The Eternal Flow- KEWAL KHASHEMPUR

The rain blows in ways of the wind,

The wind blows into the pockets of space,

The Space flows into the void of time,

And time meets the eternal flow of life.

Life flows into the wombs of Birth,

Birth flows into the laws of men,

Men flow into the hearts of love

And love flows into the depths of pain.

From Despair arises the flower of hope,

Hope flows into the glimmer of light,

Light flows into the pit of the dark,

From Darkness comes the Secret of Creation,

The Eternal Mystery of the Past.

Such is the flow of life

One just flows through it all;

Ignorant is he who lives in it

For, he is blind to see it all.

Cease, O human, and witness the flow of life

For one who truly sees, becomes the flow he glides;

In the depths of the flow, you shall find a stillness,

A stillness that reflects the secret of life.

The Pretty enough paradox- Tanisha Jain

"If I looked perfect, they'd never leave me,"

Was all I ever understood .

I didn't know if I was right,

But no one ever told me I was wrong,

Because they always said I was pretty,

Just not pretty enough.

I starved and cried,

Compared and cared,

Weighed and waited,

Suffered and continued,

Until the voices said I looked fine.

I got the attention,

I got the chase,

I got the validation,

I got the pity love,

And when I finally thought I was perfect,

I was even got left on.

Then I saw how

The one that loved my body perfect,

Would never love my heart right,

So I ate till I choked,

Binged till I puked,

Until the voices mirrored "show skin get love."

shopped and thrown,

Uncomfortable but worn,

Hidden until seen,

Craved until sought,

And again the voices bargained "to get love is to give body."

Stuck between

Pleasure and pain,

Moans and screams,

Hunger and pills,

She was

Choked but never killed,

Satisfied but never enough,

Dead and alive,

Until finally

The voices called her pretty,

And left.

The voices left,

But every mirror reminded her she was pretty,

But only pretty enough to get attention.

Every bed reminded her she was pretty,

But only pretty enough to get laid.

Every door reminded her she was pretty,

But not pretty enough to stay with,

And every scar reminded her that she was pretty,

But just not pretty enough.

And if I fall 7 times I'll rise 8!- Sakshi Singh

I'm no longer alone,

I've found my companion in the stillness of the night,

All my doubts appear to be gone ,

Surrounded by the walls of insincerity ,I still await the light;

I walk alone in the rain to feel the rain drops on my face,

These tiny droplets bring the bliss of solitude,

I dive deep into it hoping to find myself in its hidden depths,

Only to embrace my flaws with fortitude!

I look into the mirror of my mind,

And see the reflections of the girl I've left behind;

In the reflections, i still see her smile;

I just wanna be her again, even if it's just for a while;

The waves of despair never fail to crumble my soul ,

For once, I don't wanna be a victim but a warrior through it all,

The bad days have white washed all my colours,

So I've made my peace with the remains of the blurs;

Even though It feels like the end, I know it's just the beginning,

Cuz The dark clouds have begun to show the silver lining,

I am at my worst but I won't allow it to be my fate,

And if I fall 7 times, I'll rise 8!

soothing star- Snehasri Ravishankar

My legs give out

and I sink

onto the grassy blanket,

whose thorns feel like velvet

against parched skin.

I close my eyes and

d

r

i

f

t

away..

from this cruel confinement

where fleeting time waits for none.

I am drawn awake.

It’s that feeling all over again.

It allays my ears,

casting away the shrieks and screams

that haunt them.

This is the muse the world needs.

Melodies and lyrics are stars

to its a

b

y

s

s.

The music bewitches,

I tiptoe on notes

dancing in octaves.

I call the tune ~ I shall stay here

until the music dies.

For in the mansion beside my run-down hut,

they begin

to blow the trumpet.

The Ganges and Ocean- Anjali Rawat

I am the holy river that flows,

Who is joyful up and calm below.

I carry life and remains of dead,

I do forgive but never forget.

I made civilizations I made men,

They bring this offering for good omen.

I see their pleasure I clean their pain,

None of their feelings go in vain.

“You are not just water” said the gods,

But “living entity everyone applauds”.

