Play well!

The veteran may score a blank
The senior may walk the plank...
but the score book doesn’t mind
If the debutante turns into a find!

Best is yesterday, be better today
Great past goes easily astray...
The present play is what matters
Previous scores can turn tatters...

So don't put down another on age
Wise often is the younger sage...
For while experience has its worth
Youth can break free of the dearth...

The unburdened mind we oft find
Is sans shackles of the doubt grind..
It may be wayward or off the mark
It may be just a shot in the dark...

But score books don't really care
Whether a honed skill or just a dare...
Those who play well are a treasure
Performance is the only measure!

So ensure the focus and play well
Our true calibre only time will tell...
And when it does, don't turn smug
Around the turn, lies the failure plug!

We must play well all the time
Speaking with the humility chime
Especially when we grow real tall
And comes along a player small...

The veteran may score a blank
The senior may walk the plank...
But the score book will only tell
The tale of the one who played well!

~ Pravin K. Sabnis
9 August 2016

Silence

Heed the silence, it is oft the loudest cry
Notice the quiet of the watchful sky…
There are many who hear but do not tell
But that's better than ones who cruelly fell!

Better than effusive excessive praise
that takes into a world of illusory daze...
Better is the silence of true empathy
Worse is appreciation born of duplicity…

The best words come from ones who use few
The silent applause is genuine and true...
Learn to hear those silent but loud cries
Of hurt underground and hopeful skies...

Silence can be a wonderful thing to turn
When we learn to listen and listen to learn!
Of course, silence can be indifference too
But it can also be a choice to hear you...

Don’t lament the lack of response you receive
loud declarations may flatter to deceive…
We must unravel the layers in the sky
Heed the silence, it is oft the loudest cry!

- Pravin K. Sabnis
4 July 2016

Wandering one gathers honey

The Wanderer scaled the mountain
and dived into the sea...
Unshackling the material chains
and swaying with the tree...

Prancing with the peacock
and singing with the stream...
And as the fish kissed the reed
the eyes opened to a dream!

The Wanderer stalked the woods
and shot the animals there...
... with a camera and his eyes
on a sight that be so rare!

It is so nice to drift
with clouds that sail by...
under that canopy of blue
which man calls the sky!

Running away from the race
for riches... for money...
for what different be the truth than
'wandering one gathers honey'!

- Pravin Sabnis
August 1994
( a tribute to the motto of YHAI - Youth Hostels Association of India)

Yet another stain

First claim victimhood
Then cry as if in pain
Speak of offended pride
Hide the past stain…

Hide the past stain
Threaten violence again
Unleash the hate venom
Drown voices sane…

Drown voices sane
Ride the pride train
Shout loud and louder
Flush peace down the drain…

Flush peace down the drain
Blow venom for the foe
Human venom is a blaze
flames will further grow…

The flames as they grow
they burn every side
In the heap of the dead
Buried will be puffy pride…

Buried will be puffy pride
Until resurrected again
And cacophony will repeat
As human plays insane…

Human will play insane
And cry as if in pain
Victimhood and venom
Will leave yet another stain!

Pravin Sabnis
5 January 2016

Poetry

Lyrical words are better served

If used where more deserved

Useless are lamps held in the daylight

They must chase darkness of the night!


Pravin Sabnis

24 December 2015

Fearless

The brave heart and her friend gave a valiant fight...

But the brutes were prepared in the dark of the night...

As she slipped to unnatural death, a nation was awake...

Resolving to put to the beasts to the hangman’s snake!

The fearless was resurrected as did indignation...

The streets represented the anger of the nation!

Determination rent the air to protest the brutal kill...

Young and old faced water cannons, cold and chill!

The emotion of fearlessness was deep and true...

But time is a healer, as the pressure went askew!

Now years later, the emotion comes back to haunt

As a culprit leaps a loophole to his freedom jaunt!

The fearless resurrect again as does indignation...

The voices are raised as angry again is the nation!

Some voices are from my zone, then and now again

But things seem to change as nearer gets a cry of pain!

Again another innocent is crushed by brutalisation

But this time it is nearer home in a closer situation!

The fearless are changing masks... and changing how

Some have turned fearful and some turned mute now!

For the culprit was wearing a dignified drape

He was one of us... how could he ever rape?

That silly girl must have asked for it for sure

And now she plays prey to victimize the teacher!

Then the fearless had put together a valiant fight

Now so many are choosing the option of flight!

Some flee to obscurity in the indifference wavelength

As others mobilise mobs to show their violent strength!

Fearless are the ones, who are steady in every zone,

Who resist the wrong even in the confines of the home.

Fearless are the ones who do not play dead while alive

Fearless are the ones who do not play selectively naive!

Choose to be fearless in intent, action and spoken words

Choose to stand up above the indifferent or collusive herds

May the fearless resurrect again with fiery indignation...

To bring the brutes to heel... with greater determination!

- Pravin K. Sabnis
(written in context of the brutal sexual assault in Delhi, three years ago... and a recent one closer home where the brutalisation of a school girl is being met with indifference or threatening mobs)

Great company

Revisiting the dream that emerged last night
On splendid poetry, the dawn set my sight

Of those who carve out water's flow to sow
And those who sleep under the astronomical show

A great company to have of sensitive minds
An insight into interpretation beyond the grind

Many have a voice that stays unheard
But here I find voices that rise above the herd!

Pravin Sabnis
22 July 2015