Poetry

The Tobacco Martyrs

Happy World Tobacco Day
Not to the non-smokers or the non-tobacco consumers, but to the going-to-be martyrs..

I choose to call them “The Tobacco Martyrs”, and I shall justify the name..
They are also heroes in a sense, if we look at it differently..

They suffer through their lives or end up sacrificing their life for us..
They smoke, they chew, they breathe tobacco.. For us..

They are helping in eventually reducing the world’s population..
They are helping make this world a better place by contributing to the Government revenues..
They help us build the roads we walk on, the flyovers we drive on & the public utilities that we misuse..
They help us in so many ways, while enjoying themselves..
They make it seem like a cakewalk, but forget not the price they pay..
The sacrifice they make, its impact beyond the lives of “The Tobacco Martyrs”..

So let’s respect the tobacco consumers for their role in this world..
They have played their part, have you?

Dedicated to the lives lost due to tobacco consumption.

Disclaimer: Sarcasm was intended, but not to hurt feelings, just to send a strong message.
The author has lost close family members due to excess Tobacco Consumption.

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2012

You Never Knew..

You never knew how one insignificant conversation can change the course of someone’s life..

You never knew how one act of kindness can randomly alter someone’s way of living..

You never knew how much Herculean strength one can feel when they have support of their kin..

You never knew how high one can jump knowing they have someone to fall back on, if things go downward..

You never knew the flight somebody’s life may take from a small push towards the right direction..

You never knew how the magic of having people in your life works and simplifies life in mysterious ways..

You never knew how the boldness spreads through inside when there is a feeling of someone always beside..

You never knew how you got through life without them before, which now seems almost an impossible feat..

You never knew how brainstorming could be done for anything from a simple meal to a complex proposition..

You never knew that you could stand up for yourself and fight for what’s right,stirred into action by someone..

You never knew that you could stare down the problems in life, pumped up by someone..

You never knew you could smile through your grief, just knowing that people believed in you..

You never knew that positive reaffirmation in someone’s ideas could do wonders till it happened to you..

You never knew that there could be such pure innocent relations even in today’s world..

You never knew that being in different corners of the world, people could still be together in trough & crest..

You never knew all of this.. may be you never knew my loved ones..

(Dedicated to my brothers & sisters)

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2012

This moment shall pass..

This moment shall pass..

Just like good ones do..

Tears dry up, as one empties the cup..

Life goes on,

And this too shall pass..

Don’t know what to say..

Don’t know what to desire..

Don’t know how to keep alive the fire..

I put in the oil and you put out the fire..

How to understand what it is that you truly aspire..

I long for some love, some empathy,

I long for some hope, some sign from you..

I sit & write a song or two for you,

But it doesn’t clear up my mind or even come close

Doesn’t bring the calm, the way it feels when touched by you.

Its been a long while since the wind passed me by,

Its been a long while since serendipity & me crossed by,

Its been a long while since the trees & me whispered to each other,

Its been a long while since we headed in different directions,

And since then serenity has also been really hard to come by.

But, this moment shall pass.

I will soon be swept over with thoughts of good measure,

which will fill me with optimism & joy.

This moment shall pass,

Eventually good & bad ones, all do.

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2012

Perfect then & forever..

You care for someone,

but you just cant explain..

You love someone,

but it never seems to be enough..

You want to stick around,

but its not always possible to do so..

How to make someone understand,

that they are special & beyond compare..

How to show them that you love them,

but often cant express in the right way..

But efforts have to be made,

so here i am making one..

To tell someone that i care too,

that i love them too..

Maybe not the way they want me to,

but i do,in my own ways..

Everybody needs someone to hold at some point,

and i will be there when you need me..

To trust and believe in people is difficult,

but i need someone to believe..

I may not always be around to share,

to talk when you want,but i am there..

Silently in the background, with patience,

to take care and to protect you..

To hold you when there is nothing left,

to make u believe when none is left..

To comfort your fears and sorrows,

to make u smile when tears fall off..

Just to tell you that i love you,

when the world is full of despair..

To tell you that hope & faith exists,

somewhere deep inside all of us..

Smile your radiant smile,

‘coz that will help to walk another mile..

And believe in yourself & me,like i do,

Everything will seem to be perfect then & forever..

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2012

What is my world without you.

What is my world without you..

I would continue to live,

But the world will no longer be beautiful without you..

I would continue to breathe,

But the air will be less pure without you..

What is my world without you..

I will trust people no more,

‘coz Faith doesn’t exist without you..