I am pristine I am divine,

I accept all who incline.

Meet me in the hills meet me in the plain,

Feel the chills or the rain.

I reached ocean I look and see,

How vast my life now will be.

I give my goodness to the sea,

To merge in it and be free.

Free from ego free from pride,

This is my last ride.

I was anxious and restless,

But ocean gave me all acceptance.

We merge into each other and become one,

Do I have any regrets? No, none!

Sangath (સંગાથ )- Parthavi Varan

મુસીબતો ભલેને ગમે તેટલી આવે ,

તારી સાથે મારો સાથ હંમેશાં રહેશે.

તું જરાય ગભરાતી ના દીકરી ,

હાર જીત જીવનમાં થતી રહેશે .

પોતાને નિરાશ ના કરતી કદી ,

પ્રોત્સાહન આપવા મારા વેણ સાથે રહેશે.

મદદનીશ બનવા ખચકાટ ના કરતી ,

આશીષ આપવા મારું મન તૈયાર રહેશે.

દુષ્ટો સામે લડતા ગભરાટ ના રાખતી ,

સંભાળ રાખવા મારી છાયા સંગાથ રહેશે .

લોકોનું કલ્યાણ કરે એવી પ્રગતિ કરજે ,

ગર્વ લેવા મારી આત્મા વાટ જોશે .

છળ-કપટ -પ્રપંચને અપનાવતી ના કદી ,

સલાહ આપવા મારું મગજ તૈયાર રહેશે .

વિસ્મરણોને ભૂલી સંસ્મરણોને યાદ કરજે ,

યાદ કરાવવા તારા પિતા હંમેશાં સંગાથ રહેશે.

Writer?- Lavanya Gupta

‘Be a writer. Change the world.’

Me? But I’m not a writer.

I’m just a person who writes.

My mind isn’t a prodigy,

my vocabulary is dry.

My pen is vain,

my hands sometime cry.

My letters are hypocrites,

my words are recycled.

My phrases are narcissists,

my punctuations are misplaced.

My writing is selfish.

It helps nobody, just the monster in my mind.

Sometimes it screams,

sometimes it sleeps.

In mind what is rich,

on paper becomes diluted.

“Is anyone reading?! Anyone?!”,

the paper wails in the void.

I tear it down piece by piece

and swallow it down my throat.

And then,

I write some more.

My little girl- Dr. Manu

My little girl

A beautiful calm morning

A cute little bird chirping around…..

I heard something, a whisper may be

From within it was- the sound…..

I looked here and there, a little scared

Mommy mommy….I want to be cared….

A little girl was crying so hard

Mommy mommy….I want a guard…..

I chased and looked down at my baby bump

It was calling me Mommy …my little trump😘

She again said I want to live, I want a breath

I was overwhelmed and she said, I beg please don’t give me death….

I promise I will love you more than the brother

And I will not ask anything in return, my dear mother….

I want to see you,father,brother and the world too

I listened her, cried and got swirled too…

I got compunct, inside me her voice got stuck

Mommy loves you, she got you inside darling! It’s her luck….

Don’t cry. Mommy will take you out,she will love you

You are the treasure my baby, nothing will be above you….😘

Reflections of Multifaceted soul- Akshat Aggarwal

In the eyes of many, a kaleidoscope am I,

A tapestry woven with hues that belie,

For I am a different person to different hearts,

A multifaceted soul, where contrast imparts.

To one, I may be a thorn, an annoyance unkind,

A riddle unsolved, a perplexing mind,

Yet in their shadows, I find strength and might,

For their resistance fuels my resilient light.

To another, I'm a star, adorned with talents rare,

A symphony of gifts, beyond compare,

They witness my prowess, my skills on display,

And their admiration guides me on my way.

To a select few, I am a whisper, serene and still,

A silent companion, tranquil and skill,

In moments of solace, we share our retreat,

Bound by understanding, a connection complete.

To the masses, I remain an enigmatic mist,

An unsolved puzzle, a name on their list,

But amidst the shadows of anonymity's haze,

I discover the essence that sets my spirit ablaze.

