Inchoate Vision 2013, seen in 1999

 Inchoate Vision 2013, seen in 1999

Small house, where the air is still clean.
Comfortable by the standards of
'sai itna dijiye....',
With something left for sundowners
With old friends.
At least one climb above the snowline,
Before the salt overtakes the pepper.
Being accepted as I am, warts and all
By the only child, then an ‘I am OK’ adult
Old wife by the side, old rocking chair
Summer time chatter of grandchildren
Accepted as an expert, in the chosen field,
And a good teacher.
A book on management, perhaps
A book of poems definitely.
Sepia toned, fading photographs,
Of good times gone by, on the walls;
Much thumbed books on the shelves.


Telephone to remain connected,
computer to gaze at cyberspace.
New bicycle to loosen the stiffening joints,
young dog to walk the constitutionals


Three trees in the courtyard, a neem,
a mango and a guava to tempt
the passing schoolboys and
teach them something about life.
Death in my old dressing gown, in my own bed
Sudden, unaided and alone.
Release.
--x--
* Old Hindi couplet by Surdas,” Sai, itna dijiye, jame kutum samaye, mai bhukha na rahoon, sadhu na bhukha jai”: "God, give me only so much.., so that I and my family do not go hungry, nor the mendicant sadhu who come to my door."

Update 2015 0n Vision 2013!

Climbed over the snowline, 

drove to biking nirvana

salt has long overtaken the pepper

book on management now nearing a decade

book on poems, ready and waiting

good teacher, well, may be, yes

quite a few books waiting to be read

no grandchildren yet

the fruit trees can wait to grow 

for the courtyard 

and pictures on the walls, well

waiting for the walls

of the house, still a dream

rocking chair- still a few years away

the age of anecdotage a little distant

some oil still left in the lamp

to light few more lamps

some more miles to go.