Friends I will make wherever I go,

But friendship doesn’t mean anything without you..

You are hurt & I am the only reason,

You have to go, but I want to hold on to you..

‘coz what is my world without you..

The right thing would be for me to suffer,

But I know both of us will ‘coz of what I put you through..

I hate to put you through this,

And guilt pervades my mind that how could I do this to you..

Of all the people, near and dear

How could I hurt the best of them all, that’s you..

Pain in my heart and tears in my eyes, all I think is

How could I undo what happened to you.. 

Lord, show me the way,

As I am unable to find my way through..

As I think of you and trust my heart,

The toughest thing is what I must do,

That is to let go of you..

I am scared of how it will be

And what will be my world without you..

But sometimes, the one you love the most,

Is happier and safer when away from you..

I just wait with bated breath and folded hands,

Till the next time I hear from you..

What is my world without you..

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2012

Reality Of Dreams!

Well, time’s up,

Wake up!

Life’s running away

My Friendship with Pals

As we sit & think

of times that passed by,

we all feel that the good

and the bad times both fly by..

Memories of friendship & the fun we had,

Bunking lectures to play cricket

and eat at ‘regular’ joints,

or just to chill at a hangout nearby..

The fights & the disappointments forgotten,

the innocence& beauty of times together

is all that we wish to carry forward

and leave the sorrows of life at stand-by..

In few years, we seem to have grown up

to become a grown-up & understand

that life ahead is going to be a challenge,

and nothing will be easy to come by..

But we are not the ones

who will sit about it & cry,

rather we buckle up & prepare

to give life our best try..

As we reach the threshold

of life’s crossroads,

mind drifts into the ocean 

of memories & moments that went by..

Though we separate to make our lives,

our bonding gets stronger, with

the renewed promise of friendship

& faith that when needed, we shall be near-by..

Feeling closer to each other in our hearts

as we move farther away in miles,

the smiles, the tears, those “moments”

that took our breath away, leaving us high & dry..

Such is the friendship, such is the bond,

such is the joy, such is the connection,

that no matter what we do,

our lives are joint,they give us the ultimate high! 

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2011

May be!

Maybe its just me,

but you finally seem to be happy..

Maybe its just me,

but you finally break free of your mind’s shackles..

Maybe its just me,

but you are finally freed of your rigid perceptions..

Maybe its just me,

but you finally forgot the pain & smiled so beautifully..

Maybe its just me,

but if you would do these,

you might finally be so happy..

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2011

When?

When will this feeling go away..

When will we stop running..

When will we be happy..

When will we stop worrying..

When will life be more meaningful..

When will this world be a better place to live..

When will we find what we are looking for..

When will we realise what actually we are looking for..

When will the numbers add up to what we want..

When will the distorted puzzle of life start making sense..

When will the game be played in all fairness..

When will the country be guided by men of honesty & integrity..

When will the complications start to simplify themselves..

When wil the stars be seen again, bright & shiny under the ever polluted sky..

When will the grass look greener on our side..

Whn will the queue be formed for Nature’s Blackberry’s & Apple’s, instead of gadgets..

When will people become human again..

When will we stop killing nature & its myriad life forms..

When will we start being concerned about our fellow humans..

When will we start loving our kids for who they are & not what laurels society bestows upon them..

When will we smile,just ‘coz we are here, now in this moment, living in this wonderful planet, sharing space with the most amazing life forms known to us..

When..??

©Ankit Bhandari, India, 2011

Life’s A Bumpy Ride

Life’s a bumpy ride,

I prayed you be always at my side..

Time stops for no one nor does tide,

That makes me scream from inside..

God,Why give me such a bumpy ride?

God says but you had a wonderful friend beside..

I ask - would my friend have always stayed by my side,

Thee says that was just for both of you to decide..

Now as I go on my final ride,

I wonder whether you knew that I had always be by your side,

And that I shall love you the most till the moment I pass on to the other side..

Let me tell you something by which you must abide,

Make your life a happy & meaningful ride..

‘Coz after all isn’t it just on us to decide,

To let happiness & peace in this world preside..

Isn’t it on us to simply decide,

To chose whether we unite or divide..

If we all could be courageous,once & for all decide,

That come what may,together we live & together we ride..

Go ahead, my friend, play your part

And set things right, others shall follow the cue & abide..

And in this world, let love & peace only be your true guide,

In doing so, you might be taken for a ride, & go down the tide..

But why fear my friend, when Gods send angels by our side!