Copyright © 2018 by Harinder Singh Vasdev.

ISBN:                   Softcover                    978-1-5437-0305-4

                             eBook                            978-1-5437-0304-7

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Contents

Preamble

The Hand Of God

Thank You, O God

Part 1

Purity Of A Child

Let The Child Be

Hope And Desire

We Lack In Morality

Nature’s Music

Ride Over The Hurt

Mind As Jury

Man And Progress

Life Has Tensions

Circle Of Friends

Learn Through Open Eyes

Be Ready

Hold Thy Greed

Have Courage

The Omnipotent

Dream the Dreams

Live Without Regrets

Share Your Feelings

Face Life Boldly

The Celebration Of Life

Life And Evolution

Food For Your Spirits

Love Begets Love

The Jingle Of Money

Toothless Tigers

Clear Your Mind

The Pain Of Love

Win Over Enemies

The Tree Of Life

Balance Your Life

Money Does Not Rule

Spread Your Goodness

Give Your Ear Its Due

Moderation Is The Key

The ‘Stick’!

Tap Into Your Goodness

Unclutter Your Mind

What Cleanliness?!

The Profanity Of Being A Human

Two To Tango

The Circle of Life

Honesty Of Love

Life And Its Charms

Age With Dignity

Companionship

Uncluttered Happiness

Accept His Gifts

The Legacy

Never Exploit Goodness

Shelve Your Ego

Be Worthy Of Him

Fault Not Others

Never Stray!

Unlock Your Hidden Treasures

Children, God’s Blessings

Desire And Hope

Destiny Defined

Life Needs Constant Changes

The Steadfast Light

Await The Morning

Life Is ‘Living Today’

Do Your Karma

Balance Your Boat

The Rainbow Of Life

Have Faith

Part 2

Rest In Peace, Dear Mother

Balance Of Life

Sycophants We Are!

Luck - Wither Art Thou?

The Famished Soul

Call Of A Tortured Soul

Ode To Grandma

Somnambulism

Random Rumblings

Opportunity Makes The Man

Rambling, Again

A Fairy To Rescue, A Demon To Haunt

Random Verses

The Five Senses

Love Your Life

Accept Life As It Is

Game Of Life

Desires

Life And Death

Thanks, Dear Children

The Alphabet Of Life

Sexual Starvation

Feelings

Breathe Easy

The Envelope

Let The Egg Be

The Way Of Life

Childhood, Revisited

Have Faith

Destiny

Understanding Life

Passages Of Life

Peace Of Mind

A New Day

Age No Bar

Demons And Gods

Ode To A Mother

Judgement Day

Choose Friends Wisely

Commercial Relations

Of Sins And Sinners

Invoking Gods

Winds Of Change

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

The Mating Season

The Voices

Ode To The Indian Woman

Value Your Assets

The Hazy Mind

To Sin Is Normal

A Legacy Lost

Relationships

Woes We Face

Nature - Our Responsibility

The Ego

The Water Cycle

Don’t Weave That Web

The Eyes Do Lie!!

Where Is God??!!

The Singing Heart!

The Fear Of Tomorrow

Life Is So Colourful!!!

A Canopy Called ‘Mother’

Where Are We Headed?

Parenting Needs Changes

The Noose!!

The Garden

Needle In The Haystack!!

The Mantra Of Praying

Nature Is Your Teacher!!

The Blessed Tongue

Strings

The Blame Game

Respect Yourself Again

Autumn Has Arrived!!!

Dedicated

to

S. Fateh Singh Vasdev

A salute to my father’s undying spirit against all odds. He fought circumstances and situations to get his four children, (Gurdarash Kaur, Manjit Kaur, Ravinder Kaur and I), educated well enough to cope with life. His teachings on familial and social bondings have kept us all together to this day.

