Little Bothers and Big Sitters

Others find it unbelievable,

The things I put up with,

And so many "only" children,

Do not know the half of it.

They think that sibling relationships,

Are easier than a cakewalk,

They do not know what it is like,

To get a bruises from a misplaced LEGO block.

They think that sibling relationships,

Are as sweet and simple as pie.

They have never had to deal,

With a toddler on a sugar-high

They think that sibling relationships,

Are nothing but fun and games.

They have probably never taken,

A spitball to the face.

They think that sibling relationships,

Are the stuff of dreams,

They have never been woken at midnight,

By nightmarish screams.

They think that sibling relationships,

Are a source of constant money,

But the truth of the matter is,

Parents expect you to babysit for free,

(And at all the oddest hours,

The reason being "You are family")

They think that sibling relationships,

Are easier than they seem,

They have never dealt with,
A straight hour of whining, or crying.

They think sibling relationships,
Are nothing too grand,
They will never, ever have,
Someone who will always forgive,
Time and time again,

And who really loves you
In more than riches and less than rags.
(that is, besides some parents
but I, for now, will not go there....)

Ode to Margaret Atwood's "There Once Was" and the English Language

The choice of words that we choose to use,
can lead messages to be understood or confused.

For though they may have the same definition,
words drastically differ in their connotation.

The power of words is not based solely on communication,
but the twisting and manipulation of information.

And the meaning with which society imbibes them,
are reflected in cultural differences in conversation.

So the differing opinions of person's one and two,
show that they possess extremely different world views.

Humans possess an inability to agree,
on the way they should write the story.

Because every person's perceptions,
influence their individual experience.

And so, agreeing to disagree,
Is the best way to avoid linguistic disharmony.

For we each give meaning to speech
that differ from others in our family.

As our stories are reflections of our words,
while other paths are shaped by those others.

Shootings and Suicides

We are so blinded,

By the storms of our own sorrows,

That we often forget those,

Who give up their tommorows,

Because they cannot face another day.

We are so stuck,

In the anguish coating out hearts,

That we often forget those,

Who carry indelible scars,

Made by weapons greater than any turned on us.

We may have experienced misery,

And the pain cannot be washed away,

But what about all the others,

Who suffer in silence every single day,

Their problems deeper than ours ever were?

We are consumed by our own complications,

Though most are relatively petty

And while some problems are real issues,

Most cannot compare to the misery,

That lead youth to give up their futures.

We have seen the recent increase,

In school shootings and suicides,

It is not in the least humane,

To continue to turn a blind eye,

Because we feel other things demand attention.

We say that we take precautions,

But protocol does not do much good,

When children give up their will to live,

Because there is nothing they feel they can do,

Except kill.

We are already wrecking our planet,

Our environmental future is uncertain.

Must we also destroy our hopes,

By watching as adolescents,

Across the world are hurt.

We understand that pain is a part of life,

And that everyone must experience it,

Sometimes, however, we forget to remember,

That there is more to life than "perfect"

However one defines that term.

We should take the time to figure,

That we are all humans,

And that, as a part of nature,

We are built on imperfections,

And these are what allow us to innovate,

Create wonderful inventions,

And that, no matter how stressful it seems,

There is a brighter time ahead for children,

If both parents and peers help them.

This is in light of the increasing student suicides in India and the recent school shooting in America :(it seems like there are at least two a year, now): It is not just the adults who are shocked by these events. Such events profoundly disturbs many teenagers, as well.

The Boxes

_{It is here,}

The day has dawned,

Time has passed,

And the boxes have gone.

Vacant rooms,

That sit forlorn,

Devoid of life,

For the boxes have gone.

The floors are bleached,

The walls are redone,

The windows are shut,

The boxes have gone.

The shelves sit blankly,

Everything else sent on,

We are finally leaving,

To where boxes have gone.

A few days ago,

In the early dawn,

They came and went,

Now the boxes are gone.

The times were golden,

Yet they seem not so long,

But other things lie ahead,

Where the boxes have gone.

As we leave, I look back,

At our past home,

And with so many intangibles,

The boxes have gone.

(This is quite a sad one, but I penned it the day I moved halfway across the world. I am feeling nostalgic today)

Rainy days

The raindrops run like glass chariots,
Racing their way across window panes,
Leaving behind trails of droplets,
To mark from whence they came.

Throughout the week,
The constant, incessant pattering,
On bus roofs and foyer canopies,
Like a thousand crystal cups clattering.

In a toast to the next season,
Heralded by the luminous archways,
That adorn the sky when the rain is done,
A promise of greener days.

(A late monsoon is happening now, and it is raining almost every day)

Dreamcatchers

Nightmares plagued me every night.
Bringing to life my every fright.

I floated dreamcatchers above my bed,
But the darkness still enters my head.

Because Nightmares are not held by nets,
Unless pain can be caught in those threads.

The shadows with their cold claws,
Are manifestations of perceived flaws.

They twist the things I see and do,
Sinuously managing to slip through.

I could create a wall of dreamcatchers,
Yet it really would not matter.

Because nightmares are not pulled from the air,
But from the depths of our own despair.

Autumn

Autumn is for a new beginning,
As leaves fall, the summer is ending.

Across the nation, school doors open wide,
After a few months of summertime.

Apples ripen on the orchard trees,
Pumpkins grow amongst vines and leaves.

Amber carpets of leaves and lights,
The advent of crisp, dark nights.

Harvests ripen as skies grow clear,
Autumn winds herald the end of the year.

If teenagers would.

If you can keep your head held high,
When others raise a hue and cry,
About the things you want to try,
And while letting the spiteful edges slide,
Acknowledge those comment's positive side.

If you can hear gossip, but not insult another,
Or stand for your beliefs, though you stand alone,
Or voice your criticisms, yet not slander,
And treat others with all the goodness you own.

If you can dream, without living in one,
And like, without choosing to lust,
If you can dress in rags or a crown,
Then stay true to your purpose.

If when you are surrounded by liars,
You can retain your honesty,
If you can fight the good fight, fair,
Though others may cheat to succeed.

If you can live without a mask,
And let your personality shine through,
If you can question what society asks,
Yet understand your weaknesses, too.

If you can attain the things you hold dear,
Then resist the urge to obsess.
If you can treat gain and loss with equal cheer,
Despite the materialism of the rest.

If you can love without any fear,
Yet let the things you love go free.
If you can defend yourself when danger draws near,
And not let another's presence become a necessity.

If you can fight, but refrain from hurting,
Defend yourself from easy aggravation,
If you can bear others misinterpretations,
Then objectively perceive a situation.

If  you strive to perfect your greatest passion,
Be it athletic, academic or art.
If you can climb the steepest path with enthusiasm,
And never let obstacles dampen your spark.

If you can see the hidden wonders,
In the smallest of mundane things.
If you feel joy at the simple pleasures,
That each new day brings.

If you can explore the validity,
of dogmatic doctrines and claims,
If you can create your own duty,
And from self-doubt, refrain.

If you can smile at your reflection,
Cherishing your body, mind and soul,
If you can understand that life is a decision,
Then choose to go for the gold.

If you can see the strength within,
That comes from your heart and your head,
And understand that though exteriors may fade,
A powerful personality becomes the stuff of legend.

If you never retire into the dark and small places,
Avoid treating life as a wager,
You shall never again feel belabored,
Have the freedom to blaze new spaces,
And, what is more, you will survive being a teenager.

Hello. This was based off of Rudyard Kipling's poem "If".