एक काळ होता जेव्हा
मी वर्गात पहिला यायचो,
सगळ्यात A ग्रेड मिळवायचो तेव्हा,
आनंदाने पेढा खायचो

शिकवलेले कळायचे मला सगळं,
विषय सगळे आवडायचे
खेळ खेळायचो वेगवेगळे,
शिक्षक सर्व मुलांना घडवायचे

आज मी वर्गात पहिला येत नाही,
नाही खात मी पेढा
शिकवलेलं कळत नाही काही,
कमी गुणांनी घातलाय वेढा

विषय नाहीत आवडत मला,
कलेला नाही आहे वाव
शिक्षक डोकं खातात साला,
फक्त मार्कांनाच आहे भाव

पण येतील ते दिवस पुन्हा,
जेव्हा मीच पहिला येईन
खूप गुण मिळतील तेव्हा,
मी पुन्हा पेढा खाईन

चारही बाजूंनी असेल वाहवा माझी,
खूप मोठं असेल माझं नाव
कीर्ती पसरलेली असेल माझी अशी,
की असेल फक्त माझाच बडेजाव

"TRUST yourself and move forward rather than longing for people to trust you."

"Work hard and show the life you always wanted to lead to all the people around you who are confused about what you'll do in life and confusing you in reaching your aim."

Don’t give others the chance to:
– Remind you of your goal.
– Question your abilities.
– Doubt your path to your dreams.
– Judge your lifestyle.
– Make your decisions.

I. Fracture (The Splintering)
Divorce in my eyes— not just of lovers,
but of trust split cleanly in two. It’s a quiet
betrayal, where belief in others fractures
like glass in morning frost. The break isn't loud—
It’s slow, and it lingers like silence in a room
that once held laughter.
____________

II. Hope (The Gaze Upward)
Still, beneath the applause of stars,
I offer my belief in myself— a trembling gift
to their gleaming, ancient eyes. May my resilience
Be a constellation they name, not out of pity,
but awe. I crave mesmerizing remarks, spoken with
love—not just spoken of love— if only they knew
how to spell the word without misspelling it in action.
____________

III. Dust (The Reckoning)
Like mystic dust on the untouched virtues of time,
I’ve seen dreams— soiled, scattered, folded into
the pockets of regret. Not just mine. Many.
The world has walked through the fields of hope
with muddy boots. And now, in my dirt eyes,
I carry the stains— not of sin, but of seeing too
much and still refusing to look away.

Confidence used to be
Like a shelf I couldn’t ever quite
Reach.

But turns out, I just needed to
Get up off of my
Knees.

Some girls like silver.
Others like gold .

What if the girl.
Who likes silver.
Has never believed she deserves gold.

It's too shiny.
Too bright.
Draws too much attention.

It's golden like the sun.
Yet she wants to hide like the moon.
Just the way girls in silver do.

The girl in gold.
Shines too bright.
The spotlight on her all of the time.
As they say she's too much.

What if the girl in gold and one in silver.
Knew that they were like the sun and moon?

Destined to be seen.
Destined to be heard.

Like the stars aligning and universe shifting.
What if they both knew?
That they deserved to take turns in the light of day too?

Need I, to change myself?
Well, the question is easy not
Because what doth change exactly mean?
Need I, to change my behaviour?
Depends does it, on the situation
However, were you to ask me to change
Something that hath been a part of me
For years and years
The answer shall a resounding no be
Because, were I to change my nature
Then Ashwin I shall be no longer!!

Need I, to change myself?
Well, when it comest to anger management
Change I can, certainly
Of course, it is but something
Already am I working on
And I boast not
But strides, have I already made
Thus, am I on the right track

Need I, to change myself?
Well, when it comest to self-belief
Agree we all should
That this is but something
Which I need to work on
Because, currently drowning am I
In a pool of insecurities
Some of them being self-created
But yes, working on it am I
Through therapy and reading the gospel everyday
And of course, penning poems like this!!

Need I, to change myself?
Well, when it comest to certain painful incidents in the past
Do well I certainly could
To make an earnest effort
Towards forgiving and forgetting
Not because those people deserve it
But for my own inner peace
As have said repeatedly
All those dear to me

Need I, to change myself?
Well, were there something
Which I am happy with not
Then yes, may some tweak be needed
Because, as said a very dear cousin sister of mine
Change is but something
Which would keep me happy and protected

Need I, to change myself?
Well, when it comest to my character
Once again, the answer shall a resounding no be
Of course, a few behaviours here and there
Can altered be, if required
But then, doth it apply to everyone
And most importantly
Believe in myself, I must
No matter what
Again the words of my dear cousin
Amen!