I am what I Dream

I want to live a thousand dreams,
I want to set the sun on fire.
I want to reach out to the sky,
reach the point where I can't go no higher.

I know my life is mine to live,
I can become what I aspire.
I have my faith my trust in god,
which helps me attain what I desire.

Life has been a wonderful roller coaster ride,
With more highs than lows.
What will come tomorrow,
Is something I will never know.

My dreams are my oxygen,
the only thing that keeps me alive.
They help me face the really bad days,
In adversity they help me thrive.

I know my dream shall help me prosper,
I know my dreams shall set me apart.
You can never put me down,
As long as I have a dream in my heart.

- Pranay Rao

My City is burning again

Not another minute of silence,
Not another occassion to wear black arm bands.
Now the silence is getting deafening,
The stupid symbolism be damned.

I've got sick of the news reports,
The constant saluting the spirit of Mumbai.
I've got tired of the resilience.
The getting back to normal life, the next day.

I've got tired of the jingoism,
Surviving attacks is not our forte.
Let me lead my life in peace,
Just let me live, the normal way.

But what can I do, a non resident mumbaikar,
There's just anger and frustuation to vent.
I really don't expect any action,
After all it's not an attack on the bloody parliament.

Life will go on, never stopping,
Cause the city never sleeps.
Millions get back to work,
While the affected thousand weep.

Mumbai, I can't see you hurting,
I can't see you blotched by tear and blood streams
Mumbai, you deserve much more,
For a city which has fulfilled a million dreams.

- Pranay Rao

Destiny

It seemed like a dream,
And yet it was reality.
It was more than a coincidence,
It seemed like it was destiny.

It made me lose my ego,
and I even swallowed my pride.
What mattered most to me,
Was she by my side.

It seems like I knew her for eternity,
and yet there was so much more to know.
What was it that made her heart beat,
What was it that made her skin glow.

Maybe what she thought was a diamond,
Was but a mound of stone.
Maybe mine was not the heart,
She had wanted to make her own.

Thus ends what was a childish dream,
to think that this was destiny.
What was just a high note,
In life's sweet symphony.

the road of life is still long,
many a straight road, many a bend.
But in my heart of hearts I hoped,
That this high note would never end.

- PR

The day I set out to compose a rhyme

I thought it was time,

To compose a little rhyme.

Maybe a rhyme full of love. Maybe a rhyme full of hate.

Maybe a rhyme that would make me famous, one that would alter my fate.

A rhyme more rich than all of the world's folklore.

A rhyme which would rival a Tarentino in poetic gore.

So I sat down with single minded determination,

To weave a rhyme that would trigger fascination.

I plugged in my laptop because sheer genius must not be limited by battery.

The poem was to appeal to all; it was to be an ode, not just some form of cheap flattery.

And I began in earnest, with the only subject which came to my head.

Love it had to be, because that's what earns poets their butter and bread.

Love, beautiful , uncomplicated like that which a mother feels for her child.

Or love that makes strong men feel weak and makes nice girls go wild.

Love it could be for music, it could be love for food or wine.

It had to be a love I could describe, a love that could be mine.

It was then that I paused, for poetry requires that moment of inspiration.

The moment that would define the ultimate fate of my creation.

The pause was pregnant with uncertainties untold.

I observed as I felt in my mind the poem unfold.

My subject couldn’t be clearer, the lines stood out in bold.

A rhyme of such beauty, from this world I could not withhold.

My fingers reached the keyboard, but falter they did each time.

For what the heart wanted to say, the mind could not set to a rhyme.

The abilities of a poet, amateur as me could not define.

That which is so pure, so beautiful, so divine.

A poem I could write; a rhyme I could compose.

About the mighty sun or the beautiful rose.

But the very words rebel as I try to describe love in a rhyme.

They mock me and smile, telling me that it isn't yet time.

They tell me that wait and you shall see the day,

When even we shall respond to you; like to a potter, his clay.

And the time will come when your words will take flight like a dove.

And describe to the world, the beauty of love.

For now I rest, the promise of tomorrow easing the disappointment of now.

Fondly I shall remember for years to come, the day that I set out to write a poem on love.

