Reading through Reminders

Faithful.. That's what they've been... My family of over 300 books has kept me company at all times-good or bad-and I look at them when I seek answers. I have been in the state of Tsundoku many a time, but have never disowned my own.

Last evening, May 25, 2018...post 06:00 p.m Qatar time.

As I held a particular book in my hand, thinking, "What will this one really teach me?", my mind instantaneously replied.. "It has already taught you. Why weren't you paying attention?"

Delving deeper in the chambers of my thoughts , it struck me-piece by piece - that a lot goes on when you aren't paying attention.

I raised that book to my eye-level.

I looked at it with a lover's gaze.

I knew I was in love but couldn't find my heart.

And that's when the power of human perseverance kicked in...without coffee!!

In a long drawn moment that seemed to stretch beyond eternity, the life's purpose of that book seemed to change... It no longer served a purpose to be read, but rather to be meditated upon with open eyes and closed concentration.

What I saw, gave me several reminders...

What I saw, made me proud of my family of books...

What I saw, became the highlight of my evening.

I saw the book not for what it was, but for what it was meant to be.

And that is when I was reminded.

# The Book Cover with the title name, to remind us to recognize the uniqueness of us individuals despite our similarities.  

# The Cover thickness, reminding us that we are either born with great flexibility (paperback) or great strength (hardcover), and either way, we must embrace what we truly are.

# The Index, to remind us that even chaos can be organized.

# The Foreword, to remind us that even others can share our beliefs and ideas despite being different from us.

# The Preface, to remind us that experience from others and our own are few of the greatest things to share.

# Pages, to remind us that the story can only go on when we turn them.

# Page numbers, reminding us that life provides you guidance as long as you know where to look...

# Chapters and parts, reminding us that life has different phases to it, and all are tied together for YOUR greater good.

# The Print space area, reminding us that even if life is one huge party, you must remain in control of your senses and limitations to enjoy it optimally.

# Footnotes, to remind us that we can always refer to other valid sources for more information, and not be hard-headed when it comes to receiving knowledge.

# The Epilogue, to remind us that our work can live on even after we pass away from this world.

# The Epigraph.. To celebrate your life in one God-awesome quote...

#The Acknowledgements, reminding us to be grateful to all those who help you on the way up and even those who don't.

# The Book Spine, reminding us to stay true to the core values of our life.

# The Bookmark ribbon, reminding us that , at times, we need to pause and know where we are so that we can continue on life's sojourn with renewed vigor and enthusiasm.

# The Vacat pages: pages left intentionally blank (by life) , to remind us two things- To give space when needed and it's OK to let go when needed.

# The Binding thread and Glue, which represents our family and friends which keeps everything about you together.

# The Price Tag, to remind us that no matter how big or small or compact or wide, we are always worthy of something.

# And the Bookshelf, to remind us that we will always have a place in this world , no matter what our genre is.

If you cannot feel anything after you have experienced a book, you never truly experienced that book.

Every Book has something to tell you... 

So, have you looked at your nearest book yet?

If so, which book was it? What did you see? What did you feel?

Write in...

Warada Al-Iraqi!

Warada:

Scorching sun and a hellish fire,
Here I crave for an unknown, that I truly desire;
In the midst of this abrasive dust and grime,
I have endured the test of time;

Seen wars and battles of people unknown,
Fight over things they don't really own;
Oh this greed, for power-like deathly armors,
I've lived through this life, of sadness of horrors!

I saw those with stripes and stars strip down our stars,
Burn away what was once truly ours;
I saw those with black masks gag away our hope,
Broken, dead children turn misanthrope.

Sumeria, Tigris-Euphrates to Baghdad,
Lived in all extremes, underclad;
I have seen sights and empires tall,
For greed and pride, these kingdoms fall.

Oh, humanity! you took away my petals,
Fed it to those hungry,dastardly mongrels;
And now, nestled in the bosoms of a dead man’s garden,
My death would be simpler like an unforgivable pardon...

