Sometimes I Wonder.... If a Goddess Ever Gets to be Human

 Recited at the anniversary event of You, Me and Poetry on Thursday 2nd April, 2026.

The theme was- Sometimes I Wonder.

I started with a couplet by the poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz-

Bol ki lab aazaad hai tere,

Bol ki zubaan ab tak teri hai,

Tera sutvaan jism hai tera,

Bol ki jaan ab tak teri hai.

Bol ye thoda wakt bahut hai,

Jism-o-jubaan ki maut ke pehle,

Bol ki sacch zinda hai ab tak,

Bol, jo kucch kehna hai keh le!

They said we are Goddesses, worshipped in temples,

Adorned with flowers,

Names of Shakti whispered and loud in prayers.

Yet at home, we fold in silence.....

Measured, moulded, made smaller than our worth,

Not all men , but always a man.

She steps out to work, to build, to dream,

Yet she carries the weight of two worlds on her shoulders,

The office may applaud her ambition,

But the kitchen and the kids still call her name.

Her success never enough to set her free,

Not all men, but always a man.

She asks for nothing, yet she must ask for everything,

Permission to go, to speak, to choose,

To wear what she wants, to be who she is.

Her will negotiated, her voice, her feelings filtered,

Her freedom wrapped in conditions,

Not all men, but always a man.

Words become weapons she never deserved,

Abuses hurled in the names of mothers, sisters, daughters.....

Her identity reduced to relations,

 Her dignity questioned, her space invaded,

Even her silence is not left untouched,

Not all men , but always a man.

She is told how to sit, how to dress, how to exist,

Too loud, too bold, too much, too less.....

She learns to shrink, to adjust, to survive,

In a world that celebrates her in verses,

 But denies her herself in reality,

Not all men, but always a man.

Sometimes I wonder-

If a Goddess ever gets to be human,

If worship ever meant respect,

 If she will ever live without fear, without permission,

Or if her strength will always be mistaken for silence,

Not all men, but always a man.

Sorry, But I am not Sorry!

Recited at You , Me and Poetry event on the theme - 'Me Dealing with Me.'

Log aksar mujhe meri hi kahaani sunaate hai,

Meri soch aur meri fitrat bataane aate hai,

Mein muskuraakar bass itna keh deti hoon,

Mere  ghar mein aaine bahot hai,

Mein apni khabar rakhti hoon.

So you think you know me?

But I am much more than what you see,

Sometimes I don't know myself

Yet I am happy being unapologetically ME!

I am a plethora of emotions

I laugh and cry, Oh so easy,

I want to explore and learn anew

Keep doing more keep myself busy.

I don't like to sit on the fence

My opinions and beliefs I want to share,

It's fine if you don't agree with me,

I want to speak out, I want to dare.

I am far from frivolous

Beauty, gossip, grandeur not for me,

All about travel, food, culture

Sports, self-growth and arts is what I fancy.

I can be an introvert or extrovert

It's decided by the company I keep,

I can be a big talker or silent listener

The words are many but silence runs deep.

I am no yes-man or people pleaser

I speak out , strive to do what is right,

Where there is bias or injustice

I just can't ignore and have to put up a fight.

I am an in-your-face, die-hard feminist

Against patriarchy and what comes with it,

I believe this world would be better

If womenkind didn't have to bear this shit.

I love to live in the moment

Feel excitement in the little things,

Travel and exploration is my passion

I want to go everywhere, wish I had wings.

I am a romantic at heart

But I have always unlucky in love,

My heart hates to accept that

Still hopes foe a sign from the stars above.

My life's journey has been quite tough

Yet I am grateful for it taught me,

I am not perfect but a work in progress

All my life a learner I will be.

I have accepted myself completely

With the bruises, flaws and all,

I know that I am enough

And I stand steady, proud and tall.

Love Letter Laments

This was a poem I recited at You, Me and Poetry evening on Valentines month to celebrate love. The theme for the day was  'We Don't Write Love Letters Anymore'. I began with a couplet from one of my favourite ghazals.

Pyaar ka pehla khat likhne mein waqt to lagata hai,

Naye parindon ko uddne mein waqt to lagata hai,

 Pyaar ka pehla khat likhane mein waqt to lagata hai.

Maggi noodles to do-teen minute mein bann jaati hai,

Parr dheemi aanch parr, dum mein

Biryaani pakaane mein waqt to lagata hai!

