You Were There

You were there, before we came

Screaming for help, crying in vain

To save your soul from the dying doom

But alas! Nobody came to you soon

We’ll no longer stand by

Watching people lose their lives

It seems as if we have no voice

It's time for us to make a choice

You were there, but never knew why

Your life was seized, but not your cry

We promise you, we’ll honor your soul

We’ll fight till the time justice is told

Only God has the right, only He can decide

Who will live and who has to die

There's nothing that cannot be done

If we all raise our voices, a billion as one

You were there, before we came

You took the hurt, you took the shame

They built the walls to block your way

You passed away, but won the day

It wasn't right, it wasn't fair

You taught us all, you made us care

Yes, you were there, and thanks to you

There's now a door we all walk through

I'll Remember the Time

I'll remember the time
When It all began
The love transcendent
It seemed just like Heaven
So why did it end?

I'll remember the time
When we used to talk
And stay up for long
At night till dawn
What really went wrong?

I'll remember the time
When we fell In love
Everything went fine
Things rosy and divine
Why did the love decline?

I'll remember the time
When I touched you
It was so beautiful
A feeling so new
Didn't you feel so too?

I'll remember the time
When we shared all we got
We laughed and had fun
We joked when we fought
Weren't we just like children?

I'll remember the time
When I kissed you
The winds ceased to blow
It started to snow
The rivers froze in their flow
The sun forgot to glow
Didn't our love grow?

Those sweet memories
Will always be dear to me
No matter what was said
I will never forget
What we had
What we have
Will you?

Just like that

Though I got
Pennies in my pocket
And a fruit to hold,
Some cubes of ice
Oh! It's really got so cold

I get up
And stretch my legs
Go wash my face,
Light up a smoke
While I type in upper case

I have
Just myself
No friend, no foe,
No girl to love
All set and good to go

Since I
Read, I think
I wish, I hope,
Don't hold too tight
Coz love is like a soap

It kicks
It beats
It thrills, it haunts,
Got to let it fly
And wander when it wants

It's been
Quite a while
That I wrote some lines
Just testing the waters
If still my poem rhymes..

I'm in love with you..

In fond memory of the one who loved, but changed.

Last effort to smile for the one as you loved, but changed.

As I entreat destiny to win the battle already lost of undoing the change you made, to the one who loved from the one who changed.

Although I may have lost, for you loved, but changed, you owe me a favour, to let my love win, for I always loved and never changed.

Every tiny star

That twinkles in the night sky

Every drop of morning dew

Every tweet of birds

That chirp out when you smile

All I do is think of you

Every cloud in the sky

Every dotted butterfly

Makes me feel and wonder

What if I'm in love with you?

Coz I think I'm in love with you

I'm in, in love with you..

Every bloom of flowers

Bathing in the sunlight

Every leaf and bough of trees

Every blade of grass

Just freezes at your sight

Lauding the beauty it sees

Let us dance hand in hand

In the rain, on the sand

If you slip and topple over

I'd stoop and seize hold of you

Coz I think I'm in love with you

I'm in, in love with you..

Every single wave

That splashes in the ocean

Every rock the river meets

Every waterfall

Bows down to every motion

Your heart makes as it beats

Honestly you rule my world

Forever I'll love you girl

Every autumn, every winter

Every spring, every summer

Every day I'll care for you 

Coz I think I'm in love with you

I'm in, in love with you..

A song

You walked down the road

That led to her heart

You long to forget her

The end and the start

But cannot..

Those eyes that you loved

The face that you touched

The hair that caressed you

Those lips that had kissed you

All’s gone..

Life’s like a breath

Too short to hold

The clock keeps on ticking

Till you get too old

Go on..

You snap it like this

You blink it like that

How long will it take you?

To realize and wake up

Move on..

All night and all day

You wished for her voice

She had to let go

She just made a choice

Is it wrong?

All I can say

Your love remains true

If every now then you

Sit down and think through

A song

Coming Back Together

She is safe in my smile
And safe in the tear
What did I do to rile?
No one is more dear

Along came a cold night
A dream wrapped in a cold breeze
The stars above
Shone light on untold stories

I crept up on her
And lightly touched her face
Though I was not in sight
I am sure she felt my gaze

She looked so beautiful!
Moonstruck, I kept mooning over her
And gave in to her pull
Bent down to kiss her left ear

The next day arrived
When she could no longer hold
My number was dialled
In the November cold

I longed for this day
For months in vain
I missed her like hell
Almost writhing in pain

I love her to bits
Been carrying a torch for her
And here we are again
Chirping words of sugar

Every time I call her
We plant kisses on the phone
Our love is a smoke
Fumes of sighs and moans

Love's burgeoned between us
Pure deep and true
Am besotted with my inamorata
With every billet-doux

She's the light of my life
I've lost my heart to her
I love her like crazy
It's been over a year

She drives me wild
Can't let her get away
Whatever happens
I won't walk away

Oh, by the way
I forgot to say
Hey, my beautiful love
Happy Birthday!!  

