**Words**
I often delay in speaking the secrets of my heart;
I often delay in expressing my love.
Time slips through my fingers while I adorn myself;
I often delay in decorating the mirror.
There is light outside, yet darkness within;
Thus, I often delay in kindling the flame of light.
The sights all around are so captivating, my friend;
I often delay in locking up my heart against them.
I have become so entangled in love that I have lost my senses;
I often delay in reclaiming myself from my own self.
1-3-2026
**Colors**
It takes time for the colors of love to fade away;
It takes time to finally say, "Goodbye."
Knowing that no one ever truly returns once gone,
It takes time to learn to flow along with the tide of time.
When the heart breaks, yet makes no sound, my friend—
It takes time to silently endure the pain.
No one truly lives or dies for another;
It takes time to grasp the depth of this truth.
For one submerged in an ocean of pain and sorrow,
It takes time to untangle oneself from life's complexities.
Instead of walking together for a lifetime, they left me behind;
It takes time to turn back and retrace one's steps from the middle of the path.
I knew that clouds would not appear in this scorching heat;
It takes time for the thunder to rumble without the rain.
2-3-2026
**The King of Seasons**
Color me, my Beloved, with the hues of Holi;
Color me, my Beloved, with the hues of Holi.
Let not my *chunariya* (veil) remain uncolored and bare;
Let not my Holi pass by in vain like this;
Color me, my Beloved, with the colors of your love.
Do not color me with the hues of mere friends and companions;
My courtyard awaits only your arrival;
Color me, my Beloved, with the colors of your presence.
The King of Seasons has showered his grace all around;
The peacocks in the forest dance in sheer ecstasy;
Color me with the seven vibrant hues! Color Me, My Beloved
I have waited a whole year for Holi;
For your sake, I have even risked my reputation.
Color me, my beloved, with the hues of truth.
If you do not come this time, I shall weep;
Today, waiting for you, I fear I may lose my very life.
Color me, my beloved, with the colors of your words.
Kanha, if you do not color me, then who else will?
Who, other than you, will embrace your Radha Rani?
Color me, my beloved, with the vibrant hues of the Palash flower.
3-3-2026
**Truth is Truth**
I wept tears of blood while speaking the truth;
I lost my own loved ones while speaking the truth.
No one ever seems able to accept the truth;
I sowed thorns in my life while speaking the truth.
The currency of lies has grown so rampant in the universe,
That people have washed their hands of the truth while speaking it.
For so long, my mind was in such turmoil that I remained restless;
Yet, I finally slept a peaceful sleep while speaking the truth.
After gathering all my courage over many days,
Today, I finally confronted the lie by speaking the truth.
4-3-2026
**The Stain**
The stains left upon the heart cannot be erased;
The days and nights of separation seem endless and unbearable.
A sharp ache keeps pricking me twenty-four hours a day;
The burden of sorrow and grief is too heavy to share or lighten.
I came to seek solace in the company of friends,
Yet, in this gathering, the moments seem to drag on forever.
Then, a new morning will bring a new beginning;
But desires and longings are not easily appeased or fulfilled.
Oh friend, in the realm of love—pursued with such intense passion—
It is not just courage that is poured out; one gives away everything, holding nothing back.
5-3-2026
**Where Are We Heading?** Where are we headed? We know not the destination.
We have set out on our journey, yet we know not even the paths.
We spent a lifetime rushing about, striving to forge connections—
Only to find that, on this unfamiliar path, nothing feels familiar.
There is no one coming, nor is there anyone to wait for;
Hopes and desires have ceased to take shape once again.
And even if a beautiful light were to shine—what difference would it make? Friend, I shall never go up to the rooftop again.
To fill the folds of my garment with just a few scraps of happiness—
I have been made a fool of far too many times; I won't let it happen now.
March 6, 2026
**Sweet Words**
Today, amidst these lovely, sweet words, lay a tale untold;
It was a mission to teach my loved ones the true language of love.
Since God sent me here, I could not let my time go to waste;
Having arrived in this universe, I had to leave a legacy behind.
By accumulating good deeds in this lifetime, my friend,
I sought to settle the karmic accounts of my past lives as well.
No one can truly do anything for another;
One must find ways to soothe one's own heart and mind.
