Tanka – Rat Race!

In response to Colleen’s weekly tanka challenge #81, to use the prompt words Hurry & Last synonymously.

ic: google.com

Between dawn and dusk

instant gratification

soul trapped in rat race

triumphant at finish line

but, life forgotten to live!

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ज़िन्दगी का आईना – Mirror of Life

ज़िन्दगी के आईने में चेहरा देखा

पहचान न सका अपने आप को

नीरस आखें, झुर्रियों से भरा मुँख

अपने अक्स से डर गया मै

इस ज़िन्दगी के भाग दौड़ में,

काम का नशा इतना छा गया

कि मुस्कुराना भूल गया,

छोटी छोटी खुशियों से मुँह फेर लिया

सफलता की बुलंदी तो छू ली

रुकना नहीं आया मुझे

मकान था आलिशान

पर वो घर न बन पाया

परिवार अजनबी लगने लगा

खुद को पाया अकेला, तनहा इतना कि,

मेरा साया भी मेरा न रहा .

 

Looking at the mirror of  life

I could not recognize myself.

Hollow eyes, a wrinkled face

was aghast at my reflection.

In the rat race of life

work became my obsession.

Forgot the art of smiling

became oblivious to life’s tiny delights.

Kissed the pinnacle of success

but didn’t learn to pause.

Built a palatial house

but it missed out on being a home.

My family seemed strangers

found myself so lonely and desolate, that

even my shadow was not mine anymore!

 

Number Game Club

Recently I read in the papers that the Salman Khan starrer movie “Sultan” grossed  100 crores within 3 days of its release and so far its box office collection has crossed a staggering 230 crores!!

Why are people so obsessed with the number game???

Welcome to the “Number game club”

Rules of the game:

No. of players : No limit

Age : Age no bar

Winner : The player who scores/earns the highest *

Replace * with any of the choices given below as required.

*marks, box office collections, salary, targets, likes on FB, followers on your blog, votes

The list is endless……

Why is success always measured in terms of numbers? Chasing numbers many times forces us to compromise on quality and values. Running the race like a horse with blinkers, we solely focus on surging ahead. Reaching that magical number brands us successful.  We are least perturbed when we turn a blind eye to a sea of small little things on the way.

Is only the marks on a paper indicative of your intelligence?

Is only a mind boggling collection at the box office the criteria to declare a movie a hit?

Does a high number of likes on your FB post make you the most popular person?

Does only meeting  targets at work brand you a star employee?

I believe “Numbers alone should not define your success”. 

Now the question arises,

a) If not by numbers, how does one measure success?

or

b) Should we get out of the habit of measuring success?

What do you think???

Image courtesy : allindiaroundup.com,seclerk.com,cakart.com,123rf.com