In this series on Being Simple and Frugal I would take you through my experiences, thoughts, and philosophy on how I lead my life with simplicity and frugality, and how I use it to my advantage to attain financial independence and retire early (F.I.R.E.).
I know of a very few places around Kanpur where adventure seeking enthusiasts can leave on a Friday evening and return by Sunday or Monday morning. As it turns out, Nainital is just the place where one can visit for a day and spend the day trekking to the summits of two to three peaks around Nainital. The trek will take you through the lush green forests of Kaphal, Sal, Oak, Pine, Buruns, Deodar and Surai trees. Animals like Himalayan languor is also a very common sight and if you get lucky you might even spot deers, and if unlucky….then maybe a bear. With a good enough visibility you can have a breathtaking view of the 300 km wide snow peaked rugged mountains of the Himalayas.
On a dim lighted boat
painted in a coat
of dirt and soot
we set afoot
The journey is one
destination is the sun
lifeless we sit around
without a stir or any sound
Eyeballs kiss
a moment of bliss
only to stir away
like the pendulums sway
Surrounded by souls
still, not a whole
your journey is your own
you only travel alone
Long have I longed
to sing a song
it is my tale
before I grew cold and pale
the story of my life
colourful and bright
over the peaks I flew
where I saw only a few
a darkness I didn’t foresee
like a basilisk, it swallowed me
I went numb, and I fell
to a city, with a story to tell
I sang until I had my breath
but it fell on ears that were deaf
still as a stone, silent as the grave now I lie
without a light, just waiting to die
On a foggy day
sight ends a fathom away
no lights to guide
I stand on a sheet of ice
I search for a rope
O any sign! A ray of hope
but in vain my effort lies
I stand on a sheet of ice
I think to move in ways more than a dozen
but help me, god! My legs are frozen
I cannot move whatever I try
I stand frozen on a sheet of ice
In the darkness of the night
my heart pounds, I stand in fright
It becomes harder to breathe as time passes by
I stand frozen on a sheet of ice
I look down at the ice
it is thin but I see a light
covered in darkness, deep down it lies
a shining star beneath this sheet of ice
It is my only hope
anywhere else I do not see even the thinnest rope
and hence I decide to take a dive
bidding a farewell to the world above the ice
I plunged inside and began to stroke
towards the light, my source of hope
the world seemed calm, a darkness descended
I had a smile, my pain has ended.
No wind to take me home
I travel aimless and alone
wondering how long will it last
in a desert, dead, empty, and vast
I remember my days of past
on a road, untravelled by the mass
today I just think of my past
in a desert, dead, empty, and vast
The road was tough, long, and steep
nevertheless, I travelled without rest and sleep
I knew not I will end up here at last
in a desert, dead, empty, and vast
To a tree, was the road leading me
full of love and soul she was to be
but became a mirage without a heart
in a desert, dead, empty, and vast
A truth I learned, which tore me apart
that it’s all nothing, but just a mirage
everything vanished, at a pace so fast
and left a desert, dead, empty, and vast
today I am left with an empty heart
searching for a road, wind, or a star
that takes me home where I find a heart
and not a desert, dead, empty, and vast