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Once when there was sun and no rain
I decided to lean out of the train
Surprisingly, I was the only one to lean
And I thought must be as a respect for a teen

As the train started I began to hum a song
But I felt people were looking at me as if something was wrong
So I changed my stance
And for no reason at the door gave a glance

But again on me I felt those eyes land
So this time I changed the position of my hand
The next time I adjusted my collar
To make them feel that I wasn’t a hooligan but a scholar

Then with my hands I combed my hair
And wiped off the perspiration to look fair
But even then in me I thought they found something amiss
But what was that I couldn’t guess

Just then I felt I heard a chuckling noise
So this time I decided to search for the mistake in their eyes
When one by one I looked at them
I learnt that with me my mind had played a game

(written ~ '96)

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Once a river climbed down the hills
And entered the adjacent fields
It twisted and turned around
Following the birds that flew along

People however advised it
This is not the life rivers lead
Its aim should be to be submerged into the sea
And that’s where it should headed be

But the river could not understand
As to why it should leave this beautiful land
And go and meet some distant sea
And lose its very identity

Why couldn’t it just loiter around?
Why was there such a bound?
To follow the conventions, to have aims
When it was anyways enjoying its present days

So it continued going around the fields
And to people’s advice it did not heed
Over the years it grew so vast deep and mighty
That the very same people started calling it a sea!

(written - 9th Aug' 06)