There should be no shortcoming on my part;
I resolved to repeatedly reiterate words that are good and true.
I came empty-handed and must leave the same way—
Yet, the goal was to attain peace and tranquility for myself.
For wealth and riches never stay put forever;
Instead, I sought to etch peace and bliss into the very fabric of my destiny.
March 7, 2026
**The Metropolis**
The metropolis has stolen my very life away;
Here, no one has ever witnessed my helplessness.
When something new came along, old friendships turned stale;
Having stolen my heart, they now cast aside my friendship.
With my own hands, I set fire to my own nest;
I sacrificed my very self—such was the extent of my simplicity.
I wander from street to street in search of the Divine;
Yet, it seems my devotion itself failed to please Him.
Friend, though my life is filled with sorrows, I continue to live on;
For life remains precious to me—my cherished, beloved darling.
March 8, 2026
**What Kind of Women Were They?**
What kind of women were they—those who would burn their own eyes
while blowing on the hearth to light the fire?
What kind of women were they—those who would inflict suffering upon themselves
just to keep others happy?
What kind of women were they—those who, without a word spoken,
could hear and understand everything?
What kind of women were they—those who, despite having little formal education,
could read the very thoughts within a person's heart?
What kind of women were they—those who sought the well-being of others... I used to wonder...
What kind of women were they—
Those who found their own happiness
In the happiness of others?
Why do people pick themselves up?
Why do they rise again and again
After stumbling repeatedly?
Why do they venture once more
Onto those pothole-ridden paths?
What happens so suddenly
That renders the heart so helpless?
Why do people’s perspectives—
Along with their very gaze—suddenly shift?
"We will never part; we will live our whole lives together"—
Why do words slip so easily from the tongue
After such promises have been made?
The world may change, but human nature never does;
Why do people suddenly become so arrogant
The moment they earn a little money?
Wasn't the mere sight of you
The very reason I found the will to live?
Then why, today—instead of joy—
Do I wander about, steeped in sorrow?
Since true happiness is a rare gift
In the journey of life...
Why do people burn with such envy
At the happiness of others?
The universe itself will surely
Appreciate true beauty...
So why do people adorn themselves so elaborately
If they have no intention of facing anyone?
*Appreciation* — *Praise*
8-3-2027
So What If I Am a Woman?
So what if I am a woman? A heart beats within my chest.
Gazing upon the dazzling allure of the world,
my heart yearns to wander free.
I do not merely sit on the rooftop, idly counting the stars in the sky;
rather, my soul aches with a restless longing
to soar high up among the clouds.
Like Rani Lakshmibai, I wish to do something great for my nation;
my heart throbs with an intense desire
to stand at the borders and defend my country.
Beyond being a mother, sister, daughter, or wife—I am, first and foremost, a human being;
a stirring has risen deep within my soul—
a burning thirst to achieve something extraordinary.
Today, I have forged my spirit into something as strong as steel;
my heart overflows with an eagerness
to dedicate myself to the service of the world.
9-3-2026
So What If I Am a Woman?
So what if I am a woman? I am not voiceless.
I am an independent human being; I am no slave.
God, too, has endowed me with a voice of my own;
I am not merely an answer to every question you may pose.
I seek only to bear the consequences of my own transgressions;
I am but a human—not a divine being, perfect and sublime.
I will not inflict sorrow upon myself;
for I am not bound to make such a sacrifice for anyone else.
You will find no harm or hurt coming from me;
for I am like still, calm waters—not a raging, turbulent flood.
Hold me close within your heart as one of your own;
for I am not merely a fleeting trophy for every admirer to claim.
Come closer—step near and take a good look at me;
I am not some distant, unattainable dream soaring out of reach.
To those who claim to love me: put me to the test if you wish;
but do not offer prayers for my recovery—for I am not ill.
I am but a kite drifting gently upon the breeze;
do not fear to approach—I am no destructive storm.
If you can, embrace me as one of your own;
I am but a small, humble world—not the entire universe.
9-3-2026
No Support Could Be Found
Throughout my entire life, I could find no support from those I held dear;
in this vast universe, I could find no one—not a single soul—to call my own.
In one form or another, relationships... In the act of saving others,
I could never find an escape from responsibility throughout my life.
