Cover Story

The cover has to be attractive.
It’s a package deal, you see.
It has to have something for everyone…
Reflecting life today(?)
The gloss is a must and
A dash of fashion too.
Do you expect people to accept bland things?
Saleability counts… not just to you
But to all from the presswallah to the paperwallah.
Its business you see.

Modeling things on exclusive helps.
Hype is a must to create enough demand.
Old maxims are dying without trace.
Whoever said “Empty vessels make more noise”,
Forgot that people are busy with multi-tasking…
So one who makes the max (right) noise
Is believed to have it all.

Cover story with proper cover design=
Increased market value.
Endorse yourself through right cover story
Or you will be last seen in some corner obituary column.

Whose Father's What Goes?

The 2 BHK , 100 sq feet house
Houses 3 great people-
3 blessed with the gift of gab.
Their world was their nest
Nest that nurtured their ever-growing egos.
They talk because they want the world to know
That they excel in worldly affairs.
They comment, they judge, they laugh, they sneer,
They show the cold-shoulder to the poorly-blessed.
They blame, they scoff, they say-
World is no more a better place to be.

Their nest is spic and span…
Thanks to maids and cooks.
Outside 1000 sq feet what happens
Is not their concern- as they say-
Whose father’s what goes?

Peak Pressure

Top men/women are in demand
for Top slot and Top position.
Peak is the best place to be.
Because being numero uno matters.
you become You only if you are on top
Or you become one among many you's.

Taught to tread the steep terrain
of success with single-mindedness..
The backpack is filled with only
"necessary"(who decides?) items.
The trek has only one aim-
be on top and stay there
or atleast let your name linger.
(An added burden!!!)

Here, however, pressure increases
as you reach higher heights...
the density is high too...
what with so many people vying for the zenith.
Crowding its periphery...moving closer
closer, closer...the pressure increases.

A few brave hearts manage a foot hold.

A few wait for the one on top to fall
atleast a few notches down!

Morrie questioned: "whats wrong in being second best?"
A few learnt this sweet lesson the hard way.
They continue to live and enjoy the journey...
they are happy with the large expanse at their diposal

But a few unfortunates...too weak to carry on
Scared to leave the journey half way
Too timid to accept so-called-failure
Take one final leap....
downward...
expecting a final recognition...mentioning of name...
died-fighting-for-kind (what for??)
From desire to be on top ,they find solace
in the abyss of annonimity...
in the abyss of the unknown.

Incomplete

The wholeness of things are stressed.
We have to be self-sufficient…
Stand on our feet…
(where are the roots though?)
The world only loves strong men
Errr… and women

Now we have 2 conflicting worlds.
Of self and others.
Of you and me.
Of us and them.
Of this and that.
Of men and women.
Of white and black.
Of good and bad.

Dare we cross the borders!
Dare we move away from the completeness!
Dare we cross the barriers!
Boundaries are drawn to make complete picture.
Then why on earth should people lose themselves…
Why become half-individuals?
Why become incomplete?

Silence

The voice thundered full of confidence.
The thrill of being heard was felt.
The power, the glory
of knowledge, of words.
The voice carried a distinct quality
the speech carried it too.
What they call it nowadays...
ah! the mark of individualism.

The thundering voice lost its sheen
not just to others but to my ears too.
It was mere sound
To be heard but to be felt.

Mark of individualism met a noisydeath.
Silence still had its velvety touch...
A sense of calm coupled with music...