What is my aim, why am I living this life?
Sometimes I question the meaning of this existence
It burns like the tip of a survival knife
With some unusual sparks of brilliance

I believe that it is up to us to find meaning
Some believe that life is about merely reproducing, others about improving
For some, pleasure is the ultimate evil, and for others, pleasure is a reason to live
I find my meaning within those brief moments, where the clouds of the world fade away and a beautiful ray of light shines

When I say my aim, I could say that I want to graduate school, get into a great college
Build a muscular body, some social skills, and some clout
Become rich and gain in knowledge
Without deeper meaning though, these perks will merely be façade, covering a drought

Today, I am that drought
It’s just that I don’t have a mirage for my desert in the form of looks, fame, or status
My face is consistently breaking out
Seeping through my flimsy skin apparatus

My aim is to acknowledge my scars, those fundamental flaws
Develop a sense of focus and purpose
If my young self were to see me now, would I be able to cover myself in gauze
Or would they see right through my *******, call it a circus

Hi Dad,
I just wanted to write this to let you know how much you mean to me
I’m not a very open or expressive person by nature
But on this fine day, I wanted to open up my heart to you and let you know how I’ve been feeling
Sometimes we only truly recognize the value of things when we’re about to lose them

About two weeks ago, I thought my life was collapsing
The imminent threat of your demise shook me from within
I often run away from the way I actually feel
For the first time in my life, this was something I couldn’t run away from

You have been there for me since the beginning of my existence
From my first breaths to my journey back to the US
Life hasn’t been fair to you
But you are the gift that keeps on giving

I’ve met many people in life, some of extraordinary caliber
I’ve looked up to many celebrities, just hoping for a chance to meet them
In not one of them have I seen such a capacity to handle other people
You take the world’s blows while giving back more and more

I’m mesmerized by your work ethic and astounded by your grit
Though you’re quick to get angry, your empathy is ceaseless
I wish you all the best in your next life
Honestly, I don’t deserve you, and you don’t deserve this existence

I’m an atheist, so I don’t believe in any higher power
Nevertheless, I see you as the source of my power
Aside from being my creator, you’ve been my source of nurturing
Without you, the world felt like it had lost its meaning

I’m a firm believer in nihilism, the philosophy that there is no meaning to life
In the wake of your ambulance ride, I found my purpose and meaning
Maybe life has no meaning logically, but in my heart, you really matter
I can hide from the world, but not hide from myself

I gave up on my self long ago, but you kept pushing me
So far and so hard that you almost lost yourself
Thanks to you, I’ve had an epiphany on my life
What on earth have I been doing

I feel like I’ve made this a little too dark and existential
So let’s lighten the mood a bit
I’ve seen a lot in your wake
Nothing has amazed me more than your enthusiasm

When it comes to carrying out tasks, you execute them with absolute persistence
Nothing seems to stop you, not even your own body, it seems
You are the foundation of the tree
No matter how much I chop off, you keep growing

So today on this momentous occasion, I come to show my gratitude
I’m quite self-centered and egotistical, so this doesn’t really come naturally to me
Thank you for all that you keep doing
And thank you for being the wake-up call in my life that I absolutely needed

Happy Father’s Day, Sanjeev
I hope that you spend the rest of your life in extreme bliss and happiness
You deserve more credit than you can think of
I just hope one day I can live up to your legacy

We all feel down and lonely
A pandemic is on the loose
It’s called COVID-19
Our leaders seem obtuse

Originated in China
Took the world by storm
Made doomsday a reality
Spread like a thunderstrorm

This is the world we live in
This is our reality
A small cough can go a long
way
Causing a tragedy

This is a collapse of society
This is a recession
The collapse of world
markets
The new great depression

Trapped inside
Feel the world’s about to end
Terrified
Of what will happen next

Great divide
Among our countrymen
Amplified
The threat of apocalypse

As we stay home in
quarantine
Contemplating the spread of
corona
The truth becomes clear to
us
We are a persona

One of greed and cruelty
And irresponsibility
The environment healing
from abuse
Ordained for “civility”

Life is all about relationships
Symbiosis helps both people
But in the environment and
politics
What happened to our
principles

The have-nots suffer as the
haves hoard
Some stay home while
others don’t
Medical doctors fight an
uphill battle
Our politicians simply won’t

Trapped inside
Feel the world’s about to end
Terrified
Of what will happen next

Feel defied
As we fail to adopt measures
Fully supplied
In anticipation of the crisis
Trapped inside
Hoping we win this war
Petrified
Of the scary possibilities

Fortified
From the pathogens around
Worldwide
We will vanquish this disease

As things seem to get worse
We must remain in our
bunker
Separate truth from
conspiracy
Never succumb to divide and
conquer

When this neo-apocalypse
ends
We must learn from our
mistakes
Blaming others won’t fix this
We will rise above the stakes

You’re feeling down and lonely
Pandemic on the loose
COVID-19, they call it
It’s all over the world and every breaking news

Showed up in Wuhan, China
Like a shroud, a locust swarm
Its a dragon breathing fire
With a breath like an oncoming raging storm

