Sunday, 8 February 2015

The Golden Lantern


I hung above the "Golden Lantern Inn",
been hanging here since the beginning.
I was all bright and dandy,
but now turning ninety.
I flickered now and then,
but I was alive and could ken.
Been guarding the Inn,
though inside,it's always a din!
But age was taking a toll on me,
my glasses cracked,
hinges hanging,
and light a tad dimmer.
I hung there everyday,
smiling on passer-bys.

One day,there she stood.
A chick ,she was, in a single glance.
Straight and streaked burgundy hair,
Pouting lips in bold purple lipstick,
a ring adorning her nose and belly,
cropped top , ragged denim shorts
and knee long black boots.
But she wasn't sexy,
until she looked up at me!
Her eyes lit the filament in me!
I glowed a little more brighter!
I hung staring at her,
as she waited long for her cab.
Bullies around ,gave dirty looks.
And whistled around her as she left.
She glanced not their way,nor gave a damn!
If a pet dog,I was,
would have bitten their asses!!

A regular ,she was at the inn
and customary became our visits.
Though she kept me alive everyday,
I was dying day by day.
Then came a day,so mean and cruel.
The winds blew hard
and the moon under hiding.
I tried to stay hooked,
to the hinges,clinging.
There she arrived unusually late.
Her hair tied into a twisted bun,
a full sleeve shirt and striped trousers.
Today looked like business for her,
though she was a party animal.

The winds gushed stronger,
the trees holding on to their roots!
She stood there waiting,
but her cab was found,no where near.
Came the bullies once again!
And today was their golden day.
They circled round her,
like hungry hounds.
They barked at her and closed on her.
She,not giving a bloody damn!!
But the alarms rang loud,
when they pushed her down!
She resisted with all the strength of hers.
But they began ripping and stripping,
and  longer I could not stare!

My light flickered and grew dimmer ,
and almost died out,
hanging by a small rusty hinge.
But ,let her die,I wouldn't.
I mustered my strength and
forced the filaments to light!
As I opened my eyes,
my anger began to rise!
Trying they were to eat her alive!
I had to fight for her life!

I rocked myself harder with the winds,
to rattle the shards of old glass within.
Fell a few pieces of broken crystal.
She picked them up and poked their hearts.
Still ,stood up one to strangle her!
but let go, she didn't ,any one!
Even then,came another big bully,
grasping her from behind!
The winds,now a banshee ,raging and furious!!
The moon came out from behind the clouds.
Now was the chance to strike!

I rocked myself harder and harder,
till the hinges were creaking and breaking.
Came I,falling down right on his head.
Fell I did,along with the bully.
But dead was he and safe was she.
Happier than ever was I,
As I saved her life.
She picked me up,
as my lights dimmed out,
Thanking me -"The old golden lantern",
As I fought for the ladies of the world!!!

Monday, 19 January 2015

Barefoot College - Spreading Light

I was zapping channels, disappointed and demotivated at life. Even my favourite channels didn't have anything to enlighten me .Suddenly, I stumbled upon a program on a channel I rarely visit –The great DoorDharshan.
But the story was a great one!! It just took a few illiterate women to instil a confidence in me and make me feel better.

The program takes us to the village of Tilonia, a remote village in Rajasthan close to Ajmer. A group of illiterate and semi –literate women from different countries in Africa were being taken to Tilonia .They understand and speak broken English and the rest of the conversation with the college folks includes just signs and gestures. They have left their families and villages to come to India and start their new careers. They have come to become ENGINEERS!!!

Solar Electrification classroom
Barefoot college, Tilonia is a college run by NGO -Bunker Roy, to help people from underdeveloped countries to become self-sustainable and independent .The aim of this initiative is to utilize the skills and talents available in the village rather than depending on the urban crowd.One of the initiative includes  a 6 month course where women between the age of 35-50(They are called grandmamas or mamas) are invited to India to study solar electrification. And to return to their homelands to help light their villages!! Can you believe it? A bunch of women who don’t even know to read and write are going to light up a village! The next surprise element would be that the teachers and students do not have a common language that both groups understand!!How do you expect to teach a group about resistance, capacitance, transformers, voltage, diodes and resistors without a language they can understand!! And for 6 long months!!Well, the people at Barefoot College have made it happen and they have helped light up 4,50,000 villages around the world.

Thursday, 8 January 2015

Never Knew...

Never knew when it started
Never knew when you crossed my path
Never knew what I saw in you.

Never knew I was so obsessed with you

Never knew you would haunt my dreams
Never knew I would chase yours too..

Never knew you would be the only one I saw

Never knew why I felt different about you
Never knew how to express what I had for you.

Never knew that days would end thinking of you

Never knew you would change me inside out
Never knew I could feel you ,even though miles away.

Never knew your eyes could mesmerise me

Never knew I was falling into you
Never knew I was yearning for you
Never knew you could make me feel this way..

But...


Never knew that the fire inside was burning a hole.

Never knew you wouldn't read my eyes
Never knew you were someone else's.

Never knew I wasn't destined for you

Never knew you would be the cause of my tears
Never knew you would teach me what pain is.

Never knew you were living inside me

Never knew I would have to live without you
Never knew you wouldn't know that I was in LOVE ....with you......

Sunday, 4 January 2015

Petrichor

When the drops touch my face,
When the drops bounce on my palm,
Each little drop douses the fire in me,
Each little drop evaporates in the heat of my worries.
All the memories that daunt me washes away,
All the illusions dissolve in the rain.

When the drops tickle my eyes,
When the drops kiss my neck,
Each little drop quenches the thirst within ,
Each little drop clears the windows of my heart.
All my woes are flushed away,
All the pretentious masks melt away.

When the drops drench my hair,

When the drops trickle down my skin,
Each little drop delves deep into me,
Each little drop rejuvenates my soul.
All my breaths seem fresh and anew.
All my dreams are reborn..