant as the jasmine flowers,
Her eyes twinkle with pleasure,
as she is going to meet her eternal lover.

She comes and sleeps on her side of the bed,
With her invisible arms around me,
I get intoxicated in my sleep with her warm embrace.
When I tell her how much I love her in my sleep,
I could see the teary eyes even in the pictures of my dream.

Before the dawn sets in,
She quietly disappears from our midst,
She covers the fragrance of her body wrapped in her dress,
Her eyes are wide open to welcome any unfinished dreams,
She becomes captive again in the picture on the wall.

Posted by narain2 at 8:54 AM

6 Comments

Sunday September 11, 2005

Patjhar

Sheetal hawa ke jhonko se,
briksh ki hari pattiya tandh se,
sikud kar kaya badal leti hain sunhari rango me,
anginat rango me saji hui briksh ki pattiyan,
surya ki roshni me hawa ke sang ramniya nritya karti hain.

In sheetal hawa ke jhonko se,
na jane kyon udaasi bhar aati hai hridya me,
Kisi premika se milan ki kamnaye,
udassiyan mita deti hain chan me,
jag jati hain rang birangi prem ki bhavnaye,
unki sunderta ki raunak bhar jati hai,
hridya ki pushpa vatika me.

Sheetal hawa ki nirdayi jhoko se,
sunahri pattiya udati hai charo disao me,
pattiyo ki sunderta bhumi me alop ho jati hain is asha se,
agle varsh phir hum prakat honge harek briksh ki dalion se.

Pathjhar me do premi safar karte hain,
udati hui pattiya unke tana ko chumti hain,
unki prem bhari alingan aur chumban ki chaya,
udyaan ki sunder chabi ban jaati hai.
Premi sada vida hote hain is asha se,
janm janmanter me sada milnge ek dusre se.

Posted by narain2 at 11:31 AM

1 Comments

Wednesday September 14, 2005

Happy Onam

Although I heard of Onam festival for the first time,
the spirit of the festival has filled my heart with joy.

Traditionally people welcome King Mahabali,
Every house is adorned with beautiful floor patterns,
Ladies are dressed in their best colorful sarees,
Men are exuberant in their Dhoti and turban,
The beauty of Onam is in the helping the needy,
the legend tells the story of the Nambudiri feeding the hungry.

I can only visualize the beauty of several chundans(snake boats),
on the waters of river Pamba at Aranmulla,
Decorated with golden lace, flag and ornamental umbrella,
oarsmen dressed in traditional dhoti and turban,
singing and rowing the boat with the rhythm of boat songs,
The boats race and meander in the river like fish,
The spectacular show of pageantry of the boat race,
makes it a visual extravaganza.

On the eve of Tiru Onam,
the legendary boat Palliodam floats down from Katoormana,
with the bounty of food for hungry and needy,
Blowing conch shells, music and drum beats,
welcomes the boat along its route.
The snake boats with lighted torches,
escort the boat in its nightly majesty.

I love the festivals for the good food,
I would love to share Sambar, Moru curry,
Theeyal, Thoran, Injipuli, Naychorr, Injithair,
and the sweet Payasam ,
with everyone in the world.

Happy Onam to All.

Posted by narain2 at 12:01 AM

4 Comments

Thursday September 15, 2005

Meaning of Love

In my thoughts and in my imagination,
the true meaning of love is beyond my comprehension,
The mysterious aura of moonlit starry nights,
makes my heart yearn for the essence of love.

Love is intimacy of amorous hearts,
Love is the fusion of minds and souls,
Love is sharing of faith and trust,
Love is the will to overcome hate and angst,
Love is unselfish devotion,
Love is the prime mode of creation.
Love is the life support for souls,
Love is immortal even in extinction.

Still I don't know what love is,
Maybe love is love,
Or just an imagination,
In my lonely heart.

Posted by narain2 at 7:32 PM

0 Comments

Sunday September 18, 2005

Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves,
I see your green tenderness,
changing to rainbow of sparkling colors.
In the chill of autumn winds,
I feel inside my heart a strange loneliness,
when I observe golden leaves departing from trees,
It seems to me that my love is leaving me behind,
and is headed to some unknown dreamland.

Why everyone is leaving me alone?
My favorite birds are disappearing one by one,
the flocks of migrating geese don't even care about me,
The beautiful flowers are withering in my garden,
Even the caterpillars are getting wings to get away from me,
the beauty of nature is disappearing right before my eyes.

When the chill and the blow of wind gets stronger,
colorful leaves swirl around in the air,
as if they are unsure of their destination,
I loose the sense of my existence,
when I see my love lost in confusion.

In the moonlit chilly nights,
the blowing wind creates the images,
of ghosts and goblins out of the floating leaves,
I will be hiding myself under covers,
as I am scared to watch my love as an ominous stranger.

The treasure of golden leaves lie all around the tree,
the snow and rain will dissolve its enitity into eternity,
Next spring new hopes will arise,
the leaves will cheerfully appear again on all the tree branches.

My love will emerge from its solitude,
the hopes and lust will appear again in my life.

Posted by narain2 at 10:22 AM

1 Comments

Wednesday September 21, 2005

A Day out with family

When I was young,
My large family of brothers and sisters would go out,
to the beautiful park overlooking the river dam,
we would play, eat and enjoy the winter sunshine,
We would fight, scream, talk, laugh and cry,
Mom would always be there to make peace,
and spread love within the quarrelling bunch,
The Dad could not hide his subtle happiness,
Mom would be ever happy to be around all the kids.
The memories of a happy family outing,
is the priceless treasure in my memory bank.

Time and tide waits for no one,
soon I am away from home with a new bride,
We savored our romantic honeymoon days,
whether we were out of or inside our home,
the weekly trips to Disneyland rides,
kept our love blooming,
the trips to beaches,
made us know each other better.
Those were the priceless moments of my life,
which I will always treasure.

Then our life got blessed with kids,
we would pack up all the child necessities,
we would head to the lake beach with nice lunch,
we would make sand castles,
we would drench each other with the refreshing water,
we would fly kites,
we would go swimming,
we would even just sit and bask in the sun,
No one could evaluate those quality family times,
they would ever remain priceless in my memory.

The time has passed me by,
now I am the oldest person in my family,
I go to the nearby park for a walk around the lake,
Now I have the pleasure of the company of,
my children, their spouses, and my favorite grand kids,
the smiles and laughter of grand kids,
steals my breath away,
I do not even remember walking couple of miles,
when I spend most of my time cuddling and playing with grand kids.
I hope these priceless moments would remain forever,
in my life and in my dreams.

Posted by narain2 at 11:53 PM

0 Comments

Thursday September 22, 2005

My Unsung Hero

It is my great pleasure,
to admire the most unsung hero.

Lives in willing confinement,
Works day and night for free,
Has given up the life's great ambitions,
Does not worry about being dependent,
Does not even dreams about personal glory.

Bestows all the love and affection,
Shares all the trials and tribulations,
Enriches life with joy and laughter,
Shares all the pain and sorrow with deep emotions,
Accords all the personal desires and dreams,
Shares all the trauma of failure and miseries.

Tends gentle comfort in the times of sickness,
Lends shoulder to cry on in events of despair,
Shares satisfying kiss with a beautiful smile in the time of need,
Gives the most unforgettable embrace in love and peace.

Guess who is my unsung hero,
Of course it is my Housewife.

Posted by narain2 at 11:00 PM

3 Comments

Friday September 23, 2005

My Unsung Hero (Revised for political correctness)

It is my great pleasure,
to admire the most unsung hero.

Spends most of the day willingly in its own castle,
Works any time of day and night at its own free will,
Has given up the life's great ambitions,
Does not worry about being dependent,
Does not even dream about personal achievements.

Bestows others all the love and affection,
Shares all of their trials and tribulations,
Enriches others life with joy and laughter,
Shares their pain and sorrow with deep emotions,
Accords all its own personal desires and dreams,
Shares other's trauma of failure and miseries.

Tends gentle comfort in the times of sickness,
Lends shoulder to cry on in events of despair,
Shares satisfying kiss with a beautiful smile in the time of need,
Gives the most unforgettable embrace in love and peace.

Guess who is my unsung hero,
Of course it is my Housewife.

Posted by narain2 at 6:17 PM

7 Comments

Sunday September 25, 2005

Going to the Ball Game

We were all excited to go to the ball game,
came early from work, drove in groups,
Lo and behold, we were in front of baseball stadium.

Parked our car, started to walk to the gate with million others,
the tailgaters made us hungry even after our light dinner,
there were people of all ages and all races in my group,
we were all excited to find our seats next to bleachers.