Tifl:

Oh, Warada- Why do you long to die?
For I am still alive-as your friend, your ally!
Everyone you know, in the end, goes away,
And so will I, for sure, one day...

Till then, I serve to thee,
with a smiling face, full of glee,
To quench your thirst, I toil for rain,
Be a soothing balm for your deathly pain..

Warada: 
Ya Amar, you remain my hope in this piercing despair, 
Enlighten yourself with wisdom, and quintet prayer, 
The world is blinded by fogs of their creeds, 
Be truly valiant and perform right deeds.. 

Rawi: 
History is a fragile candle with a smile sardonic,
Reminiscing its past laurels with it's wilting withering wick... 

You can crush a rose in chains held captive, 
But beyond death, its redolent scent will never be passive... 

Jannat Adni, our lives were here...
We will return back, of that I'm sure...

Ya Al Insaan Saya, you destroyer of all things whole, 
Ugrub ʿan wajhi!!!! Return here when you earn back your soul! 



(This poem is the second in line to my 'Roses' series after 'Roses of Gaza'
Image: Blood On the Leaves by axcy on DevianrtArt)

Roses of Gaza

Life began, they say, in the hands of the Almighty,
t'was as beautiful-as a song of a canary,
gardens of roses laid out beautifully;
But Man, they say, handed down apathy...

Years over and I don't happen to see,
Roses of Gaza and their vibrancy;
All seen here is the dark secrecy-
of happiness- happiness which I yearn to see!

Roses so innocents, they lived, only to die,
Courage, they have, and they defy,
with tears and anger, cries each eye,
knowing there's no chance to bid their loved goodbye...

Oh, in this rubble of destruction,
Their mornings- uncertain,
Their nights frail as an axed cushion,
Do they deserve such misfortune?

Roses wither and at times they cease,
Skies grey and they fall piece-by-piece,
Hatred it says, on the increase,
Will we all ever, ever know peace?

Humanity needed to view you through a vibrant kaleidoscope,
But lost its sight and become a myope,
cut what had remained of the safety rope,
Failed you when you truly needed hope!

Yet, not all is lost.

Yes, things are always easier said than done,
But, Oh dear Roses, we know what you burden....

Affliction- only love can mesmerize,
Hardships carry relief, not lies;

Oh! Roses of Gaza, do not despair,
For every Rose who has fallen there,
your fragrance has spread everywhere;
Hope still prevails, to help escape you this nightmare...

Humanity still lives, in all our hearts,
Hatred and anger-- it always thwarts.
And the day will come when we will again see,
The Roses of Gaza-You all smiling gleefully....

The Crossroads

It is a treat- is life,
Life, a diabetic sweet...
too much of it makes us ill,
too less of it,makes us ill..

How to live it, asks one soul,
like a chameleon in many-a-role?
Like the nomad who wanders alone,
or like a dog who seeks an extinct bone?

Questions many, answers few,
frustrates you to venom spew,
At its crossroads, am beginning to wonder,
what to decide, so not to flounder...

They said, leave all behind, and take the longest path,
Worry not about the aftermath...

Look not behind for soon all will be gone,
Look ahead and you'll see in this eon,
what lies in the shadows of the mystery,
might kill you or set you free..

Saw behind, and all was crumbling,
everything I lived through, was fading...
Like a knife through the heart, slowly t'was a push,
Time died behind, killed in its own ambush...

It stopped beneath my feet, not killing me yet,
It looked at me, telling me to forget;
what it killed, for it was now long gone,
Like well-water spilled after it is drawn.,,

Gave up to life, to take the path long,
Taken across by it to a soulful song...
"How", I asked, "can you sing so beautiful?
It sounds like happiness you give by a bagful!"

Sung it, "Death I am, not Life,
Am here to take away your mortal strife.."

Shrieked I , for I can't die now,
It's too early to bid the world ciao..
Said Death, "You aren't dead nor alive,
Both if it, I make you deprive..."

