I met my 15 year old self for coffee
We reached the cafe right on time
Not a moment late, not a moment prior

She gave a hesitant smile
Keeping her head lowered and her gaze fixed on her feet
yet ensuring her smile remained

I asked her what she'd like to have,
she simply said she'd take whatever I offered.
I gently insisted that she pick a drink of her choice
assuring her there would be no judgement

Over coffee, she pondered aloud
"Do we grow wiser, lovelier, more proud.
Do beauty & worth come with time or are we still searching for signs?"

I smiled and softly said
"We are already enough,
Smart, beautiful, worthy, too "

She froze for a moment, her eyes shimmered with unspoken emotions
- surprise, gratitude and something softer like warmth finally reaching a place long left cold

I got up from my seat,
Walked over to her & wrapped her in a tight hug
"You are a strong and a wonderful girl"
I murmured
"Thank you for holding on, for pushing through"

"But I hope you learn to be kinder to yourself.
I hope you stop being so ******* yourself
I hope you take a moment to slow down, smell the roses and cherish little things."

"Let the world wait—there's no rush to race
Be yourself at your own pace
Love yourself, stand tall, stand free"

"No matter what happens,
life will go on and it will still be beautiful.
And I need you to know this-
You are already enough, already worthy just as you are."

I used to complain—about my weight, my food, my clothes, my skin, and so much more. But lately, I’ve come to realize that life has never truly been about these things.

I witnessed a one-year-old baby, just beginning her journey on this earth, take her last breath despite relentless effort of her doctors to save her. I saw children as young as two, three, and ten, in excruciating pain, breathing through machines, fighting for a life they barely got to live.

And here I am—healthy, breathing on my own, able to eat and drink whenever I please. What more could I ask from life?

Life has a way of teaching gratitude, often at the cost of witnessing others’ suffering. It humbles us, reminding us of the blessings we take for granted. As someone rightly  said, “I once cried because I had no shoes until I saw a man with no legs.”

I give my all
then give some more
and again a little more

Not in anger, not for praise
but I walked my days giving comfort, calm and light
while my own lights softly wanes

I know there's no one to blame,
its just a battle within my mind
that no souls will every truly see

It lingers near yet stays unknown
this thing that I seek or say
Yet through these words
I pour my mind, the only escape l seem to find

You say you are tired
of the human connections
But what you're actually tired of is
connecting with the wrong people

You say you wanna disappear
and never come back
When you are longing to be found, to be understood and to be loved

You say you want to be left alone
When all you want is someone to come
and embrace you in their warmth

You say this and you say that
but never what's in your heart

There she stood and
Watched as the world hustled

Everyone seems to have
a dream to fulfil,
a goal to achieve,
a journey to travel,
a destination to reach

She wonders to herself
how it feels to to have
a dream to fulfil,
a goal to achieve,
a journey to travel
and a destination to reach

Yet there she stood
still as the old willow
rooted down for ages
for what, where and how
her life entangles in between the mist and crowd

PoV- You are still trying to understand your existence

Red light glows
A sudden pause

I sit in the passenger seat
Watching the processions of wheels bow to the scarlet command

Amid the rushes and the restless faces
I crave to remain just a little longer

I don’t know if it’s the fear of what lies at the end of the road
That brings me peace in staying still

Or is it the halt
that slows the constant rush
and the frantic pace of life temporarily softens,  
that is bringing me this calm

Whatever the cause maybe
I long to hold onto it just a bit longer