Paint me Yellow

I always believed there were two kinds of men in this world- men who go to their deaths screaming, and men who go to their deaths in silence. And then, I met the third kind. - James McKinley (Superintendent in-charge, Lahore Jail, 1922-1923).

Tujhko zindagi baad-e-fanaa milegi Ashfaq, tera marna tere jeene ki badaulat hoga - AshfaqUllah Khan

I love India, my desh, the motherland. And so I believe do a number of people I know around (exceptions ignored). Despite a bouillon of corruption, religion, politics and a braced administrative set-up that we complain about the des. Why though? Why does a string inside always enchants past times; and a hope of being there for the rest of my life. The cool breeze of the monsoon, the chill of the morning winter, everything so mundane only adds to it. But why do I feel withdrawn all the time, ignoring all these problems? In fact, I sometimes tend to even disagree that India has all these problems when someone takes over with arguments in favor of staying outside India. Is it just because I've grown up there? Or I've spent almost a quarter of my life there? I am asking this question to myself. Don't have an answer yet, and even without one, the feeling only gets stronger.

How about those sons of the land who made it what it is? The trio of Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad, Rajguru. The numerous other freedom fighters? Were they happy in their times from the things around them? I bet not. Caste, religion, Indians working for the Brits and their no support for freedom, poor quality of higher education? Probably they planned on domestic problems after weeding out the bigger one? But, they still held their ground, struggled, loved everything Indian and brought a change.

In a meta-sense, I guess, the feeling is the same. You love someone, and you are willing to do anything for them. You stay with them in whatever conditions are of present. You try to live in time in a hope that things would improve. And you go all out. But, you don't run.

Hold, don't run. Hold. Strive. Emerge. Live.

Zindagi, khudi,
aur mere yeh sawaal,
ghar ki roshni, aur pakiyat,
ek hi manzil hai yeh

-G Singh, San Jose, 18 Jan, 2009

Life in womb

Youth I am, a seed of knowledge
I can sweat, to help myself harvest
Bird is my mind, thoughts my sky
Ideas I ignite, with wings of fire

Innovation my playground, creativity the game
fairness my stick, winning my sole aim
Humane fraternity the spectator, they shall enjoy
Ash may I become, to fly in rejoice

Youth I am, united I should stay
diminishing for equality, would make my day!
Equality in society, equality in thought
equality in life's and on globe's every spot

I am the world, the world is in me
I am the God, the God not outside me
Effort my worship, result Thee's grace
from earth's womb, I will take birth after I ace

Youth I am, a seed of knowledge
I will grow and form the truth
May I perish, manure I would become
The meaning of me is to contribute and flow

-G Singh, 20th January, Place: Somewhere in the US (exact:United Airlines jet :) )