Poem at Midnight
I am not a poet… don’t think I ever was… but poetry is not created, poetry happens! I do not even know if whatever is given below qualifies enough for poetry – but that should not really take away anything from the sentiments involved or the honour of the moment.
It so happened, that somewhere in the midnight, when I had covered up enough sleep to be faintly awake… a slight realization mildly dashed past my sensations that its dawn of another birthday. And the words started almost flowing in that partly-awake-partly-dream state, without hardly any interference … its almost like someone watches the movie-credits rolling on the screen.
I was quick enough to wake up and record the words and I trust them that they are purest, deepest and most unconditioned sentiments of my mind – for my mind, or rather my intellect – was hardly in any condition to cleverly drape any manipulations around them. So, I am putting them down – ad verbatim – if not for anything else, for myself.
Poem at Midnight
As you turn another page in the book of life…
You start realizing
that birthdays become less and less about celebration and excitement,
and more and more about reflection, reminiscing, and retrospection.
Somewhere along the way,
there’s also a shift in weight—
where the counters quietly turn into a countdown.
You can’t help but think about the people
who unexpectedly helped you on the journey of your life
and taught you countless lessons
—sometimes in just a few minutes—
that became the guiding light for the rest of your life.
Many of them did something for you utterly selflessly—
maybe once,
maybe twice,
or perhaps for a lifetime.
Many are no longer with you,
and many were never there in the beginning.
Many became etched in your mind, your thoughts, and your heart,
and yet you had to let them go without question or complaint.
You begin to appreciate, accept, and respect the very nature of life,
where everything around you keeps changing—people, culture, values, and technology.
The things that once shaped your thinking are no longer relevant,
while the things that once seemed unimaginable, ridiculous, or impossible
have somehow become the very foundation of a new way of life.
You begin to understand not only the importance of learning,
but also the importance of unlearning
and relearning.
But above all, there is an unwavering feeling of gratitude…
when you realize that the key to happiness lies in contentment,
and the key to contentment lies in gratitude.
So thank you, dear people, dear God, dear life. 🙏
Another page to turn, another year to look forward to.
About the Author
Sandeep Patil God knows why but I have too many interests. So chances are that you and me have something in common. Let’s see… Patanjali? Chanakya? Romans? Vijaynagar? Shivaji? Renaissance? Vivekanand? Agatha Christie? Tagore? Hitchcock? S.D.Burman? Cary Grant? Satyajit Ray? Grace Kelly? Brucia la terra? Suchitra Sen? Roman Holiday? Vasantaro Deshpande? Robert de Niro? Malguena? Kishore Kumar? Osho? Hotel California? Smita Patil? Erich von Daniken? Pu La? GA? Andaz Apna Apna? Asha Bhosale? PVN Rao? … Watch this space, sooner or later you will something on similar topic