I tread along a path unknown,
I couldn’t care less for what has bygone.
I wonder where the good old days have flown,
I would have stalled time had I known.

The innocence and virtue that childhood brought,
The reminiscences of which have only taught.
The cherished moments can forever be sought,
The tears of joy it brings cannot be fought.

Privileged for I was raised with the attention and care,
Fortunate for possessing a kin beyond compare,
Lucky to experience an enriching upbringing, I swear,
Happy for the shackles of strong bonding will never tear.

The pleasurable school days and its many diversions,
The spirit was inculcated with healthy competitions.
The teachings and preaching instilled cognition,
The ingenuous pranks were part of the tradition.

Those carefree and happy-go-lucky days,
Those leisure times spent with a playful craze,
Those zealous and ardent ways,
Those gifted years have vanished with that phase.

I wish I could want and obtain,
I wish I could manipulate time and retain,
I wish I could influence my brain,
I wish I could be a child again!

- Swetha Krishnan

The juxtaposition of the moist, breezy wind and the unsullied whiff of mud jog my memory to those wonderful rainy days back home. The panorama (from my balcony at home) of the transparent, dazzling water beads dripping from each leaf of the trees; water hammering on the ground just as if the gods were taking a shower :-); lovely, colorful birds shaking off the drench and flying to their sheltered perch; the vibrant colors of the umbrellas & raincoats; a mobile stall of fresh, hot baked “buttas” (corn, not the sweet corn, mind ya), not to forget the special varieties with butter corn or corn spread with chilli powder, salt and lemon (slurp) being the top sellers; were a delight to the eyes and just too good to be true! I vividly reminisce sitting on the bench in my balcony and taking pleasure in the beautiful ambiance of cool zephyr filled with the scent of the earth! Surprisingly, not one of my favourite seasons; although, I strangely contradict myself on this most often than not and with a justified rationale.

The mention of the “rain” brings to my mind the tardy, sluggish mornings, a great excuse to bunk school/college - heavy downpour culminating as floods often called for a holiday anyway, an excellent opportunity to get cozy on the couch and watch your favourite movies/shows on TV, an innate urge or craving for hot, crispy, fried pakodas with mom’s special tea, and despite all this, grumble and criticize the weather as if nothing worse could ever happen to you! ”Grass is greener on the other side” was like the motto…people suddenly becoming conscious of how important it is to go to school/college and not sit at home and waste time…I guess it is more the restrain that the rain brings with it that explains the love-hate relationship with this season, in particular. It’s strange how it would conveniently play hide-and-seek by not raining all morning and starting to pour heavily just as you are about to step-out of the house to start a great day :-) (I always wondered if this only happened to me!)

The love affair of “Romance” & “Rain” is eternal and I often hear them expressing their love - “hum tumse pyar karte the, karte hai aur karte rahenge :-)”. No wonder, they end up paying their dues to the dushman zamana called “Bollywood;” be it a sudden rain scene (ofcourse immediately after the previous scene being shot in snow) with the hero and heroine (clad in a transparent, thin sari), completely drenched and singing and expressing their love with the aide of a soft, romantic number or the hero thrashing the villains right in the middle of nowhere with the rain adding a special effect :-). Now that I have mentioned Bollywood, Mani Ratnam, Rain & Romance form the mesmerizing “tridev.” “Chinna Chinna Aasai” from Roja, “Tu Hi Re” from Bombay, “Barso Re” from Guru, “Chaiyya Chaiyya” from Dil Se, “Megam Vandhado” from Mouna Raagam, “Dil ye bechein hai” from Taal and so many more, painstakingly and truly justify the divine blend of “Rain and Romance”!

Rain and Ganesh Chaturthi also go hand-in-hand…”Rain” has always been considered to be symbolic of some auspicious and propitious event/occurrence. Ganesh Chaturthi (what a perfect time – Happy Ganesh Chaturthi in advance people!) is one of my favourite festivals coz I have too many sweet memories linked to it, each and every year bringing immense joy! Rain would just be an icing on the cake, it was the perfect time in the year where I loved the rain, coz no matter what, we were allowed to get drenched, dance in the rain welcoming the god and during the visarjan!

How I wish I was home :-) All I can say is:

“Rain Rain Come Again,
I wanna watch you pour through my windowpane
I wanna savor mom’s pakodas and tea then
I wanna be home so bad, I can’t explain!”

“There are some things money can’t buy; for all others, there is Master Card,” – This punch line always got me thinking on how effortless fulfilling your materialistic desires is made to sound. Well, who do they think pay for the Master Card, their in-laws? But, I guess each one of us at one point or the other in life has taken shelter under the fiscal umbrella called credit cards that sure convinces to save us from the teary rain showering from the eyes, if unmanageable, from the nose too :-); but not for long though :-).
To get to the point, all our desires and yearnings are accompanied with a price to pay, not necessarily money; it could be anything from losing something precious in return, causing an emotional imbalance, spending a lot of money that you don’t possess in the first place, or for a change if you crave for something easily achievable, you might end up being happy as well.

