A Love Letter to Myself

This year at the Jaipur Litfest I was lucky enough to attend a workshop by my beloved professor of journalism at Sophia Polytechnic Mumbai, Jerry Pinto. A noted writer and veteran journalist not in that order, what I admire Jerry for is his ready wit and sense of humour. His ability to make the mundane sound dramatic, his sarcasm, his frankness and a characteristic charm in the form of opinion that he is ready to expel at the drop of a hat makes this man an unforgettable individual for a lot of us. And by us I mean generations of students who have attended his lectures and experienced his style of teaching. The latter is accompanied by a lot of rambling, yelling, joking and occasionally lifting of chairs in the air at no particular person in question and for no particular reason mind you.

Coming back to the point. His workshop was about creative writing and delved in to many aspects of what we know as fiction. As someone who has always nursed the dream of becoming a writer some day, I was naturally keen on absorbing everything he said and at the end poured myself in to this exercise he made us do. The topic of writing was addressing a love letter to myself. This is what I was able to come up with in ten minutes by the clock.

To the living being who makes life worth loving...

Beloved light that shines on no matter what the odds, How harsh the winds, How cold the world around you, the warmth in your heart can melt a thousand hearts, make sparks fly out of dying embers and instill joy within the dullest and most sordid soul.

And yet you are no saint are you? Only your hidden desires know about what you really want to be, which direction you wish to take flight, what world you really belong to.

You derive strength from those who have created you, blessed you, strengthened and supported you, gave you wings, egged you on and endured and embraced you with open arms no matter if the tide swept high or low.

The burning flame of hope keeps you moving on, the positive flow of optimism replenishes your spent energy: keep loving, keep living, keep flying.

Because my dear self, you are the queen of your castle. You make your existence living proof of the fact that life truly is a gift.

A Lover's Lament

I can be your lover but I cannot be your friend
Because I wish to hold your hand right till the end.
I want to stand through every storm, every hurdle around the bend.
For I am the warrior on whom you can always depend.

The first time I saw you I knew we would have a story,
Between us we could weave a fairytale,  eternal with all it's glory.
In a truly fated match, our lives were meant to seamlessly blend,
That's why I can only be your lover, and I cannot be your friend.

The world compels me to stay apart, repress the feelings of my heart.
Why must I sacrifice myself at the altar of convention, to which I claim no part.
I fail to fathom these orthodox sermons, they are not mine to apprehend.
Because I believe I can only be your lover, but I cannot be your friend.

You may push me to the brink, refuse to acknowledge my presence.
But I forever pledge to be yours, happily ensconced in your essence.
I am compelled to stay true to you, whether you accept or offend.
Your every doubt I can tend, every mistake amend for dear heartbreaker I can only be your lover, but I cannot be your friend.