Birthday Poem 08

I practiced solitude
befriended boredom
perfected the art of being aloof, even among people
and the science of being on my own
I came to no conclusion
It’s too early..

I observed affection
tried to understand love
and gained the great skill of indifference
to being in or out of it
it seemed like an enemy at times
or at best an impossibility
But then again I came to no conclusion
and until then,
I'll live with universal love
the love of oneself
solitude or alienation
They all seem interchangeable..

I co-existed with constant doubt
incessant skepticism
We match beautifully
and have a convenient affair..
Like a very efficient osmosis, or an elegant dance
Our love and hate affair transcends geography, time, air and soil..

And beyond that, there are the usual tools of the trade
a pungent Masala of near-madness, fully-fledged nostalgia, and bleached future
Consequently
I came to a conclusion
I will dump all those friends, enemies and lovers
and it will be a beautiful year…