However, happiness always seems to be short-lived, coz what you achieve easily is not what you actually pine for in most cases :-). Being content and happy is never really the goal, is it? Being in a constant state-of-hope is something that coerces our existence. And rightly so, hunger for something you can’t get a bite of straightforwardly is what makes life interesting and challenging!

Someone has fittingly said, “Make up your mind to act decidedly and take the consequences. No good is ever done in this world by hesitations.” If you want something, go get it; but without hurting/harming someone else in the process. Desires are like the cake you want to keep and eat as well, be careful not to be left with a rotten cake, not good to be kept or eaten :-).

My poetic fetish of late is actually yearning for a poetic take on the topic and here it goes:

The heart meanders from pole to pole,
Seeking the unfeasible takes its toll.
It sprints, it leaps and it takes a stroll,
Stubbornly so till it torments the soul.

What makes one happy is a treasure unknown,
It could be peace, love or some precious stone.
With zeal, grit and will of your own
Fulfilling your desire is not an unreachable zone.

Yearning for something you want the most,
Is not wrong till you recognize your coast.
While satisfying your yen, don’t hurt the host,
Enjoy the feeling and call for a toast!

- Swetha Krishnan

Waking up on a cool and murky day,
Wondering why wouldn’t the alarm delay.
Struggling, snuggling and cuddling away,
The clock won’t budge, to my dismay.

Rising sun begets no signs of heat,
Summer it is, who would remind the cheat.
Pacifying myself to stop hiding from this deceit,
A fresh, hot cup of coffee sure feels like a treat.

Sweltering & simmering temperature is not the ask,
In a warm, shining, summery day can we bask.
Why is what we desire such a disagreeable task?
The orange/yellow halo is only a devious mask.

Fragrant blooms and colorful butterflies allure,
Tranquility of the warm sand beaches never fail to assure.
Is this the end of a beautiful season, I am unsure
Oh holy Sun God, you are the only true cure!

The scent of earth from a lush green lawn,
Reminds me of the beautiful summer dawn
What a great feeling being outdoors bring on,
Hope lingers, summer can’t be gone!

- Swetha Krishnan

What could be a better start to the day (sarcasm galore) than getting an email from this friend of mine with an exclusive poem for me...hold your breath, this ain't hunky-dory or mushy mushy...you gotta read it to believe it!

Friend:
“Roses are red; violets are blue
Monkeys like you should be kept in the zoo.
Don't feel so angry, you will find me there too
Not in a cage but laughing at you.”

Here it gets interesting when the two bloggers (my friend & I) start realizing that we have this hidden poetic talent and the innate urge to exploit this endowment to the best of our abilities on a cool and gloomy day! So, I thought to myself, why should I be left behind…here’s my fitting answer :-)

Me:

"Roses are red; violets are blue,

Fools like you don't have a clue.

How I wonder what I will go through,

Talking to you can only cause serious flu.”

I ain't exactly sure as to what my friend was thinking when he read this, but his poetic retort said it all – he was actually loving this and took on the creative challenge in style :-)

Friend:
“Roses are wilting; violets are dead,
Sugar is lumpy like your head.
Don’t be mad, don’t be blue
Frankenstein was a moron too.

Roses are red; violets are blue,
I made this poem up while sitting up on the loo!!”

This now became a question of “who is better” and “how can I prove I am better”. So, my brain did a little overtime in trying to outshine my dear friend.

Me:
“Roses & violets are meant to bring joy,
Morons like you can only destroy.
I ain’t mad; I don’t need to cry,
For idiots like you leave me high and dry.

Roses might be red and violets blue,
Read this poem and you might forever be in the loo!”

Not only did the verses multiply, the intensity now got bigger and better :-) We called for a war!

Friend:
“Violets turn red and roses turn blue,
A biotechnology disaster creates a big hue.
Scarface came to the rescue;
Roses turned red and violets blue,
But Scarface had fleas and gave them to you.

Then came JV and realized violets are purple,
And maple surple.
To all those morons who still think violets are blue,
Pack your bags and stand next to the loo.

Violets are coy and roses ain't joy,
Learn it the hard way that these ain't any toy.
Roses have thorns,
Not seen by morons.”

The Famous last words had to be mine and here they go!

Me:
“Red roses and blue violets bear the brunt,
Some psycho from hell is on the hunt.
He cares less, he is blatantly blunt,
He is desperately trying to confront.

Stinking shoe is what you chew,
What’s your fetish with the loo?
Like a cat you mew mew,
Its time to take you to the zoo.

Violets might be coy, roses might have thorns,
Flowers like these are great adorns.
I would be glad if you are reborn,
As a special pig with two horns.”

PS: Many thanks to my friend for not only letting me publish this, but also contributing to the blog in a big way :) Thanks JV!