The autumn evening was little chilly,
people came prepared with heavy jackets and blankets,
the people in the bleachers had aura of their own,
their faces were painted in green and white of Oakland A's,
their hair was even half white and half green,
they were the loud bunch with trumpets, bugle and drums,
they waived their flags, beat their noise sticks,
they were really into the game.

The game started with all the fanfare,
our team took the early lead with a home run,
very soon the aroma of all the food in the stadium,
made us go down to the food counters,
stayed in lines for hours,
emptied my wallet for a hot dog and beer.
In our groups, girls were chatting and taking pictures of each other,
men were shouting and gulping the food and beer,
some of us were even watching the game for a change.

Many years ago I asked my date after a game,
How did you like the game?
The date thought I was watching the game,
and she was sampling the men.

We watched the up and downs of the game,
the chill would not deter our game spirit,
some men were even taking off their shirt,
to show the tattooed A's as true spirit of the game.

Alas tonight was not the A's glorious night,
they beat themselves with bad plays and bad strategy,
The game outcome did not matter,
as we were going to have the unforgettable fireworks.
The loud bangs and sounds of bright fireworks,
made us forget our loss and day of tiredness,
the colorful display kept us mesmerized,
for the rest of the evening.

Posted by narain2 at 12:25 PM

1 Comments

Tuesday September 27, 2005

Friend

In the times of loneliness and depression,
I need someone to share my affliction,
I need someone to hug me in my desolation,
I need someone to dry my tears from my eyes in dejection,
I need someone to make me happy in the times of lamentation.

I might find that person in form of a lover,
I would find refuge in love and become a dreamer,
I hope our relations would last long and forever,
However I am not sure that selfish love would last that longer.

I may find that person in the form of spiritual thoughts,
I would find peace and consolation in the divine sermons,
However as soon as I would shift my attention from meditation,
My heart would sink fast into the dire straits of depression.

If I am lucky, I would find that person in the form of a friend,
I would develop my friendship based on faith and trust,
My friend would be unselfish, kind and honest,
My love for my friend would be blind and earnest.

I would share my sadness and agony,
I would be assured that I would not be left alone,
I would cherish every moment of our company,
I would feel secure and complete in my life.

A real friend I would always treasure,
Your mere presence would bring joy and happiness in my life,
You would be a very special ship in my life's turbulent ocean,
I would be a sailor and our frienship will shine forever like a beacon.

Posted by narain2 at 7:58 PM

1 Comments

Sunday October 02, 2005

Durga Puja

Long time ago when I was a young boy,
I was growing up in Bihar in a Bengali neighborhood,
Durga Puja was the the festival we anxiously awaited in our childhood.

When the monsoon rains were gone,
the weather was cool and nice,
we would watch a bamboo structure go up in the temple compound,
A well known craftsman would start building the images,
From the straw and clay, he would create the images,
as if the Creator was designing his loving creation,
By the seventh day of the festival,
the images would come alive,
with the beauty, color and lively expressions,
The image of mother Durga was the dominant centerpiece,
her might and love for the masses showed from her beautiful face,
The depiction of the elimination of Mahishasur(the buffalo demon) was so realistic,
it reminded me of the victory of good spirits over the evil in our midst,
The images of Goddess Laxmi, and Sarswati, were so poignant and full of life,
the images of Gods Ganesh and Kartikeya were realistic and full of vigor,
With decorations and pomp, the temple was alive with the sounds of Manipuri drums,
the blowing of conch shells and dances by devotees, started the three day celebration.

The seventh, eighth and ninth days of the festival were days to remember,
The evening prayer will follow with abundant sweets and fruits offering,
In the night, there would be live Drama and cultural festivals,
It would seem that festivities would never end,
till we were ordered back home by elders after midnight.

The ninth day or Navami had special religious fervor,
the tune of the festival used to be at peak,
the dancers with fire torches,
would dnace feverishly with the beats of Manipuri drums,
everyone in the crowd would seem so happy and full of joy,
seemed like they were all enjoying heavenly bliss of happiness.

On the Navratri day, we would go to the nearby Gujarati Mandap,
we would enjoy the festivities with Ras Garba and Dandiya dances,
the colorful dresses of men and women dancing in circles with the rhythm,
would capture our childish imagination with music and pageantry.

The tenth day was the day of Vijaya Dashmi or Dashara,
people will greet each other wearing new clothes,
the offer of the rasogollas(sweets) made it a memorable sweet day.

The afternoon was the saddest day in our lives,
It was the time of immersion of the images in the local pond,
the eyes of the images would seem so tearful and sad,
we would almost cry to see the beautiful images disappearing in the water,
as if the festivities were teaching us the transience of our lives.

The Puja was never complete without our traditional Dashara celebration,
we would gather in the local field in the evening,
the effigy of Ravana would be burnt in the night with all the fireworks,
masses would welcome actors dressed as Gods Rama, Sita and Laxman,
from their long exile and for the victory of good over the evil.

Happy Durga Puja, Dashara, and Navratri to ALL.

Posted by narain2 at 11:14 PM

1 Comments

Thursday October 06, 2005

Rose Love

With the bouquet of red roses,
I was standing in the desolate alley of my life,
My unkempt hair and untidy looks did not bother me,
My eyes were waiting to see you for the first time.

My dreams were composing you with red roses,
your face would be as cheerful as the rose blossom,
your lips would be red like the rose petals,
you would be tender and lovely as the rose itself,
your body fragrance would will fill the air with the scent of roses.

I saw your shadow coming close to me in dark,
your presence lighted the darkness in my heart,
you accepted the bouquet with thanks and smile,
I was all exalted and floating in my love paradise.

Our meeting lasted for a short while,
your laughter and smile filled my heart with joy,
you handed me a rose with the stem,
as the parting gift for remembrance.
The beautiful rose looked so pretty in my room,
It filled my heart with the sunshine of love and happiness.

Many days and nights have followed each other since then,
I have not heard from my lovely lady of rose for a while,
the wait for phone calls have been eternally long,
the rose has withered and lost its spirit,
The scattered rose petals on the floor,
reminds me of the remnants of my vanishing love.

Posted by narain2 at 7:30 PM

0 Comments

Sunday October 09, 2005

Ladies wardrobe

Why ladies have such a huge wardrobe?
why all the closets, boxes and suitcases are full of their beautiful attires?
why they wear a dress only once in lifetime?
why they have house full of shoes?

I would love to see a beautiful lady with a nice smile,
I would love to watch their beautiful flowing hair,
I would admire their lovely lips and shining face,
I would fall in love with their melodious voice.

I would not care if she did not matched all the way,
in the same color of dress and shoes,
I would hardly care if her lipstick,
did not match her nail polish and eye shadows,
I would care even less,
if I saw her again and again in her favorite dress.

As the old saying goes,
it is not the wardrobe which makes a lady pretty,
it is the beautiful lady who makes the wardrobe look fancy.

Posted by narain2 at 12:20 PM

1 Comments

Monday October 10, 2005

Mens Wardrobe - Wife's prespective

I always wanted my man to look handsome,
I would love to see him well dressed,
I wish he had some taste and fashion,
to look nice with me when I am all dressed up.

When I buy him a shirt or a pair of pants,
he always returns it with some excuse,
sometime it is too vibrant sometimes it is too dull,
sometime it does not match his personality, sometimes his age.

His wardrobe is so scant,
all his shirts are white with touch of blue or green,
all his pants are dark with the different shades of brown,
all he has is a black and a brown dress shoe,
and a beat up Nike which he wears all day.

He dresses up sloppy and thinks he looks smart,
He looks the same in any dress combination,
I have given up on his well dressed personality,
I hope he looks good to the rest of the world.

Posted by narain2 at 8:03 PM

0 Comments

Thursday October 13, 2005

My Mom

The first word I uttered in my life,
was not the golden arches but the universal word of eternal love,
The word Ma has all the variations in different cultures,
It signifies the eternal bondage of motherhood in the Creation.

I would feel the warmth of her affection in her lap,
when crying was my only profession,
More she would rock me to make me sleep,
More I would cry to get her heavenly caress.

Whether I was a bad boy or a good boy,
whether I played whole day or did my homework or not,
she made me think that I was the best boy in the world,
she disciplined me with utmost care,
and shaped me for a bright future,

Whenever I did something very stupid,
her anger would change into sermons,
In one instant she would be in rage over my actions,
In the next moment she would forgive me,
and instruct me to take right decisions.