The virus has just gone vvviral
Can this ever be undone
We are on a downward spiral
Has the doomsday we’ve heard of really finally come

We’re scared and we’re petrified
Crisis and we’re trapped inside
Medicines can’t put up a fight
But, grit goes a long way in learning how to survive

Hey,
Now don't feel trapped
Don't you fear what's next
We're going to be strong
From here and now on
The world is not ending

Hey,
We're quarantined
But we know that's best
Morale’s low and down, I guess
And despite all the stress
This is the message we're sending

Stay home, stay real strong
Don't let the virus cause you harm
No more corona blues
Don't let the virus get the better of you

Revere this time, put it to good use
Don't you panic or be confused
We're all somehow paying our dues
Don't let the virus get the better of you
Don't let corona get the better of you


The world that we live in
Has a new reality
Can’t believe a small cough
Could lead to such fatality
One shudders at the thought of gasping for breath
Could meeting with people mean flirting with death

We are learning from mistakes
And we know now what’s best
We will rise above the stakes
So don’t be depressed
We’re gonna get rid of this nasty unwelcome guest
While corona still hangs in the air
Here’s my request

Hey,
Don't feel trapped
Don't fear what's next
We're going to be strong
From here now on
The world is not ending

Hey,
We're quarantined
But we know that's best
Morale is low and down
The test is still on
There is no room for pretending
Stay home, stay real strong
Don't let the virus cause you harm
No more corona blues
Don't let the virus get the better of you

Use this time, put it to good use
Don't you panic or be confused
We're all somehow paying our dues
Don't let the virus get the better of you
Don't let corona get the better of you

We must learn from our mistakes
Nature’s put man in his place
Almost a slap in the face
The bubble’s burst and we’re wide awake

Loosing thousands of lives
Makes my heart just ache
Forget truth or conspiracy
We’re just going to win this war


Don't let the virus get the better of you
Don't let corona get the better of you

Today’s the day
I see the glistening rays
Let’s get ready
For the adventure of a lifetime

Tonight’s the night
It’s time to move
The time has come
Let us begin

Today’s the day to prep for the journey
Many have tried and failed, but we must go on
We must go on…
We must be exemplary

Tonight’s the night to make a move
I see no challengers waiting to prove
That they’re the best of the bunch out there

And here we stand face to face with time
I’m struggling to see the mountain behind
The height is enormous and so is the view from there

I anticipate a long, treacherous journey ahead
Ruthless weather and an uncomfortable bed

Once upon a time, when we were bold and free
When we just had fun and were let be
Talked about growing up, about getting a job
But when childhood left, we began to sob

Oh those were the good days, you see
But now, we learn nothing in life is free
Everything comes from hard work and dedication
Life doesn't mould itself according to expectation

In the old days, we always looked forward to the future
But today, we are too burdened by the present
At one time, little things had so much meaning
Now, even big things struggle to make an impression

When we were naive, when we were young
When we didn't know the story real life sung
When we thought we were very special
When we believed we could cross any threshold

Today we learn the awful truths
That life is really just a flooded ticket booth
Handing out tickets to only those with money and luck
Throwing out others like dump trucks

Life is the most lopsided video game
Oneself is the hardest thing to tame
Life isn't easy, that's for sure
But we are all in this together, we can get through this pressure

Our childhood is never coming back
We can never cut ourselves that slack
We definitely do lack
But we can put ourselves on the right track

We can stay in the past, the known, the certain
Or we can venture into the future, the mystery, the unknown
Life may be cruel
But we are all jewels

Life may be hard, life may be unfair
The days of ignorant bliss are gone somewhere
But the day will come when we will ride the elite bus
We won't be ready for life, life will be ready for us

Everyone thinks that their life is hard
That they don't have that trump card
But there is a light at the end of the tunnel
For those who've entered the funnel

Life isn't so rosy and pretty
Especially when you are witty
But life has much to offer
Even when all seems lost and tricky

Childhood was great
But the rest of our life is a blank slate
We still have the power to write our story
To decide whether it will be one of regret or one of glory

Sticks and stones are cliche
For breaking people's bones
Notable for their ricochet
And the sound of horrible groans

But the same sticks and stones
Were the foundation of civilization
They were Mother Nature's loan
Exhausted without compensation

Used in every society
Majestic and tribal
Utilized by rich and poor
Friends and rivals

Used as pellets and spears
Now cannons and trenches
A cause of blood and tears
Loss of lives and disgusting stenches

Cornerstone of human society
Stones used in roads
Display of human piety
Sticks even used as replacement bones

Sticks and stones represent a choice
Whether to choose good or evil
You can give everyone a voice
Or be the cause of mass upheavel

Alas, the use of sticks and stones
Seems to be about breaking bones
It is a metaphor for shallow minds
Misunderstanding truth to be a straight line

Objective thinking
Believing in polarity and not spectrums
Refusing to see things through multiple shoes
Creating conflict like the pitches of a kickdrum

If we see through others' eyes
We will see the truth in both sides
Realize everything isn't black and white
Understand others' plights

Sticks and stones may break my bones
But they may fix them too
They can be the cause of my groans
Or the foundation of my roof