When is the last time you took a risk? How did it work out?
I took a risk, unsure, afraid,
Sent my son where paths weren’t laid.
“Isha” called with quiet grace,
A school, a space, a sacred place.
No map in hand, just mother’s trust,
But magic bloomed, as all things must.
He found himself, so bold, so true,
And soared beyond what I once knew.
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In Pahalgam’s hush, a promise lies,
Of rising suns and endless skies.
Though shadows fall and tears may stream,
The soul still dares to dream its dream.
Scarred but sacred, this land stands tall,
Wrapped in the tricolor, embracing all.
We rise not just to heal, but to defend,
With hope as our shield, and justice our stand.
Simi
I am Pahalgam,
Cradled by mountains, carved by rivers,
a hymn of hush, a cradle of peace.
But today, I weep.
What should have bloomed,
a festival of footsteps,
laughter spilled like sunlight on pine,
was shattered by shadows,
by hands heavy with hate.
They were not merely taken,
they were chosen
By a blindness that fears faith,
by a cruelty that marks belief as a wound.
Now, my meadows hold their breath.
The trails sleep beneath dust.
The breeze, once laced with whispers of joy,
carries only the mourning of the land.
This is no passing sorrow.
It is a scar,
etched deep into my valleys,
aching, unhealed, unforgettable.
Simi
“No storm is meant to pull you down
it merely asks, will you rise or frown?
What you hold with poise and grace,
never grows into a tangled place.”
Simi
Through the lens of Chandrakala Rathnam
(Echoes between a father and his son)
The office drains you, day by day,
Deadlines chase the light away.
But in your home, a boy stands still
Becoming a man, by quiet will.
He’s not your daughter, not as warm,
He hides his heart behind his form.
A little rough, a little loud,
Still, he wants to make you proud.
Broader now, with shoulders wide,
A growing strength he tries to hide.
Not just in size, but voice and frame
He’s changing fast, not just in name.
He watches you more than he speaks,
Tries on your steps, your ways, your streaks.
He’ll never say, “I want your shoes,”
But wears your habits like tattoos.
And yes he questions things you do,
He wonders if you’d change them too.
He holds his thoughts, but you should know,
He’s building self from what you show.
He’s in the grind of proving worth,
Unsure of place, unsure of mirth.
He doesn’t want his flaws laid bare,
Just quiet faith that you’ll be there.
He speaks in tones that sometimes sting,
A shield he wears while balancing.
Not meant to hurt or cross the line
Just teenage pride in awkward shine.
He may roll eyes or turn away,
As if your words just drift and sway.
But under that dismissive air,
He hopes you’ll see, and still be there.
He knows you’ve worked, he feels the strain
But seeks your calm more than your claim.
A quiet nod, a shared refrain,
Can guide him more than loud acclaim.
A mother loves, she softens ground,
She lifts him up when he’s weighed down.
But even she though warm and wise
Can’t fill the space he sees in your eyes.
For he looks to you to understand,
The path of boys who seek to stand.
To rough it out, to fix, to run
He longs to talk with a man, not anyone.
He needs your patience, not your plan.
He needs to see a gentle man.
Not perfect, real. Not far, right here,
To share his pride, his doubt, his fear.
Take him along just walk the lane,
Talk cars and bikes and weekend rain.
Ask him how his run felt today,
If he’s building strength his way.
Or let him strum his dear guitar,
And tell you dreams that stretch too far.
He won’t be here for long, you know
College calls, and boys must go.
These little talks on simple things
Might one day give his manhood wings.
For even men who grow up bold
Need someone real to help them mold.
So take a drive, or share the sky,
And meet him there just man and guy.
He won’t ask much, but he will see
The kind of man he hopes to be.
Simi
How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success?
When the road bent sharp, and the path turned steep,
More courage stirred, because there were promises to keep.
For every ‘no’ that broke my way,
A stronger ‘yes’ was built the same day.
What experiences in life helped you grow the most?
When the nest felt empty, cold, and bare,
Reminding me, it was built to send them there.
Not to keep, but to make them strong,
To teach their wings where they belong.
And in that quiet, I came to see,
This was the trial that molded me.
For love’s true essence is not to restrain,
But to release with joy, devoid of pain.”
Tell us about your favorite pair of shoes, and where they’ve taken you.
“Through every street, through sun and storm
My faithful shoes have danced in each form.
With every step, a tale they weave,
Of dreams I chase and paths I leave.
Tracing memories, while dancing through time, Whispering stories with every rhyme.”
Write about your approach to budgeting.
Balance necessities and dreams, steady and true,
Save for the future, but live for what you pursue.
Simi says... 