I have always loved watching the sun set
How it beckons the end of a good day’s work
And welcomes the loneliness of the night
Almost like a bittersweet good-bye –
Fully said, yet often half-meant
It tugs so at your heartstrings
In a way that no words could ever suffice
But maybe sunsets are not always about farewells
At times, they evoke a sense of inevitability
A quiet knowing that no matter where I am in this world
All these paths will eventually lead back to you
Mar 13
Mar 13, 2026 at 5:55 AM UTC
There is an unexplainable tranquility the late night brings
Especially as it transitions into the wee hours of the day
There is a soft silence – almost imperceptible
That makes the waking Mind ruminate
His room was as orderly as you’d like it to be
Books arranged neatly on the shelf by color
Dishes and clothes stacked properly in place
Pillows lined up on the bed all nicely
Yet his thoughts wander aimlessly in Chaos –
The space where unanswered questions reside
Where broken things and darkness linger
And live fears and worries about life
And while the whole world fell quiet
To the order of the setting sun
And souls found their blissful contentment
In the restful slumber of every one
He was wide awake –
Staring at the ceiling
With sleep as ever elusive
With voices as ever loud in his head
There is an unexplainable tranquility the late night brings
Yet this tranquility was Lost on the ruminating man
Feb 23
Feb 23, 2026 at 4:26 PM UTC
When I first heard of your passing, I felt a tightness in my chest that no words could explain. It was a sort of gnawing feeling that something good has gone. After all, that has always been how I viewed you – a light that shone so brightly, I had no choice but to emulate; a soul filled with much kindness, I was compelled to be and do the same. And in the face of an irrefutable claim to goodness, I have grown, learned, and understood what it meant to be a thoughtful educator, a responsible scientist, and a good human being.
Working alongside you for years, I have seen your relentless pursuit of excellence – concrete and tangible, with clear results. It gave structure to my then abstract leanings to achieving the best – not only for myself, but also for – especially for – those we taught and honed. I regard these moments as the beginnings of my lifelong journey to figuring out what I should strive for with this ever so transient life.
Last we spoke, I was headed for Italy and you were on your way to recovery. I was anticipating the time when we could meet again and exchange stories like we used to. Sadly, we never got the chance. Your death is a great loss – not only for the institution, but for humanity at large. My only respite lies in the belief that you are now someplace where pain and suffering cannot touch you.
Still, I’d like to imagine that if I had one more chance to see you, I’d have shown you all the places in the West where I have roamed, and tell the intricacies of their science. If I had one more chance to speak with you, I’d say that the man I’ve become is, in so many ways, due to you. If I had one more chance to talk with you, I’d tell you that your influence is not lost – it is alive and well in me, and in countless others whose lives you’ve touched.
So while we will dearly miss you, as far as missing goes – you will live on in our hearts and in our lives. I, for one, will make sure of that – you will live on.
Jan 18
Jan 18, 2026 at 5:20 PM UTC
I traveled to a far-off city one day
and found the journey quite lonesome, as I often do
Maybe because the trees passing by reminded me of what I left behind –
a piece of myself, a version of me that uniquely existed in that space
Or, maybe because the road on the horizon revealed what lies ahead –
uncertainty, possibilities, the cold and dark unknown
Or, maybe because of the memories that plagued my mind in transit –
an amalgamation of joy, grief, and everything in between
Perhaps, it was all three – after all,
The one who leaves
loses something more along the way
The one who arrives
begins with empty hands
And the one who remembers –
he is always alone.
Dec 29, 2025
Dec 29, 2025 at 3:20 PM UTC
i catch myself staring blankly into space more often
my heart – a sad caricature of its former self – has lost its vigor
there is a haunting emptiness that eats at it
as if my existence has turned ethereal
and my ghostly presence is nothing but
a poor reflection of who i used to be
i have forgotten what joy felt like
my chest – now an empty carcass – is numb to the feeling of love
there is a heavy burden on my shoulders
as if i am engulfed in an ocean of sadness
drowning aimlessly in its freezing waters
and i cannot find a way out
i am a captive of restless thoughts
my mind – clouded and dispirited – has lost all reason
there is an unsettling silence and melancholy that fills it
as if i was lost in an endless labyrinth
unable to distinguish between forward and back
walking blindly towards impending doom
i was under the impression
that i was doing my best to live this life –
a life i had no hand in in its conception
but maybe, i was hiding from the truth
that i was losing myself slowly
and someday, i will be all but spent.
