*Colors Of Experience*

It is said that, speed of our mind and brain
Is no less than Agni missile.
I suddenly realized this feeling
While the feet were running on a tread-mill.
And my thoughts flew….took a flight
Beyond the large window slides.
In a thicket of leaves of a tree across.

Always I used to see these
But today the same leaves!
Suddenly divide in varied greens.
Some having golden green,
some bright green, some dark green
And some black, moldy green.
As if the leaves took in themselves
Different colors of life itself.

Light golden green reminds of
The tenderness, rawness of infancy.
As if they need years of supervision
By the elders, until they become mature enough.
So that powerful winds, shining Sun,
Torrential rain not smother their soft bodies.

Then collided with bright green leaves
The brain waves flashed back soon.
Carefree, temperamental, laughing and joking
Unaware of the ups and downs of the times
My childhood passes before my eyes
Riding its own tuned horse in a moment.

And comes mouth-open! responsible adulthood.
Studies, writing, job, family, daily hustle-bustle
New experiments, new dimensions
Just the passion and obsession to do something.
This is what these dark green leaves represent
bringing forth a lifetime of experiences.

Suddenly the gaze stopped
On those ‘big, dark’ green leaves
Whose green was mildly tarnished.
Lo! Moving closer are heavy thuds
Stepping old age, clearly audible.
On the verge of falling off!
These dry and waiting to die leaves.

Yes! Men running and fighting for their life
Find shelter under these good-old shady trees
The thought revived and I took a relief.
Proud of own existence and its importance, I
Denied all negative thoughts buried somewhere deep.
And once again! The zeal and enthusiasm returned
Ready to color with richness the age has given
These new, shining, soft, innocent greens.