A dark poem — How I wait desperately for the blissful night, Thank God, the stars don’t shine so bright… To dispel the darkness, beating down the sunken Sun, I try to find that Godforsaken peace, sans light! The Sun in his everyday haste, Seeps through the darkest of blackout curtains… Oh, get lost, I plead, Never to return, kindling my pain. How I detest the unforgiving light, That it brightens all with his silly tease, Let the dark sky envelope my obscure abyss, Dug deep, giving me that Godforsaken peace.

Happiness management is not new Every day is new and every day is a miracle. Do you believe this? Does this make you happy? What is your Happiness Quotient (HQ) today? Between 0 to 10, where would you rate your HQ today? Do you have your answer? What was it…

Despite truth being one and simple. — They say there is only one truth. Just like saying there is one God. But truth? Each one of us believes in our truth. What we see and what we believe is what is true. No argument can prove otherwise. Beliefs, life experiences, perceptions, theories, values, faiths… For you, your truth is critical. But, as Mark Twain said: “The truth has no defence against a fool determined to believe in a lie”.

Words loosely used and underrated too — Don’t these two words give you quite a similar meaning? Altruism as the internet describes, is when you act to promote someone else’s welfare, even at a risk or cost to yourself. And love? Having a deep bond, comprising trust, respect, and acceptance; what does this lead to? Altruism? Maybe close; both converge to ‘selfless concern’. Give it a thought. Now you are thinking, do people in love feel altruistic? Well, love should be unconditional, doesn’t it? Otherwise, it is not love. Agree?

Freedom is simply living meaningfully — Walking on the streets without fear, Fear of being stalked or stabbed for no valid reason to infer. Praying at a place of worship with the peace it needs, Without having to feel the pressure of where you belong. Talking the language of your choice, Respecting the other voices and sounds around. Freedom should be life sans fear, Freedom from fear is what counts.

It can be a self-evolution hazard — I took pride in being clean and then upped myself to be super clean. I couldn’t sit a few minutes, I would see small patches of dust here, a leaf floating there, and jump up to clean the spot. Watching a TV program was impossible, my eyes would hover to pick up some corner to clean. When guests visit, I would keep busy getting things arranged and then tidying up.

Or should you sometimes tune to a ‘never mind’ mode? — I recently watched a short video where a father carries his little daughter across stores with interesting stuff, shutting her eyes with his palms, for obvious reasons. There was lots of laughter and it did seem funny. But soon, comments began flooding the platform on how incorrect this kind of parenting is, the child would have been better off at home. There was so much chatter and anger around.

A balm in the storm — Oh, dear Medium! I’m glad I found you. You are my voice, my vent to tears and moods, No money fills my bank, but what I read soothes. So many experiences, So much to hear, So much to learn, And lessons on expectations and spurn. Oh, dear Medium! I’m glad I found you. I regained my bearings at many crossroads, I cried with comfort from others’ trials. I learned to let go and stay a while,

Here’s a case in point — Here’s what happened in my neighborhood. I would not call it shocking as relationships can throw in surprises. Mr. Ravi (all names changed for obvious reasons) almost sealed a deal of buying a flat for his brother and promised to pay in the money the next day, which was just…