Nov 1, 2025
Nov 1, 2025 at 5:40 PM UTC
Why does it feel like we are living out the tragic fairy tales we used to be told as children?
Bedtime stories used to feel so safe, but now they make for living nightmares.
Everything I touch turns to gold, but they weigh me down, so much so that I am drowning in a sea of obsessive perfection – and yet I cannot even breathe nor swim.
Have I given too much of myself to an illusory aim?
Have I forgotten my roots and the things that really matter in the end?
Everything I touch turns to gold, but gold is not what I desire.
It was never the end; it was the means.
But now I have a golden palace and a broken heart.
Tell me, where do I go from here?
Aug 20, 2025
Aug 20, 2025 at 3:30 PM UTC
i stared out my window today
and the world outside looked the same
the same old trees, the same small birds
the same dusky sky strewn with clouds
like a painting frozen in time
seemingly constant and lasting
a safe and familiar ground
yet i cannot shake this feeling
that something has changed in some way
and the sun will not be as warm
and the stars won’t appear as bright
and the moon won’t be the same sight
the stochasticity of this world
brings souls together and then apart
an impermanence that bestows grief
yet offers meaning to our lives
wherever this divergence takes us
just know that this meeting was special
the universe conspired for this, so
when chance allows us to meet again
tell me your stories and i’ll share mine
and we will laugh like we used to laugh
and we will sing like we used to sing
and we will talk like we used to talk
moments like this come rarely to a wallflower
you can be sure they will treasure this forever
Aug 16, 2025
Aug 16, 2025 at 6:00 PM UTC
She was sprawled rather finely
On the fields near the mountains,
The sound of a brook not too far away.
She was on an adventure,
A lifelong mission,
To bring forth into the world
Her greatest anthem
She was, by herself, a universe -
Filled with galaxies of aspirations,
Nebulae of passions and
Constellations of hopes and dreams
And into this song, this masterpiece
She hopes to give a part of herself
A universe born from a universe
She carefully crafted this musical piece
Meticulously weaving note by note
And placing sounds in their proper place
She spent countless of sleepless nights
Pouring her heart and soul into her work
Weathering the blood, sweat and tears
That the earnest endeavor entailed
It was the very expression of her soul
Made with every good thought
And every good intention
It was her joy and her hope
Filled with all things bright and lovely
Her grandest work of art
It was her entirety
Her greatest anthem is love
Her greatest anthem is true
And whether or not
She is here today,
I am certain she still lives on
Because, as a matter of fact,
Her greatest anthem is you.
Epilogue
May the sounds of our mothers
Continue to echo in our lives today
That we may be a manifestation
Of their great love and sacrifice
Let the whole world hear her music
Let her harmony ring true
Let her melody play on
Let us play it on
May 11, 2019
May 11, 2019 at 9:58 PM UTC
I wrapped my arms around her the way she always loved
And leaned close to her ear and gently whispered these words of mine:
"My love,
Oh how many lovers must have stared at the moon with undying passion,
With fiery love in their hearts, and all those emotions they whispered to her;
And oh how many lovers must have stared at the church with eternity in sight,
Seeing their whole lives before them, together in each other's arms.
How blessed are we then tonight, to be staring at them both;
Full of passion and love for each other,
With the thought of forever in our hearts."
Nov 25, 2018
Nov 25, 2018 at 7:36 AM UTC
She never quite understood how much she meant to him
Perhaps, because he spoke too little while she revealed too much
If only she knew
That for the longest time
No one has gotten so close to his heart
The way she has
Oct 14, 2018
Oct 14, 2018 at 6:48 PM UTC