I am a love letter standing here in pain,

Looking for reasons on being treated with utter  disdain.

In todays fast-paced world relationships and situationships thrive,

Crushes bloom overnight and flings fade by morning light.

Break-ups and one-night stands are common,

Partners change in the blink of an eye,

Longevity and loyalty are a rarity,

When one goes, another will come by.

Once I was written with trembling hands

And sealed with a kiss,

A whisper of perfume or a dry rose,

Sadly, all this is given a miss.

A love letter no longer any worth holds,

What matters now is only platinum, diamonds and gold.

Holding hands, that flutter in the heart and the love-porn gaze,

All are over-ridded by infidelity, true love is lost in the maze.

Earlier people wondered how to begin,

My dear, sweetheart or only mine,

Now Chat GPT, Gemini and Perplexity

Gives you neatly assembled , formatted love line.

Those were the days when love mattered,

When words came straight from the heart,

Now it is AI all the way,

Real emotions and feelings play no part.

You have forgotten me,

 I ma lost in the corner of the cupboard,

Only the sender and receiver knows my worth,

Among memories kept, yellowed and smothered.

Rains In January!

It is January and I saw the rains fall today morning. The building security guard told me there were some hailstones falling too! As I walked to school and saw the wet roads and rain drenched trees I thought of penning this poem.

Early morning, rain falls bright,

Hailstones shimmer in silver light.

Soft drizzles tap on windowpane,

A gentle, surprise- unexpected rain!

Plants and trees take a joyful bath,

Leaves sparkle at the aftermath.

Roads are washed till they gleam,

Like mirrors shining in a dream.

Fresh cool air fills every breath,

Chasing away the dust and sweat.

The weather lifts my heart and stride,

A lively bounce I cannot hide.

Awake, alive, refreshed and free,

The rain revives both world and me.

Written in the Stars

 Recited at You , Me and Poetry event on 10th December, 2025. The theme was 'It is written'.

The burnt toast theory says- 

When you burn your toast,

Miss your train,

Get stuck in traffic,

Or feel some pain,

It is not just bad luck,

It is all for a reason,

Something is shifted,

Or redirected somehow,

It is all for a good cause,

What feels like inconvenience now.

Life is taking you,

 On a path destined,

Maybe it is the one,

You don't want to take,

But it guides you along,

With all the mistakes you make.

What is meant to be ,

 Will always find its way,

Your life has been scripted,

Stars guide your night and day.

The path unseen,

 That you are afraid to tread,

Yet you walk unknowing,

 Of what lies ahead.

Do what you can,

Try your very best,

What is written is meant to be,

Put your heart and mind to rest.

Walk your journey with an open heart,

For everything is written , right from the start,

Every moment here is a plan divine,

Your destiny is nothing, but an inbuilt design.

So bow down to what's written.

What is meant to be will be,

Don't ever lose hope,

For the future is not ours to see.

Que sera-sera,

Whatever will be will be.....

The future's not ours to see,

Que sera- sera......

What will be, will be!

We are Champions!

 A welcome song penned for the Annual Sports Meet 2025 in school. It was composed to the tune of the song We will Rock You by Queen.

Hey champs, you got courage and grit,

Ready for the games, every bit of it!

Rough times come, 

We take many a fall,

But we rise again,

Winning is my call!

CHORUS

We are, we are Champions!

We are, we are champions!

Glimmering spirit, shining so bright,

Full speed ahead,

 We'll fight the good fight!

Challenges that arise,

We face them all,

Creating ripples, 

Standing tall.

CHORUS

You are, you are Welcome!

You are, you are Welcome!

School our pride,

We take losses in our stride,

Fame and fortune ,

 Side by side!

With a good head start,

Strong heart, strong will,

Champions forever,

We've got the skill!

CHORUS

We are, we are champions (Oh Yeah!)

We are , we are champions!( Shining bright)

We are , we are champions! ( Sulonians, yes- you are right!)

Brews and Beings

 A poem dedicated to all the chai lovers. 

The theme for the poetry meet this August at You, Me and Poetry is Chai GPT. 

I peened this poem for reciting at that event. 

The chai- lovers tribe

 It is here to stay,

Where chai is a ritual 

They follow every day.

Here are the Zen seekers

Yoga and health geek,

They sip chamomile, tulsi and green tea,

Peace of body and mind they seek.

