HEART

Your heart knows strength, not anger

Your heart knows pain, not hate

Your heart knows joy, not envy

Your heart knows happiness, not fear

Your mind calls for commitment, as your heart stands with conviction

Your mind says conform, while your heart smiles reform

Your mind see chaos, but your heart seeks calm

When in doubt, silence your mind

For your heart knows what’s right, not wrong

It is your best friend, teacher & guide

So, tell yourself always, I have 3 guardian angels – ME, MYSELF & I

MY ODE TO INDIA

14 years ago, I bid adieu in the pursuit of freedom

14 years later, I stand at your doorstep in the pursuit of wisdom

In my friendship, I found a love so unconditional

In my love is a friendship that is now irreversible

An intimate connection that sparked in the land of the free

Has brought me back to reconnect in the disguise of a shopping spree

Every morning I awaken to the sights of overcrowding and a fog of pollution

But therein lies a clarity of life, for such is the depth of your population

A richness I find in your abject poverty

In your ample hospitality, I see only a dearth for true liberty

In your camaraderie, I witness the spirits of ancient wisdom

Grounded you are in spirituality and there in, I realize is your true freedom

Smilingly you embrace the bitter truths of life, your vulnerability I see as your path to stardom

Every occasion you celebrate in colors so resplendent like the emotions in a love story

Food, music and dance I believe, are truly your crowning glory

Your culture and traditions form the roots of my identity

The essence of love you teach me as it is the reason for your unity in diversity

Once again you have taught me – YOUR HOME IS WHERE YOUR HEART IS

Fear not your destiny, for life is what it is

As I am homeward bound, I look down with overflowing gratitude

For lifting me back up and strengthening my fortitude

Tears now wet my eyelids

As I whisper through my pursed lips

Tuhne bhulne nahi diya mujhe apni pehchaan

( You didn’t let me forget my identity )

Mumbai tuhe meri jaan

( Mumbai, you are my love !! )

ITALY – MY ROMANCE WITH NATURE

A lone traveler with an open heart

Under the tuscan sun my journey starts

Winding roads and lighted tunnels in my path

Blue skies and green hues in an endless swath

I drive up the steeping slopes and rough terrain

I come face to face with a beauty so insane

Torre Del Tartufo, they call it – a tower of truffles

My joy knows no bounds, it only quadruples

From pots to pans to rolling pins, a chef’s galore

Begins a culinary excursion, a foodie’s allure

Cook with love and eat with passion, the chef preaches

Learning new skills and making new friends, an experience that entices

From pizza to pasta, tiramisu to panacotta, delight in every bite

An indulgence for the palate, day after day, night after night

Among aging vines and olive trees, I witness a love that sets people at ease

High up the heels in green farmlands, a human soul embraces his passion for making cheese

A richness in nature’s bounty, lustrous in its small mercies

Lost in its gentle serenity, my mind lets go of all its immaturities

Hand made pottery to hand woven textiles, they leave me mesmerized

Every piece, a labor of love… I must stop and shop as I feel pressurized

From stone houses to poppi fields, a picture so resplendent

Nature’s beauty that comes to you in limitless abundance

It was not a vacation or an adventure

This was just the beginning of ‘MY ROMANCE WITH NATURE’

UNREQUITTED LOVE

Joy seems to flow, but fear lurks

Passion fills my body, but sorrow engulfs

Happiness roots in my heart, but my mind shudders

I surrender to the pain, to the pleasure

Unmindful of its DESTINY

You shun me, for you think its not right

I long for you, for I know not why its wrong

I bow down with reverence to this beautiful feeling

As I realize, I am IN LOVE and I AM FREE

Free to begin my journey

My journey to be A WOMAN

To be all that I was meant to be

A dream you shall be

A dream like no other

A dream, yet so real

A dream where you are ETERNAL

Forget me not, MY LOVE

For my love is pure and simple

As I leave you with a fervor so AMPLE

BANGLES

Bangles for a reason

Bangles for all seasons

Round & Round

They strum the heart strings year round

In every color & in every shade

They bring beauty to pallor in every grade

Their touch, a feeling so sensual

Their jingle, like music so essential

Lifting spirits so high

Brightening every smile & every sigh

While diamonds & shoes are just friends

Bangles are a Girl’s true BEST FRIEND !!