BEST WISHES FOR THE NEW YEAR 2022  ALONG WITH BEST OF HEALTH & HAPPINESS ! - RAJ NANDY , NEW DELHI, 01 JAN 2022.
( Those who are interested will find my poems on the 'Facebook' along with illustrated photographs, if you type on the search column there -''Poems by Raj Nandy'', God Bless!)

Dear friends, these are the personal reflections of a senior septuagenarian as this year draws to an end. The poem is dedicated to my contemporary John Stevens of Chicago and all my friends, with Best Wishes For the New Year 2022, – Raj Nandy, 30 Dec 2021, New Delhi.

    MY LIFE’S TRIAL BALANCE SHEET
During the *** end of my life, after collecting
data from the General Ledger of those years
gone by, I now find, -
The Debit side has overtaken the Credit side,
In the balance sheet of my life!
Here I am not speaking of those earthly treasures
which moth and dust doth corrupt,
Where thieves break through and steal!  @ (NOTES)
But of those treasures laid up in Heaven which
remain immune from such earthly contaminations.
Even though these treasures have provided me
with short- lived comfort and satisfaction!

I now speak of people who have loved and cared
for me,
Of all those whose love I had failed to reciprocate
and return.
I speak here of unrequited love!
These regrets shall forever remain, since all
our earthly possessions are finally left behind;
And in the final balance sheet of life,
Only memories of people whose love I had
taken for granted,
Now show up on my Debit side!
But within this limited time frame, gaining
‘moksh’ has become my earnest quest,
Through good actions and deeds and also  
to be blessed.
I now recall what our great teachers and
philosophers have often said,
That a wise man does not seek the treasures
of this earth,
But freedom from the eternal cycle of birth,
death, and rebirth!
                                    -Raj Nandy, New Delhi.
NOTES: @ Reference is made to the gospel of Matthew chapter 6,
verses 19-20 of the New Testament.

HERE ARE FEW REFLECTIONS IN A LIGHTER VEIN
BUT MANY A TRUE WORD IS SPOKEN IN A JEST!
We become aware how precious our teeth are,
When we start paying the dentist for the sittings by
the hour!
And so it is with our sight, hearing, and body parts,
Be it our liver, the kidney, or the heart!
The brain, our master control, also becomes forgetful
as the years go on.
Now hearing all this the **** angrily exclaimed, -
“You have totally forgotten me my dear old friend.
What if I decide to shut down from today itself?”

Now please don’t ask me about the Soul,
Since many are unaware and doubt if it exists at all !
Unfortunately, they may not come to know when alive,
And who knows if there ever going to be a next time!
Now there are other who offer 'lip service' to the Soul
just to keep it pleased.
Since they feel it is better to err on the positive side
as some doubt in their mind exists!
But there are many who do yoga and sincerely meditate,
In order to unite the Body, the Mind, and the Soul, -
in order to integrate!
                                             -Raj Nandy, New Delhi.

Dear friends, as an old poet I lament the happenings going on in our World in one of my blue moods! – Raj Nandy, New Delhi.

   LAMENTATIONS OF AN OLD POET!
The World shall continue to move at its own pace,
With global warming making things difficult for
the entire human race!
As Covid virus continues to mutate, with China’s
expansionist policy trying to dominate!
World Leaders lack the guts to condem China!
Unfortunately, these myopic Leaders only remain
fixiated on the past crimes of Adolp ******!
Religious fundamentalism shall continue to
persecute humanity,
In their fight that can never be fully won in
reality.
Our dishonest politicians shall continue to cheat
and rob their very own!
While the rich shall continue to become richer,
With the poor becoming more poorer, - as the
World goes on!
The World is changing fast and it is no longer
the World we had earlier known!
I wonder what legacy shall we leave behind for
our growing generation?
Perhaps they have to develop survival skills on
their own!
Now I conclude with a quote from the English
poet William Wordsworth:-
“If this belief from heaven be sent,
  If such be Nature's holy plan,
  Have I not reason to lament
  What Man has made of Man?”
                                         -Raj Nandy, July2021, New Delhi.

Friends, this is a recently composed short reflective poem of mine, hope you like it. – Raj Nandy, July 2021, New Delhi.

       MY LIFE’S ETERNAL SONG
Please let me remain as I want to be,
I have adapted myself to remain free!
Free from the never ending clutches of
desires of this World which begets pain!
I do not regret what could not be
gained.
I have forgotten those things all the
same.
If everything could be attained,
Life would become rather dull
and mundane!
No doubt I speak here for myself.

I remain happy with whatever I have,
With whatever now  remains.
To sing my song of liberty as a Poet, -
I am not afraid!
That yawning chasam between our
desires and material gains, -
Shall forever continue to remain!
As this World continues to spin
round and round, -
Like a puppy dog trying to catch
it’s own tail!
                          -Raj Nandy, New Delhi.

Dear Friends,
           Some of us, especially the Senior lot of poets, are posting on the 'FACEBOOK' these days where we have greater visibility! We are able to post our selected Photographs on the 'Facebook' to better illustrate the theme of our poems through simple cut & paste. There are many senior poets posting there who were earlier posting on poetry sites like 'Poemhunter.com', 'Poetfreak.com', including the 'Hello Poetry' site. I am posting on 'Hello Poetry' site occasionally, but I am mainly posting on the 'Facebook' as 'Raj Nandy'. You may kindly have a look there if you wish, it is a Free Site, and worth the try! Best wishes & happy writing! - Raj Nandy, New Delhi, July, 2021.

Friends, seeing death and suffering brought on by the Chinese Corona virus all over the World, and despite efforts made to create a ‘smart’ and a better World, I become nostalgic at times when past memories of better days begin to haunt me, which gets expressed in these few reflective lines of poetry!
                                 -Raj Nandy, a very senior citizen of Delhi.

BREATHLESS IN THIS VIRTUAL AND
     SO CALLED ‘SMART’ WORLD!
As my age begins to grow, time begins
to reduce its rapid flow.
Though I knew one day I shall depart,
But the mind could not accept such
thoughts at the start.
Tough I had aspired to reach for the sky,
But my body gradually failed to respond,
and I sighed!
Yet, I had always dreamt of a better World, -
Healthy, peace loving, and strong.
But did not realize that one day over
ambitious China with its Corona virus, -
Will prove me wrong!!

Having seen seven decades plus seven
on this Earth,
I now survive with nostalgic memories
of better days gone past.
When love, goodwill, and trust had better
survived.
When postman brought letters laced with
love and blessings of elders, -
Which made me to thrive!
Now smart talks, smart cities, and smart
phones, - fail to impress and console me!
Since by prefixing the word ‘smart’ neither
the city nor its people become smart in
realty!
And now lockdown and quarantine is
trying to enslave humanity!

In this uncertain and lovelorn World
at my present age of seventy seven,
I wonder if God is also trying to build a
‘smart’ digital city up  there in Heaven?!
If that be so, Heaven only exists in my
mind virtually;
In keeping with our modern times, it
exists only as ‘Virtual Reality’!
                                          -Raj Nandy, New Delhi.