I have a curious mind
that wishes to find
reasons that don’t exist
I have sleepy eyes
staring in disguise
at visions it can’t resist
I have a yearning heart
that is taken apart
by a tightly clenched fist
I have a dreamy soul
that’s out of control
meandering in the mist
I have a crazy life
blend of joy and strife
always awaiting a twist
© Manoj Khatri
It’s dusk, that miraculous time of the day
The sun has set on the other side of the bay
Children are shouting, laughing as they play
Birds are hurrying off to where they stay
Pious individuals are bowing down to pray
Labourers seem happy to receive their pay
The Sky looks like a pink rose bouquet
As if His creation, He has chosen to display
If all is so beautiful, why does it seem grey?
Can someone explain to me the reason why?
Is it because beauty is in the beholder’s eye?
What if the eyes are soggy and not dry?
Does it mean everything that’s seen is a lie?
Do the eyes then simply deceive and defy?
Showing a caterpillar, when it’s a butterfly?
When I asked someone who’s wise and smart
He said, it‘s not the fault of eyes, but of the heart,
which beats irregularly when it’s been torn apart
Behaving like a computer that needs a restart
Distorting images to look like a weather chart
So next time, I see grey at sunset or sunrise
I guess it won’t be such a big surprise
That my heart is the culprit, and not my eyes
It is my incorrigible, stubborn heart that denies
The gifts God sends me through the skies
~© Manoj Khatri~
The mind’s garden is fertile
As we sow, so shall we reap
A good seed produces a smile
A bad one makes us weep
Resentment leads to anger
Prejudice promotes hatred
Fear is a synonym for danger
Guilt kills before we’re dead
Doubts raise uncertainty
Envy is the root of pain
Blame generates toxicity
Is there anything we gain?
To avoid a harvest of weeds
We must plant noble seeds
Like those of genuine love
Blessed with grace from above
Love dissolves all sadness
Helps us deal with madness
Wipes away all the gloom
Causes the garden to bloom
So what would we rather breed,
A love seed or a hostile weed?
~© Manoj Khatri~
Am I afraid of death?
No, I am not
In fact I am eager
for it
to take me away
To the unknown
From where I came
I am eager to cross over
To the other side
Which is my own
Where physical boundaries
Don’t limit me
Where I can love
And be loved
Endlessly
Where no one says
Till death do us part
Because we never part
Where love is not contrived
No meanings are derived
No, I am not afraid of dying
Death is a friend
It will take me
to where I belong
Where no fear exists
Where
I can lie all day long
in the lap of my beloved
And dream without fears
and tears
I don’t fear death
In fact
I fear life
Yes, I am afraid of living
alone, without loving
~© Manoj Khatri~
On my 25th birthday,
I solemnly pledge that I shall
My lifespan is not eighty or ninety
…but eternity
‘Cos I am an aspect of God’s beauty
…and infinity
The Earth is simply a playground
…it’s unsound
My purpose here is not time-bound
…but profound
As I live here with a body and a mind
…not inclined
My soul knows the task it’s assigned
…all defined
~© Manoj Khatri~
My lifespan is not eighty or ninety
…but eternity
‘Cos I am an aspect of God’s beauty
…and infinity
Today is my birthday and I turn 25 yet again. When I tell people that I stopped growing at 25, they think I am either joking or have lost my marbles. Neither is true. The truth is I choose to be 25 and I know I can.
The great advantage of such a choice is because our bodies are subservient to our minds, when I choose to be 25 in my mind, my body looks and behaves like 25. Isn’t that great? Also, someday I may decide to start growing. But right now I am happy being 25 and will continue to be so for a few more years.
On a more serious note, chronological age doesn’t apply to me anymore, because time is no more a recognisable factor in my life. While in everyday affairs, time has its significance, and it will continue to do so till I live and interact with others, the idea of life being time-bound does not appeal to me. I can’t get myself to do everything according to a designated time-table. I am an eternal soul disguised as a human being. My lifespan is eternity… Because, my life is not enclosed in birth and death—they just happen to be two milestones in my eternal life.
One day I went missing
As I began searching
I kept reminiscing
Where was I last seen perching?
I knew I needed help
So my friends I sought out
But no one heard my yelp
Could no one hear me shout?
I looked everywhere I could
All corners I explored
But my efforts were no good
How could I be so ignored?
I turned to the last resort
And started praying to God
Maybe He’ll be my escort
Did He and I make a good squad?
When we finally traced me
I was sitting in HER heart
Cosy, smiling and free
Can’t I live here and never depart?
Can’t I remain lost?
~© Manoj Khatri~
Words are absent
Doubts are present
Ideas disappear
Thoughts interfere
Pages remain blank
Feelings play a prank
Mind is confused
Actions are refused
Soul’s lost its voice
Left with no choice
Life seems locked
I’m positively blocked!
~© Manoj Khatri~
My strange eccentricities
and weird idiosyncrasies
Leave others bewildered
and cause me to ponder
Am I really strange?
Or it’s the others, I wonder
My values seem outdated
And my ethics, underrated
Honesty and loyalty
Are they obsolete?
True love is so rare
Am I enclosed by conceit?
My love, it’s no-holds-barred
My feelings, they die-hard
Waiting and anticipating
Like I face life’s checkmate
Sometimes I feel beset
Can I influence my fate?
My thoughts are bizarre
Seem unrealistic and far
But I know they’re not
meant for the blinkered
To grasp their true worth
Doubts have to be conquered
~© Manoj Khatri~