Preamble

Dear friends,

This introductory book of poems is a salute to my daughter, Preeti, for opening my eyes and mind to feelings which were dormant in me and would never have seen daylight but for her, thus enabling me to express them in the form of poems or verses. That I could write poetry was a surprise to me as well!

It all started as a trickle. My daughter shared her thoughts through phone messages, to which I started replying, first in plain prose and later, in response to her rhyming two-liners, with rhyming lines of my own. Exactly when this trickle turned into a deluge, I cannot say, but turn it did, and opened me up emotionally and mentally into a realm I never knew existed!

I cannot thank her, nor thank God enough, for this feeling of deliverance that has come to occupy my mind-space!!

I begin this book with two poems, THE HAND OF GOD and THANK YOU, O GOD!. The first one was penned on October 9, 2013, prior to my hospitalisation for mastectomy. The second one was after the operation and during my convalescence. They represent my life as it is now, eternally grateful to God and His munificence!

Part I of the book takes you through the small steps on this journey, when my fledgling steps slowly started taking hold, and then opening up my mind and confidence. "INSPIRATION" indicates Preeti’s thoughts she sent, and the poems below the ensuing conversations in the form of verses.

Part II – My mother, Mrs. Amrit Kaur Vasdev, expired on December 26, 2014. Part II begins with a poem paying homage to her. The rest of it takes you through the voyage my mind has started to travel on, and the various aspects of life my mind wanders through.

It is a journey I am still on, and invite you, my friends, to accompany me.

Thank you.

Harinder Singh Vasdev

THE HAND OF GOD

Footsteps man does take,

the sands of time he treads,

Where they tend to lead him,

a destination he dreads!!

Some steps end in happiness,

some towards sadness lead,

Some go into wilderness,

as if luck has drawn a bead!!

Pot luck has always played a hand,

in the game of chance called life,

No mortal has ever escaped from it,

as disappointments are so rife!!

The canvas that He paints,

uses colours never thought,

Try copying that palette yourself,

our efforts turn to nought!!

I bow to the hand of God,

that has always designed my day,

And pray He gives me strength,

that His benevolence I can repay!!!

THANK YOU, O GOD

The sandstorm wreaked some havoc,

the weak-kneed did shiver,

But faith has stood this test of time,

and from chaos did deliver!!!

The dunes changed their positions,

and shifted the altar some,

Yet faith remained steady at its pew,

and a new dawn it did welcome!!

Endeavour I did for some time,

to follow the path straight and true,

Such reward You have bestowed on me,

that I now resolve anew,

To give my heart and soul to you,

and follow Your worldly wisdom,

And abide by Your noble thoughts,

till called away from this kingdom!!

Thank You, O God! For this new day,

with my faith in You multiplied,

For hearing my silent prayers,

and wiping the tears that I cried!!!!

Part 1

INSPIRATION:

If Music never gets Old, Dance never gets Adolescent…

Keeping the Shyness at bay…

Like a little Child, it is always

ready to come out and play…!

Purity Of A Child

Any little child,

with a demeanor so mild,

is a joy to behold,

when it does what it’s told.

By that little string,

that it’s heart does spring,

from the music and the dance

that he hears perchance,

through the noise and the din,

of the world we’re in!

A child’s heart is so pure,

as I know you are sure,

so seek to sing and dance,

whenever life gives you a chance,

so that even in womanhood,

you retain your childhood!!

INSPIRATION:

Talk to a Bedtime story and it will tell…

why children are innocent and can only wish well…

Let The Child Be

Talk to a child and he will tell,

in this little world in which we dwell,

was as pure as it’s heart,

till man did his part in breaking that spell

and turn it into hell!

That’s why my dear,

in a child’s little ear,

we whisper a bedtime story

and stress on the glory,

of the right winning the fight

against all evil’s might,

so that when he grows tomorrow,

he doesn’t look with sorrow

at the feeble attempts we made

to correct and put in shade,

our mistakes of the past,

which have left him aghast,

that he doesn’t repeat,

to