For who am I, to me? A quest I embark,

To peel back the layers, to unearth the spark,

I'm an amalgamation, a journey untold,

A constant evolution, as life's chapters unfold.

I am strength and vulnerability entwined,

A tapestry of contradictions, intricately designed,

No single label or box can define my entirety,

For I am the sum of my own self-discovery.

So embrace the contradictions, the shades that collide,

In the vast tapestry of life, let your true self reside, For you are a masterpiece, unique and free,

A different person to others, but to yourself, just be.

"STARRY NIGHT"- Pratiksha Jain

Calm as a winter night

Just you and the stars,

Nothing matters at this moment;

It's untouched.

Life seems easy,at this very moment;

Just as a bird out of a cage!

My problems seem miniature;

When I'm out in the open sky,

Welcoming me with open arms

Into a world untouched, unknown.

Mysteriously beautiful!

Magic in every step ahead

The vastness is terrifying,

Away from the crazy world,

My soul feels at home.

Loved,nurtured and cared for

My soul feels full of life;

I am finally free

Just as a bird out of a cage !

निखारे- Pallavi Bhanap

भोळ्या चंद्रास गगनी

हसती खुशाल तारे

झाडांतून चकवत फिरती

वाकुल्या दाखवित वारे!

थरथरती उंच माडही

का भरावे असे कापरे

सळसळत्या झावळ्याही

का गाती असे बेसुरे?

सांडलेल्या चांदण्याला

वाटे फुटतील आता धुमारे

सत्यात टोचती शिंपल्यांचे

मात्र काटे अनेक बोचरे!

सावल्यांच्या लांबट प्रतिमा

चिकटून सोबतीस सारे

मागे वळून पाहता

अदृष्य तयांचे पसारे!

रेतीत रुतल्या पावलांना

लपेटती दिशांचे भोवरे

राहिले आज वस्तीला

रातकिडे किर्रर्र किरकिरणारे!

नीरव शांततेस भंगती

धुसमुसळ्या लाटांचे किनारे

पाण्यात धुमसत्या आगीचे

विझवू कसे मी निखारे?

Back To Life!- Sakshi Singh

She once encountered a storm while playing in the rain,

It crushed her spirit, and soon she realised she was not the same,

She was promised the light but was left in the darkness forever,

She was left in bits and pieces, which she's now piecing together.

Every part of her was shattered and charred by the flames of the past,

She thought she would never come out of it because of the shadow it had cast,

But then her dreams caught up to her and gave her hope that she could make it out alive,

And when she felt like she was going under, her dreams brought her back to life!

The Pain Undone- Medha Medha

The subtle void at large

The visceral solace by pieces

This imperceptible oblivion

Touched by the incoherent elements

Calling to move from the fringes of past into future

Which now seems to be an abyss

It will forever be the pain undone.

The toddler whose cheeks I kissed,

With whom I rode my tricycle,

The child with whom I played in glee,

With whom I shared my everything

The immature who never matured

Suddenly pulls out from the living orb

Leaving us in a vortex of despair

It will forever be the pain undone.

For the world it was the grief in brief

As "The time heals everything" is their belief

But I see the zeal grappling with silence

With silence being the winner, an unfamiliar affair

The aching heart refuges in a smile

And the etched memories refusing to ebb

It will forever be the pain undone.

