Forgiveness [NaPoWriMo Day 2]

I only see you through photographs
Beautiful and majestic
But in a land, distant
Your cries for help fall short
Maybe the ocean drowns them
Swallowing them whole
Like it did, your home

You see, I was only a child
When I learnt to turn a blind eye
To the suffering I couldn’t see
Unaware that the consequences
Of my actions couldn’t see borders
They could fly across the land
And swim across the seas
Taking from you
Everything you’ve known
Your food, your home, your life

All I do now is hope
With every fiber of my being
That you don’t leave
Like many before you
Who have stained my hands crimson

Here I stand, heart heavy from what I can’t undo,
Will you forgive me for the ways I have wronged you?

 

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Disclaimer: Featured image photographed by Paul Nicklen. I claim no copyright on the image, and no copyright violations were intended. 

Hurt [NaPoWriMo Day 1]

I find myself alone again,
And my heart is free to feel,
The pain and the hurt.
There are memories sometimes,
And on others, just thoughts,
Thoughts and tales that my mind spins,
Because I’m a dreamer,
And sometimes I dream of sorrow.
I can feel it course through me,
Like an unstoppable tide.
It engulfs me whole,
And I feel that the world,
Will never be okay again.
But I’ve been here before,
Broken.

Don’t tell me to be brave.
Don’t tell me I’m weak.
Say it’s okay to hurt,
And let my heart heal,
In my cocoon of pain,
Till I emerge,
Stronger.

The Divide

Separated from you by a border,

I wonder if you feel what I feel.

I wonder if you cringe at the words

‘War’, ‘Attack’, being thrown around lightly

Like they mean nothing.

As the world around us burns to the ground,

You only know what your people tell you,

And I only know what mine tell me.

My people, your people.

Does that even matter anymore?

We’re all just human beings,

Caught in the crossfire of hate.

Being fed big, bold headlines,

With a coffee on the side,

Tainted with cynicism.

When do we stop,

Paying for the crimes we didn’t commit,

Suffering for the sins that weren’t our own?

Ignorance is bliss, they say.

Ignorance, that you’re just like me,

Dazed and confused,

Wondering what the world is coming to.

I don’t know you, but I wish I did.

I wish I did so that I could understand,

What it is like, on the other side,

Of this divide, created and guarded by us.

I wish I could reach across the words,

Twisted and turned, the truth lost in there somewhere,

Molded into a new reality.

The reality which has divided us in two,

Which stops us from joining hands,

Against the beast that terrorizes us both.

As I sit writing this, in the comfort of my house,

And you read this in the safety of yours,

I wish we could see the people stuck in the middle,

Under siege,  terrified for what lies in their fate.

The little kids count days, till they can go back to school,

Till they can run outside the house, and play,

Because that’s what kids are supposed to do.

Instead, they cower in their house,

Waiting for another day to pass them by.

I wish I knew them, so that I could understand,

The pain of losing someone I grew up with,

The horror of people around me being blown to bits,

And the blind faith, with which I would close my eyes

Unsure if I would ever wake up.

 

I wonder if you feel the same,

Loathe the mess that we’ve created,

Struggling to clean it up.

Separated from you by a border,

I wonder if you feel what I feel.

If you look at people as people,

And wonder if everyone does the same.

Fighter

You can’t point to a moment, an hour, or a day,

‘This is where it happened. It broke me’.

Because you, you were a fighter,

And it was never just a moment.

It was all those hours you spent crying.

It was all those nights you couldn’t sleep.

It was all those days that cut your heart open enough,

For your words to make art.

You were a fighter, wounded, fighting with yourself.

And in that moment, all you broke were your chains.

You deserve the sun, and the stars and let no one

Tell you otherwise.

You deserve to be wild and free,

To fly and to dream.

You deserve to live, and not exist.

Be brave! Be strong!

You have yet to kiss the world.

You have yet to change lives.

And you have yet to live for yourself.

Because you are a fighter, and now you fight for yourself.

