ChirpyQuill

It is harder to be still than to run and walk harder to be silent than to chatter and talk It is harder to to be here than to be someplace else harder to live in the now than in past and future worlds it is harder to taste a spoonful than to eat away a bowl harder to slow down some than to be always on the go it is harder to let go than to hold on to our fears harder to count our blessings than to lick our wounds and tears it’s hard to live a life  that’s aligned to our core hard to hold on to our convictions than letting them adrift and blown It’s harder to turn the gaze inwards than to see outside it’s hard to ask ourselves the questions that we have been asking others awhile it’s hard to reject the dogma that’s been handed down to us hard to change the ways we think in which we have been trained so well It’s hard to accept, it’s us not them that makes life better or worse it’s hard to not force our ways but align with the contours of the Universe it’s hard to stay invisible  yet lea

Decades after I first learned of them during a geography lesson at school, I had a chance to see the mighty saguaros in person in Arizona. There they stood, tall and undefeated, giving the literal “fuck you” to the world in that barren Sonoran Desert where nature had decreed not much would grow, let alone thrive and rule. The feeling of awe beggared description. This was my second visit to Arizona in as many years; this time, I went specifically to see my saguaros. I didn’t have my fill the first time; the desert was calling, and I needed to go. When a visitor goes to the Sonoran Desert in spring, one isn’t quite prepared to see the frenzy of life bursting out defiantly out of every crevice, every rock. It is almost as if everything capable of producing life wants to bloom wherever it is, utterly oblivious that it is splashing around this vibrancy of bright colors in an otherwise less-than-hospitable stark desert. They say in life, you always arrive where you need to be, not partic

  ਇਸ਼ਕ ਦਾ ਬਾਨਾ   ( Cloak of Love)   ਤੰਨ ਤੇ ਪਾ ਕੇ ਬਾਨਾ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਦਾ, ਦਿਲ ਹੋਇਆ ਜੋਗੀ ਮੇਰਾ , ਸਜਦੇ ਕੀਤੇ ਤੈਨੂੰ   ਖ਼ੁਦਾ ਮੰਨ ਕੇ ਤੇ ਮੇਰਾ ਕਾਬਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਦਰ ਤੇਰਾ. My heart became a hermit after wearing the cloak of love, I made you my God, prayed to you and your home became my mosque/temple.   ਲੱਭਦਾ ਫਿਰਾਂ ਵਜੂਦ ਆਪਣਾ , ਐਸਾ ਗਵਾਚਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਪਿਆਰ ਵਿਚ, ਫਰਕ ਨਾ ਦਿਸੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਕੋਈ, ਮੇਰਾ ਯਾਰ ਅੰਦਰ ਮੇਰੇ ਤੋਂ ਮੈਂ ਅੰਦਰ ਆਪਣੇ ਯਾਰ ਵਿਚ, Lost in your love, I roam around looking for my own being, my existence, I can’t tell a difference, I see my beloved in me and myself in my beloved     ਰੱਬ ਨੂੰ ਮੈਂ ਤਾਂ ਮੰਨਾ ਜੇ ਮਿਲਾਏ ਯਾਰ ਮੇਰਾ , ਮਿਟਾਵੈ ਜੁਦਾਈ , ਇਸ਼ਕ ਬਣਿਆ ਮਜ੍ਹਬ ਮੇਰਾ, ਕਾਫ਼ਿਰ ਹੋਇਆ ਮੈਂ ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਖ਼ੁਦਾਈ. I will believe in God only if it brings my beloved to me, Love became my religion and I left God and became an Infidel   ਲੱਭੇ ਨਾ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਉਹ ਖੂ ਇਸ਼ਕ ਦਾ , ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਪਾਣੀ ਮਿਟਾਵੈ ਦਿਲ ਦੀ ਤੇਹ ਮੇਰੀ, ਉਡਦੀ ਫਿਰੂ ਹਵਾਵਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਤਾਂ ਵੀ ਲੱਭ ਦੀ   ਤੈਨੂੰ, ਜਦ ਬੱਲ ਕੇ ਹੋ ਜੂ ਮਿੱਟੀ ਦੇਹ ਮੇਰੀ. Can’t find that well of love, which quenches the t

When I am gone and it’s all bones and dust, Throw my ashes on the mountains, that's where I should rest, I’ll melt with the snow and in the rivers I’ll flow, I’ll find you, they’ll take me there when winds will blow   With me, will come the story which I couldn’t tell, couldn’t write, Will also come a poem which I couldn’t complete, couldn’t recite, A restless heart, will find a home then, it must, When I am gone and it’s all bones and dust.   On the wings of eternity, like a free bird, I’ll fly, No boundaries, no limits, just wide open blue sky, Free from pain, a gleeful soul, riding the gust, When I am gone and it’s all bones and dust.

  A reckless mind tries to find the balance, looking for a chance, An aimless day, fights a battle to find the purpose, a chaotic dance, A battle between what’s real and reality, both drift far apart, And I lie here with an unhinged heart.   A will that wouldn’t give up and a feeling that refuses to die, Tied hands, chained feet, clipped wings; want to rise above and fly high, Break it all, break it all, yells the mind. once again, let’s start, And I lie here with an unhinged heart. One moment it’s all noise and another moment, so quiet, One moment a tired soul and another moment ready to fight, Let go, let go, free yourself from what was your past, And I lie here with an unhinged heart.

