Smile

If every dream came true,
then dreaming wouldn't be fun again. 
What would pleasure ever be,
If to balance it there were no pain. 

Only the oppressive summer heat,
Makes look wonderful the sheets of rain. 
The mighty hills would be but an eyesore,
If viewed they were not from the humble plain. 

Sunshine can't be a forever constant. 
Dark clouds can't always be wished away,
Smile when the going is tough my friend,
Cause tomorrow's going to be an amazing day. 

- Pranay

The sunbeam broke into a rainbow before my eyes

It began with total silence,

Silence as deep as the sea;

Then the birds began chirping,

Rhythmic and yet a trifle noisy.

The sun had set an hour back,

And the moon never could conjure an emotion so;

What had catalyzed such a reaction,

My heart needed to know.

And then before my eyes I saw the reason,

I saw and I instantly understood too;

Her smile was like the first rays of sunshine,

of course the birds twittered, wonder how the sky didnt turn blue.

She saw me look, heck clearly stare,

and threw me a look of indgnity veiled in a 'I don't care'.

I gulped, proper impression this could not be,

Offended had I inadvertently, a maiden so fair.

By then she knew as all women do,

an art about which, we have no clue.

entrapped was I, a fly in a web,

I tried to pull back and slipped, how I never knew.

She burst out, the giggle turned into laughter,

And the sunbeam turned into a rainbow before my eyes.

I was embarassed and yet awestruck by her beauty,

The pain of falling, paling before a million sighs.

And then someone called her name and I paused,

For the name I had always known;

She walked up to me with a half smile in her eyes,

There was a little mischief in the sunbeam that shone.

She then came close and in my ear spoke,

The words I did not hear for the illusion broke,

Ironically it was a sunbeam that opened my eyes,

I lay there in the sunshine as I awoke.

It was a dream and yet the smile I had seen before,

The face though hazy, stood clearly apart.

Surrounded by a million smiles in the universe,

There is but one sunbeam in my heart.

- Pranay Rao

And I know not what to do

Continuing from angel who fell from the sky,

I like to call it love,
and yet it seems like destiny,
How it happened I know not,
How it will end is a mystery.

I still remember the moment,
The first time I saw her that night,
It was what people would call,
love at first sight.

Oblivious she was of me,
As I was of the universe,
She was this most beautiful poem,
and I a humble verse.

I looked,
trying hard not to stare.
Though even if I did,
She wouldn't have cared.

She passed by serene,
with an impatient touch.
That I was there, to her,
didn't really matter much.

I turned around,
and she was gone.
Leaving behind words,
which wished to be a song.

So on their wish,
I've composed this rhyme.
An ode to a vision,
to stand till the end of time.

Some memories remain,
pleasant yet painful too.
Cause the moment has passed,
and I know not what to do.


 - Pranay Rao

Temptations

And there she sat across the counter,
Alone, looking cold and yet smoking hot.
I looked, trying hard not to stare,
Her touch I so clearly sought.

Those curves looked enticing,
Shimmering was her skin under the light.
a hint of milky white with a touch of brown,
Trust me, there was no better sight.

I walked across the room, eyes transfixed,
I felt my palms sweat and my fingers tremble;
As I picked up my spoon and tasted the sauce,
Damn you hot chocolate sundae on the desert table.


- Pranay Rao

I will raise my head without fear

A stranger killed of someone's mother,
A child watched his father die.
They never believed that this could happen,
and they never knew the reason why.

Why is it that somebody can just walk in,
with a gun, a bomb and just kill anyone.
And all I can do is watch, listen and hope,
that the person who died is an unknown someone.

I have been taught to look around while travelling,
Ensure that someone doesn't get me that day.
After all it's my duty to be scared and tense,
My fees to be part of a Delhi or a Mumbai.

I dream of a day not too far,
A day when you and I will still be here.
A day when we will look up and smile,
And raise our heads without fear.

Till then I watch the news dispassionately.
It's no longer whether. Its when,where and how many.
Somewhere someone is playing a little game with me,
And I wonder whether he must find it funny.

That safely from a million miles away,
with a few rupees of explosives and firearms,
He makes a billion people shake in fear.
Little voodoo dolls are we in the grasp of his palms.

He threatens and a million quake in fear,
Mothers worry, children are scared.
Coming home everyday is a celebration.
to celebrate what they have braved.

