My Old Self

Rekha Tukra

“So what if in my life I made many mistakes, 

Isn’t life itself a big blunder, full of errors and breaks? 

I never painted the town red or had any remarkable days, 

But back then, I was thick-headed, not thin like a rake, my frame slender in ways.”

“I was lazy, laid-back, and a bit of a shirker, 

But never an absconder, just seeking my own hidden worker. 

I desired paths of grasslands with purple tulips and lavender, 

Sometimes I stole apples and grapes, but I’m no offender.”

“I mend my ways and habits, I must say, 

A wilful amender, with compassion and love in every display. 

Though I may be fragile, I mend broken hearts with care, 

A universal mender, not dull, desolate, or a pretender.”

“I may have a few vices, but it’s not folly to be a love lender,

I aspire to no wins or successes, just myself, my own contender. 

I may have disappointed many, unintentionally, it’s true, 

As a natural denier, I’ll never quit, returning like thunder, anew.”

“A poor soul with a conscience, never wanting to be tagged by gender, 

I wish I could flow like a fresh river, a loony water bender. 

Starting afresh, imagine me as a mere one, unique and wild, 

Embracing life’s challenges, with a spirit that is undefiled.”