Star dust

at the
end of the day

we are all just
star dust
reflecting star light
from our eyes

that slowly
escapes
from our cracks

and
shines through.

Greatness

Never take greatness for granted.

Because greatness is not gifted.

It’s earned.

On the track.
On the field.
In the gym.
In your room.
On your computer.
When the code isn’t working.
When everyone has already left.
When the creativity isn’t flowing through.
When you have no fucking idea of what’s happening.

When you wanna leave too.
But you don’t.

You stay there.
And do what you’re supposed to do.

And even more…

Because you know
You can’t earn greatness without
blood, sweat and
occasional tear.

So never take it for granted.
EVER.

 

PS: If you enjoyed this post, follow me on Instagram for more

Telltale signs

I bled to death
yesterday
but now,
I’m fine.

let me rinse
my soul
with endless stream
of frosty spirits
and
remove

all the
telltale signs.

Stan Wawrinka’s tattoo

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.

And why he got this:

I only did the tattoo last year, but I first saw the quote a long time ago. It always stayed in my mind. It’s how I see life and tennis. The meaning of the quote doesn’t change no matter how well you do. There is always disappointment, heartache. You are losing almost every tournament. You need to just accept it and be positive because you are going to lose and fail. We’re not all Nadal or Djokovic, who can win most tournaments.

Like brother, like sister

Let me start today with a little bit of history.
My personal history.

Or to be more precise, my writing history.

I started writing when I was in 6th grade. Or maybe 5th. Not really sure. It has definitely been a while. And the reason why I started was a girl who used to sit next to me and she had written 4 lines one day which rhymed, and to me as a 5th grader, reading those lines was like magic.

THEY RHYME!

Don’t wanna exaggerate here but my whole world kind of changed. Those four lines sounded beautiful, and it occurred to me that if she can write that, why can’t I? So next couple of months, I spent reading several stories and started translating them into poem-like form, so that they rhyme every alternate sentence.

For me, that was quite an accomplishment at that age.

For everyone else that I showed it to, it wasn’t.

Most of them didn’t get it and probably thought I was wasting my time doing things that no one else was doing.

And this has carried on for my whole life and still does with most of the things I do.

But I’m a stubborn kind. So I said, fuck them. I’ll keep on doing what I like to do.

And that’s pretty much how I learned everything.

Growing up in a place where creative endeavors were limited to only painting in classrooms as a part of curriculum wasn’t particularly easy when you have a knack of doing things that are considered “different”. But having family and friends who didn’t discourage that was a big plus.

And years down the lane, a funny thing happened.

It’s okay to be different now.

It’s okay to learn tennis when everyone else is playing cricket.
It’s okay to play guitar when everyone else is spending their time on the streets.
It’s okay to write and express when everyone else is being everyone else.

And it couldn’t have made me any prouder when I found out how my younger sister picked up on these things and started pursuing what she likes to do. Maybe this is a common thing for you to happen around you or in your family, but trust me when I say this, as a brother, there’s no bigger feeling than seeing your younger sister have the guts to follow what she wants.

Here’s one of her poems she sent me few days ago. I read it and it instantly took me back many years ago when I used to write and not show it to anyone because I was so sure they wouldn’t get it. Or maybe I was just scared of what they’ll think of it.

And to anyone reading this who’s afraid of sharing any personal art, whether it’s paintings, writing, music, anything in public for whatever reason, let me tell you something. You’re way better at it than you think you are. And you’re not gonna find that out until you do it. So please, just do it. Thank you.

“More, I discover this outside world,
I feel connected to it,
Everything swirled,
Preserved each bit,

More, I discover these people,
I open up,
They, Extremely treacle,
I, can’t hold up…”

Go follow her here: https://akshitatyagi11blog.wordpress.com/

Railroad blues

what’s the railroad to me?
you ask

I never go to see
where it ends.
where it takes all the
wanderers

on what corners does
it bend?

from all I know
and from what the
greats say
you find out
as you walk along
the way

it’s not the end
it’s right now, the wind
that’s blowing
I love it enough
to bear

with the not knowing.

Strong

It’s not always necessary to be strong,
but to feel

strong.

Discover

romance is
man flirting with the
stars and their
glittering sky
when he didn’t
know
about the great depths
of the sea

it was wanting
to discover you,
to reveal the best
of those hidden gems
inside you

when I still
hadn’t found
me.

Daily auditions

Some people are always auditioning.

People who aren’t comfortable with themselves.

Who don’t know who they are.

Or what they want.

Always figuring out what they’re supposed to do.

While others just make the stage their home.

One for your mum and dad

“Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don’t criticize
What you can’t understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is rapidly agin’
Please get out of the new one if you can’t lend your hand

For the times they are a-changin’ ”

— Bob Dylan