O Memory!

O Memory!

Speak to me O memory, of times bygone and more,

As your old lover nostalgia slips in through the door.

The winter evening is snowy, and winds blow in cold,

Dance your besotted dance, and regale me with tales of old.

Whisper to me O memory, the name I so long to hear,

Make your soft voice softer still, for I’d like the word to linger.

And just what I wouldn’t give, to once more feel her scent,

For my senses to become, with her thousand fragrances, redolent!

Tell me O faithful memory, of the days and nights spent,

With my friends never knowing, that soon it would all end!

If we had known back then, that good times too cease to be,

Would we with our new wisdom, have done it differently?

Remind me O memory, of all that I left behind,

And why, when on thinking of happiness, yesterday comes to mind.

But love and friendship are special, for even when oceans apart,

They grow warmer still, and stake stronger claim to the heart!

Dismiss me not O memory, and think not of me as weak,

A stormy night’s refuge is all from you I seek.

The day is ever for mountains, and paths not trodden yet,

My happy past is but my talisman, from which my inspiration I get!

Ramblings - ii

It is a wintry Saturday evening. I sit in the farthest corner of a small eatery, my table almost touching the large glass wall they have constructed. I mull over life with a cup of steaming coffee in hand. Outside, a city limps back to life from a paralyzing snow storm. Heaps of snow line the streets in big clusters, and all rooftops are decked white, signaling that they will defy the night and retain a touch of brightness with them. I look beyond the rooftops and see the skies darkening – of course, it is late in the evening. Progressively, the sky changes color from dark lavender to indigo. Off to my right, a splash of orange and frightening red still remains. Huge clouds lie scattered, and in the backdrop of these fascinatingly colored skies, look the darkest shade of purple ever imaginable, without quite being black.

The clouds appear quite close. I peer closely and realize they are moving slowly to my left. Why am I here? I do not know. A familiar feeling envelopes me – that of being very close to a message, as if it is almost in front of me, but hidden so I have to find it. I peer harder, and my brow furrows. What do the clouds tell us? What answers are just waiting to be discovered? What if we are all just walking blindfolded without knowing how close we are to wisdom? I become more and more convinced that there are things waiting to be learnt, in sublime moments like these. Just waiting to be learnt.

Maybe answers to life’s perpetual questions, maybe a key to unlock the vaults of happiness within. Maybe a serenity that can be grasped, to peacefully coexist with the unknown.

I do not know how much about life, or about the journeys within, but all I know is that there are momentary inspirations like these that lead us to believe there is more to life than the mere mundane. I feel there is so much to be done. If only I could know what.

I come out of my reverie and see the cup of coffee is almost drained. As I walk into the center of the restaurant, I notice the music has changed. Rihanna starts to sing - “Oh na na, Whats my name?” I smile lightly as I exit and walk back home. Nice to see I am not alone in introspecting.