FOR BETTER OR FOR VERSE

Here is the first of the collections of my rhymes of the day. These are primarily topical; though some are based on my mood of the day. You can get their full flavour if you recall the news of the day; for example, massacre of Maradonna's Argentina by Germany in the last Football World Cup.

Read on. A second edition will follow:

Those were the days my friend,

We didn't have Cut, Copy, Paste and Send.

I could not sleep the whole night long;

Thinking of how every Right just went Wrong;

I wish I could sing a happy song.

Can big teams play BIG football?

Well, the only thing BIG is their fall.

So low are the ways of Indian leaders;

That virtually they are corruption breeders;

Or in other words nation bleeders.

I like the sun, the moon and the flowers;

But, what I like best are the monsoon showers.

Sundays are for rising late,

Sundays are for rest;

But God, when I watch the world cup,

Don't send any visitor or guest.

England did not have it in them to win;

But they made enough din;

For Lampard's goal that went in the bin.

Nice to be witness to Brazilian magic;

Thrice Chile was fooled by their trick;

All field goals and no penalty kick.

One is born, works, eats, plays, sleeps, and dies;

Is there nothing else to our lives?

What about Love, its joys and sighs?

"I too want a degree"

Ssaid the Paki son to his dad;

"Okay" said the father, "I can buy BA, MA,

But Phd is the current fad".

Rain, rain don't go away;

Please come every day;

Little Rooney never wants to play.

The Samba boys are finally out,

Being done in by the Dutch;

Dont you feel the Brazilians,

Had lost their magic touch?

Massacre of Argentina was a subject,

Klose to Germany's heart;

And Messi? Well, he,

just proved to be a fart!

"When will India excel in Soccer?"

Asked of his father a son.

He replied, "Only after,

With Cricket, we have done".

When will realise strikes don't help;

Except those who, like dogs, yelp.

Muttiah Muralitharan is,

The best off-spinner we ever had;

Now that he is retiring,

We can’t help feeling sad.

People come into your life for a reason.

But, whether or not they stay depends upon the season!

How lovely to have children around;

Oh, don’t we all love the sound,

Of their little feet on floor or ground?

Let’s not make a big fuss,

About Paul the Octopus;

If he was really so bright,

He'd be emitting an Oranje light!

I remember the days they're small;

And used to see me as a hero.

But now that my kids have grown up,

I ‘ve become closer to a zero.

Come be my love till the end of Time;

But, at least be mine till the end of this rhyme.

'Tis better not to fall in love,

And keep a steady head;

For she will surely pull the plug,

And leave you cold and dead.

Now that we have found Higgs Bosun,

Can we do without God;

But, after all is said and done,

What if it turns out to be fraud?

Peace with our neighbour Pakistan,

Will never get a chance;

So long as they feel that hatred,

Is the best political stance.

I thought I could live without friends,

And I believed it was true;

But thank God I was wrong,

For I can't live without you.

The best days are Sundays,

'cause they have my name (Ravi);

Without them there won't be fun days,

And life would not be the same.

Of all things life makes you learn,

This one you shouldn't forget;

When you, with envy burn;

You have already lost the bet.

India and Pakistan will always be,

Strange bedfellows;

Who want to get along famously,

But take offence to even "hellos".

Sometimes you tweet and tweet,

And you still can't be heard;

Like as if your best feat,

Is simply absurd.

How many total moods are there,

Happy, pining, buoyant and sad?

Counting gets you nowhere,

It only makes you mad.

Every morning I get up,

With resolve to do a lot;

Every night I go to sleep with,

'Is this all I've got?'

Pakistan is part of Western plan,

To keep India in check;

Today Kayani is their man,

Tomorrow it'd be another smart Aleck.

Those who can't see,

Because they are blind;

Are still better than those,

Who can't see because of closed mind.

Their sacrifices are in vain,

If we ever forget Kargil;

To fight like that was insane,

Yet they captured Tiger Hill.

Why do we require Wikileaks,

to tell us what we knew all along;

That Pakistan's support for Taliban,

Took US for a song?

WISH LIST FOR INDIA

India has been a poor country - a very poor country. Suddenly, in the last decade or so, because of our spectacular GDP growth and probably because of the US need to balance China, India started being talked about as a country with great future..a great regional and global power. The fact is that GDP growth is and for a handful of people; the majority of the people has not gained by it. We have more poor in India than all in all the 26 countries of Africa. Our general quality of life and our infrastructure rank amongst the worst in the world. We are amongst the best for wrong reasons like corruption.

Is there no hope for India to become a great nation?

Well, actually there is. India can be a great nation IF:

• We talk less of freedoms and more about our responsibilities towards the nation.

• We stop looking at the interests of the small rich minority and look at the interests of the poor.

• Our people become less selfish about themselves and START to think about the nation.

• We do something about our abysmally poor infrastructure.

• We instil discipline in our people especially those who are our netas (leaders). Right now we rank with de most indisciplined.

• We take ourselves more seriously whilst asking this of US and the rest of the world.

• We get rid of such individual and collective amnesia. We forget all - including severe insults to nation.

• We have the courage and good sense to call to task both these so called "public servants".

• Our institutions will work for everyone and not for just for the favoured few.