You and I

The stars, the moon

Put off their light

For you and I

This crazy dream tonight

The sea turns green

The sky goes red

When you and I

Do the things we said

We'll race the wind

And touch the sun

Once you and I

Come together as one

I'll ask no more

I'll never be sad

Should you and I

Have the thing we had

I'd run for miles

Wipe off the sands

If you and I

Could be holding hands

We'll mount the cloud

Where no one can fly

But you and I

Only you and I

Lost into the night

As I reach home rushing
I'm late, I guess
She stands there donning
A lovely evening dress


The lights go dim
The candles are lit
With dinner and wine
At the table we sit


The raindrops cut through
The tranquil of the sky
I quietly go swimming
In the ocean of her eyes


Against my black suit
As the cold winds braze
She smiles and shies
Away from my gaze


I turn on soft music
Proposing to dance
We stare at each other
Moving in a trance


Her breath tickles my ears
While my lips close in on hers
"You're beautiful," I say
"I'm happy," she whispers


As my arms grip her waist
She leans up on me
Holding each other tight
We kiss as meant to be

It's stopped raining
And the moon's glowing bright
But we're still dancing
Lost into the night

The Rishikesh Poem

Rests the revered city of Rishikesh
On the banks of the mystic Ganges
The Gateway to the mighty Himalayas
The sanctuary of sadhus and sages


Behold the brook of myth and legend
Slipping between the Shiwalik ridges
The sacred Ganga bubbles and babbles
Below the Ram and Lakshman bridges


The blissful sparkling hue of aqua green
Mesmerizes me with its alluring glimmer
Smooth round pebbles on fine white sand
Form a serene backdrop of the river


Talking to me with splashy gurgles
Runs the torrent of liquid snow
It cools my feet, heals my soul
It does indeed forever flow


As the greyish orange twilight sets in swift
I find myself sprawled on a rock in a dream
The soothing zephyr strokes my bare chest fondly
Lapping my legs, the water gushes downstream


As the moon begins to take over the glow
Come tiny stars twinkling in the night skies
Now I realize the vastness of the Universe
As I gape at space with spellbound eyes


As I slosh back to my tent in retreat
Dimples a diamond in the holy river
Blends the sun and rill in rhyming tranquil
Romantically into a quivering shimmer

The Toothless Grin

The dark and delicate skin

Sagged on the bony frame

A dirty torn sari

Was draped around the dame

No twinkle in her eyes

No voice in her throat

The blisters on her temples

Resembled cracks on the road

Rested thick black glasses

On the bridge of her nose

The wrinkles on the face

Told the tale of her woes

Shrivelled and withered

She struck a sorry sight

In the busy streets of Mumbai

No care for her plight

But neither she begged for alms

Nor did she utter a cry

She earned a living for herself

Wanting to give faith a try

With quivering hands

And furrowed brow

She wove wicker baskets

From strips of willow

I walked across the street

Towards the poor oldie

With a fist clinking with coins

And a heart bleeding sympathy

She raised her head to me

Proud of yet another win

Crinkling up her face

In a priceless toothless grin

My Name is Kahn !

    

    We all know how much the U.S. is pissed off with China at pegging its Renminbi (RMB) i.e. the yuan to the $ or, at the most, letting it grow at a snail's pace relative to the $ after pegging it against a basket of currencies, instead of allowing it to float freely (subject to economic forces like growth, productivity, forex surplus, interest rate etc.) which would have resulted in a much stronger yuan. US legislators, in retaliation against the manipulation (deliberate undervaluation) of the yuan by the People's Bank of China, are threatening to punish China by imposing anti-dumping and other anti-trade bills to make Chinese imports to U.S. costly. And some time back, Japan and Brazil too resorted to devalue their currency for a short period to promote their exports . 

    Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the IMF head, views this global situation as a “currency war” and has enjoined China, almost beseechingly, to give up its “policy weapon” of currency. It’s almost like he is saying to China “Look pal, by freeing your currency and letting it climb, your people will benefit by greater purchasing power, better household incomes, less inflation and lead to a better standard of living in your country. Oh, and in the process, it will also help solve the global imbalances and distortions. See, a win-win situation for all!” He is reiterating the same thing at all IMF and G7 meetings now, as if he desperately wants to be heard to the Chinese. But the question comes, what does China stand to gain in keeping the value of its own currency low in the first place? And why the hell is Uncle Sam poking his nose with what China does to its domestic currency and the IMF bitching about China's protectionist mercantile policies? After all, the yuan is “China’s sovereign concern and should not be discussed in international circles” as noted by a few Chinese officials. The thing is, we're living in a global village, and anything China does indirectly affects the global economy, more so, the U.S.