Whenever I was in pain over the setbacks of daily life,
Her tearful eyes would feel my agony,
She would try to heal my pain with great sympathy,
she would comfort me and fill my heart with empathy.

Whenever I needed unselfish love and tenderness,
She would be there with pure and honest goodness of the heart,
She would bestow never ending love and care with innocent smile,
She would live in my dreams for the rest of my life.

Posted by narain2 at 11:22 AM

1 Comments

Friday April 29, 2005

Spring Birha(separation) In Hindi

Ayi basant, phool khile hain chaman me,
Main akela, tumhe doodhn raha hun is chaman me.
Yaad aati hain, wo phoolo jaisi muskurahaten,
Jo prasfutat hoti thin, tumhari hotho se.
Main door, bahoot door hun, pyar ke us chaman se,
Jahan raat ki madhur chandani me, do dil milkar ek ho jaya karte the.

Posted by narain2 at 6:51 PM

2 Comments

Friday May 06, 2005

On The Beach

On that beautiful afternoon in autumn,
holding hands we walked on the beach,
with our hearts beating in unison.

The strong chilly wind breeze,
made us huddle close to each other at ease.

The waves of surf ever creeping close to us,
brought the feeling of endless love between us.

The beauty of seamless blue sky over the horizon,
lifted our joyous spirits high over the endless ocean.

The pebbles and shell we gathered,
are relics of romantic moments we shared.

The flirtations and little twirl dances we did on the sand,
brought our body and soul together hand in hand.

We thought we would never part from the beach,
but the fading red glow of setting sun,
reminded us that in life and nature,
all of us do part from things we love and cherish.

Posted by narain2 at 1:19 PM

2 Comments

Monday May 30, 2005

Prem Birha !

Door desh ke mere sunder gaon me,
ek choti si jhopadi me mera koi har roz intzar kare,
her pairo ki awaz unhe khidki ke sameep kheench kar laya kare,
bag ke her phoolon me wo mere badan ki khoosboo dhoodna kare,
bahati hui hawaon ki awaz se wo mujhse baaten karne in kosish kare,
her sabere surya ki roshni ki ane ki tarah, kisi ke ane ki ahat dekhti rahe,
her raat chandrama ki chandni me kisi se milne ki ahen bahre,
her din wo kheto ki hariyali me mujhse milne ki asha kare,
her dopaher wo dakiye ke ane ki rah dekhe,
na jaane unki koi pyar bhari chitthi hi aaj aa jaye,
her shaam wo nadia ke kinare ferry me mere ane ki tammana kare.
wo meri mehbooba hain, jin se milne ke liye mera dil tarasta rahe,
wo meri dilo jaan hain, jin ki her adayen mere ankhon me nachti rahe,
wah din door nahi, jab hum dono milker ek ho jayange sada ke liye.

Posted by narain2 at 10:37 AM

1 Comments

Friday May 20, 2005

Loneliness!

Is it a state of mind,
or an emptiness in the heart?
Is it just a depressing feeling,
or a strong desire to be loved by someone?

The failure to unite,
in the everlasting bondage of love,
the thoughts and realities of separation,
temporary or permanent from the close loved ones,
evokes the pain and agony of loneliness.

I fill in my mind,
with beautiful music which penetrates my heart,
the deep meaning of sad musical lyrics,
brings tears and awakens the desires to be loved by someone,
The emptiness in my heart,
makes me wander on vast ocean beaches,
searching for the missing part of my puzzle,
in the perpetual songs of beating waves.

I try to outdo my loneliness,
with love and associations with my kith and kin,
with friendship and attention from friends and well wishers,
still the void of my heart seem to be omnipresent everywhere,
dreaming of someone waiting for me at the door of my dream home.

Strolling in the beautiful garden,
I see the beautiful roses reflecting the smiles of my dear one,
I smell the fragrance of jasmine in night,
reminding me the scent of my beloved in close embrace,
I observe the radiant beauty of Asiatic lilies,
reminding me of the beauty of missing soul,
Now I feel lonelier than ever,
desperately seeking and longing for the presence of my missing love.

Loneliness may be a blessing in disguise,
it brings the desire and thoughts,
to cover the pain and emptiness,
it evokes the desire,
to be loved and cared by someone.
it brings the best poem and music,
from the depth of our hearts.

Posted by narain2 at 1:10 PM

2 Comments

Saturday May 21, 2005

Feelings!

When I am happy,
everyone enjoys my company,
I watch the bright sunshine,
lighting up the green mountain valley,
I even see some ebbs and currents in the blue waters of the bay.
I observe the bright red hibiscus flowers radiantly smiling at me,
and feel the red roses binding my happiness in my exuberant heart,

When I get lonely,
because of some unexpected events,
I find everyone has left me alone.
With the mountain valley darkened by shadowy dark clouds,
the serenity of bay water gives me the chills of sadness.
I see all the flowers wilting,
as if the happiness has passed by their soul.
I am puzzled why some unwanted events,
change the emotions and feelings so much,
that what I see,
becomes reflections of my mind.

If my keep my composure,
and not let the depression sink in,
the sun will rise again in the valley,
the daffodils and lilies will bloom again,
the yellow roses will remind me,
that there is a hope for everyone in the world.

Posted by narain2 at 7:39 PM

3 Comments

Sunday May 29, 2005

Memorial Day!

Traditionally on the Memorial Day,
we honor with Flag, flowers, wreath and the trumpet music,
our loved ones who sacrificed their lives,
with bravery and valiant efforts,
to save our country,
and give us the freedom and good life we cherish!

Most of us enjoy this day,
as the first day of summer,
with picnics, barbecues and good times in parks and homes.

I would like to make this day,
as the day of memories for all loved ones,
some fought for us in battle fields,
others fought for us every day in their lives.

My parents come to my mind first,
they brought us ap and gave everything we wanted,
even when they had to struggle hard,
with mountain of hard work and looming financial burdens.
They gave us the profound love and inspirations,
which brought us to where we are today.

Our departed loved ones come next,
it may have been husband, wife or kids,
they were part of our lives,
they were part of our dreams,
they were part of our broken hearts,
they will live in our memory,
as long as we live!

Posted by narain2 at 12:05 PM

2 Comments

Wednesday May 25, 2005

Flute Player!

It is a story pretty old,
it happened when I was around ten year old.
I remember my dusty little home town,
where me and my friends played outdoor all the time.

In a park, group of us played our favorite game of football,
in the rainy, humid and hot dusk hours.
In the isolated park corner, a young man would play his flute,
till all the children and birds went to sleep in the night.
He used to be dressed in his kurta and khadi vest,
he always carried his flute and a bag hanging from his shoulder.
He was a growing adult in his mid twenties,
he was pretty handsome in his rugged bearded looks.

I thought he was an excellent flute player,
though he never played any favorite filmy music which I knew.
I had heard of Lord Krishna playing his flute,
when all the village belles would come out and dance in his music.
My flute player's music had a sad, melancholy tune,
it did not attract anyone except some of us curious kids.
He would peep in his bag, bring out a silver necklace,
he will put it around his neck wrap it around his flute,
finally he will kiss and with a sad face, and put it in his bag.
He always used to carry a fresh sunflower,
he will try to put it on his flute,
as if he was trying to dress his beloved's hair.

I used to wonder who he is,
some elders would tell me that he is a crazy young kid,
some others told me he is suffering from the separation
from his beloved girl friend.

I used to wonder,
why anyone would miss a girl friend,
they do not play cricket and football,
they only giggle when they see us,
and run away behind their house curtains.

I observe my older newly married brother,
and my parents around the house,
why you need a women in your life,
if you are always nagging with each other over trivial things?

One evening during our dinner time,
we hear the shrill melancholy note from the flute,
my bhabhi asked my brother,
who is this lonely soul?

My brother knew the flute player as Sibu Da,
who lived next to our neighborhood.
He was from a family,
culturally well versed in music of all kind.
He was trained to play tabla, harmonium,
and was a gifted flute player at the same time.

He attracted his next door neighbor,
she was as pretty as a flowering rose,
her eyes were as pretty as sparkling diamonds,
her name was Tamanna and she had a melodious voice,
He played his melodious tune on the flute,
she serenaded him with her beautiful songs,
she gave him her silver necklace as a token of love,
he would bring a bright sunflower from his garden,
and decorate her hair every night.

The romance went on for a while,
until Tamanna's parents complained to Sibu's dad,
With no parental resolution in sight,
One night, they totally disappeared from their home.

Sibu would play his flute all over the town,
hoping someday he would find Tammana somewhere.
The girls would watch with their faces hidden behind the curtains,
but no one would come out as his Tammana of dreams.
It has been over a year,
no one knows where Tammana is now a days.

