Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Wednesday 17 November 1971

Child of war



_______________________________________________________
Bangla Desh
Drown the war
Once and for all
In the Ganges of your sorrow ;

I am dead
My anguish over .

There are tears
On my young one’s face ;
Someone , please
Reach out and hold
Gently ,
His helpless hand ;
Lead him away
This child of four
This child of war
-     Away from my dead body
And give him

Half a roti .

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Monday 23 August 1971

Voids of Space



_______________________________________________________
Spare me not the agonies
Cruel world ;
Strike again
And again
With vengeance ;

Lay bare
The innards of my mind,
And my soul :

Torture this
Now incapable heart,
With glimpses
Of a life
That could have been
But cannot be ,
To my spent self
Drifting
In the endless voids of Space
( or is it , Time ? ).

================

Hindi transliteration ( dt 02 Oct 2019 ) at :

https://poemshn.blogspot.com/2019/10/blog-post.html


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Saturday 20 March 1971

On " Performance Appraisal "



__________________________________________
Forgive me
O Friend ;

You my friend who has 
a thousand faces ,
forgive me
for this impudence ;

to sit upon thy judgement ,
and once again 
this cold winter night ,
lift the pen
and pause  --

to think about
you,

and your " Strengths "
     ( how I wish I knew ! )

and your " Weaknesses "
     ( there is none without one ! )

Last , but not the least,
your " Potential " --

My impertinence
pardon 
dear friend  ;

My claim to omniscience
is hollow ;

But then
I wear a crown of thorns
and walk a razor's edge

I am duty-bound

---------------------------

Written during Annual Performance Appraisal 
L&T Powai
March 1971

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