Monday, 25 December 2017

ना तूफान है ना आंधी

ना तूफान है ना आंधी 
कश्ती के बाहर या अंदर...
मन मे ही मची सुनामी
यही है सोच का संमदर।

~ प्रविण सबनीस
२३ दिसंबर २०१७

Measure of Memories

Memories of a friend begin to fill my mind
in spaces where we met, I seek him to find...
But, I cannot find or meet him anymore
as before his time, my friend had to go!

Two are needed to hold a relationship rope
when one lets go, the other seems sans hope!
But we can refuse to let go and find a way
To keep our friend alive by our actions today!

We must move beyond sorrow and pain...
and learn from the measure of grain!
When the measure overflows it is a clue
that someone has made add-ons new!

The memory measure needs moments anew
It will surely overflow even if add-ons are few...
The things he loved to do, we must do again
Instead of grieving loss, let's add to the gain!

Recreating moments will carry on the show
as we build on a memory of joy not woe
And when the memory measure overflows...
it will make us feel that he did not really go!

May the effort be followed by another one
by doing the things he would have done…
Let’s move beyond the wistful memory rim
And fill them with positives beyond the brim!

May newer memories overflow the measure
as a tribute to the one who was a treasure…
The ‘measure of memories’, it is found to be true
is ‘memories without measure’ in add-ons we do!

(it is an year since my friend, Ravi Shirsat passed away on 16 December 2016... he (& his wife Poonam) had gifted me an 'overflowing measure of grain' to wish me abundance... this muse is a resolve to make my 'measure of memories of Ravi' overflow)

~ Pravin Sabnis
16 December 2017

Monday, 10 April 2017

Keeping a friend alive

When he was alive some would refer to him as ‘your friend’
And then mock him for what he said or did against the trend…
Now that he is no more, they say he was ‘their close friend’
As they declare they were with him on issues together to fend!

Some cry more fiercely than the ones who truly grieve
Some lament louder than hearts turned into a sieve…
Some talk about memories that the world always knew
Some stalk on the stage as if they are the heroic few!

But time will show who really were under his spell
Who were the ones that he inspired so well…
For the many fans, their hero will never be felled
They will continue the story that he lived to tell!

The one who has died can live on forever
in minds, in hearts and actions of the lover…
His legacy of empathy would diminish never
If we choose focus over occasional fervour!

The thoughts of his mind, should be ours too
Where actions are more and words are few…
With words to be used for deeds that are new
We can keep him alive, in a legacy that we sew!

We can keep our friend alive if we rededicate
To his commitment to compassion predicate
In the end, our actions over time will indicate
That his worthy living we chose to truly vindicate! 


~ Pravin Sabnis
(Written in the aftermath of the death of a compassionate combatant for human dignity and justice, Satish Sonak… with the intent to trigger a resolve in self and others who want to keep him alive)