I Am the Brightest Star in My Sky!

   

There’s no joy quite like finding something we once lost. Lost-and-found things bring joy as well as sorrow. They remind us of memories we either want to cherish or forget.

It’s October, a month of festivities in India, which means it’s time for deep cleaning and dusting the entire house (even the corners we never knew existed till now!). Like every mom, desi or international, mine too chided me for not cleaning my bookshelf. I love my books so much so that I practically forbid anyone from touching them. It’s not that I don’t organise them; it’s just that I admire the beauty in imperfection and couldn’t bring myself to make it perfect ;)

Alas, moms never understand such aesthetics. They want the house neat, tidy, and organised.

If I were to describe my bookshelf, I would call it a treasure trove of happiness. It has 3 rows: the first two with books and the last one brimming with memories. I like to call it, “The Meaning of My Life”.

This rack holds hidden answer sheets, my diary, slam books, goofy pictures, school-time assignments, report cards (only the ones with good scores!), and many other keepsakes. I preserve them like a museum curator. So, after much contemplation and a few rounds of scoldings, I decided to dust out my bookshelf last Sunday.

The first two racks were easy to organise since I’d already arranged them by genre. I just took each book, dusted it, and placed it back in its spot. While I was doing this, my dad pointed rather squarely at the heap of unread books I’ve been accumulating for years. Well, what could I say? A reader’s life isn’t defined by the books she’s read but by the pile of books waiting to be read!

After sorting the first two rows in about an hour and a half, I turned to the last one. Once I made sure my parents were busy and my sister was nowhere in sight, I carefully began decluttering it. Who knows when what secret might pop out! While keeping one eye on my family, I continued the process. After two long hours, I finally finished organising it.

To put it simply, it was like walking down my memory lane. Among everything I found, it was pure serendipity that brought a smile to my day. As I was skimming through a folder stuffed with a stack of sheets, a pale, folded A4 sheet, crumpled at the corners, caught my eye. It seemed like something was written on it. I slowly pulled it out and unfolded it.

What greeted my sight was a poem handwritten by me. I have a habit of dating my writings, and this one was from six years ago. As I read the poem, waves of memories hit me. It was written by 17-year-old Krishi! Titled “I Am the Brightest Star in My Sky”, it was a poem I dedicated to myself.😉😅

I love writing, and I tend to pen my thoughts randomly. Some end up in the trash, some make it here, and others lost forever. This poem was one such piece I thought I’d lost, perhaps for good. Finding it again on that pale sheet, the words reminded me of my younger self. Reading it now, I wondered if I should applaud my younger self’s confidence or gently remind her of humility! After reading it for umpteen times, I folded the sheet neatly, and placed it back safely inside the folder.

I thought I would share the poem here on my blog. For one thing, it won’t get lost again; and for the other, my dad wanted me to. 

So, here we go!

 

I was born with an angelic smile,
Though I wasn’t born with a silver spoon.
 
I am a girl in my teens,
Bubbling with plenty of dreams.
 
As a kid, I desired to be a doctor;
Now, I am on my way to be an engineer.
 
I am a girl with ardent determination,
Ready to face the challenges of life without inhibition.
 
I aim to build a career,
To earn my bread and butter.
 
I am ambitious, yet realistic;
I prefer a growth mindset over being pessimistic.
I’d rather hear a bitter truth than a soothing lie.
 
I am a girl with an endless bucket list,
With a desire to travel far and wide,
 To see the wonders worldwide.
 
I cherish the warmth of my friends,
And seek the strength to bear betrayals.
I possess the mindset to treat both victory and failure as impostors.
 
I have a passion to learn from all.
To learn, unlearn, and relearn, if at all.
 
I am obsessed with leaving a mark in my chosen field,
Making my parents and teachers proud,
And bringing laurels to my motherland.
 
I believe in myself,
In my ability and my potential,
In the hand of destiny,
In the benevolence of Lady Luck,
And in the omnipresence of the Almighty.
 
In short, I am the brightest star in my sky.
Don’t ask me why!

 

As I read the poem, I couldn’t help but smile at my younger self, so full of hope, confidence, and a little bit of sass. After all, I am, and will always be, the brightest star in my sky!