Princesses on clicks

Charming princesses -girls of new age
Royalties so beautiful and so tender
Life of strong potentials- wrap in clothes
Prestigious, flirty,  fine and slender

Paparazzi friends-likes pics-clicks clicks
All the gossips around looks- oh so splendor
Dresses, jewelries, shoes-must have accessories
False giggles with selfies-new fads surrender

Expectations run high - up to the sky
Will we meet them all? we all wonder
Hundred pounds or less - it’s a wild chase
Looks and brain - who will outnumber

The silly rat race- all woman  face
Looking at the Royals as a morality coder
How much to weigh, to wear and to say
Self critic  -Self shame- feels all cruder

Oh my my..dear delicate princess
Your Self worth you hang with your clicks
Break the norms of stupidious expectations
And the walls you build with self judgment bricks

- praj101

Oh Son- Oh Daughter

Oh Son- Oh Son- Go get a wife
Who will take care of us time to time
Oh Daughter-Sweet Daughter- Stay happy with your man
Rest assure, we are here to help you any-time

Oh Son-Oh Son -pay our bills
We have raised you to fulfill this job- indeed
Oh Daughter-Beautiful Daughter - take care of your  family
Oh no - not your help- that’s not what we need

Oh Son- we will stay with you as per our wish
Your family needs- you can handle it by yourself
Oh Daughter- Gentle Daughter- tell us what you need
Its hard to handle everything by oneself

Oh Son- Oh Son -your wife is so bad
She is not nice enough to please us - isn’t that sad
Oh Daughter-Good Daughter- your husband is a good lad
Even if he just sits -he is here-  we are glad

Oh Son- Oh Son- we like you to feel guilty
Never being good enough for us is your speciality
Oh Daughter- Good Daughter - you have already done enough
As just your presence is all that matters to us

Oh Son- Really Son, your wife is no special
She is just working at home and outside
Oh Daughter- Tender Daughter - You must be so tired
As you work at home and work outside

Oh Son -Your wife and You, keep pleasing us
And We assure you, we will, never be satisfied
Oh Daughter- Loving Daughter- we love you and your husband
You both will always be our smothering pride

-praj101

Dance Your Own Dance

"Try to be Nice"

An earnest advice

Honest opinions of yours

Go ahead-  Sacrifice

Present in good light

Pretend to take delight

What if you protest instead-

Will that be alright?

The fear of looking bad

Does that make you sad?

Well, keep up the "good work"

Of making others glad

In pretense of being nice
You will pay huge price
Suppressed desires and anguish
Will bring your own demise

Or here is an opportunity to advance
If you take an honest stance
No need to defend  yourself
Discuss differences and move on

Others may get  angry
Or make you feel guilty
But their behaviors is not-
Your responsibility

Yes "You" - People Pleaser
Are you ready to take a chance?
As you may find so much Joy
When you dance your own dance

-praj101

Farty Superheroes- poem for 9 year olds

Tilt the Bottom- Side to side
Sit or walk with a quiet  stride
Silent fart- With a detective humm
No one knows- Job well done

A shattering T with U and R
You will go deaf if you don’t run far
An airy tornado with strongest shriek
You are in the zone of a noisy beast

Now here is the one-the scariest of all
The deadly stink - will make you fall
Worst than a smelly broccoli’s steam
This one will catch you surely unhinged

Farty superheroes, here we come
Through peas and beans -our powers summon
Modesty and etiquettes get out of the way
You won’t escape us- we are here to stay
- praj101

Need to survive- Chapter 3

Neha was sitting gloomily in the corner of her rented apartment. It's been two months since she and Raj were separated. Not officially divorced yet as Raj was still helping Neha with financial and medical settlements. Neha thought with bitter resentment for self that She needed Raj's support to even settle the terms. Ironic and sad.  Certainly, Rohan had played biggest part in his Dad's involvement. She still remembered vividly everything that followed after Raj demanded the "split". Once the crying and cursing part was over, mostly by Neha,  a big silence had spread between them for next few days. She and Raj were quiet till Rohan came back from Austin  and then they broach the news to him.  Neha had re-run the scene in her mind so many times about this scenario. Rohan was her leverage. A self pity  made her feel hopeful. She thought, he will throw a fit. Maybe,  he will put out a threat to not to talk to Raj, forever. That gave her immense satisfaction. However, she was out of luck.  Rohan's upbringing in US had a lot to do with what followed. He had been part of society where divorce was an acceptable thing. Rohan was sad but not angry. He was sitting next to Neha while talking to his Dad calmly. " OK Dad! I understand you don't want to live with Mom. So I assume that there is someone else that you like." Raj said "No". He has said 'no' so many times to Neha. What a liar.. Neha murmured. There has to be other woman. That is given. But every time, Raj denied an affair made her even more depressed. He preferred to be by himself than to be with me? Why he hates me so much? That can not be right. We hardly fought. Well, that was not a complete truth. They had fights, multiple times. Who doesn't in twenty years of marriage? However, things never got out of control. Mostly, Neha would do talking and Raj would keep quiet. She would apologies to him later. And the fight would be over. Neha nudged Rohan while putting forth this point. Rohan looked at his dad and said patiently, "OK. I understand that you need space dad. Mom, you want to come and stay with me for a while?" He asked Neha gently. "Lets give Dad some space." Neha was not sure what to say. She felt Rohan's unending support. He was not her baby anymore. A toddler who would threw a tantrum. Rohan looked like a mature man. However, Raj was the one who didn't like this deal. He was good in getting what he wanted, always, Neha thought. " She can stay with you. I just want to finalize divorce," Raj insisted. "Well, Mom, you don't have to beg to Dad, you know. We can figure it out, together. One thing I want to make sure Dad that Mom has complete financial and medical support. You understand that yours is long term marriage, by that, I mean more than ten years. Whatever you own, half of it is mom's."  This has taken Neha by surprise. First of all, who told Rohan such a detail about divorse and is that even possible?  She never worked in her life and therefore claiming anything sounded inappropriate. "Rohan, I can .." Rohan raised her hand and Neha understood that he has taken charge now. She looked at Raj. Rohan's behaviour was not so much different than his father's. Raj had always been in-charge. Honestly, she was OK to be a follower. She always trusted Raj. Today though, he was not in-charge. Rohan was. That made her feel better. She was proud of her son. Rohan can stand up to his father. He was there for her. Rohan should become a lawyer. A thought of her son's possible career choice came in her mind, a typical Indian parent as she was. That made her smile.  Raj agreed to Rohan's request which was a significant  demand. Neha looked at Raj. A relief was spread across his face. Maybe, money was not as big of issue for him as much as getting away from her.  That spread a chill inside her.  A deal, a negotiable deal, was finalized. Neha decided to stay in Houston and rent an apartment. It felt like a  logical decision, of course.  The one, where she can be close to her friends and moreover,  close to Raj. There was a hope that he will understand his mistake and  he will come back to her. Will he beg to her? To take her back. That almost felt like a romantic english drama. That won't happen, she was sure.  Mostly, she will beg. She will beg to him to take her back. That was two months back. Unfortunately nothing has worked. Its been two months now and she was still alone. Desperate and alone. praj101