हम कब जागेंगे- Anil Kumar Singh

ये कितना निर्मम और क्रूर समय है

जिसमें हम जी रहे हैं

हम अपनी आंखों के सामने

एक बेबस बालिका की नृशंस हत्या होते

तमाशबीनों की तरह देखते हैं,

वो भी तब जब हमारा मामूली सा प्रतिरोध

इस घटना को रोक सकता था और

उस लड़की की जान बचा सकता था।

पर नहीं वहां उपस्थित तमाम लोग

पता नहीं किस गहरे भय से

या समाज में व्याप्त एक अजीब सी

सामाजिक उदासीनता के वशीभूत

निर्विकार भाव से गुज़रते रहे जैसे

यह उनके लिए  रोजमर्रा की

एक सामान्य सी घटना हो

और इससे उन्हें कोई भी अंतर नहीं पड़ता ।

ऐसी ही निरपेक्षता,उदासीनता

लगभग कम या ज़्यादा हम सबमें

कहीं गहरे तक समा गई है,

हम तब तक नहीं जागते

जब तक ऐसा कुछ हमारे साथ

या हमारे किसी अपने के साथ घटित न हो जाये।

वही सब लोग जो इस घटनाके मौन साक्षी थे

अब चीखेंगे,चिल्लायेंगे,शोर मचायेंगे

निर्जीव चीजों पर अपना आक्रोश निकालेंगे

भीड़ के साथ सड़कों पर उतरेंगे

इसको-उसको दोषी ठहरायेंगे

इस बात का उस बात का रोना रोयेंगे

इस आग में अपनी किस्म किस्म की रोटियां सेंकने

तमाम तरह के लोग कूदेंगे

हर जगह जोरदार बहसें होंगी।

पर प्रश्न जो गहरे हैं

इसी अंतहीन शोर में

हमेशा की तरह दबकर रह जायेंगे ।

प्रश्न तो ये हैं कि

हम अपने अंतर के भय से कब उबरेंगे

कब अपनी उदासीनता छोड़ेंगे

कब ऐसी घटनाओं को

अपनी आंखों के सामने घटते देख

चुप रहना छोड़ेंगे,मुंह नहीं मोड़ेंगे ।

हम कब -आख़िर कब

अपने डर की जंजीरें तोड़ेंगे।

सुनो ना - RIDDHI SARAYA

सुनो ना,

आज बातें हो रही है

तो बात करो ना |

सुनो ना,

कल की बातें भुलाकर

कल के बारे मे बिना सोचे

थोड़ी सी आज हसी मज़ाक करो ना |

सुनो ना,

आज थोड़ी मेरी भी सुनो

थोड़ी खुद की भी सुनाओ

आओ मैं एक "कट्टिंग " चाय पिलाऊँ

और तुम थोड़ी अपनी बॉस की बुराई करो ना |

सुनो ना,

मुझे भी बताओ

कल "boys night out" कैसा रहा

थोड़ी खुशी दोस्तों के साथ एक पेग पर बाटी

आज थोड़ा सा गम मेरे साथ एक "cup" चाय पर बाटों ना |

सुनो ना,

पिछले हफ्ते "McDonalds" से मंगवाया था

आज तुम, तुम्हारी "स्पेशल" पनीर बनाओ

मैं थोड़ी टेढ़ी मेढ़ी रोटी बनाऊँ

आओ चलो ना आज साथ मिलकर थोड़ी मोहब्बत अदा करे ना |

सुनो ना,

येह जो मेरे लिए कुछ "ऑर्डर" करते हो

और करने से पहले पूछते हो

और हर बार यूँ ना ना करते करते हाँ करवा देते हो

वो बिना पूछे बस कर दिया करो ना |

सुनो ना,

बहुत दिन हो गए

आओ ना मेरी लिखी हुई कविता सुन्कर, चुटकियाँ बजाकर,

"हाय! क्या लिखा है "

कहो ना |

सुनो ना,

आज बातें हो रही है

तो बात करो ना |

PEACE- Subhranil Sarkar

If I were a man,

Then I could have got

For me a magnificent plan-

Yes! Why not?

I would have been the most perfect one,

So that the noble ones would rot

For I am a ruler, who ruled hearts

Yes! Why not?

If I were mortal,

Then I could have fought

For my glory, to spread it round the world-

Yes! Why not?

You would have thought,

I'm the most self-centred man ever created;

Too bigotted, too ambitious

To understand feelings ''precious",

But 'fore I speak further,

Did you ever remember

Who were you?

You say, "How dare you insult me

Without having any clue?"

Now I say, it is indeed true

I swear I do "insulted" you!

'Tis your greed, your ambition

Your putrefying notion

Of being the cream of the cake.

Being the sweetest and the coolest

You forget on what you rest

Your body, your desire

Won't remain with you,

Nothing but only I

For eternity, for ever!

So what bothers me if I am shrewd?

For my name is Peace, I need no clue!

