Nothing To Read Here

So, the other day, I ditched "real" food again.

Why? I wouldn't know. I do not have reasons for everything my brain wants me to do.

But I had to include rice for atleast one of my meals. So, I decided (or my brain did, I don't know at this point) to make a porridge of some sort for lunch and udon for dinner.

The tuna porridge with barely anything in them tasted like the autumn air with whiffs of nostalgia. I couldn't figure out what was so nostalgic about it but got glimpses of an era (or a world) I am not from but felt the familiarity. It was strange... how the unfamiliar felt familiar. The sesame oil fragrance from the toasted gim (seeweed sheets) brought me back.

The dinner was uneventful, in comparison. With just 3 toppings (which included the leftover tuna from lunch), I made some Yaki Udon. It tasted like it has always tasted... blast of mystery with a hint of umami. Even though the shitake mushroom was not added, like I always do, but the umami flavor profile was still there... obviously I do not know how. I guess some tastes leave their ghosts behind to fill that void.

And that's how another day was ... uneventful enough to not have any photographs and eventful enough to scribe a story in the pages of my memory. Does it not remind you of something?

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

Nameless

Take my ideas,

my words,

or even entire concepts

birthed in my brain.

Call it emulation, copy, mimicking, 

or even nothing at all.

Clothe it with

the facade of your name

or bejewel it with

accessories of pretense.

It's been done before and

would be done henceforth too.

I will silently acknowledge

that minute of recognition

my thoughts received

in the pits of your green brain.

Peace.

/ 17

: 67

Written on June 08, 2025 00.06 AM

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

Things That Found Me

I went through few of my old things.

Something hit me... 

Let's call it nostalgia, for I don't know a better or more appropriate word.

(Funny thing with words haan!)

Old notebooks from classes

Strange how I remembered the color of the ink each one was written in.

But didn't remember that 

my handwriting was far better than

what it is now.

Preserved Letters

I still write letters but never realized

I used to write so much just a few years back.

What hindered me, if not the shadow 

of my own thoughts?

Did I grow up ? But then what does 

growing up even mean!

Tagged in as #UnsentLetters, they sent me

on a journey I never knew I needed.

Collection of leaves and the stories

I wrote about each one of them.

I remembered the stories, each one of them.

But strangely enough, I never realized I still would remember them...

even after all these years.

I remember the trees and how they looked.

What would they be doing now? 

Would they remember me, or the leaves 

they have parted ways since?

And the hundreds of drafts I will never post

I have nothing I could do for you 

and words have gone haywire 

in my existence now as I see each one of you

I wish we meet still, 

perhaps in another dimension, 

in another universe.

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

An Unnamed Story

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

चयन: Choice

कभी मन किया है? 

कभी मन किया है - मीठी रूई जैसे उन बादलों को थोड़ा चखने की?

कभी मन किया है - उन मुलायम बादलों पर लेट कर उन्ही बादलों को ही ओढ़कर उन्ही पर एक मासूम झपकी लेने की?

लेकिन याद रखें, ये फुज्जीले बादल नरम, हल्के और बेहद मुलायम दिखाई देते हैं, लेकिन इनके अंदर भी एक महासागर की क्षमता छिपी होती है।

यह बादल अगर गरजने पर आ जाए तो सारी दुनिया ही पिघला दे, लेकीन धीमी आँच पर बरसे, तो धरती को अपनी सौंधी खुशबू भी याद दिलादे। 

कोमलता एक चुना हुआ विकल्प है, कमजोरी नहीं।

/ 6

: 99

#D5June

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

A Loose Translation: 

Have you ever felt like tasting those sweet cotton-like clouds?

Have you ever felt like lying down on those soft clouds, covering yourself with those clouds and taking an innocent nap on them?

But remember this - these fluffy clouds may look soft, light and squishy, but they have the immenseness of the ocean hidden inside them.

If these clouds thunder, they can melt the whole world, but if they rain gently, they can remind the earth of its sweet fragrance (petrichor).

Softness is a choice, not a weakness.

/ 6

: 87 

#D5June

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

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

Pause

Die unerwartetsten Überraschungen erleben wir, wenn wir nicht darauf warten. 

Das heißt aber nicht, dass wir die Hoffnung aufgeben müssen. Wir können einen Moment innehalten, wenn es sein muss. Manchmal ist eine Pause wichtiger und kann, wenn sie richtig gemacht wird, von Vorteil sein.

Pause ... um der Duft zu sein, der eine Weile verweilt, bevor er sich bemerkbar macht. Pause ... wie die Wellen, bevor sie zu nie dagewesenen Höhen aufsteigen.

Die Überraschungen, die die „Pause“ Phase mit sich bringt, sind erfreulicher und aufregender. Warum? - Weil wir Erwartungen (die Bedingungen sind) losgelassen haben und dennoch eine hoffnungsvolle (bedingungslose) Lebenseinstellung beibehalten haben.

Nicht jeder Tag ist gleich, und das muss auch nicht sein, denn genau darauf kommt es an, um ein sinnvolles Leben mit schönen Überraschungen zu führen.

/ 9

: 126

#D4June

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

A Loose Translation: 

The most unexpected surprises come to us when we are not looking for them.

