Better Late than Never...

After more than a year of procrastination, i finally decide that i'm going to post regularly, whether or not someone reads them !
Recently, i came across this really good story in Reader's Digest about an Australian prisoner, Norman Yammine, who is serving his nine-year sentence in jail. This man did not have much of schooling, so reading and writing weren't exactly his things. While in the prison, he saw a number of his inmates writing letters to their families and friends and soaking themselves up in the replies, when they arrived. Remorseful as he was, he wanted to do something productive. And the deep urge to communicate his feelings to his friends, led this man to learning reading and writing. In a prison, even the dreams have limitations ! His only dream was to sit on a chair and enjoy a cup of coffee in one hand and a book in the other !!! And this he realized. The following poem was his first and i want to share it here :
                                                      November Rain
                                                  So many haters in one place
                                        Trading war stories and pleading their case
                                                I sit here and try to be kind
                                          People think I'm out of my mind
                                       What I'm doing is changing my ways
                                 Reversing the wrongdoings from back in the days
                                     It's time from my life I can never get back
                                By the time I get out, people will think I've cracked
                                     I know my "sorry" can never fix all the pain
                                       But I pray for Sunshine after the Rain !

meaning

The word parwaz is an urdu word for 'rising' or 'flight'. More nuanced meaning is 'the first flight of a bird'. I came acroos this word while listening to a ghazal written by Gulzar. The line went like this " ek parwaz dikhaayi di hai, teri awaaz sunaai di hai..." I immediately liked this word and googled it down. There is more than the literary meaning to this word. Its Hindi cousin is 'Udaan'. I recently left home for 'making a career', as they say. Then, i actually felt the subtlety of this beautiful word - Parwaz. I took my first flight out of the nest my parents had built, where i was protected from things which didn't seem so hostile then. Only now can i realize what flying out really is.
As far as the above mentioned ghazal goes, the best lines i found were:
"phir wahi laut ke jaana hoga, yaar ne kaisi rihaaii di hai..."
Don't know why, but i can attach myself to these lines. Sometimes riddance is not as relieving as it should be. Sometimes, riddance becomes a burden. If only things were in our hands, I wish!
For all those who are deep into ghazals, or appreciate poetry, do have a look at this:
"Aankhon mein jal raha hai kyoon, bujhta nah Dhua,
Uth_ta toh hai ghataa sa, barasta nahi Dhua.

Choolhe nahi jalaaye ya bastii hi jal gayi,
Kuch roz ho gaye hai ab, uth_ta nahi Dhua.

This is my personal favourite -
Aankhon ke ponchne se laga aanch ka pataa,
Yun chehra pher lene se, chupta nahi Dhua.

Aankhon se aansuo ke Marasim puraane hai,
Mehmaa yeh ghar mein aaye toh, chubhta nahi Dhua."