Growing Up

Well, vacations are on, and along with them come some quality thinking time as well. I realised that I was going through a transition stagel; y'know, teens, school to college, more responsibilities... As I was telling my special little bro Rohit sometime back, if you perform an action that is highly quantitative and/or highly qualitative, its weight, backlashes, results and effects increase manifold... Before I get to the point, kudos to the people at Azad Maidan, in Bombay, who staged a huge protest against reservations in colleges (mainly medical ones in this case), who got lathi charged and who managed to get prime time news coverage today to voice their needs. A couple of my friends attended as well and all I can say is that I wish I had been there for the experience. (In the aftermath, I feel a little jealous of them) At least I can mention them here... As for the reservation discussion, thats for later, as we move on to the main course for the day :

Growing Up

There comes a stage in everyone's life,
when at times alls euphoria, at others all is strife,
and coming off the blessed ignorance of babehood...
one must speak and think to understand, to be understood...

What is this strange occurence,
Explainable to all but us?
When a single word can spell interference,
and the very same gifts relief and trust?

They warn us against body changes,
to heed advice, to listen to them,
to use constraint, looking at our hormone ranges,
constraint? adolescence? all Ad Nauseam!

My heads spinning, for a sudden moment of clarity,
is often replaced with confusion or void,
why this unnatural disparity?
Meaningful? Or just to make me paranoid?

My goals are set; My rhythm? Not yet.
but I realize I must move on, ahead,
and that its just a matter of time, before my rhythm does begin to rhyme,
and in place of being adviced, I advise instead.

This puzzle right now, tightly coded,
the key seemingly with all but me,
old ways of younger days may be outmoded,
and will I crack it? We shall see.

I have faith that triumph I will,
with help from those who'll see my alm-box to fill,
and walk whichever way, I may , I know,
that the final things that have to be done, are mine to do so....

-A.C.

A talisman for the unsure...