But one day these billion people will rise,
and realise that they have had enough.
And that day my dear friend, I assure you.
It will be we who will have the last laugh.


Sooner rather than later

The first flight

It seemed just yesterday that he had broken his shell,
And now he stood at the branch, ready to soar.
His mother steeled her heart and nudged him.
For her little hatchling, she wanted more.


He looked back and smiled impishly,
For his nervousness, she could never know.
The sun had just risen, the sky was lighting up,
To see his first flight had come the morning glow.

He held his breath and spread out his wings,
Stood up on his little feet and jumped into the blue.
His mother let out a gasp, as her son headed to the ground.
She wondered whether it really mattered if he ever flew.

Her maternal instincts battling with her maternal dreams,
She reached the edge of the branch and looked below.
She saw his little body flapping his wings with all his might,
His movements were shaky, his reactions were slow.

And just as she was about to fly down to his rescue,
His little body straightened as he began to actually fly.
He chirped in delight, A chirp of exhiliration and sheer joy.
No longer was he a little bird, but the king of the sky.

The sun smiled as he saw this unfold before his eyes,
Even though he had seen this happen a million times.
The drama of the moment still got to his old heart,
And he cheered when he saw that the little bird was fine.

He saw that the little hatchling was now a magnificient bird,
Each time he saw it, it remained the most wonderful sight.
The element of drama, he knew was Mother Nature's little touch,
To enhance the experience of the once in a life first flight.

If I could re-live each day

I wouldn't want my life
to turn out any other way.
Not a minute would be different,
If I had a chance to re-live each day.

The successes would make me as happy,
The failiures would make me equally sad.
The sunlight would make me feel bright,
The soccer on rainy days would make me glad.

My handwritong would be as bad as now,
My shoelaces would still come undone.
My exam results would be equally erratic.
My life interspersed with work and fun.

I would still do what I love doing,
I would still hate that which makes no sense.
I would continue to dream dreams beyond my abilities,
I would meet the same people, make the same friends.

Life has been this most amazing symphony,
The tune just right, not a note out of key.
I have learned from each experience thrown at me.
To treasure what my life has turned out to be

Urban Rain

Life halted and everything came to a pause,
As I stepped out for a moment from this rat race.
I looked up at the sky, moonlight shining through dark clouds,
and felt the cold raindrops as they hit my face.

People stopped in their tracks, the landscape froze,
The traffic stopped as all life came to a halt.
I could sense every sight, every sound amplified.
The smell of the wet earth, the sound of raindrops on asphalt.

The concrete jungle revealed a heart of nature,
The birds twittered, asking each other the way to shelter.
The rain had come and wet their homes.
Now in terror they squaked as they flew helter skelter.

The pitter patter changed to a little roar,
and the raindrops changed to a sheet of rain.
The rain cleansed the city of all it's impurity,
Washing away miseries, washing away pain.

Mother nature smiled at the city in all her glory,
The city smiled back for it's heart was alive.
In the body of cement was a soul of opportunity,
where millions struggle, where millions thrive.

Every person in the city came with a different dream,
Each life in this city may have a different destiny,
but connected they are by the first raindrops,
that to their heart brings a childlike glee.

The rain stopped and all life was in motion again,
the sound of the city drowning out what nature had to say.
I slung my bag across my shoulder, wiped off my specs,
strangely, the rain drops were a spot of sunshine in an otherwise rainy day :).

The Battle in the sky

He pulls hard with the wind at his back,
It's a war he can't afford to lose.
His skillful hands manipulate the string,
the destiny of the battle he will choose.

He wipes the sweat off his brow,
and licks the bruise on his index finger.
The bruise burns as the fresh cut heals,
The taste of blood on his tongue lingers.

It's a taste not alien to him,
It's the taste of victory against the odds,
He squints as the sun enters his line of sight,
as he looks towards the abode of the gods.

The wind god he knows has been kind to him,
For the breeze lifts just as he has got the upper hand.
He pulls hard, concentration writ large on his face,
He tugs hard and his kite dives down towards the land.

The moment pauses as the final move has been made,
His little frame tenses up as the target enters his sight.
The string slices through in an arc towards the ground,
The enemy is pulled back and then goes limp in mid-flight.

He breaks out in a smile of little pearls,
as the little child in him comes to the fore.
His fist punches the air as he looks to the sky,
Another victory to add to his invincible lore.

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