In most of our lives, there exists a role model, an idol who plays a vital role in shaping and influencing our actions, deeds, thoughts, feelings and our mere existence. This icon could be a renowned author, a popular pin-up, a superstar, a legendary sportsman, a great friend, an adorable family member, a nobody or most importantly it could just be you. It’s bizarre how we seldom acknowledge and appreciate it.

Was stalled in a holding pattern with lack of ideas and topics dominating my existence for a while now, read my friend’s wonderful blog last night and the writer in me seems to be bubbling with creativity all over again :-). Doesn’t this speak to the blog title itself? Its strange how I don’t believe in deifying one idol, I usually am inspired by the talent, the genius and the brighter side in one and all. This blog is dedicated to each one of you who have inspired me in some walk of my life and continue to motivate me along…

Inspiration is that almighty force that arises from the inside. It lights you up, and gives you more power than you ever expected. Although brainwave occurs in a lot of different forms, for example, you could be inspired to perform a trivial chore or it could be something that changes your life completely, it is significantly important for that influence to bring out a positive upshot that forces out the best in us! (literally :-))

My mom will always be my greatest source of inspiration and here are the reasons why…from waking up at 5:00 a.m. each morning and cooking mouthwatering breakfast and lunch for all of us, from tolerating all our idiosyncrasies to showering unconditional love, from worrying about us at each step to sacrificing a lot more for our happiness, from being a tower of strength to being a wonderful friend (this list is too long to list :-)), mothers rule! The point I am trying to make here is that it’s amazing how day-to-day activities performed by one individual can motivate and ignite the spark in us to do something that we usually shy away from or just to better ourselves.

Lately, I have become more than indomitable in hitting the gym atleast 5 times a week, not only do I thank this friend who amazingly inspires me, but also thanks to my very own reflection in the mirror :-). Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, a “very old and still kicking” musical program on Zee TV tranforms the bathroom singer in me to a wannabe Indian idol or something of that sort…The realization has dawned on me, and through these examples I just want to portray that each one of us is bestowed with the potential to make it big, all you need is inspiration!!!
So bring it on…Be inspired :-)

Envision the auditorium filled with passionate applause, cheering & ovation for the man himself “Allah Rakha Rahman” and his troupe of astounding singers & musicians…..it was definitely a dream come true to be part of such an overwhelming concert….the experience, the event was just outta this world!
Music is such an overpowering medium to express one’s feelings, heart and soul….songs with lyrics that touch our souls are few and far in between lately, oh well who said I don’t enjoy the “mass” songs ;-)…..Great music in any form is welcome…
I was introduced to Rahman’s music with Roja and was completely mesmerized with the soothing music & passionate lyrics full of romance ….”Kaadhal roojave, enge nee enge” still being one of my fav songs…Moving on, keeping track of Rahman’s music is kinda one of my hobbies……I gotta admit that I don’t fall in love with all his compositions at first, albeit his music grows on me…….and once it does…….I worship his compositions….period!

Late entry and missed one of Rahman’s mind-boggling compositions “Jaage Hai” from the movie Guru…nevertheless the night started with “Khalbali hai Khalbali” and what dya think……Rahman was at his best and khalbali mach gayi. Thundering atmosphere, thanks to over 13000 crazy fans in tandem with the lights, music and the AR magic brought out the madness in me.

Hariharan is one gifted fella; his construal of the original compositions is too good to be true. His “Tu Hi Re” from the movie Bombay was electrifying and his adaptation of “Yeh Hairathe” from Guru had the crowd going gaga. The melodious “Kabhi Neem Neem” by Madhusree, the heart-felt "Ek Onkar" & "Kannalane" by Chitra….the poignant "Naina Neer Bahay" by Sadhana Sargam were a treat for the ears.

The crowd roared with delight and were up on their feet for the adrenaline pumping and over-the-top soundtracks like "Chaiyya Chaiyya" by Sukhwinder, "Rang De Basanti" by stunner Aslam Khan, and "Humma Humma" by the music maestro himself.

Rahman’s “Dil Se” conquered many hearts. The mysterious “Maiyya Maiyya” singer was superb and with her latka-jhatka, she enthralled the masses. "Roobaroo" by Naresh Iyer was stupendous and "Athiradee" from the movie Sivaji was definitely the highlight of the show.
The sight of Sivamani playing his drums was unbelievable, we were left gasping for more…..
The rapper, Blazee was full of energy and the crowd couldn’t help but follow the cheerleader, in the real sense! The grand finale with "Vande Mataram...Maa Tujhe Salaam" transmitted patriotism in every Indian present at the Nassau Coliseum!

Rahman fills his craft with engaging rhythms and evocative lyrics; unmistakable zeal resonated throughout this concert. Although an extraordinary entertaining musical escapade spanning three and a half hours, Yeh Dil Maange More!

Long Live the Man……Ahem!!!