The Last Letter

This be my last letter to you dear,
For tomorrow I may not see the light, I fear

I hear that the enemy’s army marches closer
And is expected to arrive at dusk or sooner

I am sorry my dear, I regret my choice
I can still hear in my head your voice,

‘Don’t do this, Wilson, war is not the solution
Believe in humanity, not its division

Don’t go my dear, the rules of nature you must abide
Only then within you, peace shall reside’

I wish now I have paid heed to your words
Maybe I wouldn’t have to witness this curse

For everyday I see the death of men,
Men who loved their wife and children

Men who were brave and gallant
Yet prayed everyday for this battle to end

My men today they sit by the fire,
Merry in their faces, drinking to their fullest desire

Tomorrow I leave for the impending crusade
I will perform my duties and fight like a warrior true

Tell my children I loved them most,
Bless them with love and the spirit of the Holy Ghost

I am sorry my dear, forgive me if you can
I love you and miss you, to that I say amen

Sincerely yours,
Wilson O'Neal

Narration of a man's journey

(The following is a monologue describing an encounter that changed the course of life for a child. It is inspired from specific events in the recent history invovling communal violence. The presentation is purely emotional and does not concentrate too much on the style and language)

The Free Spirit Within : A narration of a man’s journey

I remember when I was a kid, I used to live in the little blue building at the corner of the street. Happy and cheerful I used to smile everyday at everyone I meet.

I lived in harmony and peace, oblivion from the rest of the world; my parents gave me a life larger than this world.

They taught me love, and they taught me to be true. Learnt all my life of tolerance and the joy of sharing. For you see ours was a community of many religions living together

But then came the day; it seems like yesterday. Over the radio we heard the daily stories of lives that ended over some stupid strife.

I wondered then- who killed and who died, who were the victims and who were the killers? Did the killers even know the victims? What right they had to end others life? Did they not see the fear in their eyes? Did they not once remember their own loved ones?

Yet every day I lived with my parents’ reassured love. And so I never thought I’d need see that day-The day that started like any other day. But soon the sounds of chants I heard; and soon the rains of fire I felt

Oh God, those men! Spared not a thought for the life given by God. Spared not a thought that it was not to be taken away by them

I clutched on to mother’s dress, she herself in tears held us close. But soon they were there knocking on our doors, broke them down and fires arose

Smoke and soot all over the place we ran around for a place that was more safe. I held on to mother for my dear life, shut my eyes but couldn’t block my ears. I prayed to God to make them go away.

I heard them cry, I heard them die. The shattering of the glasses, the piercing sound of the wailing; the screaming women and the afraid children, the sounds of bullets, the clashing of swords.

Where men were stripped, where would the women last? The children disbelieving, could not trust their eyes. Their dream filled world now filled with blood and tears.

I only remember running here and there with mother. Don’t remember when last I saw father. Gruesome sights of flies feeding on bodies. Smell of blood causing me nausea.

I closed my eyes till I tripped over a leg without a body. I tightened my grip on mother’s hand, wanting to this nightmare to pass…

Years have gone by, yet I remember every single day after that. Ask me, I’ll tell you of the atrocities unmentionable and proscribed.

How I survived, I’ll tell you later. But I lived and I lived alone. Mother died the week after next. You see, pure as she was, she couldn’t bear having to live in this ludicrous world.

Now I don’t believe those men were men. A fight they wanted should’ve been with an equal. Let them fight with the ones they are against. Let those that kill, be the ones killed. Let those that wish to kill be the ones to see their own killed.

War we have is against whom? Fight terrorism we say, yet we fight whom? Everyday a million people die. All of whom are like you and me.

Hell those people might not even had had an opinion. But that day I swore to myself -I would not be deaf. Not be deaf or be dumb. To anything that was and that is.

I would rise and fight injustice, fight every cause that came my way and never sit quiet, for I may not get the chance tomorrow, and I cannot get the chance to change my past.

I swore to always have an opinion, and never be bogged down by those who wish to suppress my thoughts

If you believe in the words I speak; if you have the courage to live life right then carry on the flame and swear to yourself today, to fight injustice, to fight every cause, and to help everyone in need

For living a life that doesn’t serve is only a life in an empty world. A life that doesn’t do good to others is a life that doesn’t live in this world.

For this world is created where organism is co-dependent, and until you realize you are just a piece in the puzzle that doesn’t survive alone, you will not take that extra step to help that stranger.

If you live your life in your shell, that shell will consume you, because whatever goes against the law of co-dependency is slowly wiped out from the arena of the game

You may think you are the captain of the ship, but you are merely a vessel in a vast sea. And that is the fundamental error of the man; he thinks therefore he believes he can,
But he fails to realize the deeper pattern

And that is the irony of life, the irony of truth, the irony of man and if you fail to mend your ways- be warned these are the end of days.

master piece (?)

