Dear Nani ji!

I remember you again today, it happens every other day

The day I prepare your patent, 'कड़ी '!

You called it 'बेसन' ; one of your finesse 

Mouth watering it was for me then as well as now

My entire neighbourhood knew when that cauldron was put and how

'coz I loved to sing praises of you then

Granny is every child's best friend

Those inland letters,those postcards you'd write

I secured them right by my bedside.

You weren't schooled yet you could never be fooled

The wordly affairs you handled with dignity and pride

Every challenge, every outcome you took in your stride

I remember the day I missed school when I was down

You mentored me,guided me sternly how youth is a crown

The responsibility and strength to hold that crown

Comes from our will and the blessings you shower upon

We had decades of difference 

But no generation gap, that was the essence!

I see the same between my children and their 'Nani'

Am grateful the genes have transferred in many

The family tree you created and nurtured

Has borne fruits rich and cultured

Each of them shining bright in their world

Am sure you watch us all from heavens above

I missed you the most when you breathed your last

In papa's arms you finally passed

Calm and serene,

You were graceful as you've always been!

A part of your soul reverberates in all of us

The safe haven you created,thus!

Love you, dear Nani ji!

      - राम राम 🙏🏻

                 Megha Sharma

Sounds of Silence

Ever tried Silence Fasting?

This is my Fourth, biannual is my routine

Or also when I seek to hear

Listening doesn't happen when one speaks,

One needs to mellow down, shift the focus from the tongue to the ears!

And plan it well to avoid inconvenience to others

Those others who are ours yet we hear them afar!

So a day when your calendar is free and you can go on the spree

When silence is the vow, you are ready to bow

Listen with utmost attention

To the stories your kids narrate, their experience, their ways

They know you are all ears, they look into your eyes, alert not to miss your sight

Actions speak louder today, words are what you utter every other day

And you look right into them, and notice the minute twitch of those excited muscles

Which many a times go unnoticed when you hear but don't see

You are alert, so are they

Your embrace and kisses, you plant umpteen today!

Your husband smiles, and you reciprocate with that tender hug

He knows you're doing it for a bigger purpose!

He respects your endeavour at the same time asks for a favour

To know if all is well, for you he cares

He knows you've initiated this before, yet every time he wants to be sure

To be certain you are free and not under any baggage

Such marriage discussions, he is always ready to engage

Why Silence?

For me it is Spiritual! A milestone in my growth that necessitates my speech be pure!

The Joy of Silence, appreciating the peace it brings along

The conservation of energy

The time to look inward

Being happy with the Silence, yet not Silencing oneself

Eradicating the noise in one's life, enabling oneself

In the smartphones and the Internet age that we are, there is a strong desire to be impatient.

There's a constant urgency to 'Not Wait' !

Waiting is the only state that has no beginning or end; it is continuous

Today, I could practice waiting

To be patient

To hear myself, to discover me better!

Quoting Sadhguru:

"Silence is the basis of sound.

And sound is in turn the basis of the reverberation that we call

Creation!"

 

— Megha Sharma

Signing off with an ear to ear smile 

the silence has adorned my face today!

 

An Ode to you, 'Lord Ganesha'!

You took birth though you are divine

Showed us the Soil is the source of life

From mud we are born and in the mud we dissolve

Life is a full circle, not easy but with unlimited potential

Perhaps, that’s what you demonstrate

To give yourself to your devotees for these eleven days

To wait to be bathed and fed by them, according to their convenience!

Your large elephant head symbolising wisdom, understanding, and a discriminating intellect

Not an easy feat! For you had to lose one to gain the other

Your small eyes depicting the power of concentration

Your large ears; you listen more

Your small mouth to talk less

Your trunk; highly efficient and adaptable

One tusk; because you’re beyond duality

Your open palm blessing us on the spiritual path to the Supreme

Your axe; to cut off all bonds of attachment

Your large stomach; to peacefully digest all good and bad in life

Your rope to pull you nearer to the highest goal

You ride your desire; the mouse to avoid it from creating havoc

‘Modaka’; the rewards of ‘Sadhana’

‘Prasada’; the whole world is at your feet!

And once more, the eager me came to see you, dissolving;

Your eyes penetrating mine!

That focus, that truth remains

One day I shall be mud again!

---   प्रणाम!

मेघा शर्मा

 

The seed of our creation, that's what matters!

 

How I look doesn't matter to me

How you look never enters my mind!

How your mind works is what captivates me

How my mind works is something I work on!

The seed of creation is what made you as well as me

Each of us being unique and beautiful in our own way.

Perhaps, that's what I was brought up thinking;

Always guided to focus on my intellect, to sharpen my mind

To conduct myself with grace, for that'll reflect on my face

The words I utter decide the opening or closing of other heart's shutter!

For I can control the speech that is mine

In people's heart I can spread some Sunshine!

I wear what makes me comfortable

I respect what you choose for yourself

Those long tresses were when I wanted them

The shorter ones I adore today

You wouldn't see a change in me 

If you connect with the seed of my creation, the life within!

                                                     — Megha Sharma

My flag - 'जय हिन्द'

 

The Undulating Flag, The Tri Colour

I salute you as I fall in love with you every time I see you

Millions have sacrificed themselves for you

Just to see you flying high!

The Saffron in you indicates our Strength & Courage.

The Ashoka Chakra rendered in navy blue on a white background

Signifying that there is life in movement and death in stagnation;

The dynamism of a ‘peaceful change’.

The Green showcasing the fertility, growth and auspiciousness of 'भारत माँ’'!

The recital of the National Anthem

As goosebumps make me shiver for those 52 seconds

My Pride, My ‘भारत’

I wish I live my life well bringing glory to my motherland!

                        — जय हिंद !

                                Megha Sharma

'हे राम'!

One gentleman who walked the earth

The man who placed his wife before him

‘Siya-Ram’ is how we address them

The epic depicting the bonds of brotherhood

The epic narrating the sacrifice without depiction 

The love cherished and nurtured by all

And today, I heard it more than ever

‘Jai Shree Ram’ was the chant

The ‘Ram Darbar’ ; my childhood reminisces as ‘The Divine’

The annual ‘Akhanda Ramayanas’ were the festivities at home

‘Jai Ram ji ki’ , ‘Ram Ram’ is what my granny uttered when addressed

And now I realise one needs to graduate to be eligible for this incantation!

Because.....

"जाकी रही भावना जैसी, प्रभु मूरत देखी तिन तैसी!"

                                                   - 'राम-राम' 🙏🏻

                                                        Megha Sharma

An Ode to the Brother!

When you have a younger brother you are no less than his mother

He becomes your darling son

You pamper him and are stern, his follies you can’t discern

You love him with all your might, in your own children you see his sight

 You celebrate his success, you wish him luck

On his birthdays you gift flowers freshly plucked

When he falls sick, you pray to God

With open eyes your prayers behold

You smile and shine when he comes to dine

Those long tête-à-tête as if after years you’ve met

On his wedding you beam end to end

You know he’s brought you a loving friend

His love, his soulmate

Becomes your amigo whom distance can’t separate

You 're blessed, all the more on festivals

Because the siblings are life long pals!

                                           

                                                        — Megha Sharma