मोर बिन पर- BHAGAT SINGH

मोर,बिन पर वाला कहीं

दिख ही गया यूंही

जालियों से खिड़कियों की,

ना थी सलाखें पर हाँ थी

उन पर जमी सुविधा परत

ताकती सी नजर भर

उस मोर के छोड़े गए पर,

पर निगाहे जा रुकी

रखा उन्हीं में से

कोई एक पर कहीं

दर्पण के पीछे,भीत से सटकर

नृत्य मुद्रा में ना होकर,जड़ सा ही

जीवंत हो उठता वो पर उस पहर

जब देखता आ विचलित नर आस भर

सरिता किनारे नीलगिरी की छाप सा

प्रात: की पहली किरण के ताप सा॥

द्वापर युग में दीखता

बांसुरी की तान पर ग्वाला कहीं

सिर पंख टाँगे हास व परिहास में

नहाती नारियों के वस्त्र कर वापिस

उसी युग में कहीं कोंतेय को जा

सीख देता भागवत की।

पर-पर मिले मिलकर बंधे

और किसी माँ के गूँथे

हाथपंखे में जा जुड़कर

हिल और डुलकर पैदा करते

बयार सुख की और सुकून की

नन्ही सी एक जान खातिर

जो इसी युग का बिरसा बन डट जाए

और बन जाए ईश्वर किसी जनजाति का।

कहीं डूब स्याही नीली में एक पर

सूखे सफहो पर फिसल कर

लिख जाता उठते स्वर

गिरता स्तर मानवता का

जिसका होना आजकल उतना ही मुश्किल

जितना दीवारों बीच में एक घर का होना।

एक पर कहीं बैठ

किसी पुस्तक में जा बनता पृष्ठस्मृति

जो याद दिलाए भूल से छोड़ा हुआ

कोई काम आशा को लिए

पूरा होने की जल्द ही

शुरुआत की ले सींक उठ बैठ कर

चुभो देगा आलस भरी उस नींद में।

झाडू बन कर मोर पर

फैला धुएँ से मिंचती आँख में जा धूल झोंके

और दमड़ी चाह में हिला उसको

झाड-फूंके दे-दे- बच्चा अरमा सच्चा ख्वाब कच्चा

झोली भर फिर चल पड़ेगा मंत्रोच्चार कर

और क्रुद्ध होकर शांति का प्रचार करने।

एक पर छोड़ा हुआ

उड़ कर गिरा

उन नन्हें नंगे पैरों में

थामे हुए कंधे पे झोला

और बोझ किस्मत का भी कह लो

फटे लत्ते,फटी एड़ी,चिरी पिंडली

देख कर रंगो को गोलाकार

हाथों में ले वो उस पर को घुमाता

मानो उसने पा लिया हो

विश्व रूपी ताज कोहिनूर

जिसको छीन गोरे दासता में कैद करके

खुद की ही शेख़ी बघारे

वो पर उसे मिलकर

उसकी हार हर कर

जीत की अनुभूति देता

और उसके हाथ में हिल कर लहरता

मानो करे नृत्य कहीं कोई मोर

बरखा आस में,उसकी तरह॥

Madwoman- PRASHANT TIWARI

There she blabbers beside the road to everywhere.

A thin shawl once garbed around her shoulder

Now trails behind, bedaubed with soil.

Continuously she gazes with disbelief at her swaying hands,

As if destiny has betrayed her palm reading,

As if it was not her fate to sit on the road

And be pelted by stones, or survive on loaves thrown

Or to be called a poor ‘madwoman’.

A fortune teller once told her of a handsome man,

A large joint family and half a dozen children pride.

The contours of her palm must have changed

For her fortune was bright (I swear he said it was very bright).

Then one day they dragged her to a healer and said

‘She speaks in double voices,

tears apart her clothes; hurts herself with pointed edges.

She is a witch.’

He ravished her mind deep where dreams throbbed,

to conjure the black energy out of her evil body.

Further dreams were of the leeches feeding upon a withering soul.

One last day, in an everlasting night, they put her in a distant dark world

where the screams were muffled by the hard stones.

“This is your home.

Madness is contagious, you know. How would you know?

For the good of all, it is better to kill a rabid dog or let it

Kill itself.”