Gray [Micropoetry]

If everything was white and black
It would be easy to draw a line
Right down the middle

But we all live in a world of gray
Some lighter than the others
Gray all the same

The Girls at Medak Fort

Ever Wandering Feet

Last weekend, I decided to go on a solo tour of Medak, a small village-town, about 110 km from the city of Hyderabad. This is the first time I ever went somewhere alone, and I loved every bit of it. Exploring a place on your own has a charm about it. It is an exhilarating feeling and I’d recommend every person to travel alone at least once, even if it is a short one day trip like mine.

I had a very interesting experience on this trip. I met three girls at Medak fort, who were studying nursing in a nearby college. We started talking, and all three of them were so fascinated with my stories about my work, and travelling, and how I’m so independent. We spoke for a long time, about me, their studies, and their families. I took them for some tea, and they took me to…

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Things to do in Singapore

Singapore, the Lion City, has a little something for everyone. Here’s my list of the must-dos in the city –

 

1. Visit Sands Skypark Observation Deck

In my opinion, this is the first thing that you should do in the city. The Sands Skypark Observation Deck, situated on top of the Marina Bay Sands Tower 3, offers a splendid view of the city. And the deck also has information about all the significant places you can see from different view points.
The ticket to the observation deck costs $23 SGD, which is cheaper than the Singapore flyer. This is also be better than any half-day city tours you might be planning.

Fun Fact: You can also see the Batam and Pulau Bintan islands of Indonesia from the observation deck

2. See the laser show at the Marina Bay Sands Event Plaza

There is a free laser show at the Event Plaza in front of the Marina Bay Sands. It’s a beautiful show with a captivating story-line, and you must definitely watch it at least once.

3. Visit Gardens by the Bay

If gardens are your thing, Gardens by the Bay are a must-visit! There are two greenhouses in the garden, as you can see from the image above (taken from the Sands Skypark OD); The Cloud Forest and The Flower Dome. The gardens are also home to the magnificent and futuristic Supertrees.
The Cloud Forest replicates the temperatures of the tropical mountains, thanks to the astounding waterfall, the cooling jet vapors and the regulated air conditioner. Due to the temperature, it hosts a wide range of tropical flowers and plants. The waterfall in the center of the dome is quite magnificent and will have you reaching for your jacket. So be sure to carry one!
The Flower Dome houses a wide variety of plants from all over, and is a dream come true for every garden-lover.
If you’re on a tight budget, feel free to just walk through the rest of the garden and enjoy the view. However, I do recommend that you accommodate at least The Cloud Forest into your schedule. The walk inside the dome is absolutely breath-taking and worth every penny.

4. Visit Universal Studios

This obviously goes without saying. You cannot leave Singapore without visiting Universal Studios.  From the high thrill Mummy and Transformers rides, to the nostalgic Madagascar river ride, and the Shrek 4D adventure, you’re going to absolutely love this magical place!

5. Visit Night Safari, River Safari, Singapore Zoo and Jurong Bird Park

Yes, you must visit all 4! And try to catch as many special shows as you can. They are absolutely astounding. The main highlight of the river safari though, were the Red pandas and the giant pandas. So if you have no interest in them, you can skip this park. But I highly recommend visiting all the other 3.

6. Visit the S.E.A. Aquarium in Sentosa

This magnificent aquarium is home to more than 100,000 species of marine life, and it provides a breathtaking experience. It’s difficult to take in all the beauty in the place, and once you’re in, you won’t feel like leaving. We spent a good 3-4 hours in the aquarium and still couldn’t get enough of it.
The aquarium has feeding sessions in lots of exhibits, so if you want to see it, be sure to check the timings beforehand.

7. Visit the Southernmost Point of Continental Asia

This bridge leads to the southernmost point of Continental Asia. It has two towers which you can climb to see the ships sailing on the strait, towards, what I assume, was the Indian Ocean. It’s place you can proudly claim to have visited!

8. Take a walk down Orchard Street

We visited Singapore around Christmas, and Orchard street was covered in beautiful lights all over. It was a wonderful sight around Christmas, but I hear it is equally beautiful all year round. So when you want to take a break, put on shoes and take a refreshing stroll down Orchard Street.

9. Try the Milo Dinosaur at Newton Food Centre

Of course trying a famous local drink also counts as a thing to do! You can’t go to Singapore and not try the delicious Milo Dinosaur. Yes, it is made from Milo, the chocolate malt powder. The ice cold beverage also has a topping of the malt powder on top of the drink, and if you love to eat malt, it is definitely your kind of beverage.

