The year comes to a close and brings with it an opportunity to reflect and engage with who you were and who you are becoming. I am reflecting through the poetry I wrote in 2023, and republishing some of my favorite ones.
Today’s poem was written as an ode to the amazing conversations I’ve had with friends. This year, I moved away from my best friends in Gurgaon and moved to Bangalore where I’ve had a chance to make some new friends and rekindle old friendships.
By going through this experience, I have learned the value of great conversations, how they spark new ideas, new thoughts, and new bonds. This poem is all about that.
Alright, poem starts in 3… 2… 1!
Conversations, ordinary, classy, scary. Lovely? Very. Conversations, so full of life. Yes, just my type, and pure delight. Conversations, speech or writing. Calm, exciting, struck with lightning. Conversations, some perplexing. Some relaxing. Speaking. Sensing. Conversations, out in open, under the sun, lively and fun. Conversations, giggly, sobby, over coffee, in the lobby. Conversations, eating, drinking, swimming, sinking, gazing, blinking. Conversations, encouraging, soul-nourishing, so flourishing. These conversations, they create our friends and kith and kin. They build our lives, they build our fates. With words, futures begin.
That’s it! I published this poem back in March as the 103rd edition of Hello Universe, and here we are on the 142nd edition. How time flies!
What was your favorite conversation this year? My favorite was a long call I had with my friend Angshuman exchanging notes on how it feels to take career risks and settle in new places.
Tell me about your favorite conversation from this year in the comments below!
Some Fun Stuff
This is a place where I recommend read-worthy, hum-worthy, and watch-worthy content from across the internet. The underlined words are links that you can click to access my suggestions:
1. Read about how Lego builds a new set: Any one who’s been in a creative profession knows how hard it is to standardize creativity without losing its soul. Lego, Europe’s biggest cultural export for kids and adults of all ages, is a fascinating case study in corporate creativity. This article takes us deep into their process of crowdsourcing ideas and turning them into real products. Worth reading!
2. Listen to Mantequilla by Ron Flatter: This track was a JOY to discover. I guarantee that this will be playing in my Christmas party, I suggest you play it in yours too! It’s made to get a party going. Check it out now!
3. Watch some Teqball: A mix of Table Tennis, football (soccer), and the martial art “Sepak Takraw”, this is a super entertaining sport and I am loving it. Full of surprises, athleticism, and energy, I was hooked from start to finish and have now seen many more matches. I’m sure this will be a delightful new discovery for you too!
That’s it for this week, see you next Tuesday!
Bahut badhiya
This poem has such a nice ring to it. I'd love to hear it as a song!