And this world made of rock piles, they knew, would kill her

like death’s natural/arbitrary prey.

She survived.

And since thence, she studies the mystics of the streets.

Incessantly she mutters and rereads

the mysteries of her lines.

A cheerful obedient girl lurks therein,

Her nectar sucked and her carcass declined.

The fragile skeleton appears over her blotted dead skin.

She feels no pain, no sun, no cold, and no

Hunger or knows not to express them.

Millions walk past overlooking her,

Some swarming living garbage on the roadside.

Her shabby potali kept close to her heart and

a mad dog stoned dead beside.

Only the dog knew what she treasures

in the filthy sack that she often checks.

“What she keeps talking to her treasured sack?”

“Mad is mad for every isolated reason,

for every inexplicable reason.”

She could not trust her hands, her own hands,

For these were the hands that rocked the cradle, tied

the sacred thread and watered the family garden.

She could not believe that these are the abandoned hands

of a ‘madwoman’.

The carriage ride with my Armor of bravery - Esther Simte

It starts that evening at sunset,

The church bell's toll, which was unstoppable.

As they burned down our churches and houses,

Starts the unending war, with a love not so true.

The enemies aren't outside but within, troubles.

Still they stand proudly,not perceiving the end

Will be doomed,as they'll wander with pain,

For killing us, as their minds are filled with revivalism.

Asking for peace,as they walk rallies

While they keep on attacking our villages,

Spreading news manufactured, while blaming us,

Oh!God where are the truth's?

I heard the soulful wailing of the innocent Fellows,

And those grievous stories,with memories linger,Adieu.

Burn's my heart into ashes along with burning homes,

Summer comes & winter goes,with all ending in smoke.

Still i tried to covered all my griefs,

With shadow of the moon.

Determined to live,as gentle as i could,

And wipe my tears away.

As i realised that i was blind-folded

On this carriage ride that they called life,

But storms can't kill my passion,

Still i need to endure,the vicissitudes of life.

Hard to balance between the authenticity

And the erroneousness of this world.

So,i put on my Armor of bravery,

As the so-called darkness is only a state of mind.

Break through and break free,

As my courage is the key to open every door.

And i will never be fazed again,

By how the world treats me.

My Resilient Soul -Hemant Kumar Meena

When the fierce tempest stormed , soul awakened for the first time,

In the storm of rage, though naive was i

Yet in my ignorance, i failed to spy.

Sickness of my brain had clouded my once clear perception

In misguided haze wrong, seemed so enticing.

Each folly cloaked in a deceptive guise'

I found allure where darkness was residing,

A twisted path that blinded my own eyes.

My mind eluded grasp, beyond control

And my own body felt not truly mine,

But there is a truth i held , a force so divine

That my sickly mind is distinct from my incandescence soul light .

I started losing, breaking piece by piece

And seem like devil triumphed, seizing control

I felt defeated my soul's released

Myself being plundered consumed as a whole.

With fervent strife, i battled with demon in the dark

So flames of harm , never touch their hearts

Yet my loved ones remained Oblivion,

But i kept fighting with a warrior's spirit, fierce and tenacious.

Within my mind , the devil's voice did rise,

Whispering in my ears with odious intent.

"Embrace the end, where the bliss lies, obliterate it all bring utter lament"

But how could i surrender to defeat,

For it was not just my life i fought for,

I had to battle for three generations complete,

To keep them alive their essence restore .

Today i'm alive for i choose to thrive,

This illness i defy , with strength untold,

The doctor of this ailment, i must strive,

To heal myself, a journey to unfold.

Life is precious, a jewel beyond compare,

Do not squander it in reckless despair,

Each birth is unique, rare beyond compare,

Embrace the moment, for life is rare.

A grave illness plagued, a devil's fright,

But my pure soul saved ,my life held dear

With energy bestowed by familiy's light

My soul triumphed over darkest fear.

For i have overcome, my heart elates

With gratitude, i cherish those who care

My family's love, the bond that resonates

"The illness may have been a daunting strife.

But my Exalted soul was nothing less divine" •••

- Written by Hemant Kumar Meena(2023)