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Signing off, with my Sinagpore travel adventure, urging you to go and make one for yourself 🙂

Believe

He spoke of a God unseen,
A messenger of his desires.
Underneath that mask,
Lay a soul, black as coal.
His shadow, an epidemic.
It encroached all around him,
The fire, bringing a deeper darkness.
And as the light left their eyes,
They looked for solace,
To the God unseen.
The unseen, who sees nothing.
The ashes left behind,
The crimson of innocence,
As we slaughter our own,
In the name of love.
Yet, again I hope,
That the lights keep burning,
Just a little bit longer.
Maybe this time,
I’ll find a reason to believe.

The night on the rooftop

The night today, is as dark as can be
Not a sound to be heard
Not a shadow to be seen

Just silence, as we sit on the rooftop
And you draw back into your shell
A shell, that wouldn’t be
If you could see what I see
Oh, the world is a cruel place
But you, you make it beautiful
Magic, that’s what you are
A scintillating spark of madness

Your eyes paint a world, that knows no pain
And your voice, a symphony of words
In your heart, you hold a light
That the dark fears to touch
And that snaggle toothed smile
That smile of yours, stops time

So break that shell, step out now
As life grabs you by the hand
And plummets you down
Brush it off, and face the climb
And in your stride, take it all
Just one step at a time

And in your palms, you will hold
Your dreams, that were too big
As you rise, and stumble and fall
And brush it off and start again

In silence
We sit on the rooftop
And in silence I wait
As you break down your walls

The night today, is beautiful as can be
Not a sound to be heard
Not a shadow to be seen

The Beautiful and Terrible World – Slam Poetry

This is my first poetry for which many people deserve credit. It was a group effort, which turned out beautifully! Written by me and Elaine (do visit her blog here!), scrutinized and modified by Niharika, and all the moral support provided by Stuti, here’s another addition to our overflowing Flatmate Goals!

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Another beautiful day!                                                                                 Another terrible day!

What’s so beautiful about
Wars and blood baths?

Wars are also waged for good
For change, and everyday
Is better than the last!

Good? The world has locked away
All the good it once knew
And the demons that they created
Are right in front of you!
Everywhere I see is anguish,
Pain, sorrow and despair!
Nothing ever seems fair!

What is not fair?
You see those little kids
Filled with hopes and dreams?
They have so much 
To offer to the world!

They? They grow up!
And all their hope is leeched
Right out of them
And their dreams are crumbled 
Into a million pieces!

Yes! They grow up.
To fight for what is right, 
To remove traces of sorrow, 
To strive for peace,
To abolish evil.
They speak!

And they are shot
Right in the head!
Their throats cut through.
Their voices silenced forever.

Their voices made a difference
It’s their acts of kindness and sacrifice
Which ignites a spark in us
A positive action,
A chain reaction,
Till the whole world is alight!

And where was this light?
When she screamed for help!
No one dared to move a muscle
Nor spoke for her. Well,
She died of course!
Where was this kindness
When she was killed in the womb?
When she was left beside a garbage can!
When she was looked down upon!

But now she fights!
So, no-one suffers her fate.
She is a phoenix of justice
Reborn from the ashes
Shining brightly, smiling gently!
What’s not beautiful?
And amongst all this cynicism
People still fall madly in love.
Slowly driving the darkness away.

Love? Love is brutally murdered!
It is hunted, till slaughtered!
All in the name of religion and caste.
Alas!
Love is reviled…

Yet love is alive
Why don’t you ask the ones?
Who loved and survived!
Whose hope was revived
Because their families fought for them
The world stood with them
This world has taught us
To open our arms and
Welcome love, peace and prosperity.
It has taught us that
Little girls can be warriors.
And little boys, sometimes
Just need someone
To wipe the tears off their face.

It has indeed!
Taught us that humans are humans.
The diminishing characters they are
Surpassing even the greatest demons.

No! It has taught us that
All humans are not monsters.
The nurturing goodness they have
Can uproot any evil from within!

What a terrible world!

It’s a beautiful world!