    China, being the last stop of almost every manufacturing process that happens in the world, is a purely exports-driven economy and this decades-old Chinese practice of artificially keeping its currency weak unarguably gives it a trade advantage of damn cheap exports. The 3 major problems that U.S. blames China for, are:
1. its huge trade deficit with China ($173.4 billions from Jan 2010 till Aug 2010)
2. the colossal foreign reserves that China has accumulated ($2.6 trillion)
3. the growing unemployment in America due to its shrinking manufacturing industry. (9.6%)

    Five years back, pressurized by the mounting international political tension and the straining sino-US relationship, China decided to pour oil on troubled waters by de-pegging yuan to the $, allowing it to rise by 2.1% and then doing the "tortoise-run" with a basket of currencies – steady appreciation, but very slow. They allowed a narrow-margin oscillation of the yuan wrt to $ and the result till 2008 was a net appreciation by almost 22% from its value in 2005. But alas! The Recession struck, thanks to the credit crunch in America, and China, in a natural state of shielding itself from the global meltdown, fell back to the fixed exchange rate regime, again initiating the depreciation process. However, the net effect still stands at a 17% appreciation in the yuan from 2005. But now, China is not willing to bow down to political pressure from the U.S.

Chinese authorities, atypically vocal about their stand this time, have several comebacks.

Firstly, they say, re-pegging the yuan to $ in 2008 was a "special" policy to safeguard themselves against the global meltdown. 

Secondly, they argue, their trade surplus with the U.S. is due to growing self-sufficiency from its economies to scale owing to the huge surge of industrialization in the last 2 decades, leading to decreasing imports from U.S.; not due to some stratagem against U.S. which gives them an enormous comparative advantage in trade.  For instance, they still have to import raw-materials from a few Asian countries with which they do have trade deficits. 

And thirdly, the excess of foreign reserves, that the U.S. keeps talking about, is, according to the Chinese (I couldn't agree more), the "hot money" capital influx in China on speculation of an accelerated revaluation of yuan. This is happening as a direct result of a concept which I'd like to call "Converse of the International Fisher Effect", if you will, which goes something like: an expected appreciation of RMB relative to $ might reduce inflation in China, which is likely to pull up the relative interest rate in China , leading to interest arbitrage opportunity for investors.

    Ben Bernanke, the Fed Head, recently hinted the likelihood of QE2 i.e. a second bout of quantitative easing (stimulatory monetary policy of the Fed to print money just to buy mortgage-backed securities and government bonds from banks via open market operations, which would lower their yield and lure investors to switch to stocks, thus injecting liquidity, raising the business capital and fueling the economy). The World Bank is apprehensive that this loose-money policy adopted by the U.S. could lead to a capital flight to higher-yielding emerging markets in developing countries as theirs, creating excess liquidity, which would, ofcourse, be short-lived. As soon as the money-flow takes a U-turn, it'll leave behind inflated asset bubbles to rip open disastrously, very similar to what's happened in Japan in the 90s.

Tim Geithner, the U.S. Treasury Secretary, who wants to accentuate more on the currency issue at the G20 meeting to be held in Seoul in mid-November, is inadvertently reminding China of the bitter Japanese experience that followed the 1985 Plaza Accord, which set in motion the creation of a series of property bubbles and its explosion into the so-called Lost Decade in Japan. By the way, the agreement has done practically nothing till date to improve the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, which was its primary goal. The last thing that China wants is having to sign a Plaza II and "cross the Rubicon" the way Japan did 25 years back (when it agreed to let the greenback drop against the yen, indirectly leading to the asset price bubble)

The economic implications of the revaluation of yuan is complex and hard to tell. However, the immediate loser of the yuan appreciation would be the American consumer, no doubt, who used to buy "made-in-China" products so cheap in Wal-Mart, even though it might mean a job for one of his friends at a firm looking to revive its business in the "American-made" labelled goods. Many U.S. industries which are dependent on China for inputs will be hit badly. The cost advantage and total value added will decline drastically. And quite obviously, this currency adjustment will deteriorate the export industry in China on which majority of its population thrives. The most important question that comes up is: While helping to create jobs in America, why should China accept the sudden transfer of the unemployment burden from America's shoulder onto theirs, when most of this unemployment came from the financial crisis that U.S. instigated 2 years back?

The real culprit that the U.S. is conveniently overlooking is its meagre domestic savings, which is inadequate to feed its domestic investments. Americans must learn to stop living off plastic money and minimize usage of resources. Prudent fiscal policies, rather than rash monetary ones will better help U.S. to address its domestic problem. Yuan appreciation is not their only way out, though it will definitely make things easier for them and, at the same time, give a chance to other ASEAN countries to fill in the gap in exports that China would have left, thus scattering the benefits globally.

Let's accept it. America has its own problems, which the politicians are trying to hide under the curtain of the yuan. "It is always easy to have scapegoats" as Mr. Strauss-Kahn rightly puts it.

Heaven Can Wait

Time flies away

Deep into sweet darkness

And you never realize

The reason for being

Death rings its bells

In a moment of despair

Helpless and hopeless

You shiver and stare

You fear it the most

Though a necessary end

It comes when it comes

Never know how it's penned

Life is a journey

You begin in the womb

And tread the sands of time

You end it in a tomb

It's a choice

Every breath you take

To hate or to love

To burn out or fade away

What lives is honour

And the respect you gain

The love of mankind

Everything else inane

To a man thus

Who lived to love

And rose above,

I salute and say:

"If tears could build stairs

And memories a lane,

I'd ascend my way to heaven

And bring you back again"

RIP,  KK Dugar.