Why do I run?

Why do I run?

Because I need to run, because I have to run. 

I run away from my problems, I run sometimes looking for solutions. I run, leaving all the troubles behind, I run to find some trouble along the way. I run thinking about everything swirling in my head and then I run for that ultimate clarity that you get in the last lap - screw all these issues, how in heaven's name am I going to take the next step and the one after that? 

I run because when I warm up, my body knows that something big is going to be thrown it's way. When I begin, the run welcomes me every time, like a long lost lover, comforting me into a rhythm. I run through the first few kilometers to feel numb, to lose my self and yet in the last kilometer find myself, my true character all over again.

Then the urge to push further strikes and you kick it up a gear, your feet quicken, you begin feeling the wind in your hair, the last lap, the last kilometer, the last few steps and then the dash for supposed end line with the stopwatch ticking away on your wrist. I run to answer just one question- did you beat yourself today or did you lose to yourself?

 

I run to maintain my sanity and I run for the insanity of that last dash, the guttural groans, the shout and the scream, to keep yourself going. I run because I chose this drug to help me through my tough times and heck now I even celebrate the good times with it. 

Why do I run? Because I need to, because I have to! 

मना रे

If  रे मना was about talking to the mind, suggesting, almost urging to mend fences.This poem is about understanding that some fences once broken cant really be made whole once again. This poem has a lot to do with not expecting anyone else to come help and care for you. It is about self-soothing and helping yourself out and

This poem was written at an interesting time in my life and it changed the way I started thinking about a lot of things.

You can listen to the poem recorded in my voice here. I hope you enjoy it. Do drop a comment about what you think about it.

पाऊसवेडी

पाऊसवेडी is an old poem, i wrote in 2007. It is a poem about a girl who loves the rains.

Some poems just develop organically taking their germ from conversations and then grow out into full fledged poems. This poem too was inspired out of a conversation like this.

Hope you all like it!

You can listen to this poem in my voice here - पाऊसवेडी.

ती आणि मी

ती आणि मी is a fresh new poem about just that, Her and Me. She is very close to me and what she means to me is obvious as the poem progresses. 

The origin of the germ and the idea of this poem needs to be mentioned though. It is somewhere in the amazing poem called निरभ्र by कुसुमाग्रज. That poem some how gives me goosebumps every time i read/hear it.

The poem is almost erotic, describing the beauty of a woman and this is done with such genuine love that you feel every emotion the poet is trying to describe. Thank you for that clean yet sensual नजर, तात्यासाहेब, thank you very much.

I hope you enjoy reading this poem as much as i enjoyed writing it. You can listen to this poem in my voice here. 

Merchant of Dreams

I wanted to be a copywriter once. Make my way into the world of advertising and become a merchant of dreams. With the immense respect I have for all the copywriters and creative folk out there, today i look back to realize this. 

I spoke to a friend of mine who suggested some changes and decided to incorporate them. Keeping both of the poems up here eitherways.

You can listen to the poem in my voice here. 

गाभारा

दर्शनाला आलात?
या..पण या देवालयात,
सध्या देव नाही

गाभारा आहे,
चांदी चे मखर आहे, 

सोन्याच्या समया आहेत,
हिर्‍यांची झालर आहे.
त्यांचं ही दर्शन घ्यायला हरकत नाही.

वाजवा ती घंटा,
आणि असे इकडे या
पाहिलात ना तो रिकामा गाभारा?

नाही..तसं नाही,
एकदा होता तो तिथे
काकड आरतीला उठायचा,
शेज आरतीला झोपायचा,
दरवाजे बंद करुन,
बरोबर बाराला जेवायचा,
दोन तास वामकुक्षी घ्यायचा,
सारं काही ठीक चालले होतं.

रुपयांच्या राशी,
माणिक मोत्यांचे ढीग पडत होते पायाशी.
दक्षिण दरवाज्याजवळ,
मोटारीचे भोंगे वाजत होते
मंत्र जागर गाजत होते
रेशीम साड्या, टेरीनचे सुट समोर दुमडत होते.
बॅंकेतले हिशेब हरीणाच्या गतीने बागडत होते.
सारे काही घडत होते.. हवे तसं
पण एके दिवशी..आमचे दुर्दैव

उत्तर दरवाज्याजवळ अडवलेला
कोणी एक भणंग महारोगी तारस्वरात ओरडला
“बाप्पाजी बाहेर या”

आणि काकड आरतीला आम्ही पाहतो तर काय
गाभारा रिकामा!

पोलीसात वर्दी, आम्ही दिलीच आहे.
परत? कदाचित येइलही तो
पण महारोग्यांच्या वस्तीत,
तो राहिला असेल तर,

तर त्याला पुन्हा..प्रवेश द्यावा की नाही,
याचा विचार करावा लागेल,
आमच्या ट्रस्टींना.

पत्रव्यवहार चालू आहे.. दुसर्‍या मुर्तीसाठी
पण तूर्त गाभार्‍याचे दर्शन घ्या.
तसे म्हटले तर,
गाभार्‍याचे महत्व अंतिम असतं.

कारण गाभारा सलामत,
तर देव पचास.

- कुसुमाग्रज

ता.क. - कुसुमाग्रजांना भेटता आलं नाही हे माझं दुर्भाग्य, नाहीतर ह्या कवितेसाठी आणि त्या मागच्या विचारासाठी साष्टांग दंडवत घातलं असतं त्यांना!
असो, जिथे कुठे असाल तुम्ही, घातलं असं समजा!

हीच कविता ऐका इथे 11व्या मिनिटा पासून , खरं तर अख्खा कार्यक्रम ऐका, मुक्काम पोस्ट कुसुमाग्रज 

After the rains

पाऊस पडून गेल्यावर is a poem that has become a favorite of mine. It is written in Pune and on a study table with a window by it's side. Due to this peculiarity of the table I studied less and wrote many more poems on it. I believe half of my poems are written on that table. 

This particular poem takes me back to my bachelor/single days, which am enjoying again. In Pune I used to live in an apartment complex that was up on a slope and after the rains, little rivulets of water would flow down after falling drop by drop from the leaves. The whole atmosphere created in this poem reminds me of those पुणेरी days. 

This poem and the way i recite it does have a very सौमित्र (Kishore Kadam) like feel to it. The album गारवा is definitely among some of my influences that have inspired and affected me deeply. I hope i am able to achieve even a minuscule of what सौमित्र has with his poems. This isn't meant to be a a direct copy of his style, just saying that it has left a deep enough impact on me to imbibe it.  

I hope you enjoy the poem as much as I do. You can listen to the audio recording of the poem in my voice here पाऊस पडून गेल्यावर.