- Pranay

A masterpiece called you

He wiped his brush on the grass,
Then dipped it in the Ocean blue.
He took the utmost care in detail,
in creating a piece of art called you.

Then one day you looked up,
and saw another of his creations.
You thought to yourself,
Why can't I be more like that.

First you changed your body,
And then it was your soul.
Till one day you looked at the mirror,
And all you saw was this big black hole.

Your individualism is your soul,
your distinctness is your heart.
It is you being yourself,
that really sets you apart.

Go ahead be different,
Think and do as you please.
Your not just another piece of art,
You are God's own masterpiece.

- Pranay

The meaning of my life

Life waited as I gathered my thoughts,
Static I was as the moments passed by.
Thunder greeted me as I looked heavenwards,
My senses tingled as I felt the raindrop from the sky.

My heartbeat slowed down, the mist enveloped me,
The moment was mine to live, mine to share.
Nothing mattered, not the rain, nor the sunset glow,
Life was mine to live, without a worry, without a care.

The world seemed different, distant yet very close.
As I had transcended to a state of absolute peace.
Each raindrop shattered the silence around me.
I clasped my hands and fell to my knees.

Guidance I wanted, guidance to walk the path.
Guidance to help me read, to understand the signs.
Guidance to tell me what was my existence all about,
Guidance to tell me what was I for and what was mine.

Then the truth dawned upon me, in a trickle of raindrops.
It was my existence in a world full of love and endless strife,
Which would temper me, teach me, prepare me;
For the moment when I would know the meaning of my life.

- Pranay

The Angel who fell from the sky

Posted on my blog on April 12th. Angel who fell from the sky has been in my head for an eternity till one day it just came to life. This poem can actually be split into two parts. Part one is the happy effect of a beautiful girl entering a room. Part two is the plea for another chance to tell the lady what she means. Together they try and cover all the emotions related to love. Each on it's own can probably be extended into a poem by itself.


The world suddenly stopped,
The scenery changed as people froze in time.
Violins played symphonies of pure bliss.
And words began to form their own rhymes.

The walls turned to murals, the ground to a flower bed.
Their beauty paling in comparison to she who walked by.
Oblivious of all that she had changed in the world.
She passed by me, the angel who fell from the sky.

I wished I could speak but the words refused to come.
I wished I could sing, but music dared not show it’s face.
Each afraid that justice they could not do her beauty.
Each afraid that capture they could not her grace.

She smiled and the flowers bloomed,
The room filled with their scent as sweet as honey.
The murals changed to reflect her buoyant mood.
The birds in the painting twittered, the sky ever so sunny.

Try as I do, For once I can’t seem to say what I feel,
Forever stuck in an endless night that never seems to see dawn.
Delayed for too long have I, the expression of my feelings,
The courage that deserted me may have come back just as she is gone.

Wait I do, hoping that one day she shall be back,
Pray I shall, to god to give me that one chance.
The opportunity to speak what the heart has to say.
Hoping that my words, in her heart shall ignite a romance.

Words that will tell her, what she means to me,
Words that will express my feelings, forever and for now.
Words brave enough to look into her eyes and say,
That there just cannot be, an alternative to her love.

- Pranay Rao

Save me a piece of heaven

She looked sadly towards the cot,
There were two big tears in her eyes.
The elderly gentleman turned towards her,
He could see her thoughts full of Hows and Whys.

He gestured to the nurse beside him,
And asked her to take off the oxygen mask.
He had done all his duties in time,
What was left was this little task.

Her mother put her up near the bed,
And he lovingly stroked her hair,
‘Granpa Is it true that your going away?
If you are, can you tell me where?’

He took a deep breath and held her little hand,
‘Darling, Grandpa is going to Paradise,
A place for all those who believe in god
A place for all who are sweet and nice.’

‘Granpa will you come to meet me,
Will you drink tea with me and my teddy bear?’
‘Sure, You just need to close your eyes and think of me,
And I’ll be there sitting by you, rocking your little chair.’

That was all she wanted, for the smile returned to her face,
Her grandpa took his towel and wiped her little nose.
‘Granpa, Can you please tell me what heaven is?
Mum says it’s more beautiful than even Grandma’s prized Rose.’

