I Dreamt a Dream

I remember the teddy bear I sketched
when I was nine years old.
It held a tennis racquet in one hand
a ball in the other.
I felt proud on completing it.
I admired its beauty at length.

The sewing machine in the bedroom
holds evidence for my interest in verbal puzzles.
The scrambled letters of my father's name
scrawled on the wood in innocent, cursive writing
still brings a smile to my face.

My sister and I 'invented' our own language,
complete with a written script.
We sang songs of being cooks with 'theepettis'* in our hats.

We laughed heartily when she sang,
"Run, run, run
for a bun, bun, bun.
You'll have fun, fun, fun
if you run, run, run
for the bun, bun, bun."

I remember winning essay competitions;
donning the roles of Tiruvalluvar, Shylock,
Puck and Tenali Raman in school plays;
playing the flute for the school orchestra;
being a part of the school choir.

Little did I know
I'd be writing this particular poem.
But I dreamt I'll become a poet some day.
I told myself
I'd become a better poet.

Till date,
I've been tirelessly working on it.

* - matchboxes

The Path

Clueless and not knowing
what to do,
I stood on the road,
trying to figure out
where to go.

I took some time;
I introspected.
I realized what my destination was.

In one path
did I want to travel.
But nothing worked out
the way I wished.

Like a ray of hope
appeared another path.
A path hitherto untrodden.
A path, of which I knew nothing.

Hoping against all hopes,
I took the risk
of walking on an unknown land.

As I started to walk,
I realized the path was uneven
and full of ups and downs.
It was then that I discovered
the journey was going to be tough.

But there was a welcome breeze
that caressed my cheeks
and touched my heart.
It failed not to bring smiles;
it failed not to make me forget the miles (to be covered).

Yellow flowers adorned the beautiful land;
crepuscular rays lit the way ahead.
I couldn't have asked for a better path.
I hoped it would lead
to an equally picturesque destination.

I remembered the words
a friend uttered,
"The path is more important than the destination."

I realized I had fallen more in love
with the path than on the destination.

I walked ahead
with a heart brimming with hope,
and a mind oozing with perseverance.

I smiled.

The Promise

When you feel sad,

I'll dance with you to the tune of Le Banquet.

I'll do my best to see you smiling always.

I'll do my best to sustain your glee.

Your dreams would I see in your eyes

Your hope would I see in your smile.

I'll do my best to see you happy always.

I'll do my best to help you fulfill your dreams.

I'll change what you don't like in me.

I'll enhance what you like the most in me.

I'll do my best to forget some bittersweet memories.

I'll do my best to love you more than I loved anyone.

I'll light your days with passion and cheer.

I'll find infinite ways for you to enjoy every passing moment.

I'll forget the past, humming this elegy to my old love.

I'll embrace glorious hope, singing this ode to the love of my future.