Next you have the traveller

Any chai tapri or katta will do,

With cutting chai and chats

They share travel tales anew.

Book lovers like me

 Curl up in a corner chair

Reading classics or fiction

With chai their books they pair.

Then we have the connoisseur

He looks, smells and sips,

A fancy brewer with bone china cups

With dainty fingers and satisfied lips.

Now welcome the early riser

With sunrise she awakens her soul,

A cup of chai and meditation

Makes her day a complete whole.

For an artist or writer

Chai is what lets ideas flow,

Creativity , skill and talent

Gets a boost, lets it grow.

Hustlers ta the workplace

Their cuppas get them aligned,

With deadlines and targets

Chai keeps them with a sane mind.

Romantic dreamers are next

With chai, pakoras and rain,

They keep their wet, wild dreams alive

Relieves them of loneliness and pain.

We can't leave behind 

Lovers of brun-maska, biscut, rusk and chai,

In the depths of milky tea

 Their soaked up joys lie.

So you see in brews of chai

Different personalities lie,

We see their tribe grow

As the years go by.

Even with the rising onslaught

Of bubble tea shakes and coffee,

A cup of chai is what one desires

It awakens the soul , you see!

Disappearing Friends

Recited at You, Me and Poetry evening on Thursday 16/7/25 on the theme Midnight Friends. 

I sat and listened,

With tears my eyes glistened,

Your poems on midnight friends,

Reminded me why friendship ends. 

Childhood buddies and school mates,

College pals and romantic dates,

Workplace colleagues and travel yaars,

They came and went like shooting stars.

We met and rejoiced, 

Our dreams and fears we voiced,

Lived, loved and learnt things anew,

Thought our friendship plan we could anytime renew.

Alas! As the years flew,

Our friendships we outgrew,

Like autumn leaves they spun and flew,

Carried away by winds I never even knew. 

I tried to hold the strings tight,

But some balloons are only meant for flight,

They were my friends for a reason,

But I know now, they cannot last every season. 

Now I see them in memories' eye,

Though we haven't even bid goodbye,

Distance, family, work and the rest,

Our friendships could not stand the test. 

Now there are no meet ups or calls,

Silence and loneliness reflects on the walls,

My friends are photos tucked in dusty books,

Memories are blurred, crammed in mind's nooks.

We outgrew games and ran life's race,

Chose different paths, a different pace,

Yet in a corner of my heart you still stay,

My disappearing friends who flew away! 

My Friend Umeshwari!

My dear friend and colleague, Umeshwari was retiring and I wanted to pen something special for her. 

I wrote an acrostic poem and another poem dedicated to our friendship. Everyone knows Uma as an enthusiastic and talented person with a heart of gold. Here's wishing her an amazing journey ahead with new explorations and contentment and success at whatever she plans to do.

Uplifting spirit, spreading joy around,

Moves with grace, with dances profound.

Energetic soul, shining so bright

Smiles through challenges, a beacon of light.

Hopeful and strong, she never backs down,

Waves of enthusiasm, never let her frown.

A true and loyal friend, steady and kind,

Radiating warmth and a positive mind.

In every heart her presence remains,

Uma, in your friendship, one only gains!

Through years of toil, through joy and pain,

You've walked with grace, through sun and rain.

Diligent and steadfast with a heart so true,

A guiding light in all you do.

With wisdom deep and faith so strong,

You lifted and inspired everyone along,

Unassumingly simple, yet so bright,

you turned darkness into golden light.

A mother's love, a daughter's care,

A friend who's always. always there,

Supportive hands, with a heart so kind,

A soul so rare, so hard to find.

Through trials tough you stood so tall,

Your laughter echoed through it all,

Charming, witty, full of cheer,

A spirit so bold, a heart sincere.

Now as you step to days anew,

Remember how much we all cherish you,

Retirement is here but it is not the end,

Just a new road for you, my dear teacher-friend!

School-Our Happy Place

This song was penned for the Annual Sports Day at my school. 

The theme was Our School- Our Happy Place. 

In the morning light, we gather near

With dreams so bright and hearts sincere.

A world of wonder, a place to explore,

Where everyday we learn so much more.

CHORUS

Our school's a happy place to be 

A haven for you, a haven for me.

We shine brighter than the stars above,

Built on values and bound by love.