Well here is the painting .. which my friends call my master piece.. water colors can be tricky.. but really amazing too... oh the special thing about this is its my first serious attempt at water colors and i took only 1.5 hrs to complete it.

(oh please dont mind the camera resolution, its just a 2 mega pixel phone camera, taken in a hurry)

The dream

And its not time to wake up now

and its time to dream on

and its not time to give up now

and its time to live on

Woman

Inspired by a real story

Crouched under the willow tree
She sits there in the afternoon heat
The sweat trickles down her face
Upon the heavens she throws her gaze


Her arms around her knees, she feels helpless
Her brimming eyes, staring into an emptiness
She gets up, and walks away in a lonely stride
Deciding not, on what would be right

Twice before, but not again,
does she want to feel the pain
Of having to lose the one in her womb
Killed thereafter and sent to the tomb

But now the day has finally arrived
She is dispirited, her tears have dried
All she wants is to be able to love
The one, sent to her, from the up above

Seven hours past, her heart is finally filled with joy
For the doctors tell her, ‘it’s a boy!’
Now she can live and learn to love
Now she can get the respect of all she loves

But what world lives, where every girl is killed?
Way beyond her fate had willed?
What world lives where women don’t live?
What world will live, when the women don’t thrive?

On love and life

On Love and life

And he too deserves to be in love
For no power can deny him love
Let him not be mistaken for a sinner
He only deserved to be treated better
So be not judgmental ,for you have no right
To feel not, what’s not yours, to be tried

Beyond his steely gaze rests a fire most warm
With the serenity of a wave most calm
Read his eyes, they speak of truth, not lies
The truth you’ll find only in his eyes
For his eyes are the ones that loved
Though the world gave him only hate.

Love feels all, and is not jealous, nor alone
It reminds you constantly of the single one
That connects the connects the soul of the millions
With the same blood that’s shed in tears
For a love that’s lost
For a love that’s found.

for everyone must be given the chance to love
for everyone must be allowed to accept love
then why is it you manipulate love
why have you destroyed the essence of love
behold, don’t say it’s a crime to love
the purest passion in the world is love

let not love be infected with your vices
do not change the meaning for your crisis
for it is something only few can comprehend
do not change the meaning to gain your end
the simplest love exists in the eyes of the one you love
and love and only love will take you through.

Landscape

First of the landscapes I made digitally! Trees can be pretty tricky!

Consumer satisfaction????

Consumer Satisfaction reaches new heights in today’s world. (Yes, I’m being sarcastic)

The other day I went to a Pizza Hut, quite a reputed brand and well regarded for its customer care. I beg to disagree. To begin with, there were only two waiters for the whole diner (which has quite become the trend now for the brand). It felt a bit awkward, with an uneasy silence all over the place, customers wondering if they’ll ever make it till the pizza arrives.
Finally I have one waiter coming over to take the order. But his face reads sheer terror- there’s just so much to do. And if you take more than a minute with your order, you’ll notice his twitching and turning, and he will adorn the ‘oh-just-get-over-with-it’ look. Well so much for the customer service. All this, in spite of me being one of their loyal customers (forced-due-to-love-of-pizza-loyal).Oh, and I better not get started on their non-availability of items.
It’s true that the customer is getting more demanding in terms of service and satisfaction. At the same time he is not willing to pay a higher price for the same. And with millions of ‘me-too’ brands coming up all over the city, there is a sudden increase in the demand for qualified employable sales people. However, to cut cost, most of these are willing to do away with the ‘qualified employable’ part of the deal. Sometimes, even the floor manager can take you to whole new heights of stupidity that makes you wonder why you still come here.

Take BIG BAZAAR for an example. More like BIG fat lying bazaar. I was pretty interested (initially) in its concept of providing the best quality at the cheapest prices available. But what I see now, leaves me a little more than flabbergasted-to be modest with my words. I have never had such a terrible customer treatment anywhere. I go over to their garments section and the colors and design almost makes me puke. And the price remains similar to a Westside or a Shoppers’ Stop (except worse in quality and taste). Well getting back, I notice these three sales women ganging up and gossiping. I call on to one of them and they look at me as though they were making the new budget of India and I happened to disturb them. When I ask her, do you have this in a different color or size; she just waves her hand nonchalantly and goes back to making the budget or whatever.

So then I proceed for billing and as soon as I reach the counter, the salesman puts the board ‘counter closed’. I proceed to the next ‘counter open’ counter, however without a counter person. I ask a few salespeople around, and after a lot of inquiry I’m informed that he will be here shortly. After a long wait of five minutes, (which looked well over an hour to my short tempered mind clock), the counter person arrives all smiles. I ask him to bill it and he has the audacity to say that the counter is closed. If you know me, you’d well know what state that would put me in. I asked him, then why is the counter open sign put and why make me wait? He coolly inverts the sign and continues smiling.

