Gin's Ode to his master

My master calls me good old Gin
Might be the effect of alochol
For, I love my coffee in sun
Filtered & light, with chicory et al

Woof, woof i love a mountain hike
Many he took me, when young
Aloof, we went on his motorbike
Memories on his wall, they are hung

Streets many we roamed in our city
Friends, a few, he made through me
Strays many we found, full of pity
Befriend many, I did through him

Coat & socks for my fur and skin
He looks after me, like next of kin
Bed and mattress for my comfort
His house, i guard like a king's fort

Fourteen years for a dog is history
How I survived illness is a mystery
I admire all efforts, for me,  he took
Umpteen years, i will live on facebook

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This is close to my heart. A good friend posted on facebook that his pet Gin (a good old Lab that has its own facebook album ) turned 14 that day and he had written a nice note appreciating their companionship.
As a dog owner myself I could completely relate to every word in that post and something in me said that I should write a poem for Gin and him. I soaked in the message in his post and mapped to the photo album to create a poem in my standard style of writing.

Outcome is the this Gin's ode to his master. Hope you like it.

Beauty of Happiness

Happiness, I hear, people say is a state of mind
Emptiness, mostly, is felt when one sets out to find

To measure it with clicks, likes and shares is the current trend
To treasure it from hacks and stares, fortune they spend

Joy, peace and success they say give a happy feeling
Why stop pursuing it by creating a glass ceiling?

Feelings, such, come when there is security & stability
To sustain though, one needs a personal value & capability

Happiness, I hear, people say is a state of mind
Emptiness, mostly, is felt when one sets out to find

Find, I did, my happiness through deep introspection
Sound, it resonates - Freedom to create with compassion

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©Balaji Palanidurai

I wrote this on 17th May while waiting for my delayed flight at Gate 7 of Bengaluru airport. It was a long but fruitful day and for me a turning point. I was till then a self proclaimed Happiness Ambassador and introduced as such in a large panel discussion. Few people came to me at the end and said i was actually one!

This poem is dedicated to myself and the Uber taxi driver in Chennai who wished me and requested that i live that role for others too! Touching and powerful.

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