Rangoli

We draw life's patterns, vibrant and bold, We arrange our karma, both new and old. In the mandala of time, we place our stories, In the chakra of days, we set our glories. We shape tales of anand, we shape tales of dukh, We turn the kaleidoscope of kismet, we turn the kaleidoscope of sukh. Our paths intersect like mehendi designs, creating complex jali, Our steps trace yantras across time and space, holy. We inlay memories with precision's steady hand, We assemble moments that defy maya's shifting sand. In the rangoli of existence, we are both colour and artist, In the grand leela, we stand distinct, yet part of it. We tint our experiences in hues of rasa, We colour our world with unwavering asha. Our lives unfold like origami, fold by fold, Our journeys map nakshatras of struggle and peace untold. We sketch our sapna on the canvas of possibility, We paint our aasha with brushstrokes of tenacity. In the bindi of humanity, we each place our dot, In the raaga of being, we play our allotted slot. We construct sangha, diya by diya, We forge bandhan that make life our priya. Our patterns may crack, our designs may fade, But in life's grand rangoli, our chinh is made. **************************************************************** 1. "karma" (action and its consequences) 2. "mandala" (spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism) 3. "chakra" (wheel, also energy points in the body) 4. "anand" (joy) and "dukh" (sorrow) 5. "kismet" (fate) and "sukh" (happiness) 6. "mehendi" (henna designs) 7. "jali" (perforated stone or latticed screen) 8. "yantra" (mystical diagram) 9. "maya" (illusion) 10. "leela" (divine play) 11. "rasa" (aesthetic flavours in Indian arts) 12. "asha" (hope) 13. "nakshatra" (lunar mansion in Hindu astrology) 14. "sapna" (dream) and "aasha" (hope) 15. "bindi" (forehead decoration) 16. "raaga" (melodic framework in Indian classical music) 17. "sangha" (community) 18. "diya" (oil lamp) 19. "bandhan" (bond) 20. "priya" (beloved) 21. "chinh" (mark or symbol)