"What you choose always leads to me,
It is then I who will help you see,
Then what you do, what you don't;
For me, it matter won't..."

"You're standing now, on the brink of life anew,
Choices-they're are all up to you...
Long path, short path-Bah!it doesn't matter,
Its what you choose to do that makes you richer..."

"What life lies behind you is already gone and dead,
Then why grieve over it like a dickhead?
What lies ahead will enrich you,
Staying with it will destroy you..."

Life and Death are great teachers indeed,
They come to you in times of need.
Neither causes sorrow, nor pain,
until we choose to look ourselves with self-disdain.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Answers...

Past few weeks (rather, months) have just been kinda like experiencing a tornado while riding a rollercoaster at a speed of 140 mph without a safety belt and harness at a height of 200 feet above... (But hey, the ride's free of charge!)

What I've noticed is, that when the Universe echoes a few things.. things you've known and not, it is important to pay attention. I believe that you may not know the solution at that moment, but you know you've seen it, felt it, experienced it and maybe even come out of it ,good or bad,at some part of your life...even your past.

We were always meant to travel in circles...circles which look like straight lines to inattentive eye.. Answers are provided aplenty by life a.k.a. the Universe, but which is the right answer at the right time, is what our past experience(s) help us choose... Sometimes, we don't choose the easiest answer because it is too easy when in fact, it is the most appropriate one for the situations.

But sometimes, we get mindblocks, and have absolutely no idea what the solution for a particular problem is. If there exists no solution, then it isn't a problem. Every problem has an appropriate  solution for a specific situation it was raised in.(Duality of the Universe- pure f***ing genius law that!)

To illustrate, think of a child approaching his/her parents for something they want. When they would be in a serious state, they'd most likely be approaching them with a bit of hesitancy and seriousness... And if they're in a jolly mood, the child asks with all eagerness and smiles!

So, the point is, that there is a solution to just about anything and its right around all of us. The Universe is trying its hardest to prove that by creating deja-vu sorta situations. But considering it doesn't have much time to dedicate itself to only one person all throughout, it expects us to be aware that a solution exists. No sooner do we assure ourselves that a solution exists, than it pops right out (OK, Sometimes it takes a while to pop out.. But Quality checks under ISO 9001 aren't covered by the Universe.. shitloads of documentations to take care of!)

Problems will be solved.. New ones will come up.. they'll be solved.. more will come up. Problems, like rashes, will always be there if they're not taken care of. Human beings, luckily, have been conditioned to overcome difficuties. If that wasn't the case, we'd have never passed Trigonometry in High School (or, stereotypically speaking, Science geeks would never have passed Shakespearean literature)... But we passed 'coz we paid attention to what our teachers taught (some may have cheated, but at least they were paying attention!).. So, why don't we all start paying a bit more attention to the the greatest teacher ever? Life!!!

To quote Ludacris,

 

 

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere"

 

Cheers :)

 

 

Pain is good!

Pain... Perhaps one of the few things in life which is felt physically and emotionally. No other element has such great power in itself to make a human being so emotional as does Pain. Be it the pain of a back spasm, or be it the pain of love- pain is a universal concept!

Every person has felt pain for different reasons and causes at some points in their lives. While I won't drab on about how pain is needed for us to realise certain things, nor will I tell you how to get out of it. Because I have experience in neither.

But what I can say is this- Pain is a wonderful emotion.Wonderful because it exists. Wonderful because we can feel it.  Wonderful because we know why it exists. Wonderful because there are people in pain all throughout the world... Wonderful, because Pain is a part of us.

Recently I had the opportunity to put myself in physical pain after a long time (though not on purpose- then I'd be termed as a psycho!) Having slipped and screwed up my back for the best part of the past few days, I cursed pain.

I cursed pain so much initially.. so much that my tongue may have turned black with all the expletives.

Then a funny thing happened. As the pain grew more and more unbearable, I decided to accept the pain.. accept that it's gonna be around to screw me for quite some time now. Accept that it is irritating... Accept that I'm gonna look as painful as if I'm having a bad constipation... Accept that I may turn cranky as a baby at 2 am at night.

