I Am Always Around…

On the first day of the New Year, I stepped out to see the change. Same sky, cloudless. No traces of much needed rain. Same sounds of cars whizzing past. Muffled faces. And then I saw him in the corner – HOPE! All bundled up, still shivering! I looked at him with expectant eyes.

“Procrastinator! Are you illusionary?” I sneered at him.
He spoke to me:

“I know you love me
I know you hinge on me
When you tread on darker paths
I know I inspire you.”

“And you take pleasure in elusive tricks?”

“ I have my constraints
I float on the tide of time
I possess no magic wand
I hold a mirror to your ways.

“Sometimes I get caught
In the currents of cacophony
Discords and disharmonies
Pull me down, make me dormant.”

“And so you walk out?”

“I am always around
I whisper through the breeze
I glisten in your heart
I blend in your prayers.

“I absorb all words, perceptions and actions
My strings are stronger than faith
Those who hang on get rewarded
But your own role matters most.
© Balroop Singh

Thank you for reading. Looking forward to new changes in 2021 that usher in new hope.

If you like poetry, please check my latest book: Magical Whispers

Pick up your copy at Amazon. 

 

#Welcome2021

As darkness dissipates
And the sun ushers in 2021,
Let the colors of hope sheath
All that we leave behind
And stride ahead with smiles.
© Balroop Singh

 

Many thanks to all my readers and author buddies for their lovely support. The sun of 2021 is shining brightly, reminding us that each year brings along new opportunities. Looking forward to better times ahead. – Balroop Singh.

Respect Or Love?

“He who wants a rose must respect her thorn.”

“Choose one,” the command was loud and clear.

I was confused. How could I choose one? I didn’t know love and was too young to understand respect but I was argumentative and would always rise against the commands.

“I want both.” I spoke with immense confidence.

I was pushed aside. My turn was over. 

One by one each person was given a choice and they left the arena with the group they opted for. I kept on waiting. My blood boiled at the authoritative voice of the leader who took pleasure in his arbitrary designs on us. Who gave him this power to rule over our emotions? Why are we here? 

I looked around, trying to figure out the place. How did I reach here? Strange, stern faces stared at me.

“This is your last chance to choose,” I could hear some kindness in this voice.

“But why?” Before I could speak another word, I was dragged away into a dark alley and my sobs could be heard.

*****

Some dreams keep coming back probably because some notions remain dormant in our subconscious minds. Whenever I read a disturbing book about injustice, my mind hurtles back and transports me into unimaginable lands that I could have seen in movies.

Love – the basic emotion that connects us with life and people.

Respect – the essential trait that raises man to his civilized state.

How could anyone survive without them? This question has always haunted my mind and keeps coming back whenever I see or hear about any atrocities being inflicted on fellow human beings.

Love can still be pretended but respect can’t be faked. It reveals itself through our body language. 

“I love you.” “You are my best friend.” I have heard many such refrains from people around me but I could make out from their body language and actions how selfish their love was. It changes its contours according to the situation.

Respect cannot be claimed. It shows itself, it reflects in the eyes. It is an offshoot of love.

Can you choose one? Yet there are people who have none. 

Thank you for reading and pondering. Please share your thoughts.

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Living Again

Sue Vincent’s #writephoto

I rise from the valley of death
The valley you pushed me into
The valley I reject…
Its deluge couldn’t drown me.

I don’t want to mourn for
The blessings that I have lost
I refuse to crumble under them
Within me, I can hear a loud protest.

Your memories don’t make me smile
They offer no solace now
They rest on a rocky ledge
Floundering in watery grave.

Divesting that soaking attire
I am seeking new vistas
My eye lashes are glowing
Approbations no longer allure me.

I seek the company of those
Who can guide me, escort me
Toward the path of enlightenment,
Forgiveness and peace.
© Balroop Singh

Thanks to Sue Vincent for an inspiring Thursday #photoprompt Torrent

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Check my latest book release: Moments We Love

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Thank you for your support. Please share your valuable reflections, they are much appreciated.

This is also Love!

Love is a sublime emotion, which is only understood when we have crossed the pitfalls of infatuation; when we stop gazing at its dazzling light; when we learn to look within and when it has taught us its value. I have written about it many times. Here is an excerpt from one of my poems:

“True love keeps smiling in our eyes
Like a fountain that never dries
It instills hope, respect, patience
The journey of love is so elating.”
© Balroop Singh

Recently I stumbled upon a book of poetry that acquainted me with another aspect of LOVE; not because it came back (which is so rare) but because it validated my belief that I have shared in the opening lines.

This poetry was written when the poet was a youngster. It made no sense to cling to those painful memories, so she abandoned it in some dark corner of the house to move forward. Many years later, her dad found the original script and gave it to her. That’s how these poems saw the light of the day to enlighten many minds. Eeva Lancaster shares the story of her life in the introductory part of this book.

The good news is that her love came back to her after 10 years!

MY REVIEW:

In Loving You – A Journey of Love and Self Discovery by Eeva Lancaster highlights that love is not just elation, not just the ecstasy of holding each other to soak in the blissful moments; it is heartbreaking too, it drives you almost crazy, pushing you into the shadows with “ghost” like existence. Emotionally charged and realistic, these poems bring out profound realities of relationships – anguish, yearning, heartbreak, loneliness, and emptiness – each emotion has been exquisitely captured by Eeva. The passion of a youngster shines through her verses.

Isn’t it ironic that love, the most powerful emotion acquaints you with the “beauty of surrender,” makes you feel like “a reed so soft and bending!” Some poems inspire to move on, conveying a subtle message that clinging on to somebody who doesn’t acknowledge your love is futile. If we could peep through the drapes of present, if we could escape the pain – an essential part of life – we would cease to be emotional and creative. Eeva’s poetry suggests that the journey toward self-discovery lies through cauldrons of circumstances, which may smile at you at a later stage. I salute this brave poet for sharing the story of her life.

© Balroop Singh

Check my latest book release: Moments We Love

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