The signal

stopping by a red signal,
i rolled down the windows of my mind,
and was startled to find,


a girl, on the threshold of adulthood,
on the pavement, by the road where my car stood-
all her clothes had gone astray,
and her hair was tinted with premature grey...
she stumbled on step by step,knocking over people in tow...
didn't look behind at the mess she had left-

her eyes were hollowand kind of mad....
meeting my eyes,she gave a short little bow-
stopped for a second,over a coin she did bend,
tossed it and as it came down,
encased it in her gown....

she leaned by a lamp-post,
seemed to steady her resolve,
took out a phone and perhaps called here mum...
the sun shone overheadbut clouds gathered over her....

and as the signal turned green,
and the cars revved up to add to the din-
she resolutely stepped onto the roadway,
before a speeding truck heading for the bay.

it seemed the day ended that moment,
and as over the dead girl they bent-
i couldn't but remember,

the last glimpse of a face sad,
with tears streaming but with a smile....
maybe all those grieved ,grieved in vain,
maybe the truck ended all her pain....

and i couldn't but wish,
that she might have a better day,
that she is set free-
as i started my car and drove away...

The Trip Back Home

As I sat on the speeding train,
I couldn't wait to reach home,
After 12 years I had finally realized,
I'd rather be here than Paris or Rome...

The photos lay in front of me,
As we raced through the lush green countryside,
The memories caught in those snaps seemed a touch away....
And I couldn't help breaking into smiles wide!

I had broken away from my nest to fly,
To take my place amidst the clouds in the bright blue sky,
Though success lay in my palm,inside I had died,
Missed those streets and those days gone by.

I craned my neck and caught the faint outline of the station,
I just couldn't wait,cuz my best friend is coming too...
Its been 4 years since we've even talked on the phone,
Life made us go separate ways,both me and you!

As I stepped onto the familiar ground and breathed in,
the air still seemed to smell of times gone by...
I spent all my mornings wandering in the bylanes again,
exploring the place where you could get the best apple pie!

It was at a cafe that I saw him.
Suited,smart,suave...shook hands with me,
We sat down and started talking about the wather,
Both a little awkward as we pretended to chat over tea.

Went down to the old school after a mighty long time,
Played in the sands,climbed the old hill overlooking the town...
But somewhere inside the man beside me,my pal was lost,
And I couldn't find him even as the sun went down.

Time it was for us then to part ways once again,
Awkward goodbyes and mute heartburn,
But as we looked into the other's eyes as the trains steamed away,
Spoke more than any words could have done.

And as I raced back to the bleak canvas of my life,
I realized I missed my pal now that he was gone,
He had changed a lot,but so had I,
That was why,the homecoming had felt so wrong...

The town hadn't changed,the change was in me,
In my haste to grow up,I didn't realize this happened when,
And now,so old and different..I didn't miss him,I missed those happy days,
I missed the wonderful people we were back then.

We the people.

There seems to be a small step between the realm of the civilized and the uncivilized.Between the educated and the uneducated.The restrained and the savage.
It takes a moment of inflationary politics to tear off the mask of civility off our society.Perhaps a word,a poem or a speech...dug out from the graves of time for the express purpose of bringing the "CRUSADER" all the limelight..his/her 7 days of fame.

And it just takes one contentious issue for the "enlightened" society to remain mum while civil liberties are violated rampantly.It takes just the mention of one of the religious minorities to bestow justification to any act,howsoever unconstitutional or illogical.

After all,it is "wrong" of us to question anything that is perpetrated in the name of a certain "minority" even when the people of that community are too busy to care.

After all,"HURTING" the sentiments of people who have none is a greater crime in this land than murder;even when the people aren't hurt and the ones clamouring don't know what they're raging about!

And,contrary to what people say,this isn't limited to a certain community.This malice extends to all communities.Every one of us is supremely intolerant ofany criticism.AND terrorising the dissent into submission seems such a better option compared to rational discussions!As they say "It is all in god's name"

And that seems to be the problem.The fact that "bhagwaan" orders a bunch of saffron clad goons to murder missionaries.And tells them to ban any book that speaks ill,not of god,but of our own ways of exploiting god!The fact that "allah " orders hoodlums to drive an eminent author out of her sanctuary.Orders them to harrass her for her life.Terrorise her.The fact that the conscience of the government compels it to drive the author to the verge of tears as she struggles to save her life.To toss her like a shuttlecock in the pious winds of polity.

And the worse part?The fact that we,the people at large,the educated,the vanguard of the future,the "Rang De Basanti charged idealists keep mum,even though we know that we don't care what the author had written;even though both hindus and muslims condemn the action in their drawing rooms.
All this in the land of Buddha!In the name of The Mahatma's secularism.