Next day I meet my flute player as Sibu Da,
he was palying his flute with all his heart,
the melancholy melodies mixed with dry tears from his eyes,
first time haunted my little brain,
that probably women are something you would dearly miss one day in your life.

Posted by narain2 at 10:54 PM

2 Comments

Friday June 03, 2005

Na Jane Kyon ?

Na jane kyon,
jab main tumhe apne dil se nikalna chahta hun,
tum meri ankhon me sama jati ho,
Jab main ankhen band karta hun,
tum mere dil me sama jati ho.

Na jane kyon,
tumahi sararti harkate,
mere khayalo me sama gayi hain,
tumahre hridaya ki prem ki gaharaiyan,
mere khwabo ko saja gayi hain.

Na jane kyon,
tumne apne sapno ka rajkumar mujhme kyon nahi paya,
main to sada tumhari hi yaad me khoya rahta hun,
tum mere sapne me rahti ho, mere khayalo me rahti ho.

Na jane kyon,
mera dil yah kyon nahi manta,
ki hum dono kewal dost hain koi premi to nahin,
Ye sunhare prem ke sapno ki tasveere,
jald hi toot kar hawa me bikharne wali hain.

Posted by narain2 at 12:03 AM

1 Comments

Monday June 13, 2005

Main To Koi Kavi Nahi ( I Am Not A Poet)

Maine socha ki apne dil ki dastan ko,
kuch sabdo me jode kar ek kavita hi likh doon,
Ek dil jale ki aah ki aag ko,
syahi se likhe akcharo se bujha doon.

Aapki madhur alochna ne mujhse kaha,
ki tum koi kavi ho nahin,
kavita dimag se likhi jaati hai, dil se nahin.
Main to hamesha yahi samajhta tha,
ki kavita dil ki awaaz hoti hai, dimag ki koi rachna nahin.

Illiteral English translation

I decided to write a few words in poetry,
to reflect the story of my emotions and feelings.
I thought the fire in a love burnt heart,
will be quenched by the ink of these poetic words.

Your gentle comments on my poetry reminded me,
that I am not a poet at all,
that the poems are written with brain, not with the feelings.
I always thought that,
poetry is the echo of the music and pain of one's heart,
and not a mere creation of one's brain.

Posted by narain2 at 8:10 PM

12 Comments

Sunday June 05, 2005

Anniversary!

Every year on the 19th of June,
My wife will remind me,
that today is our marriage anniversary.

I don't know how she remembered this day,
she did not care when it was Father's day,
or has the Mother's day passed her by.

Marriage anniversary was her special day,
she would look her best that day,
she would wear her best dresses and jewelries,
she would make the reservation in the most romantic restaurants,
she would not leave the kids behind at home,
she always thought that we all are in together,
she would even celebrate this day sometimes with her aunt and uncle.

As a typical old fashioned man,
I would tell her it is one of the another days,
I would present her a rose from my garden,g`
I would be astonished that she would accept it,
as the most beautiful gift she ever had.

I never understood why this day was so special,
I thought the wedding day was very special,
when we met as two strangers for the first time,
when we promised to live with each other,
thru the best and worst moments of our lives.

She would tell me that the anniversary day,
reminds her that we traveled safely for another year,
hand in hand on the treacherous path of daily life,
we experienced joys and sorrows together,
united in our thoughts and bodily entity.

Unfortunately she had to leave the world prematurely,
for the comfort of heavens and peaceful life,
now when the anniversary comes,
there usually is a lingering silence in my mind,
of her sweet conversations and beautiful smiles,
Here I stand as a stranded traveler,
trying to fill the void with tears and memories.

Posted by narain2 at 11:40 PM

3 Comments

Tuesday May 10, 2005

Lonely Hearts

The loneliness because of living alone,
drove me to seek refuge in the cyberspace of love.
The search of the loving and caring person,
I thought would lead me to my eternal soul mate.

After month of searching, I found the beautiful woman,
who dreamt of being known as the princess of some sort.

We talked for hours and hours,
About things of great and no importance.
After some time, the topics did not matter,
As her sweet voice on my cell phone made my heart spurt.

The lake in the Ozarks,
provided the backdrop of bringing the cyber lovers into the realities.
The lake was bustling with life in early spring,
where the colorful azaleas were growing in their full bloom.
The birds were singing and flying over the lake,
enjoying their freedom and high spirits.

My heart was overflowing with,
love and emotions of finally being together,
The realization of all my dreams ,
saw you as my queen of dreams.

Strolling around the beautiful lake,
She goes behind a bush and hides her face,
And says you are very nice and all,
But I do not think that we are meant for each other at all.

Suddenly my heart starts to sink in the lake of sad emotions,
the tears start to flow to cover the painful rejection,
I watch my queen of dreams disappear in thin air,
My love idol drowning in the serene lake waters.

I wondered why it was happening to me,
May be I was in love with my loving lonely heart.
I had created the mirage of a loving oasis,
Where the existence of love was only in my dreams.

I strongly feel that in love,
One should not feel sorry.
In the deep ocean of loving feelings,
A compassionate heart will always reign as the queen of dreams.

Posted by narain2 at 7:50 PM

4 Comments

Wednesday June 08, 2005

Father's Day !

It's soon going to be Father's day,
on this day what can I say,
I get all the attention from my kids,
this is the only day when I feel like a king.

From my Indian background,
I always wonder,
why we have a day set as Father's day?
It always falls on a Sunday,
It is not even a holiday.

I question my daughter,
buying all that colorful shirt and tie,
which I may not even wear,
as it may be too much of a show off for me.
I question my kids taking me to a fancy restaurant,
the food may even turn out to be un appetizing,
if I made an unlucky wrong selection from the menu.

Once my daughter replied to my questions,
Dad, the day may not matter to you as a special day,
but for me it is one of those days,
when I get a chance to pay homage to your,
dedication, love and compassion for me,
The cards and gifts are a mere token,
of my deep appreciation for you.
you are my only loving father,
in my heart and mind.

Again I go into my inquisitive mind spin,
why did not I celebrate my own Father's Day?
My Dad raised me,
gave me all the material things,
gave me the inspiration and guidance,
from childhood to adult life,
he shaped my future,
sometimes at the expense of his own pleasures.
Although I respected my Dad all the time,
it would have given him immense pleasure,
if I had shown it with cards and gifts he would have desired.

I don't think that the traditions matter,
a love and respect has no cultural boundaries,
it will remain the treasured feeling across the national boundaries.

Posted by narain2 at 9:21 PM

2 Comments

Wednesday May 11, 2005

Around The Lake Elizabeth In Fremont, Ca:

Nestled in the mountains deep inside the heart of a city,
the lake nurtures and opens its vast reservoir ,
not only to the living creatures small and big,
but also to vast array of human speicies frolicking around its perimeter.

On the footpath around the lake,
the stream of people,
walking, skating, strolling, jogging, and biking,
going round and round the lake,
brings into my mind, the complete harmony in the circle of life.

The crackle of small creek feeding into the lake,
and the joyous sound of little kids playing in the shallow waters,
reminds me of the eternal fusion of soul and mind with nature.

The female duck sits on the banks,
overshadowing its twelve chicklings,
her eyes glowing with eternal happiness,
where no one can dare to perturb her bliss.

The seagulls, geese, swallows and other little birds,
flying over the lake, up and down,
in search of something they relish,
reminds me of the freedom and and joy of living in all of us.

In the summer morning,
the misty vapor streaks from the lake reaching for the skies,
gives me the illusion of a divine soul reaching for the eternity.

The blowing leaves withering from trees,
creates an emptiness in the fall,
which is soon filled with flocks of migrating birds,
of all the beautiful colors, shapes and sizes,
It seems natural to observe,
that nature keeps her balance at all times.

Alas, in the winter,
I do not find anyone around the lake,
however, the rain drops make their presence felt,
filling the depleted lake with bountiful of water.
The fullfillment of natural resources,
is like enriching our conciousness with abundance of knowledge.

The spring brings the emergence of leaves,
and blossoms of all colors in trees,
people practicing tai chi and yoga in colorful costumes,
gives me the aura of self realization in our lives.

The beauty of nature,
mountains, lakes, creeks and all,
will outlive me and millions more,
into the eternity of the universe.

Posted by narain2 at 11:12 PM

2 Comments

Sunday May 22, 2005

Water Fall!

I was looking for the eternal beauty,
which God and Nature may have created on earth?
I think I found it, up high in the mountains,
in the form of gracious thundering water fall.
Originating from the melting snow,
or the water parting from the frozen glacier,
raging plunge of unlimited water down the cliff,
makes the waterfall show off its beauty and grace.