I could go on and on about more such (and mind you more serious) anecdotes of BIGGGG Bazaar, but I need to check on my BP first. As long as companies want to expand their tentacles and bite into their competition, they would keep opening new showrooms, new franchises, and new outlets. And with this, would increase their search for employable staff. Non availability of such staff, lack of training the current staff and a major slack on the part of supervisors will continue to leave customer care puritans like me just high and dry!

Horse spirit

AND I"M BACK

Sorry being out for a while... Following days you shall see a series of images made by me digitally. Using photoshop etc... Do enjoy. and leave you comments!!

What I learnt in 21 years

This is what i learnt in 21 years!
From my DAD
From my dad
1. Even if people tell you that you’re working way too hard, or not doing smart work, don’t give up on your hard work. Remember: it has never given up on you
2. If you want respect, give respect. Respect needs to be given before it can be taken.
3. No matter how big or famous a person you become, remember where you came from. Only that can show you the right path for the future.
4. Money is only the medium to happiness. It is earned to be spent ( but of course not wasted)
5. If you have been honest, hard working and stood up for what’s right, you have nothing and no one to fear for there is always a bigger power called GOD.

From my mom
1. All your misgivings are in your head.
2. Clear your thoughts, take out the trash, your mind is all powerful and can do wonderful things
3. If you make up your mind, there is no force in this world that can stop you
4. There is no point crying or whining. Stop it and just do what you gotta do!
5. Your actions determine what you are, so choose what you do very carefully.

From my bhai:
1. There’s only one way to live your life and that is your way.
2. No matter how hard things get, you just need to hold on till the tide passes over.
3. If someone or something seems too big for you to handle, just relax and make up your mind that they are the smallest in the world.
4. Life gives you infinite challenges in the form of opportunities, therefore the one you’re giving up on might just be your lucky break.
5. Eat, drink and be merry. Make hay while the sun shines, and US will come knocking ;-)

cheers to them!

cheers to life!

Flame

The eternal flame of trust and faith.

surreal

surrealism
whats real and whats not....

Innocence

Innocence

RED

As deep as the blood in thy veins

The love I feel thus remains

Thus desires my heart to stay in thy midst

And encover thy warmth in my heart

This flame shalt continue to burn awhile

For you, I shalt walk that extra mile

Island of dream

One of my favourite creations:

Across the islands, I seek peace

Pretty flowers and buzzing bees

with peace and freshness of the morning dew

somewhere I believe dreams come true..

I've realized now, I've looked far and wide

When it was here, always, right by my side... :-)

home...

I've lived my day, I've lived my way....

I've seen my luck, I've lived my luck...

I'm wounded now, Its time to heal...

Its time now to regain my zeal...

Its now I feel I've come back home...

It's now I know, I've come back home...

The Flight!

For years on end you’ve kept me prisoned
But now you should know, I have seasoned
Too oft you left my screams in the dark
And in your time you had your lark

Hush! Hear! The clouds thunder
You’ve time! Don’t fight! Just surrender!
Beware! Lest, the grounds below move
Now I’ll emerge from your groove

I will now make me free
Its now I’ll take off from the tree
It’s now my time to take the flight
And nothing can stop this passion alight

Hold your breath and watch me go
Yours days of gold have been sold
Now you’ll rot in your grave,
Your each step, now I shall pave!

Vengeance I felt, now I am free
But do not judge, blame not me
I have come to be free,
So long I’ll stay with my dreams!

Oh by the way, i was talking about a little birdie in a cage, whose owner was.. hmmm.. very nasty..

the rain

In the silence of the night,
After she’s done her day’s fight
Rest awhile, thinking what just might
Be the answers and give her the sight

Its then she hears the most silent sound
Which makes her heart,her mind bound
Its then she feels shes finally found
All that she looked for in the sound

It’s the rain that trickles down the window pane
She watches it,silence spent in disdain
The drop splash against the glass window
With all the purity they could endow

Slips on a jacket, she wants to talk
No umbrealla, she takes a walk
The tiny puddles she doesn’t avoid
Her rain boots left at door’s side

Past she walks the numbered blocks
Where people live behin door locks
In their enclosed walls of spaces
Spent the night searching familiar faces

Her hazel eyes now shut tight
With thoughts of tonight & what just might
She looks around at the city light
Blurry, her eyes, the lights shine bright

The drops trickle down her hand
Down her silver nails on ground they land
With a splat and spill here and there
Makes her wonder what’s now fair

She stops right then and lets out a sigh
Grips her hand and wonders why
But now the rain has washed her clean
And now the rain subsides on her dreams

Back she walks the numbered blocks
Click and clack her heels on the rocks
The wind in her hair, she lets out a sniff
Smiles awhile before she falls off the cliff