As I walked and trudged around, I realised that pain was just a state of the mind.

We, as Human beings, are so emotional that we react to even a fly buzzing around us. I recalled a TV show on some nature channel where they showed a lion sitting as coolly as it could, and flies were on him. That lion truly the boss just sat there as he didn't care. If there was a human in its place, that person would have gone mad fanning away the flies.

While it is hotly debated whether animals feel pain or not, the fact of the matter is they don't complain. They don't bang out expletives after expletives.  How many of us have come across stray dogs who have a bruised leg and are still trudging about. Though it is sad to see animals in such a state, one wonders what would happen if we human beings were in their place?

Emotional pain, on the other hand, is something felt vastly by us humans. A love gone bad, your spouse not treating you well, or a friend betraying you or even anything untoward happening related to a close member of the family- all contributes towards emotional pain.

So, must emotional pain be 'accepted' too? Yes, why not? It is there for a reason. The fact that you feel emotional pain means that you are capable of not feeling it too. Emotional Pain just comes to you to remind yourself that some part of you needs to let go of certain things and do things which are necessary to make it right. If we weren't pained in love, we wouldn't realise the value of love. If we weren't pained on a difficult family situation, we wouldn't value the good times... if we weren't pained on the betrayal of certain friends, we wouldn't value those who are loyal.

So, I guess pain is just a mind game thingy. It may have existed to help us realise 'Look, there's something wrong, get it fixed". But its existence has been negated by people.. People who wouldn't mind having a headache without the pain :P

Do I want more pain in my life? I guess not. But when I do, I'll acknowledge its presence. Pain is an angel in disguise which tells us what is wrong and where we're going wrong. The more we let out our emotions in pain, the more relieved we are at the end of the day.

Look at pain as a positive agent in your life, and try and understand its value. It may not do wonders at first, and its way of working is kind of weird. But the lessons it gives you while it is with you can help you cherish life and live it with a renewed vigour.

Pain is a generous visitor who leaves gracefully when we're ready to part with it, and gives us enough to be thankful for, after it leaves.

'Why did you cometh, O cursed Pain,
With you, what will I gain?
You're as gloomy as thunder and rain,
You're nothing but a Bane!

I come to you to turn your life around like a wheel,
the more you kneel, the more you squeal,
you move towards the path to heal...
after which, you live life with lots more zeal"

:)

 

Souls...

Old Souls,Lost Souls...Lost in the poetry of life,
Built their own worlds, went through strife...
Paradox of Time kept them chained,
Dreams collapsed, everytime they slept,
Ran through ages, they cried and wept,
Life, was always strained...
A simple idea, A simple thought,
would join those lost souls together, only if they sought...
their dreams...
Oh, their half remembered dreams..

The Runner's tale...

Oh Runner, running away.. from what do you run away?Doomsday you say?
or did you just have a really bad day?
As you stand looking ahead out of the doorway,
Seeing through life as you'd see a film of X-Ray...
Feel like being,a scavenger's prey...
You see paths all muddled, life in disarray...

You will find a way,someday,
So stand strong at one place- you must stay..
The future's still large, large as the skyway,
Moments worth singing to, to pop & reggae,
So come on runner, you must obey,
People can come back in line after being astray,
And no this ain't just any cliche,
You may fold hands, kneel down and pray,
Trust yourself- Everything's gonna be just OK.

Close the past, open & see what the future has to display,
There's always more light when you come out of the subway...
No matter where you stay,
From Bombay to the Viking's Norway,
Live life as if everyday's your birthday,
While the sun shines, do make hay,
Serve yourself lotsa Happiness,-In life, its on unlimited buffet...
And soon you'll turn into a happy gourmet,
You'll play your own song, like a liberated Deejay,
Just because you, dear Runner,didn't run away!

Travelling through Hell...

Confined in a coccoon, no light- its dark!
rubbing stones of flint, where is that spark?