I stand in awe and behold the water fall,
an exalted sensation seems to fill my heart,
I see the boundless stream of water,
splashing on the rocks at the foot of the cliff,
and making the shadowy mist around it.
The Sun rays cast their reflection,
and make the mist appear in cheerful rainbows colors.

The cool breeze mixed with water drops,
soothes my mind and cleans up my body and soul.

I can stare at the waterfall for hours and hours,
take its pictures or portray its image in my heart and mind.
Is it a picture of a mighty reaching for some weakling down below,
or some earthly mind trying to achieve the limitless sky of wisdom?

I wonder where the water goes,
the foamy and silky waterfront,
moves down the creek,
in a melodious tune in its eternal path,
like a lover searching for the beloved in the unknown paths.

The music of flowing water fills the mountain ambiance with sweet musical harmony,
The lovers hear the sweet serenade of their intimate feelings,
The separated lovers find their missing emotions,
The meditating hearts find the sounds of their soul,
The nature lover's ears ring with melodious sounds of the flowing water,
I am positive that one can hear songs of their heart and mind,
in the flowing stream of the water fall.

Posted by narain2 at 9:37 PM

4 Comments

Sunday June 05, 2005

Why Can't I Be Like A Bird?

Why can't I be like a bird?

I would like to soar majestically as an eagle,
over the skies of beautiful lakes, mountains, and farmlands,
The roar of the gushing wind,
will fill me with the spirit of freedom and joy.
I would love to dive a thousand feet like a free spirited Bungee jumper,
to catch the swimming fish in the shining water of the lake below.
.

I would love to be like a cuckoo bird,
I will wake up everyone early in the morning,
I would fill the morning sunrise with my melodious music,
I would wish the universe a bright and a happy day.

I would love to be a migrating goose,
with beautiful gray, green, white and black fur.
I would fly in formation with others in my flock,
I would create such a pretty painting in the blue sky,
that which will suppress all the worries in one's mind.

I would like to be a humming bird,
I would flutter over a blooming pretty flower,
appreciating its beauty and the fragrant nectar.
I would teach the world that the size does not matter,
it is the perseverance which counts at the end.

I would love to be like the blue Jay,
I would fly over all the beautiful gardens,
I would sing in my feeble chirps,
I would not suffer from the ravages of human pain and sorrow.

I would love to be like the black bird,
I will make my home atop the trees under starry skies,
Although I am considered little greedy,
I try to survive without any great lust for earthly desires.

I would love to be like those anonymous little birds,
flying over the lake oblivious of big birds and vultures,
The freedom to live and fly,
would bring the ecstasy of joy in my heart.

I don’t like to be considered a species with little bird brain,
Don't I fill the swimming pools with little rocks?
to raise the water level,
so that I can drink the water from its safe edges.

Posted by narain2 at 9:43 AM

2 Comments

Friday June 10, 2005

Monsoon Rain !

It’s the end of summer,
the sweltering heat,
makes human sweat in the night,
and makes the plants and trees,
wilt even in the moonlit nights.

The eastern wind breeze brings an eerie feeling,
that the monsoon clouds are soon coming,
there is a strange silence in the ears,
the sky gets darker and darker,
the flash of lightning illuminates the dark skies,
the sound of thunder fills the heart with fear.

The rain starts coming down,
slowly at first, but heavy little later,
the gutters and drainages suddenly fill up,
and water starts flowing down the streets.

Children take off their shirts,
they shower and dance in the sprinkling rain,
their joy and free spirit,
fills the hearts of onlookers with joyous music,
the little paper boats start to float down the street,
till they drown into the swallowing streams.

Farmers run to their little paddy fields,
with their bulls and plows,
they enjoy the cool relief from the heat and sun,
their hopes lighten up with the thought of good crops,
the rain can not dampen their spirit,
this is the nature's blessing for their livelihood.

The sound and the music of rain,
fills the lovers heart,
with the desire to meet their beloved,
the embrace and kiss in the humid rainy day,
elevates the desire of getting united in one entity.

A newly wed young couple dares to go out in the rain,
they flirt, dance, and stare at the clouds,
the rain soaked beauty and the laughter of the pretty woman,
makes the man forget all about the heavy rain.

After the pouring rain for a while,
the clouds start to break up and scatter in the sky,
the sun comes out playing hide and seek with the clouds,
the sun rays form the magnificent rainbow across the skies.

The birds and critters start to sing their songs,
the plants and flowers seem to be awakened from a deep sleep,
the eastern wind breeze feels so nice,
the rain leaves its lasting impression across the land and skies.

Posted by narain2 at 7:33 PM

2 Comments

Sunday June 12, 2005

My First Snow Fall !

Its late evening in the last week of October,
the sky was getting covered with silent white and grey clouds,
there were no lightning and no sounds of thunder,
but there was the unusual silence in the air.
I saw the first snow flurries,
with the little beads of white snow sprinkling over my head,
my eyes were sparkling with the joy and fun,
to play in the snow for the first time.

Me and my wife made little snow balls,
and threw at each other with the esthetic joy.
The eerie feeling of someone putting snow inside your shirt,
did not shiver me with the dreaded cold,
Before the next snow ball got in my shirt,
I hold her hand, and let her put the snow inside her shirt,
she shivers with the touch of snow,
I try to comfort her with a close embrace,
we feel warm all over our bodies in the falling snow.

As the night fell,
the snow kept coming,
I watch specs of white snow falling from dark skies,
the trees and roofs were becoming white,
before I fell asleep dreaming of the beautiful snowy night.

Next morning I open my eyes,
the sun was shinning over the valley,
The whole valley looked like a mural,
of a painting in green and white,
the sloping red tile roofs were covered with snow,
the icicle were forming around the trees and gutters,
the air was crisp and cold,
the chlidren were sliding and rolling in the snow,
the carved snowmen were keeping themselves warm with pipe and hat,
I was enchanted with the beauty of the snowy winter wonderland.

Posted by narain2 at 10:41 AM

15 Comments

Tuesday May 10, 2005

An Ode To The Nurses In Medical Facilities

For some unknown reasons,
I find myself lying in a bed at the nurse’s station.
Maybe I am getting little old,
And suffer from high, low and unknown pressures of all sorts.

Finally when I come to my senses,
I see your smiling, kind and generous faces.
Your angelic presence,
Makes me feel that all is well.
Sometimes I feel that I am totally cured,
And feel like going back to my family world.

However, you smilingly say,
Sir, you can’t go home until doctor Okays.
You keep on running tests all the time,
I can’t even take a nap sometimes.

You keep an eye on me,
Feed me and help me in daily chores,
Awake nights and days,
You share my pains and sorrows.
It makes me feel so shelted,
as if I would not have to leave this place at all.

I see the results of my tests,
Compiled pages after pages in the charts.
By the time the doctor comes,
My whole life history is in the charts.

Finally the doctor comes in his rounds,
Looks at those charts in a hurry,
He checks me with his shining medical gadgets,
And scribbles my medication on his prescription pads.
I have not been able to decipher his writings yet,
But those pills keep me alive and well.

Finally with some luck and improving health,
I am getting discharged from your gentle care.
You say good bye and wish me well,
With the hope that we would not see each other again.

Posted by narain2 at 7:56 PM

6 Comments

Monday May 16, 2005

Going To An Indian Party!

On a beautiful Saturday morning,
I was enjoying my first hour of rest,
reading my favorite newspaper,
the flowers were blooming in the garden,
the golden sunshine was brightening my heart.
My wife came to join me somewhat half awake,
her beautiful face coming out of her flowing hair,
reminded me of the moon coming out of clouds.
She pronounced in the wishpering voice,
we are going to a party tonight.

After finishing my breakfast,
I went on my computer,
to surf and read more news,
and skim thorugh my junk emails.
My wife reminded me again,
dont spend too much time,
with your computer mistress today,
as you have to finish all the house work,
before we go to the party tonight.

I started to do my yard work that late morning,
the light wind breeze and mild spring sunshine,
made my gardening seem like a wonderful chore.
I see my wife coming toward me,
I was happy that she would give me a hand,
I will enjoy all the pleasures of doing things together,
She softly anounces her inability to work together,
as she has to go for hair care and manicure.

