No Adieu

It isn't easy for me to let go.

Believe me, I mean every word I say.

Forced by life, I've made a choice though,

Which makes it impossible for me to stay.

Maybe, I’ll move on to better places.

Yet, it will never feel the same as this.

New surroundings and different faces,

Everything about here, I shall truly miss.

But to the old ones and the new,

I’d say, that this world is small indeed.

So I will not, for now, be bidding adieu.

All you have to do is call me, whenever you need.

And do think of me once in a while.

Reminisce all the good times we’ve had.

If someday my memory, makes you smile,

Know, that somewhere, thinking of you, I’m just as glad.

- Kartik Shastry

Saragarhi

Let us remember the battle of Saragarhi,

And that one fateful September day,

When a vast sea of Pashtun warriors,

Was, by a handful of Sikhs, held at bay.

Greatly outnumbered, though they were,

And knew that an option was flight,

Each of the one and twenty Sikhs,

Willingly resolved, to stand and fight.

And while brave, in their own right,

The Pashtuns, misjudged the Sikh men,

Several proceeding to their slaughter,  

Like lambs entering a lion’s den.

As wave upon wave, crashed against the post,

Threats and offers, in plenty, were made,

Yet, so resilient was the defenders' will,

Until the end, they remained unswayed.

With courage, as their one true master,

And honor, as their steadfast guide,

They faced their enemy with fervor,

And died for their principles with pride.

Aware all along, how the odds were stacked,

Instead of fleeing they chose to succumb,

And through a show of their unparalleled valor,

Taught history, how legends, men become.

 - Kartik Shastry 

Unconscionable Advice or The Purported Unimportance of Choice

Each moment of existence,

From waking to slumber

Is replete with choices,

Of an umpteen number

Ranging from significant,

To the utterly mundane

From evoking happiness,

To provoking disdain

And constantly we bother

About choosing what’s best

As though, this life

Is a continuous test

Having thought about it,

Very hard for very long

I, for one, am convinced,

No choice is right or wrong

For, what is wrong or right,

But a notion in one’s mind?

Never black or white,

But a grey streak, ill defined

Certainly, some choices,

Do cause suffering and pain

But it’s hard to ignore,

That each loss heralds a gain

So, though you make your choices

And your choices make you,

“How you choose doesn’t matter”

Is also equally true

- Kartik Shastry

A Husband's L(W)ife

You’re unreasonable when you’re reasonable;
Wrong, when you know you’re right
And the slightest hint of protest;
Is a prelude to a verbal fight

You’re forced to do what she does;
For your interests, are a waste of time
But if sometimes you beg to differ;
Your dissent is akin to a crime

Her money is only her money;
But your money is not your own
And her tendency of rubbing this in;
Often in humiliation, makes you groan

Yet when trouble rears its ugly head;
And you’re uncertain of what to do
You’re assured that you’re not alone;
For she’ll always be there for you

In utter darkness, she embodies a spark;
A beacon of strength in a relentless storm
She’s your advisor, caretaker, your truest friend;
She is love, in its purest form

So, marriage has its pros and cons;
Just as is, for all other things in life
Though, you’ll do well to mark my words;
No matter what, always cherish your darling wife

-  Kartik Shastry