We grow stronger everyday,

 Our school has taught us the way!

With every step we rise and dream,

Life's a journey, a flowing stream.

Grateful hearts we celebrate,

Our school has made us truly great!

FINAL CHORUS

Our school's a happy place to be,

A haven for you, a haven for me.

We soar high and stand so proud,

A family where dreams allowed.

Forever grateful we'll always stay,

To our happy place, our guiding way!!

Imagination Runs Wild!

 This was a poem on the theme 'Imagination' recited at the You , Me and Poetry event held in March 2025.

I have been to many places

Countries beyond the seven seas,

Visited cafes, libraries, houses

Watched lions, elephants and bees.

I have met so many people

Shared their stories of joy and pain,

Been inspired, shocked and touched

While going on with my life mundane.

So many enriching experiences

Riding in a hot-air balloon, flying in the sky,

Visiting mermaids underwater

Sitting on a magic carpet, seeing the world go by.

I have savoured so many cultures

Languages, festivals and more,

Understood that in our uniqueness

Lies humanity at its core.

I an truly wealthy although

There is hardly any budget for travel,

I sit with my delightful books

And at my good fortune I marvel.

For these treasure trove of books

Take me to places umpteen,

I meet personalities anew

Beget experiences unheard of and unseen.

Books are indeed my best friends

Never lonely even when I am alone,

I am transported to places new

My imagination- it is soon air-borne!

Flights of fancy are so common

When a book is in my hand,

"I am here, but I am there too"

An ardent book lover will understand!

A New Day

Each morning brings with it a brand new hope,

Dreams ,aspirations, a new scope.

With it, also come apprehensions and fear,

Expectations are high and focus is clear.

With positive mindset we start a new day,

Silently praying for things to go our way. 

Sometimes we succeed and at times we fail,

Life after all cannot always be a smooth sail.

At the end of each day while we lay upon our bed,

Mentally taking stock of the day in our head. 

What went right and where did I falter,

What we need to continue and what we need to alter.

Each day teaches us a lesson or two,

We grow wiser if we take them as a cue,

Cause it's experience that make us grow and learn,

Be it failure or success, wait for your turn.

Nothing lasts forever, be it good times or bad,

So keep living like it's the best life you ever had,

Spread love and happiness wherever you go,

Cause that's the best way to live life you know.

Brand New Day

 This is a song I penned for our school E newspaper inauguration in September 2023.

The song is written to the tune of Brand New Day by Lindsey Ray (Feat Tim Myers)

School time, get set for fun now

Reach out / Soar in the skies high

Values / Teach you to live life

Wisdom / Read, write and listen

Game time / Throw all your cares away

Art work / Creative to the core

Respect / For all our teachers

Turn on Music and dance more....

Oh, oh ,oh ,oh.......

This is a brand new day

Oh,oh,oh,oh.......

And it's getting better every single way

Oh, oh,oh,oh......

This is a brand new day

Oh , oh, oh, oh.....

And I'm feeling better when you say.....

La,la,la,la,la,la,la....school (Repeat)

Teachers / Show us the way right

Life skills / For a life bright and new

Gear up / Move right ahead now

Smile wide / OK it's all done.

Friendship / Is what we love here

Go far / And have no fear now

 Stars bright / Walk to your future

Kind hearts / Spread all the cheer wide

Oh,oh,oh,oh........

This is a brand new day

 Oh,oh,oh,oh......

And it's getting better every single way

Oh,oh,oh,oh....

This is a brand new day

Oh,oh,oh,oh

And I'm feeling better when I say

La,la,la,la,la,la....School (Repeat)

Keep Shining , Sulonians!

 This was a song specially written for the Annual Sports Day in my school.

It is sung to the tune of 'One Moment in Time' by Whitney Houston.

The original song is truly amazing and I was happy to see how my song turned out too. 

We are all here

Today to see 

Sulonians give

Their best for thee

Just see them shine

And do their best

We welcome you

With hearts so true.

 

Let’s now begin

Watch every game

They rise and shine

For passion n fame.

They grow and glow

Yet never slow

One thing is clear

CHORUS

They want to reach for their goals now

Be the best that they could ever be

They all want to soar high as they can

And ring in a new destiny.

 

SOLO

They will reach for their goals now

Be the best, the best they can be.

Then together each one of us

We will feel, we will feel serendipity…..Hmm…..