Time passes, it is early afternoon,
I hear my wife asking me to come to the bedroom.
I go upstairs to our bedroom,
she is sitting on the bed,
with all the bright and colorful,
sarees and salwar kameez.
She seemed perplexed,
asks me what should I wear tonight in the party.
Saree selection is the toughest puzzle in my life,
does the green silk saree match her spirit tonight,
or red georgette saree match her skin tone for the night.
I was dumfounded with all the selection,
I told her, you look pretty to me even if you wore rags,
I would think that my beautiful dream lady was emerging,
from the deep and romantic ocean of love.
After some thought, she decides to go with Salwaar Kameez,
however she still has to select one from her bewildering pile.
Once again she asks me for a choice,
I tell her very honestly,
wear one which you like,
it is not the dress which is important,
it is what goes in the dress makes us romantic.
She goes over her selections one by one,
all of which get my sincere approval,
finally she says, you are no help at all,
I will pick the golden red kammez with all the little mirrors.
She finds all the matching bangles, bindis,
shoes and make up articles.
I was bubbling with happiness, as we nearly assembled,
the biggest puzzle in our married life.

It is about four in the afternoon,
I decide to and watch some games on the tube,
there is no big hurry,
the party starts at seven o'clock.

The basketball game was in the fourth quarter,
the two point difference in the playoff games,
in the closing minutes, kept me on the edge.
Finally I get my reminder call,
Aye ji sunte ho(Honey), it is almost seven o'clock.

I go up in hurry,
clean myself up and take a shower,
in five minutes,
I was ready in my favorite party attire.

Although the party starts at seven,
if we can make it by eight,
we will be there in time.

Posted by narain2 at 6:22 PM

8 Comments

Tuesday May 17, 2005

Going To An Indian Party ! (revised)

On a beautiful Saturday morning,
I was enjoying my first hour of rest,
reading my favorite newspaper,
the flowers were blooming in the garden,
the golden sunshine was brightening my heart.
My wife came to join me somewhat half awake,
her beautiful face coming out of her flowing hair,
reminded me of the moon coming out of clouds.
She pronounced in the wishpering voice,
we are going to a party tonight.

After finishing my breakfast,
I went on my computer,
to surf and read more news,
and skim thorugh my junk emails.
My wife reminded me again,
dont spend too much time,
with your computer mistress today,
as you have to finish all the house work,
before we go to the party tonight.

I started to do my yard work that late morning,
the light wind breeze and mild spring sunshine,
made my gardening seem like a wonderful chore.
I see my wife coming toward me,
I was happy that she would give me a hand,
I will enjoy all the pleasures of doing things together,
She softly anounces her inability to work together,
as she has to go for hair care and manicure.

Time passes, it is early afternoon,
I hear my wife asking me to come to the bedroom.
I go upstairs to our bedroom,
she is sitting on the bed,
with all the bright and colorful,
sarees and salwar kameez.
She seemed perplexed,
asks me what should I wear tonight in the party.

Saree selection is the toughest puzzle in my life,
does the green silk saree match her spirit tonight,
or red georgette saree match her skin tone for the night.
I was dumfounded with all the selection,
I told her, you look pretty to me in all the sarees,
and even if you came to me wearing rags,
I would think that my beautiful dream lady was emerging,
from the deepest ocean of love.

After some thought, she decides to go with Salwaar Kameez,
however she still has to select one from her bewildering pile.
Once again she asks me for a choice,
I tell her very honestly,
wear one which you like,
it is not the dress which is important,
it is what that goes in the dress makes it worthwhile.
She goes over her selections one by one,
all of which get my sincere approval,
finally she says, you are no help at all,
I will pick the golden red kammez with all the little mirrors.
She finds all the matching bangles, bindis,
shoes and matching jewelries,
and starts to get ready for the evening party.
I was bubbling with happiness, as we nearly assembled,
the biggest puzzle in our married life.

It is about four in the afternoon,
I decide to and watch some games on the tube,
there is no big hurry,
the party starts at seven o'clock.

The basketball game was in the fourth quarter,
the two point difference in the playoff games,
in the closing minutes, was keeping me on the edge.
Finally I get my reminder call,
Aye ji sunte ho(Honey), it is almost seven o'clock.

I go up in hurry,
clean myself up and take a shower,
in five minutes,
I was ready in my favorite party attire.

My wife was still waiting,
with her last question of the night,
She asks with a smile,
How do I look ?,
Do I look pretty ?.

I do not know the answer to this question,
I tell her softly,
with your devoted love,
you are the prettiest woman in world.
A simple hug and a gentle kiss,
would make my life worth living,
for centuries to come.

It was getting late,
the part was supposed to start at seven,
if we can make it by eight,
we will be there in time.

Posted by narain2 at 12:29 AM

7 Comments

Tuesday May 24, 2005

Heart Porcedure!

The beauty of mission peak,
overlooking the sprawling silicon valley,
always astound me with its
majesty and panoramic view.
Though the vast mountain range,
lacks majestic fur and spruce trees,
I still admire it,
as my shining bald mountain peak.

On beautiful sunny Sunday morning.
I followed several hikers,
in search of quiet and peace at the peak.
Many places the trail was very steep,
still I managed to go up creeping on my zig zag path.
At a distance half way from the peak,
I could look down and admire the breathless beauty of the valley and bay.
I could feel the sensuous light wind breeze,
which made me feel that I was ascending to the heavens.

All of a sudden I feel a strong pinch in my chest,
the mountain and valley felt like part of a merry go around,
although it was an aweful sight,
the will to survive,
brought me descending down the hill to a hospital emergency room.

Laying in the hospital,
with all the wires and probe attached to my chest and nose,
I felt like my home computer,
which survives in the jungle of cables and mess.

The hospital staff comes with a ton of paperwork,
they take my ineligible signature on every page,
to make sure that I have Insurance and money to pay.

The person lying next to me,
who probably is a new arrival from overseas,
he has a minor heart attack,
but does not have an insurance or money to pay the bills.
The hospital staff and social workers,
come in succession and try to explain,
that some one has to pay the bill hospital incurs.
The person, in need of love and care,
contemplates that dying is probably the better answer.

Before I go to the operating room,
the Pastor comes and gives his blessing.
The blessing makes me feel eternal,
my hopes surge in me to think,
that I will definitely survive this time.

I watch the uncertainty,
in the eyes of my loved ones,
my friends give me a teary eye thumbs up,
the nurse gives a pat on my shoulder,
I waive to everyone and I find myself in the operating room.

I come out of the procedure with a stent in one of my arteries,
I feel strong again and feel like a Stunt man.
When I get to the recovery room,
I find surrounded by my family and friends.
The sight of loving people around me,
makes me feel wanted and strong,
and lightens my will to survive,
in my slowly breathing tattered heart.

Posted by narain2 at 7:40 PM

3 Comments

Saturday May 28, 2005

Going Cruising, Part 1 !

It was our 25th marriage anniversary,
In the middle of all the celebration,
I was reflecting where all the time went.
Did I spend my last many years,
of my intimate married life,
raising kids with boundless reruns of Mary Poppins and Superman,
staying up late for the promised early night arrival of my teenagers,
helping with homework and running chores most of the evenings and weekends?
With the golden years of our lives getting too close,
I decided that I was going on my late honeymoon,
I was all set for a cruise with my life's best friend,
my lovely wife who endured me for so many years.

I do not recall the moment when,
I received the letter from my parents,
they have found the girl of their choice,
who they promised I would adore.
I go home in the late summer,
and I was married to the girl who I barely knew.
She was very pretty girl,
with wide brown eyes and very beautiful smile,
She put in so much of love and trust in a week,
that I forgot all the endeavors I used to make,
to attract and gain trust in my past girl friends.

The sight of enormous ship,
gave me some shudders,
the mile long registration lines,
made me feel that I was getting into,
a thrilling and rough ride of an amusement park.

Sooner than we expected,
I was in my tiny suite with all the luxuries,
It seemed liked a love paradise overlooking the Pacific ocean.
With heart shaped candies and champagne every time we stepped in the room,
I was dreaming of my first romantic honeymoon.

As soon as the ship started to sail,
all the ship passengers were huddled on star board side,
we were shown all the life boats and survival gears,
and generously reminded that the,
Titanic was not unsinkable after all.

After the survival drill, everyone was invited to the pool party,
on the main deck of the ship,
The poolside was bustling with couples, lovers and people of all kind,
people were dancing to the beats of salsa and Latin music of all kind,
It seemed like we were on a summer island,
with men in shorts and women in their favorite bikinis.

For people like me who had lost the music beat.
there were dancing lesions of all kind,
from Latin samba to Polish polka,
from Eloquent ball room dancing,
to stiff English line dancing,
The lesions were quick and informal,
the young male and female instructors were nice,
when they pick up you as the demonstration partner,
you attain the instant glorification of the macho dancer,
otherwise you stumble and try to imitate their footwork.

