Beauty of Freedom

Freedom is beautiful, isn't it?
To say yes, one has to experience it

For some, it might be freedom of speech
Not, if all they want it for, is to preach

For some, it might be freedom of the press
Not, if all they want to share, is  news to depress

For some, it might be freedom from parenthood
Not, if all they want it for, is to look under the hood

For some, it might be freedom from their occupation
Not, if all they want it for, is to complain about the nation

For some, it might be freedom from a current relationship
Not, if all they want it for, is to flaunt another courtship

For some, it might be freedom from suffering and pain
Not, if all they want it for, is to be able to do it again

And for some, it might be freedom from life
Not, if all they want to do, is to end it with a knife

For all you know, life is beautiful and we live it once
Let's make it joyful before we become past-tense

--------–----------------
© Balaji Palanidurai

I wrote this poem on 30th June 2018 onboard flight BA 36 sitting in a (windowless) seat 21A in the premium economy that I paid to upgrade!!
Incidents on the plane and in-flight experience inspired me to write this poem. I dedicate this to the nice cabin crew member by name Janet who said i have something in my smile to make others feel good. I have to live up to that now..no pressure.

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

---------------------------------
©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.

–----------------

Precision in nature

If you want to experience precision

Look no further than natures creation

Be it the stem, leaves or flowers

Be it the mountain, springs or rivers

No metrics, no scale nor measurement

No foundation, no drilling nor adjustment

They blossom and flow in cohesion

And inspire many an invention

©Balaji Palanidurai

Beauty of giving care

Click here to listen to this poem

Born, we are with beautiful qualities 

for listening and giving care
Most, we do as part of responsibilities
A few, when situation upon us stare

Respond, as a mother, we do to our baby's cry

Comes natural; hardly we need to try
Respond, as a father we do when our babies try
Nothing unnatural, if in joy, we cry

Years many pass, decorated with emotion
Toddler to an adult, we see our children transition
Our duty to give them care, with devotion
Burden, we see it not. But, truly a celebration

Then comes a time when we lie mostly awake
It's the result of ageing, not our mistake
In the duty of giving us care, our children partake
Expect we do, even if nothings' at stake

Blessed we feel when care giving is returned
Cursed, when we're heard with their backs turned
For, beauty of caregiving without empathy
Boils down to nothing but a feeling of mere pity

Wise ones always said, Caring is a quality
bestowed upon the beautiful gender
I dare ask, why this inequality?
Is it cause they give life? I wonder!

Born, we are with beautiful qualities 

for listening and giving care
Most, we do as part of our responsibilities
A few, when situation upon us stare.

---------------

©Balaji Palanidurai

The week I wrote this poem, I had met a family friend for dinner, He was very involved in taking care of his new born with his wife. I saw a proud and responsible father in him.

Earlier during that week, my son was down with flu and my wife and I took turns to caring for him. 

Later in that week, I met with another friend who had taken a sabbatical to look after his aging parents.

In above mentioned events I saw a full life cycle and got motivated to write something about giving care. Pictures in the collage are of my friends and family captured at various times, which I thought relate well to phrases in this poem.

Beauty of tears we shed

Why we cry is still a mystery
Some say, answer is in chemistry
Why do we want to know? I ask
Our feelings could do with a tear mask

Crying in sadness, anger & fear
Expressed at times by a rolling tear
Unspoken words of near & dear
Can be heard by all, loud and clear

Crying in happiness, calm & joy
Expressed alike, be it a woman or boy
Tears of legends, seen on the world stage
Is shared by all, irrespective of age

Crying in pain, agony & humiliation
Expressed with a wail or depression
More by women, I hear a few moan
Society is the cause, blame not the hormone

Crying is common in animals too, I read
How will they express? It made me dread
Insane it will be to watch them cry
Feel their emotion, its worth a try.

Why we cry is still a mystery
Some say, answer is in chemistry
Why do we want to know? I ask
Our feelings could do with a tear mask

------------------------
©Balaji Palanidurai

Last night I watched the legend Roger Federer in tears after giving his victory speech post his 20th grand slam title. It was beautiful to see the entire stadium cry with him and so did I. Earlier in the day, I was coaching my teenage daughter on fighting spirit and I noticed tears rolling of her cheeks. She did not know why she was crying, neither did I! I did a brief research and found there is quite a bit of research being doing on "why we cry?".
I think is is perfectly normal for anyone to cry, to let out out emotions - if involuntary it would be even more beautiful. Be happy!

Thank you in advance to various sites for allowing me to include your images. I do not intent to commercialize this work so I hope you will forgive me for borrowing them to express my feelings :-)

Beauty of words we speak

Choice we have, to empower

the words we speak
Voice it over, atop a clock tower
for the world to seek

Used nice, words can bind us
in love with freedom
Used wise, it can find us
a trove of wisdom

Less words create a feeling,
full of emptiness
More of it creates a ceiling,
to the wall of happiness

Words describe an event in time
as a story to be narrated
Subscribed over a period of time
history gets created

Coined together, words can provide
meaning to a phrase
Joined together to create a void,
is mean and a disgrace

To create a language with words
is a gift unique to the human race
Barrier if it creates worst than swords
be swift to critique, prima facie.

Choice we have, to empower
the words we speak
Voice it over, atop a clock tower
for the world to seek

----------

©Balaji Palanidurai

I am in a dilemma of the apt title for this poem - between "Beauty of words we speak" and "Power of our words" after writing the poem! I happened to see a TED India talk by lyricist Javed Akthar on "Words", which triggered this creation of my own. I hope you like it.
I created the image with words from my poem using www.wordart.com #wordart.

Beauty of small things

You can also listen to this poem.

Admire, I do, the beauty

of small things

Inspire, they do, in plenty

till my heart sings

Colorful rangoli, spread outside 

the front door of my neighbor

Wonderful and holy, she felt inside 

when I lauded her artful labor

Tiny flower in that earthen pot

hardly in my line of sight 

Shiny wonder it became on spot

when it fell in the line of sunlight 

Sparrows many flapping like a dart

noticed only when I need

Sorrows any drowning, get wiped apart

when I throw them some feed

Incense sticks lit in a corner 

felt only by its fragrance

Essence of it, if lavender 

melt I do & ease into a light trance 

Admire, I do, the beauty

of small things

Inspire, they do, in plenty

till my heart sings


©Balaji Palanidurai