‘Heaven, my dear is the most wonderful feeling;
It’s even more beautiful than the village swan lake’
Then seeing that she was still not assured he said,
‘Heaven is so sweet, that it’s sweeter than your Mummy’s cake.’

She smiled and said ‘Paradise must be very beautiful
It sounds so nice that it must be a nice place to be.
But do one thing Grandpa and promise me that,
When you reach there, you’ll save a piece of heaven for me’

He hugged her while he tried to hide the tears in his eyes.
And kissed her gently and placed her on his bed sheet;
God knows that heaven was where he wanted to go,
But he wondered whether even heaven could ever be this sweet’

He thanked God for his life, for his happinesses untold,
Thanked him for all the love that he received that final night;
And he knew that all he needed was right before him;
Death could be a bother but life had turned out quite all right.

- Pranay

The dream date

She smiled and then turned away.
Her hands playing with that long hair.
Her conversation playfully vague.
her infectious laughter with a hint of don't care.

Hearts rose and sank with every gesture.
Every word held onto as if jewels they be.
Every moment treasured, every movement analyzed.
Every nod of the head, seemed to be only for me.

I then gathered my courage and went up to her
sat at her table and held her lovely hand.
Her lovely face with the clearest of skin,
turned as crimson as the reddest rose of the land.

The silence was broken with the loveliest of giggles.
Her beauty benumbed me while my heart sang.
We moved closer, the heart beating faster as her eyes closed.
When suddenly my eyes opened as the alarm bell rang.

I cursed the bell which snatched away the moment.
The bell that prevented the moment from what it could have been.
The beautiful face though hazy seemed strangely familiar.
You never know when life can be, an extension to a dream.

-Pranay Rao

A lesson of life

It was his first trip to the beach,
He had felt the sand in between his little toes.
At first he was fearful of the waves,
But had just gathered courage to get close.

He couldn’t let this wonderful day end
Just because of some fading light.
Little though he was in body,
His heart was full of fight.

‘If I cannot stay here any longer,
Then the beach must come with me.
I will carry home all the sand, the water,
And create at home my own little sea.’

He then got down to work,
And began collecting the grains of sand,
But each time he closed his fist,
The grains just slipped out of his tiny hand.

He tried again and again
The same thing seemed to happen,
Still the falling grains of sand,
Couldn’t his little heart dampen.

For there was the matter of the ocean,
Immensely beautiful and serenely calm.
Surely it wouldn’t matter,
If he borrowed a little sea in his palm.

So he battled the waves,
The mighty ocean against his little feet.
But gracious as the ocean was in allowing him in,
Their thoughts did not seem to meet.

Each time he would fill his fist with ocean,
And each time it would come out dry.
With failure, his heart finally gave way,
And as his anguish increased, he began to cry.

His mother not once intervened,
She knew with love he would be fine,
And he would forever cherish,
The lesson taught by the sands of time.

Those tears would teach him
Something that he had to know.
That when you love something dearly,
You also need to learn to let go.

-Pranay Rao

The rainy day Limerick

It was the best of times.
It was the worst of times.
It really was just another rainy day,
But then I needed a beginning that rhymes.

Let’s begin with the guy,
Cause even god started with Adam.
And once the plot is established,
We'll proceed to describe madam.

The guy was wet and cold,
N like most guys a little hungry.
He just had had the most scrumptious tea,
But the rain makes you hungry, you see.

He was waiting for the big red bus,
With letters on the side saying it was the BEST.
His office was just a short distance from home,
So frankly he was much luckier than the rest.

I am quite the animal activist,
So I really won’t say it was raining cats and dogs.
Let’s say that the rain was strong enough to create a jam.
The kind of rain when trains stop and every drain clogs.

It was then that she walked into the small bus stop.
Any other day and he’s have blamed her for the traffic standstill,
She was beautiful like most girls and even more,
Her sight made him glad; A sudden warmth replaced the rainy chill.

She looked impatient as most girls do,
Rattling her watch as if that would make time go faster.
He looked but tried not to stare,
Surely god had taken more than the usual time to cast her.

She looked reproachingly at the rain,
And then he wished he was god for a day.
He’d make the rains stop and light up the sky,
The clouds would pause while the winds would dry up her way.