The evening always start with the big dinner bash,
hundreds of waiters, waitresses and butlers,
put up a show which is hard to forget.
The food was always gourmet and sumptuous,
the wine and desserts were the one to remember,
the chief butler celebrated your birthday and anniversary,
with a little party of your own on your dining table.
To my utter surprise,
I found that most of the passengers were either born,
or married that cruise week.

Posted by narain2 at 2:39 PM

3 Comments

Saturday May 28, 2005

Going Cruising, Part 2 !

After the dinner every night,
there would be a show in the casino style theater,
some times there would be some stand in comedians,
some nights there would be short plays of some kind,
other nights they would stage some game shows,
the raw and sexual nature of those shows,
made the winning passengers hide their faces next day.

Every morning I would join hundreds of health nuts,
On the top deck of the ship,
to walk and jog around a circular path,
going from star board to other side of the ship,
we made sure that we were not putting,
couple of pounds on our body every night.

The ship was sailing from Los Angeles to Mexican Rivera,
to the beautiful cities of Cabo, Puerto Viarta and Maztalan.
The ship will dock on the piers of these beautiful resorts,
all the passenger would stream out of the ship,
and enjoy their favorite pastimes all day along.

Off from the ship,
we took quick trips around the resorts,
after a long time, I could see the mango and papaya trees around,
we watched the cliff divers jump into the shallow seas,
at the right moment when the tide was high,
we even touched the waves of the pacific ocean,
and spent a day at the beach and played in the water.
I even practiced my quick lessons in Spanish on local vendors,
but the communication changed into English after the first line.

I loved the sight of the majestic whales,
playing with dolphins in the deep blue waters.
That will be a memory I will treasure,
compared to the sight of Samu in the Water World.

The memorabilia in the cruise abounds,
everyone used to get dressed in their best in the evenings,
the commercial photographers will capture,
those glorious moments in pictures,
Most of the times you end up buying those pictures,
as they were part of some precious moments of your life.

My best memories were not inscribed in any pictures,
we would stroll on the upper deck in the moonlit nights,
we would go to the hull of the ship,
and play around like the actors in the Titanic movie.
The beautiful cool breeze and the starry nights,
the gentle hug and occasional kiss,
pushed us to sublime heaven of love on the ship.
The swim and play in the pool and Jacuzzi,
unified our bodies and soul in one.

I do not remember,
how those seven days passed on the ship,
we had the best days of our married life,
when we did not argue with each other even a single time.

When it came the time to depart,
I was seriously considering joining the fleet,
as it would keep me away from all my daily troubles,
of grinding work and paying the bills,
Till My wife dragged me to the shore,
and asked me to bring the car from the parking lot.

Posted by narain2 at 2:40 PM

5 Comments

Saturday June 04, 2005

My Work World!

Being an engineer,
I figure that I spend,
36% of my time sleeping,
10% of my time eating and entertaining,
24% of my quality time with my family,
and I wonder how I spend,
30% of my time at work.

Like the masses in general,
I started to work after receiving my college education,
Being from a business family background,
I was just curious how other people survive?

My first job in India was a big disaster,
my rich parent's background,
made me think that I was the boss,
which led to my early termination from my work.

Then I spent my several years,
in the dream world of graduate school.
But the realities once again sank in,
I had to find a job again after all those studies.

My working life was always in disaster,
I moved from one company to other,
till my wife preached me the sermon of my life,
that you have to change your attitude,
listen to other people and don't talk back,
respect others and their ideas,
if you are expecting respect in return.
The hard work alone would not take you anywhere,
until you learn to work with others,
and treat your work place as your second loving home.
Although she was not an engineer or scientist,
her words made more sense than my engineering calculations.

Although it is hard to change your old habits,
I took my life partner's advice by heart,
and have been trying to make changes in my heart and mind.
Finally I am working in a group,
in the unfamiliar field of software programming,
which never related to my academic background.

I love this group,
as our lead, Dennis, gives us the full independence and freedom,
he would go all out to shelter you,
even if you made the silliest mistakes in your life.
He is always on phone and meetings,
his jokes and teasing make the meetings seem like social hours.
He loves to go out for lunch on special occasions,
he tries to pay for the entire group in spite of his big family obligations,
sometimes if you forgot to pay him back,
you yourself look silly in your own thoughts.

Then we have a charming and funny person,
his name is Howard, you can forget his last name,
he is sharp, witty and Guru of our group,
he will be there to help you with a slight cry for help,
he is frugal and rich,
he always talks in riddles,
I wonder why he is still single,
may be all his girl friends get lost in his jokes and riddles.

Then we have the lady of the group,
She is Anita,
she always thinks that only the Orientals are Asians,
and wonders which part of Asia Indians like me belong to,
She is very intelligent and very vocal,
tells me to raise my voice,
such that I become a visible member of my group,
from the Invisible member image I possess.
She is enjoying the bliss of motherhood,
with two little boys and a great husband.

Finally I would like to introduce Brian of my group,
he is the greatest athlete in our company,
he is young and beats all the old folks in Golf,
he took the tennis and beat all the girls in town,
he plays basketball in his spare time,
he loves his wife and likes our work family,
he is as good in his work as he is in his games.

It seems that my wife's preaching are working for me,
in creating a friendly and courteous work environment,
where we work and care for each other,
in good times and bad.

Posted by narain2 at 10:48 AM

2 Comments

Wednesday June 01, 2005

Independence !

One late morning in the spring of 1946,
In the little town of Arrah in Bihar,
Our Maulvi sahib was making sure in his class,
that we learnt our Urdu alphabets.
Suddenly some one came running and shouting on the street,
a number of Gora sahibs(British Police) are coming down the street.
Instantly Maulvi sahib left his class to check his family,
Moments later all the doors and windows were shut down,
The women would hide their faces in the longest veil,
and would go into hiding with all the girls, and young boys.

As a curious little child,
I would peep thru cracks in the door,
as the soldiers passed by on horses,
flanked by a battalion of Indian foot policemen,
the unfortunate people on street would almost freeze from fear,
but a bunch of young men would be holding home made banners,
"British Go home, Long live Mother India".
The foot soldiers would tear those signs and banners,
some of them even mauled some of the freedom fighters.

I asked my Dad one day,
how a handful of foreign soldiers,
rule million of us Indians.
My father reminded me of Mir Jafar,
who betrayed Siraj-ud-doula, the King of Bengal,
and made East India Tea Company,
into the rulers of Bengal.
He told me of Prithvi Raj,
and many other Kings and Queens,
who were deceived by their own relatives,
and were defeated by the invading foreign armies.
We loose our independence,
not to the mere invading forces,
but to our jealousy, greed and lack of unity.

Later that year,
My dad quit his civil service,
and decided to get into business,
we moved to Dhanbad from Arrah,
that was an enormous move,
like moving from Timbuktu to New York City.

As a child I loved my "Chanda Mama" magazine,
the nearest place to buy that was at the railway station,
There was a safe short cut to my destination,
which used to cross thru a posh railway colony.
Most of the inhabitants of that colony those days,
were either British or people of foreign origin.
The entire colony looked like a paradise,
The red stone buildings lined up rows and rows,
with posh green lawn and beautiful gardens,
there stood a red stone church, a stadium,
and a theater,
all grouped in that small neighborhood.
There will be bunch of kids playing in their park,
cricket and football in their fancy uniforms,
some of them would be skating some of them will be biking around,
I wanted to play with the kids,
till my friend Wazir told me that we are off limits,
we can get arrested and cause stir for our parents.

Later I learnt from my older brothers,
that the stadium and the theater were also,
off limits to most of the Indians.

I would wonder,
why we can't play in my own backyard,
and go to movies in our own town theaters?
First time I could feel why,
Gandhi ji and Nehru ji wanted freedom for us all,
where we all be treated as equal,
and would enjoy and use our own facilities and resources.

I came across a pretty girl named Juhi,
her parents were Anglo Indians,
who lived in our part of the city.
She had several friends in the Railway colony,
she would take me there to the park,
the children would come and play with us,
till the guards would come and tell us to leave.
Juhi would cry and run to her house,
her Mom would come out with a heavy heart,
and would try to make us happy again by playing with us.

I remember the first Independence day of 15th Aug. 1947,
people were dancing in the streets with tricolor in their hands,
all the adults looked happy and handsome in Khadi dresses,
we were all dressed up in white, green and orange dresses,
we sang for the first time our national anthem,
"Jana Gana Mana .. " had a sweet sound,
which still brings pride to our heart and mind.
We watched the police and military parades,
when we did not have to hide in some unknown fears.
Juhi, Wazir and me were happy to play in the railway colony park,
with kids of all colors and all races without any hindrances.