But that does not mean we must give up on hope. We can pause for a little while, if we must. Sometimes a pause is more essential and, if done right, could be beneficial.

Pause... to be the fragrance that lingers for a while before making its presence known. Pause... like the waves do before they rise to unprecedented heights.

The surprises that the "pause" phase brings are more enjoyable and exciting. Why - because we have let go of expectations (which are conditions) and yet maintained a hopeful (unconditional) outlook towards life.

All days are not same and they must not be, for that's probably what matters to have a meaningful life with beautiful surprises.

/ 9

: 129

#D4June

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

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

나는 너의 해바라기다! : Sunflower

내 존재는 땅의 어둠 속에 뿌리를 두고 있지만,

내 마음은 평생 하늘에서 널 찾아 헤맸다.

네 사랑의 빛이 내 마음의 영원한 인도자이기니까.

우리 영혼의 일부는 항상 서로 얽혀 있었다.

단지 거리가 어떻게 중요할 수 있을까?

이별의 긴 밤도 중요하지 않아.

새로운 새벽이 밝아오면 

너의 광선이 나를 비출 테니까.

나는 너의 해바라기다.

/ 9

: 129

#D3June

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

A Loose Translation: 

My being is rooted in the darkness of the earth,

But my heart has searched for you in the sky all my life.

For the light of your love is the eternal guide of my heart.

Parts of our souls have always been intertwined.

How can this mere distance be of any consequence?

The long night of separation too doesn't matter.

For when the new dawn dawns,

your rays will shine on me.

For I am your sunflower.

/ 9

: 78

#D3June

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

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

ଚିଠିଟିଏ : A Letter

ହୃଦୟ ଝିଞ୍ଜାରି ପକାଉଥିବା କେତୋଟି ଶବ୍ଦ ... ସେହି ଶବ୍ଦ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ଲୁଚି ରହିଥିଲା ଅନେକ କୁହା ଅକୁହା କଥା। କୁହା କଥା ଯେତକ, ତା'ଠାରୁ ଅକୁହା କଥାର ଓଜନ ଢେର୍ ବେଶି। କେତେ ବେଶି ସେଇଟା କେବେ ମାପି ହେଇନି କି ହେବ ନାହିଁ ବୋଧହୁଏ। 

ଯେଉଁ କଲମ କାଳିରେ ଲେଖାଯାଇଥିଲା ସେ ଚିଠିଟି, ନା ସେ କାଳି ଅଛି, ନା ଅଛି ସେ କଲମର ଚିହ୍ନ ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ। ଯେମିତି ସେହି ଶବ୍ଦର ଭାବରେ ନିଜକୁ ଭିଜାଇ ହଜିଯାଇଛନ୍ତି ସମୟର ଶେଷ ଦ୍ବାର ପାଖ କେଉଁ ଗୋଟିଏ ଗଳିରେ। ଏତେ ଭାବନା କ'ଣ ଦୁନିଆରେ ଥାଏ! 

ଏମିତି ଗାମ୍ଭୀର୍ଯ୍ଯ, ଏମିତି ମାଧୁର୍ଯ୍ୟ ଯେ କେତୋଟି ଅକୁହା କଥା ଓ ଅବ୍ୟକ୍ତ ଭାବନାରେ ଥାଇପାରେ, ତାହା ଚିନ୍ତା କରିବା ହିଁ କାଠିକର ପାଠ। ପ୍ରେମକୁ ପ୍ରେମ କରିପାରିଥିବା ବ୍ୟକ୍ତିଟିଏ ହିଁ ବୁଝିପାରିବ ତା'ର ସାରମର୍ମ- ସେ ସୂକ୍ଷ୍ମତାର ଶକ୍ତିକୁ । ସେଥିପାଇଁ ତ ଚିଠିଟିଏ ମଧ୍ଯେ ସାଇତି ହୋଇ ରହିଯାଇଛି ସେ ହୃଦୟରୁ ଖଣ୍ଡେ ! 

/ 9

: 285

#D2June

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

A Loose Translation: 

A few words that tug at your heartstrings shelters some unseen unspoken words. Those unspoken words are much heavier than those that have been uttered. It, perhaps, is never possible to appraise the weight that these unspoken words have always carried. 

The ink that penned those words in that letter have ever since dried up, and so has the stylus that housed it once. Immersed in the essence of these words, they have evanesced themselves- somewhere around the peripheral apogee of time's ultimate stance. Is it even possible for these depths of feelings to exist !

It's incomprehensible to imagine the sincerity, the sweetness that these words can encompass. Only a person who has loved Love can understand its essence - the power of that subtlety, that elegance, that etherealness. That is perhaps why the piece of that heart has been preserved in a letter!

/ 9

: 143

#D2June

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

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved

To Be And Not To Be

"If you try enough, someday you too can be like someone."

Why would I want that? 

"So, are you trying hard not to be like someone?"

Why would I do that either? 

"Then?"

Why would I try to be or not to be like someone?

I just try to preserve my identity 

And break free from it too.

To be enough of myself

And nothing of it too.

To immerse in my soul's core,

And fly away along with the breath of air.

To be AND not to be. 

"It does not make any sense?"

Does it have to?

/ 15

: 99

#D1June

Copyright © 2025 One Life To Live. All Rights Reserved