Ohh, Fire burns, breaks off my shell,
Feels like being elevated to heaven from hell!

Green Earth, O Green Earth, Why aren't you green?
Last time you were so clean, so pristine!

I hope to wander all worlds, like a patriotic nomad...
Dulcorate the bitter water with the sweetness I add...

Every road I take, ever river I cross,
The path's my own- I'm my own boss...

Roads may end, time may forever cease...
But I'll always keep walking, that's my greatest peace...

Ossy goes to 'Heaven'!

We all know the fact that Osama Bin Laden (OBL) will no longer be taking part in any beauty pageant now. Not because he's dead, but the fact that his head having a hole in it will definately not go well with the pageant judges....

We also know the fact that OBL was one person who brainwashed his followers into believing that if they took part in the holy war and were martyred, they would be guaranteed the following upon their death:

- 1 Free Passage to Heaven, All Expenses Paid..!!
- 80,000 Servants to take care of you once you're at Heaven!
- 72 Virgins for.... (Well,definitely not for washing your clothes!)
- A Huge Palace filled with all The treasures in this world!

One would feel that the description of this place perfectly fits into one place on earth, a place whose previous inhabitant was also weird. This person had a voice which, like OBL's, was listened to by people all over the world. People 'died' to see him too.

That person was Michael Jackson, and the place- The Neverland Ranch.

But that's not why I write this piece (Obviously,since MJ died in 2009 and ain't particularly hot news now!

Now, coming back to what actually happened when OBL was shot...

Unknown to many, OBL was playing truth and dare with his wife. The empty bottle of 'Pakola' betrayed OBL and it was his turn to be either Truth'd or Dare (BTW,Pakola is a nationally branded soft drink in Pakistan.. OBL doesn't drink Pepsi or Coke.. This is his way of contributing to Pakistan's economy..apart from the usual money paid to the government for using their services)

OBL's wife : "I want you to tell me a truth... How many goats have been in your harem before?"

Since OBL wished to hide the fact that he cheated on his goats with the camels next door, and also the fact that he didn't want to explain it to his wife ("She just won't understand!"), OBL said "Gimme a Dare or I'll kill you!"

Left with no other option, Mrs. OBL dared OBL to wear the packet of bright yellow and pink Bindis on his forehead. And since no one was around at that time, he did it anyways.

And so, this is the story of how the US Army guys knew where to aim at!

So OBL was shot dead.. and no sooner he's dead, than he experiences an OOBE- An Out-of-Body-Experience!

Strangely, OBL is now high.. he's soaring well above the land.. He's watching his Camels and Goats below, feeling sad a losing them.

OBL is so high as never before..."Damn, this beats that Amsterdam Marijuana experience...Wooohooo!"..

He's high.. literally and even otherwise.

He now comes to a place in the clouds. Quite far from the ground below....

He sees what his eyes had always wanted to see.. He was at heaven, at last!...

A palace filled with lotsa servants (he counted 78,321) till he came to a courtyard filled with 70 Virgins... Apparently it seemed that even Heaven had its Tax Policies and Capital Gains taxes. "Must be due to the fact that all Accountants, Lawyers and politicians who died must've gone to hell.. Tch tch, must remember to get them onboard once I take over here..."

"Wow... Chicks, Palaces, Treasures.... woohoo, Its true- So Damn true!"

He met the caretaker at heaven and instanteously asked him for his palace keys..

The Housing Section Admin guy at Heaven gave him an exasperated look and said," Ossy, You bastard.. You trained hundreds and thousands of terrorists and told them what they were guaranteed for after dying... Thanks to you, This part of Heaven is now full! So either you take the next best best option and just FO from here before we let loose the dogs on you!"

What is the next best option?, he asks...

"Go to Hell....", and mutters incessantly about working overtime just because of OBL!

So OBL is now in Hell...

Moral of the story: If you believe in something, don't brainwash others into believing it. High chances are,that when time comes, it'll be hell for you later...