My dad would wake us up at four am in the morning,
to sing with Gandhi ji's daily bhajans on the radio,
Gandhi ji's "Raghupati Raghav Rajaram" still rings in my daily prayers,
his "Vaishnav jana to tene kahiye jo pid parayi jane re',
still gives me inspiration to become a nice and generous man.

Posted by narain2 at 10:05 PM

3 Comments

Sunday May 15, 2005

Meaning Of My Life!

When I was a little kid, I did not know anything about it,
When I became an adult, I hardly would have cared about it,
Now when I am a lone empty nester, my mind is inquisitive about it.

I keep on wondering, what is the meaning of my life ?

I was searching for the meaning of life in general,
sought refuge in Holy books, temples, monasteries, and seminars,
Observed the Mother Nature for clues to my eternal question,
which has been asked by millions in the history of mankind?

Is survival, the meaning of my life?
I look at the beautiful birds,
from adorable humming bird to majestic eagles,
their nest perched high on the treetop,
their mate and family well sheltered,
their natural fur keeps them warm and living thru years,
their relentless spending of their time,
in search of food and items to survive.
I wish birds could think like us,
they would have given us the clue to our question,
as they gave us the aspiration of freedom,
and made us invent machines to fly and soar in the sky.

Is being wealthy, the true meaning of my life?
Being wealthy is nice,
I can buy things which I can’t even dream of,
I can live in luxury and comfort which I never dreamt of.
I started to dream of more and more money,
I even thought that time was money.
The glitter of gold and jewelry,
and the lust for never ending materialistic pleasures,
kept me running after the money in an endless ritual.
After losing my soul in that endless chase,
I found that money did not bring any solace to my heart,
longing for peace and happiness.
When I see the rivers coming down from mountains,
with their journey to feed the crops and thirsty masses,
I wonder whether the sharing of our riches,
may bring some satisfaction to our enquiring minds.
The sound of water flowing in mountain creeks,
create such an aura of peace and tranquility,
and makes me realize, why some one once said,
that time is time and money is money.

Is ambitions of being powerful, the real meaning of life?
I dream of King Ashoka,
who was ruthless in gaining power,
even at the expense of his own brothers,
never found peace in his soul from his vast empire.
He had to resort to very simple Buddhist doctrine,
trishna, the desire and greed of owning material things,
is transient in nature,
and brings pain and suffering in human minds.

Is love, the true meaning of life?
Saint Kabir once wrote,
for generations, mankind has been reading and learning from good books,
but no one has become the scholar,
but the person who would really understand the true meaning of love,
eventually will become the great scholar.

Is this love, the romantic love between two persons?
The feelings and emotions associated with the physical love,
brings out the best love songs and music from our hearts.
The sensuous loving feeling seem to be transient in nature,
it disappears in pain and agony,
when the it does not meet some expectations.
Even at the very peak of my loving life,
I wondered sometimes, is it the true meaning of life?

Is this love, the love for the mankind?
The unselfish love for the mankind,
the vast and deep ocean like compassion for living creatures in need,
the acts and deeds to relieve suffering from the bodies and minds of others,
may bring some comfort to my mind.

I am embroiled in my life,
with daily rituals of survival,
going thru ups and downs of love in life,
I keep on wondering, is it the meaning of my life?

Posted by narain2 at 9:39 AM

3 Comments

Thursday June 16, 2005

Ek Sawwal !

Kutch saghiir shero se maine shayari suru ki,
mujhe ummid thi ki jigar afgaar ke
faryaad shero me jhalak jayengi.

Kisi bedard ajnabi ne mujh se pucha,
tumhari begum ki intkaam kyon hui ?

kya tumne unhe apni sayari sunane ki kosis ki thi?
Main to hairat me pad gaya,
sher to mohabaat ki paigam hoti hai,
sher to sakht pathhar dil se bhi ashk baha sakta hai.

Kas meri bibi kisi kabra me hoti,
shayad mere shero ke kabra par padhne se,
unki ruh hamare jigar me apni
khusio ka enaayat kar detin.

Posted by narain2 at 11:35 PM

0 Comments

Saturday June 18, 2005

Our Daughter's Wedding Day!

My wife asked me on our daughter's wedding day,
How do you feel on this auspicious day?
I remember the day,
when my daughter told me, Dad now I am grown up,
I have a man in my life,
you are no longer the number one man in my life.

I had the weird feeling that,
I will be loosing my precious little girl to her own real world,
but I felt happy because,
I was gaining a son in law and his family as part of my own.

I have reached another milestone in my life,
where pain of loss is replaced by the joy of a new beginning.

My wife asked our daughter,
how do you feel on this auspicious day?
She had met the charming boy at a school party,
she had decided to make him part of her life.

The year long immaculate wedding plans,
were becoming a reality in front of her eyes.
she was dressed in most adorable Lehnga,
the sparkle in her eyes were matching with shining jewelries,
the hand and foot were adorned by intricate mehndi artwork,
the smile on her lips made me realize,
that indeed this was her most special day.

The tears of joys and happiness,
overwhelmed all the fears and anxieties of the future married life.

It was a multi cultural Hindu Catholic wedding,
the amalgamation of two different cultures,
brought more respect and understanding,
amongst all the guests and family members.

My wife asked our son in law,
how do you feel on this auspicious day?
He was a stranger to the Indian weddings,
but he was eager and ready to go through the Hindu wedding rituals.

Dressed in Sherwani and silk suit,
he looked like the real prince charming.
The seven vows taken around the fire,
renewed the strong loving bondage between the eager couple.

The ring ceremony and the Catholic wedding,
made all the guests understand that the differences in customs,
do not change the essentials of a unification of two souls in a marriage ceremony.

My wife asked the In laws,
how do they feel on this auspicious day?
It was their first experience of Hindu-Christian Wedding,
It is always nice to learn good aspects of a different cultures,
Not only it enriches our mind and knowledge,
It makes us more tolerant and understanding to our differences.

The warm greetings and hospitalitites,
would make it a unfogettable wedding day.

The wedding was a dream of American melting pot,
there were people of all races and religions,
It made me realize that as human race,
we all have the same feelings of sharing joy and happiness.

The lavish reception and gourmet dinner was unforgettable,
the thank you speeches made family and friends feel as part of one big family.

We could have danced whole night with the Bhangra and Hip hop music,
till the Vidai(Farewell) time came sneaking too quickly on us.

Now It was my turn to ask my wife,
how did she felt on this auspicious day?
This was probably the first time,
she felt the pain of loosing part of her heart,
which she brought into this world,
which she reared with sleepless nights,
which brought her endless pain and joy.

The sadness on her face and tear in her eyes,
made her realize that,
this is not an end but a new brgining in her daughter's life.

Posted by narain2 at 10:59 AM

11 Comments

Poems from narain2

About narain2

Latest Poems by narain2

Family Gathering

Yellow Rose

Sharad Birha (Winter Separation Song)

I am glad .. I am getting old.

I just want to be with you....

Geeta Jayanti

Merry Christmas

Intzaar

Dry Tears

My Birthday

My Search

Save Our Rivers

My River

Alone

My Trust

A Fan Mail by Linda Walters

Life

Happy Diwali

My Chat Love

Halloween

My Dad

My Poems

Surfer !

Pyar ki manjil !

Trishna !

Graduation Song!

Beach Bum !

Fireworks !

Sibling in the midde !

Drugs and my brother !

Domestic Violence !

House Husband !

Blue Bird

Happy Birthday

My Missing Half !

Me and My Teenagers

Mayusi

Eternal Love

Butterfly

My Destiny

Partners in life

Engagement Ceremony

Our 58th Independence Day

Divorce

I hate you !

Meri Yaaden

Tomorrow

Jeevan

Seven Sins

Spirit of Sex

Happiness

Picture on the wall

Patjhar

Happy Onam

Meaning of Love

Autumn Leaves

A Day out with family

My Unsung Hero

My Unsung Hero (Revised for political correctness)

Going to the Ball Game

Friend

Durga Puja

Rose Love

Ladies wardrobe

Mens Wardrobe - Wife's prespective

My Mom

Spring Birha(separation) In Hindi

On The Beach

Prem Birha !

Loneliness!

Feelings!

Memorial Day!

Flute Player!

Na Jane Kyon ?

Main To Koi Kavi Nahi ( I Am Not A Poet)

Anniversary!

Lonely Hearts