  The clock keeps reaching for the hour, and loses it in a second; I lie in unrest Hours turn into minutes turn into seconds; I lie in unrest The waves come close to the shore and they fizzle; I lie in unrest That elusive hour, that elusive wave; like a past unfulfilled; I lie in unrest  The walls stand solid; the books stand stacked The naked branches on trees; seem firmly attached; I lie in unrest  The continuum continues offering the hope of time; I lie in unrest  Moments remembered, some take my breath away. They are beautiful Tasks numbered, some engage the mind. They are bountiful; I lie in unrest  The stone takes on a patina; life takes on a skill; the ways of the world find their insidious ways; I lie in unrest  The mountain air wafts past me in my imagination, a longing deeply felt; I lie in unrest Like a swan floating peacefully …; I lie in unrest 

  Table for four   It was a rainy December evening in Napa, as we pulled into a small parking lot of “French Laundry”, the only three Michelin star restaurant in the entire country. Every foodie’s dream is to score a table at this esteemed restaurant run by the famous Thomas Keller. So, we were naturally very excited at the opportunity of dining at this place especially since we were able to score a last minute reservation at this most coveted restaurant, a table for four! Let me go around the table to introduce everyone. We come from the same hometown in south India, Shimoga and all four of us attended a girls high school run by nuns in the same town. But what’s interesting is I barely knew two of them until about ten years ago whereas I have always been besties with the third person in the group. We all now live in different parts of America and the single most thing that has brought us close is the trips we take together every year! Another profound thing that connects us is the lan

Like a taut wire  she was finally herself ready to make music senses strung tight aware available to become music a tuned string singing on touch alert to feel music it had been long forever long since love  had visited yet there he was brimming ready  to play her song and she was the harp in his hands that played music

ਨਾਮ ( Name) ਸਾਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਜਦ ਚੱਲਿਆ ਸਿਲਸਿਲਾ, ਤਦ ਮੈਂ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਕਮੀਜ਼ ਪਾਈ ਦੇਹ ਤਾਂ ਚੰਦਰੀ ਸੜ ਕੇ ਮਿੱਟੀ ਹੋਣਾ, ਦੇਹ ਸੀ ਨੰਗੀ ਆਈ , When cycle of breaths started, I wore the cloak of my name. My body was born naked and will burn to ashes ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਬਣਿਆ ਵਜੂਦ ਮੇਰਾ, ਨਾਮ ਬਣੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਸਚਾਈ ਹਥਾਂ ਨੇ ਤਾਂ ਕਰਮ ਕੀਤੇ, ਨਾਮ ਨੇ ਖੱਟੀ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਤੇ ਚੰਗਿਆਈ , My name became my existence and my truth My hands did the deeds but it’s the name which earned fame & shame ਪਲ ਪਲ ਜੋੜ ਲਿਖੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ, ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਸੀ ਉਹ ਸਿਆਹੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜੇ ਵਰਕੇ ਹੋਰ ਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਬਣਾਈ , Putting moments together, It’s with the ink of my name, I wrote the story of my life More pages got added to my name and I wrote the book of my life ਸਾਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਜਦ ਚਲਣਾ ਬੰਦ ਤੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਦੇਹ ਬਾਲਨ ਲਈ ਬੰਦ ਹੋਈ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਤੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਤੇ ਤਰੀਕ ਪਾਈ , When my breathing stopped, my body was put on pyre My book of life closed and they put a date against my name. ਨਾਮ ਨੂੰ ਯਾਰੋ ਯਾਦ ਰੱਖਣਾ, ਬੁਗਨੀ ਭਰੀ ਯਾਰੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਸੀ ਉਹ ਸਾਰੀ ਕਮਾਈ II Remember

  ਨਾਮ ( Name) ਸਾਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਜਦ ਚੱਲਿਆ ਸਿਲਸਿਲਾ , ਤਦ ਮੈਂ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਕਮੀਜ਼ ਪਾਈ ਦੇਹ ਤਾਂ ਚੰਦਰੀ ਸੜ ਕੇ ਮਿੱਟੀ ਹੋਣਾ , ਦੇਹ ਸੀ ਨੰਗੀ ਆਈ , When cycle of breaths started, I wore the cloak of my name. My body was born naked and will burn to ashes ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਬਣਿਆ ਵਜੂਦ ਮੇਰਾ , ਨਾਮ ਬਣੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਸਚਾਈ ਹਥਾਂ ਨੇ ਤਾਂ ਕਰਮ ਕੀਤੇ , ਨਾਮ ਨੇ ਖੱਟੀ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਤੇ ਚੰਗਿਆਈ , My name became my existence and my truth My hands did the deeds but it’s the name which earned fame & shame ਪਲ ਪਲ ਜੋੜ ਲਿਖੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ ਜਿਸ ਨਾਲ , ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਦੀ ਸੀ ਉਹ ਸਿਆਹੀ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਜੁੜੇ ਵਰਕੇ ਹੋਰ ਤੇ ਮੈਂ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਬਣਾਈ , Putting moments together, It’s with the ink of my name, I wrote the story of my life More pages got added to my name and I made the book of my life ਸਾਹਾਂ ਦਾ ਹੋਇਆ ਜਦ ਚਲਣਾ ਬੰਦ ਤੇ ਮੇਰੀ ਦੇਹ ਬਾਲਨ ਲਈ ਬੰਦ ਹੋਈ ਕਿਤਾਬ ਜ਼ਿੰਦਗੀ ਦੀ ਤੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਨਾਮ ਤੇ ਤਰੀਕ ਪਾਈ , When my breathing stopped, my body was put on pyre My book of life closed and they put a date against my