Suddenly she turned to ask him the time,
With a smile which was even more radiant than the sun.
He struggled so very hard to find his voice,
For a moment he wished someone would shoot him with a gun.

And then after the most eternal pause,
He told her that it was a quarter past five.
She smiled her sweet smile and commented on how late it seemed,
He tried to make conversation, but alas he had seen his courage nosedive.

After an awkward moment of absolute silence,
She turned back and began to fidget with her cell.
He wanted to talk to her and hold her hand,
There were so many things he had to ask, so much to tell.

In the distance he saw that his saviour in red had arrived,
He would run into his bus with what he could salvage of his dignity.
When he saw her too move towards the bus, umbrella in hand,
His feet were stuck to the ground while his heart wallowed in self pity.

She never turned back as the bus came to a halt,
Her friend saw her and hailed her from the front seat.
The bus was quite empty and the conductor most nonchalant,
So they got rid of their sandals and put up their feet.

Her friend looked out in the fading light,
And it was our male lead that caught her sight.
‘Some interesting company you had’ she told her friend,
‘I know’, she sighed ‘for a moment I wished he was Mr. Right’.

- Pranay Rao

Memories

Note: Memories was created durin a very borin class on a day, I wasn't too happy. It was created for the alumni day PPT, which turned out decentish. Anywayz, the poems not much to read in terms of language, the fun is in the visuals, but we at K can sure relate to it

Memories of the 7 am class,
when keeping your eyes open was such a bother.
The tasty food served at the mess,
which suddenly reminded you of your mother.

Memories of the first PG crush,
the first taste of rivalry.
Memories of the CP King,
Who imparted Gyaan for free.

Memories of that surprise quiz,
Moments of activity interspersed by slumber.
The display of the grade sheet,
The realization that there isn't anyone dumber.

Memories of all night parties,
Ignoring HBR cases to be solved.
Memories of friendship and camaraderie,
Of bonds that slowly dissolved.

Memories of a 2 year quest,
Memorries of that wonderful day.
Memories of the pride, the joy,
of being a part of IIMK.

Memories that you treasure,
Experiences that we would hear and see.
Memories that would guide us,
as we carry forward your legacy.

-Pranay Rao

Transitions

Life is not always,
how its meant to be.
What you imagine,
is not what you see.

You learn to adapt,
learn to breath to live,
learn to apologize,
learn to forgive.

learn to treasure,
all that is close to you,
to cast not that is old,
yet seek what is new.

life is in motion,
in a state of flux,
exhorting you to innovate,
to focus on the crux.

nothing is a given,
nothing is ever done.
Life is but an enigma,
a state of transition.

To my sister on her wedding

To my sister,

You promised that you’d never go away,
I promised that if you did, I’d never cry.
We both broke our promises today.
But as usual ‘you started it’.

It’s with a heavy heart I see you go,
You know how I hate to say goodbye.
This strange emotion of happiness and sadness,
Wish I knew the right way to react.

As you walk along this new path,
I wish you all the happiness in life.
And wish the very best to the lucky guy,
Who is so fortunate to have you as his wife.

The story of your life and your times,
Has now moved to a new chapter.
Though I already know the last line which reads,
‘…………And they lived happily ever after’

Yours,
Pranay

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/12/my-sisters-wedding.html

Because mother know best

The lands and mountains are my body,
The oceans are my soul,
The skies are the ornaments,
Which embellish my body whole,

The trees and nature are the garments,
Which cover me head to toe,
Life resides within me,
Motherhood makes me glow.

The sun gladdens my heart,
The moonlight is my essence,
The laugh of a newborn baby,
Justifies my very presence.

Yet my very children,
Who I clutched closed to my chest,
Have stripped off my garments piece by piece,
The grand oak, the humble birch all put to rest.

The glare of the sun now burns my very skin,
Scars on my body, indelible marks on my mind.
My soul has been violated, my existence threatened,
Peace is what I seek, happiness I cannot seem to find.

What children are these who burrow into their mothers bosom,
Sucking out in deliberate motions, the very life from deep within.
Their objects of hatred destroy all life in one instance,
Wasn’t non violence a virtue, is not killing a morbid sin.