• Our justice system improves and it does not take decades to decide even the most ordinary cases.

• We behave like a nation and not parochially like states, castes, communities and provinces.

• We take our neighbours along the path of progress. We cannot be lotus in filth around us.

• We revere our scientists, teachers, jawans (soldiers), doctors and engineers more than Bollywood stars, godmen and netas (politicians).

• We stop defecating, spitting and urinating at public places and keep our places clean.

• We curb our littering habits and do away with the filth that adorns our cities, towns and villages.

• We have proper road signs rather than asking hundreds of people how to reach your destination. Right now it is a nightmare.

• The police in our country becomes less corrupt and people repose faith and trust in it.

• Our fierce religiosity is replaced by kindness and love and respect for all irrespective of caste, colour and creed.

• Movies like 'Slumdog Millionaire' fill us with resolve to change our lot rather than bask in glory.

• We spend less time on planning and more on implementation.

• We think of India all the while and not just in the last over of a twenty-20 match.

• We do not try to make money for ourselves even in disasters and calamities.

• We are in as much hurry to do things for de nation as in getting out cell phones in just landed aircraft.

• We ban criminals from entering politics; if we have minimum acceptable standards for netas (politicians) as we have for other professions.

• Our intellectuals take up people's issues rather than only those that earn them popularity.

• We stop depending on America to sort out problems caused by Pak terrorism.

• Our transportation improves and becomes people friendly.

• The costs of our constructions come down and quality goes up. Presently, it is the other way round.

• We understand other people's privacy whilst partying and participating in religious processions.

• Whilst running after modernisation we do not forget our ancient culture and values.

• We do not beg the world on our knees to be given a seat in UN Security Council but prove ourselves worthy.

• We do away the lengthy process of compiling and writing Inquiry Reports but do something, however little.

• We give more impetus to shipping, fishing and other maritime activities that languish in comparison to land based activities.

• We improve tourism and make our places more attractive to foreigners as compared to the present punishment for them.

• Rains and other natural phenomena do not make life come to a standstill even in our major cities.

• Even if 5 % of promises of politicians before elections had come true India would have become the best in the world.

• Men of character join politics and think of nation first and themselves last.

To be continued.......

EVER THOUGHT WHY - PART I

Sometimes back, on Twitter, I started a new string called 'Ever Thought Why'. The idea was to marvel at commonplace things and why do they happen the way you do. Here are some:

• People who claim to be the most virtuous are often the worst?

• Memories that you thought you had buried forever resurrect when you least expect them?

• People who bring most happiness to you also hurt you the most?

• Clouds make lovely shapes in the sky but these shapes vanish the moment you start to identify them?

• It is easier to forgive others but very difficult to forgive yourself?

• When buses and trains meet with accidents infants and small children often survive?

• Life seems longer at times and shorter at others?

• Thoughts that used to make you happy at one time, make you sad now?

• You fume, fret and toil to get something but finally you get it without too much of effort?

• A stashed away note, poem or story gives more joy on being re-found than when you originally read it?

• Scorching sun lasts the whole day but that enchanting sunset over the sea gets over even before you start admiring it?

• When you are closest to solving a problem it is exactly the time when the distractions are the most?

• People have little time to listen to your problems; but, can talk for hours about their own?

• The music of younger generation will always be annoying to the older generation?

• Thirty years appear a long time when you look ahead but appear so short when you look back?

• Butterflies are so beautiful but they never sit at the same place for any length of time?

• When you have Time and Money you no longer have the Inclination?

• Some days are longer than others that pass off so quickly?

• Those we place on high pedestal often slip to the lowest levels?

• Money is never enough!

• We easily forget the things we want to remember but find hard to forget those we want to?

• Most people prevaricate and come up with exalted theories when faced with the truth and facts?

• Green grass rushes in more memories than the best plants and trees?

• There is no higher feelig than Love but many a times it also makes you feel at your lowest?

• The 'Possibility' of a thing occurs to us when we say "It’s not possible"?

• When you finally come to the end you discover it is another beginning?

• Life's always talked about as behind us whereas it is what lies ahead; where one is going is more important than where one was.

• It takes many things to make a person happy but it takes very little to make him sad?

• Things never work unless we make them work?

• It is easier to give advice than to follow it?

• A towel should ever get dirty?

• We resolve not to see another Bollywood movie or to see a Cricket match but we always do?

• When one makes up one's mind never to repeat a mistake one is not given another chance?

• We call a person very interesting? Well, simply because he is a good listener?

• People are bad when they cannot keep their word; but, when you break a promise it was unreasonable demand to start with?

• Love too needs to be nurtured and cannot be left to itself to grow and become stronger?

• Tears and rain have the same ingredient but the former is really more precious?

• One can be totally alone amongst friends too; conversely, totally crowded by just one person around?

• It requires courage to do things right away but cowardice to keep postponing it?

• It always starts with a bang but ends with a whimper?

• The words "next time" do not quite bring out the sincere intention but sound more as an excuse?

CHEMICAL COMPARISON

Call me acidic?

Well, you yourself are a base.

And bases you know,

Are alkaline,

That is:

Sour taste, though soapy touch.

Also, my love,

Each acid has a conjugate base,

And each base has a conjugate acid;

So, why are we over reacting?