Whispers and Words of M R Maiti

The tale of the hare and the tortoise is as old as time. Everyone knows the tale and the moral associated with it. Slow and steady wins the race. But there is a side of the story that nobody delves into. Let me be the one to enlighten you. It's as if I was there. I was the hare. I reached the finishing line with reckless abandon, only to find my pity for the poor tortoise turn into utter disappointment for myself. The tortoise had won the race. I was in a state of shock until I received a smack on the back of my head. I turned around to find my friend bearing a judgmental look. "There's no way a tortoise can beat even the slowest of us in a race. You slept on the way, didn't you?" I nodded, then bowed my head in shame. My friend continued, "You lazy, good-for-nothing, arrogant rascal. You have disgraced our entire community. They'll make an example out of you, talk about this for centuries to come, make a moral out of an isolated event." I said nothi...

*** There it was, At the far end Of my wardrobe, Clean and ironed, But collecting dust, The new shirt I wore only once On my first date with her. There it was, In the private safe Of my device gallery, Nervous and excited, I was standing beside her In the picture the waiter took of us On my first date with her. The shirt I never wore, I sent to the laundry. The picture I never visited, I permanently deleted. Still, I couldn't forget the moment Our shoulders brushed lightly On my first date with her. *** Liked what you read? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** Living in the moment, You failed to notice how Days, months and then The years passed by. And suddenly, You became someone Who cannot let go Of the past. Living on autopilot, It skips your notice now When the future waves at you In broad daylight. *** Did you like what I was trying to convey?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below. Happy Children's Day!!

*** The Sea Was feeling blue; And for that, It blamed The Sky. *** Normally, I don't explain my poems, but mostly to serve as a note to myself, here it goes... It is a common misconception among people that the sea is blue because it reflects the blue sky. If that were true, the sea's colour would change to grey on a cloudy day. That doesn't happen. The sky appears blue because, out of the constituent colours of the sunlight, blue light waves are comparatively shorter and scatter more easily in all directions by the tiny air molecules. The sea appears blue because the water absorbs the longer wavelengths of sunlight, like red and orange, but reflects the blue. Moving on from the science part... Quite often, the state of sadness or melancholy (feeling blue) of a person magnifies when he is in the physical or emotional proximity of another person with a positive outlook or optimism (blue sky), even though both of them are on their own individual journey of feelings and emotio...

*** The minaret aspires To fly away. The airplane longs To stay put. Acquaintances at best, The two can Never become friends. *** The above poem was inspired by a recent visit to IIFT campus with two of my batchmates. We were on one of the top floors of the old college hostel, admiring the distant view of Qutub Minar emerging out of the dense Sanjay Van, when an airplane on its way, popped into view. For a moment, it was just above the minaret, but by the time I took out my smartphone to capture the image, it had moved a bit towards the right. Just like the airplane passing over the minaret, a moment of wonderment passed over me. A few years ago, during my college days, I was like the minaret, confined to a place but aspiring to fly away into a world of opportunities. And now, I am like the airplane going about its daily routine, always on the go in that world of opportunities, but carrying within myself a longing to just stay in one place, surrounded by the best of friends. Like the a...

*** When it rains, It pours. I heard myself say, "Pain, pain, Go away. Come again When I'm stronger, One day." Still, it rained. Still, it poured. I heard someone say, "Don't rub Where it hurts. The pain will stay. Ignore it, And the pain will go away." *** Written at home on a rainy day in Aug 2025, when the pouring rain cancelled all my plans of going out, and the familiar rhyme from the childhood days came to mind, only this time I was a grown-up. Do you share my feelings?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** Strutting on the dais, Dressed up for the occasion, In a flurry of footsteps, You collect your degree. A weight off your shoulders, Your joy knows no end. Dashing out of the crowded elevator, Your bag single-strapped, In a room of sparkling white, You deliver your presentation. Green as grass, still you feel Head and shoulders above all. Trudging past the empty bullpens, Your bag double-strapped, Late into the night, You punch out for the day. With your shoulder to the wheel, Seven years have gone by so fast. *** This poem commemorates my completion of seven years in corporate life. Although the time passed in my presence, I still find it hard to believe. Do you share my feelings?  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** Anchored somewhere Between memory and reverie, A boat drifts alone In the shimmering sea, While the golden clouds Hang above, Cradling a ship, A thing of the past That could not sail Into the future. *** These days, people are using AI to generate images and avatars based on a written prompt. Even at work, my Boss asked me to explore this. I don't know if you noticed that I did not insert a picture here like in my other posts. I want you to read the words and then close your eyes. Did my words create an image in the back of your mind or make you think about someone/something? If yes, that was my motive.  Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** The snow-covered peak Was well within my sight When a girl smoking a cigarette Caught my wandering eye. Can you spare one for me, I asked. Sure, but I don't have a lighter, she replied. A girl with cigarettes, but no lighter, Foolish, but she had the spirit of a fighter, I had left my entire group behind, Well, everyone except her. Like an incorrigible addict Looking for a fix, there I was, Bothering random passers-by Until I successfully borrowed a lighter. What do I get in return for the cigarette, she asked. And without waiting for my reply, You have to click my picture, she said. Can I read you my poem instead, I replied. If you like it, you can give me a cigarette. If you don't, I'll be on my way. And so we went all the way to the summit, Bugging strangers for a lighter. She had enough cigarettes. And I had written enough poems. *** After reading the above poem, an obvious question would pop up in your mind about the girl as well as the cigarettes, considering I do...

*** The meter is stuck. I'm traveling miles Still not moving ahead. The brakes don't work. A speed breaker sends me flying Into a vault of old memories. I had come of age. So I had to give up My fear of the road. Travelling all the roads together, The thrill of the ride Eventually replaced the fear. Then, without noticing, The license plate wore out and The gentle ride turned bumpy. The rearview mirrors droop low now, No longer reflecting her face, Just the trailing traffic. *** This poem is dedicated to the scooty I grew up with. Like everything else in life, it was once new and bursting with energy. Its condition has worsened now, not very different from human relationships. Have you had a similar experience? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** You may have heard Or watched Love stories of men Who gave away their hearts To the love of their lives. What remains underrated, however, Is how their eyes light up When they recite the stories, Filled with fun and flare Of the not-so-distant past. There is something endearing In the way they run with the world But their hearts still roam Their college lecture halls And the school playgrounds. *** This poem is dedicated to male friendships that sustain the test of time, through various stages of life, despite all odds and the intervening distance. Have you observed something like this yourself? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.

*** Finding solace In an air-conditioned space, The city slept While I wandered the streets, Restless, Perfecting the ending Of a sentence. The cool breeze made me forget That it was a summer night. Then, out of nowhere, A cold whisper Sent a shiver down my spine. "You have to choose, my friend. Be a writer or be content." "Why can't I be both?" I asked the emptiness. And the whisper scoffed at me, "You and your consistent pursuit To get the best of both worlds. Buckle up then! You are about to be tested." I stumbled over a rock And found the ending I was looking for. "If a river wants to meet the sea, Twisting and turning, It will somehow find its way Even through the mountains." If a whisper could smile, It did, and said, "We will see." *** I don't have a million readers - not by choice, obviously - just a handful. But they mean to me as much as the millions would do. And one of those readers reminded me that I had taken a lon...