In this life, the melodies of others kept playing on;
I never found a tune of my own to sing with an open heart.
Whatever I did, I did with absolute intensity;
I poured my heart and soul into it, yet I never found my guiding star.
They say that everyone’s good time eventually comes;
But even after waiting for ages, that favorable moment never arrived for me.
Circumstances hemmed me in from all sides so tightly,
That I could find no excuse—no way out—to go anywhere else.
All my life, I plucked the thorns from everyone else's paths;
Yet look at my fate—I never found a garden of flowers for myself.
10-3-2026
**You Are My Own**
Know this: in the entire universe, you alone are my own;
Accept this truth deeply—that apart from you, I have no one else.
Prepare your heart and mind starting today;
Resolve firmly that whatever needs to be done, *you* are the one who must do it.
Never let your behavior be erratic, nor act in haste;
Whenever you meet one another, do so with love and tenderness.
When we depart from this world, we take nothing with us;
So give the gift of a smile, and receive the gift of a smile in return.
If you wish to stay by my side with true devotion—as one of my own—
Then learn the lesson of how to cherish and uphold a relationship from me.
11-3-2026
**Ask the Springtime**
Go ask the spring breezes how one touches exquisite beauty;
Touching it brings a sensation akin to intoxication—a sheer delight.
Thousands of romantic longings have finally been fulfilled;
My dormant life has been infused with joy, bursting forth in vibrant hues.
The further apart we were, the closer I felt to my beloved;
Surely, my yearning spirit must have found peace and solace in finally reaching you.
I had already crossed the boundaries of obsession and ventured far beyond;
And there, all my dreams—all at once... Made complete within your arms,
nestled close.
Dancing and swaying amidst beautiful valleys,
filled with joy;
We soothe our hearts by singing
melodies of love.
12-3-2026
**Tell Me, Who Are You?**
Tell me, who are you? For at your arrival, my heart begins to dance with delight.
Now that you have finally arrived, speak to me gently;
embrace me with love.
Come and untangle
the complexities of my life;
Adorn the universe of my heart
with the beautiful blossoms of love.
After such a long wait, this opportunity has finally come;
do not make me yearn any longer.
Lift the veil of dreams and fantasies,
and take me into your arms.
The serendipitous moments of reunion
do not come often in life;
I shall find peace in your loving shade—
grant me shelter.
Be it an illusion or a shadow,
solve this unsolved riddle for me;
I have been asking for so long—tell me, who are you?
Please, give me an answer.
13-3-2026
Sakhi
Dr. Darshita Babubhai Shah
**Tell Me, Who Are You?**
Tell me, who are you? At least once, you must reveal yourself.
If it is indeed love, then one must express it
repeatedly to make it known.
Preserving one's innocence and grace,
one must adorn oneself—
both outwardly and within.
Love cannot be professed through silence alone;
the rituals of love demand that they be
honored and fulfilled.
If you wish to infuse your life with the vibrant hues of love, my friend,
you must have your beloved's name
inscribed in your *mehndi*.
Merely claiming someone as "one's own" does not make them so;
one must make them truly one's own
from the very depths of the heart.
13-3-2026
Sakhi
Dr. Darshita Babubhai Shah
**Broken Strings**
It is not easy to make pain a habit;
it is not easy to embrace one's wounds.
To bid a final *Khuda Hafiz* (farewell),
to adorn a vibrant gathering... It is not easy.
To suppress deep within one's heart all the words left unspoken
at the moment of a final, eternal parting—it is not easy.
Solely for the sake of preserving ties with one's loved ones,
to withdraw completely into oneself—it is not easy.
A broken instrument can, perhaps, still be mended; but
to win back a love that has turned away in hurt—it is not easy.
14-3-2026
**Courage**
Today, I set out to mend the broken strings of my courage.
I set out to steer this pain-laden path toward the gathering of life.
Moving forward with the resolve that "come what may,"
I set out to shatter the earthen pot of rigid customs and traditions.
For the sake of the happiness of my beloved—and against my own will—
I set out to bid my final farewell.
Time waits for no one, anywhere;
how, then, do I set out to halt that which cannot be halted?
How shall I mold myself to adapt to the shifting circumstances?
I set out to ponder this amidst the vast, open skies.
15-3-2026