My tears have no outlet as they wash away those who were once mine,
The ground breaks as I writhe in pain, destruction I unwittingly cause,
They have sown the seeds, which they shall reap for generations to come,
Don’t they realise, that their mother hurts most as she cries over this unbearable loss.

But their mother I am, Love for them I shall never lose,
They are my own, misguided and foolish may they be in their ways,
The garments will repair some day, the wounds will definitely heal,
If only they stopped this destruction and listened to what their mother says.

Somewhere deep down they love their mother,
Don’t they fight to claim a piece of me,
Foolish are they, when they hurt their own brothers
One day they shall rub their eyes and clearly see

That I am their mother, they are all but my very own,
That their mother forgives them for what they may have unknowingly done,
All is forgiven and forgotten, now don’t repeat this ever again.
Build together a great society where all my children shall live together as one.

- As told by Mother nature to Pranay Rao

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/10/because-mother-know-best.html

An ode to a memory I shall cherish

Sunshine wakes me,
the room's so full of light.
the day beckons to me,
with a morning ever so bright.

the hills lazily smile at me,
the mist calls out my name,
after these two years in paradise,
my life shall never remain the same.

Captured in my heart for ever,
are those moments of pure ecstacy,
When Mother nature took it on herself,
to redefine what I believed was beauty.

Will life after God's own kampus,
ever rise to these heights,
will I ever be able to relive these moments,
enjoy the beauty, the memorable sights.

A lot have I received from my stay,
not least the nature that i have learned to appreciate,
Fortunate I am that the heavens smiled,
to bless me with such a wondrous fate.

Luv,
From Gods own Kampus,
Pranay

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/08/ode-to-memory-i-shall-cherish.html

The day I lived a dream

Im but a drop in an ocean,
an ocean of humanity,
Striving, working,
Searching for my own identity.
I hear the waves crashing,
on the rocks of time.
Do I still believe in the fantasy,
that the entire world is mine.
I look out at the ocean,
I am humbled by it's sheer size.
Its tenacity is enviable,
receding waves that will once again rise.
I can only imagine my life,
my fate, my destiny.
the joy of successes,
the failures, the agony.
Thousands have come,
thousands will go.
shaping my life,
in a way I never know.
I have a lifefull of unknowns,
a life that I only shall live.
Prepare me oh lord,
for the experiences this life will give.

-Pranay Rao

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/08/day-i-lived-dream.html

Angel in the sky

Angel in the sky,
Wont u tell me why?
This world of mine,
is such a mystery.

Why's the sun so big?
Why's the moon so bright?
Why's the night so dark?
The day full of light.

Angel in the sky,
Wont u tell me why?
Love is such a part,
of my life on this earth.

Is love as beautiful,
as you make it seem.
or is just a thought,
just another dream.

Angel in the sky,
Wont you tell me why?
elusive is the love,
of the lady I seek.

Will I meet her?
Do I know her now?
Where would be?
the one that I love.

Angel in the sky,
take these dreams of mine,
make it into,
a piece of reality.

demystify part of,
this mystery.
Show me what ?
life has chosen for me.


Show me what life has chosen for me....



Luv,
P.R.

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/07/accents-sonatas-and-limerick.html

To create my life, my Legacy

Miles to go, before I sleep.
Things to do, promises to keep.
A life to live, for someone else.
A desire to put others before oneself.
Time to learn the joys of giving,
To stop dreaming and start living.
To let not my thoughts stay a fantasy,
To create my life, my Legacy.

-Pranay Rao

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/06/indian-army-spending-my-legacy-and-god.html

Ganesha Says.....

May I dare and be ever so bold,
To question what the stars have foretold.
To walk the path that few have trod,
To not look at the stars, just trust in god.
Do I dare to make a journey far?
Without consulting my ruling star.
Do I dare at first sight, to fall in love?
To jeopardise my future for the passion of now.
Or do I entrust my future to the stars in the sky?
Abandon rationality. Never knowing the reason why?
And become one of those very brave men,
Who wait in fear for the sign from heaven.
Someone has an answer, I know for sure.
Till then this irrationality I must endure.
Blinded by faith are we, who willingly forsake our sight,
But never fear for Saturn says that our future seems bright.

-Pranay Rao

http://pranayrao.blogspot.com/2005/06/stars-decide-my-fate-internships-over.html