The Boy in the Balcony

Years ago, I saw the boy in the balcony,

As he stared down at the world below.

He saw me leaving home each morning,

And reaching home each evening.

Years passed, and I noticed the boy in the balcony,

He saw me as I learnt to ride a bicycle,

And as I learnt to braid my hair,

And how to watch out for naughty boys.

Years later, I didn’t see the boy in the balcony,

He didn’t see me lose my friends,

Or get married, and then divorced,

Or see me cry, and sit depressed and blank.

Years passed, and I forgot the boy in the balcony,

Because I had other things to think about,

Like finding a new job and career,

Caring for my parents and family,

Finding a way to get back into love.

Years have passed, the boy in the balcony is gone,

A man stands in front of me, a boy no longer,

A twinkle in his eye, warmth in his smile,

Gentle in his touch, soft in his voice.

It’s been years since he was a boy in the balcony,

And now he watches as I stand back on my feet,

Strong again, happy again, as I rise again.

I see the pride in his eyes, once in a while,

When I imagine him still up there on the balcony.

Aviv Nair

1/12/2013

The Crowds

The crowds mill around me, swishing past with swirling colors.

They leak scents and leave a bread-crumb trail of stories,

Unspoken words, unseen emotions, incomplete sentences and frantic typing.

Each is a world out of place, half a world away, in their own worlds.

Scrambling for survival, numb to the world,

Reveling in servitude, motivated by false hope.

They labor on, endlessly, silently, seemingly tirelessly.

Some head to drown their sorrows, some to drown their spouse,

Some head to kick back and relax, some to burn the midnight oil.

But all dream, some in vain, some in hope, of a better tomorrow.

 - Aviv Nair

16/Aug/2013

Always Yours

I wish I could say how much I miss you,

I wish I could say how much I love you,

I wish I could say how much I care.

But now, you miss someone else,

Now, you love someone else,

Now, you care for someone else.

You belong to each other now, someone else,

But although you stopped being mine,

I never stopped being yours.

- Aviv Nair

26th July, 2013

I asked a Programmer

Don’t you get bored,

Staring at code?

All those variables and tags,

And operators and flags,

Elements and arrays,

And nesting and tallys.

You can never relax,

Until you check syntax.

Code for web and mobile,

You have to sit and compile.

All that Java and .Net,

And the rest which I forget,

Day in and day out,

It’s “First-In-First-Out”.

I ask, don’t you get bored,

Staring at code?

 - Aviv Nair

4/2/2013

The Risk

I take a giant leap, I step into the wild,

I make a move that many think unwise.

Along with the big boys, I step in as a child,

Perhaps I’m trying on shoes too big for my size.

Perhaps I will fail, perhaps I will fall.

Perhaps I’ll be crushed, being too small.

Perhaps I’ll be tricked, being too naive.

Perhaps I’ll be caught in traps I can’t perceive.

Perhaps I won’t even be given a chance.

Perhaps I’ll be frozen while others dance.

Perhaps I will never learn.

Perhaps I will crash and burn.

But then again,

Perhaps I will bloom and quickly grow.

Perhaps I’ll be fast where others are slow.

Perhaps I will succeed and win.

Perhaps I’ll be heard above the din.

Not just a song, perhaps I’ll sing a Raaga.

Not just a story, perhaps I’ll write a Saga.

I think it’s worth the risk.

Aviv Nair

3/2/2013

The Rat Race

I sit with my legs crossed,

Arms behind my head,

Happy with all that was done and said.

For I have gained, not lost.

I bask in the glow of contentment,

Surrounded by an aura of peace.

The end of a predicament!

Not a frown or a crease,

A soft, happy smile plays upon my face,

Finally! I am out of the Rat Race!

Aviv Nair

11/1/2013