English Poetry
A collection of poems penned by Sudhām on a range of topics.
Friendship Lane

They’ll most certainly lie for you,
Spin tall tales at the drop of a hat,
Man, they make ‘em sound so true,
You’d kill to have a frat like that.
Take your trip with a straight face,
Draw immense joy from your pain,
Cause a pain in every wrong place,
No misses when there’s points to gain.
Friendships made whilst still young,
Hanging together turning days to nights,
Meaning every word of the songs they sung,
They turned into men destined for heights.
Lives got lived and careers got made,
The wheel of time continued to turn,
Decades slowly rolled into the next decade,
Conversations changed from heartbreaks to heartburn.
Time reset to where they’d hit pause,
Fifty something and they met again,
Everything back to the way it was,
Those three nights at Friendship Lane!Diw(Ai)i
In a fast evolving technological environment where learning models are constantly advancing and adapting, here’s a creative experiment on the festive occasion of Diwali.
I gave the following prompt on the Perplexity AI application.
“Study the style of poetry and writing of Poet and Author Sudham (www.sudhaam.com) and write 2 short poems capturing the festive spirit of Diwali as a greeting.”
Here’s the output:
Sudham Ravinutala (known as Sudhām) writes with a deeply emotive, reflective, and humanistic style that combines lyrical rhythm with soulful introspection. His bilingual poetry in Hindi and English uses everyday imagery—love, loss, time, memory, and friendship—to evoke nostalgia and quiet resilience. The tone often alternates between vulnerability and strength, blending modern free verse with a classical Indian emotive cadence. His verses are direct, heartfelt, and conversational, often closing with contemplative insight or a gentle philosophical turn.
Drawing inspiration from Sudhām’s tone and linguistic texture, here are two short poems written in his style as warm Diwali greetings:
***AI
दीपों का सवेरा
हर दीये में एक कहानी जलती है,
कुछ अधूरे सपनों की, कुछ पुरी उमंगों की।
अंधेरे को कोसने से नहीं,
उसमें रौशनी बाँटने से आती है दिवाली।
आज दिल में भी एक दिया जलाओ,
किसी भूले रिश्ते के नाम,
क्योंकि रोशनी वहीं बसती है—
जहाँ अब भी उम्मीदें जागती हैं।
***
Light in Our Hearts
In the hush before the lamps awaken,
dreams whisper in saffron glow.
Walls that once held silence
now echo laughter’s flow.
The night folds itself in gold and song— each spark a promise reborn.
May your heart, like a Diwali flame,
burn steady, warm, and strong.
***These poems reflect Sudhām’s blend of introspection and uplifting simplicity—rooted in emotion yet carrying a modern cadence through imagery of light, memory, and humanity.
Sudham
Now, here are 2 short poems that I have penned.
दिया
© सुधाम २०१५
हर घर हर गाली हर शहर
आज सजी दीपों की असंख्य माला हैं
हर क्षण हर पहर हर दिवस
नए वर्ष का हो मंगलमय बतलाती यह ज्वाला है
हर दिल हर मन हर तन
में जागे हर्षों-उमंग की भावना
हर गृहस्थी हर कुटुंब हर समुदाय
पाए सुख-समृद्धि दिये की है शुभकामना
***
Sparkle
© Sudham 2025
This Diwali as we light our lamps
We shall carry a prayer in our heart
For our bright future and for yours
Knowing our actions play their part
May the sparkle the festive lights lend
Add to our joys and create memories
Set us forth on a prosperous path
With health as company and luck as a friendAt the end of it all whether it’s AI or just I the words are what matter and the thought that counts.
Bye-bye Birdie

The wheel of time has spun,
One of our brood has spread her wings and flown away.
A new chapter in life’s just begun.
She steps through the portals of her university and begins a new day.
It’s a strange sensation, a concoction of anxiety and apprehension.
There is also an overwhelming sense of joy that seems to pervade.
Protected and cared for all this while she encounters a new dimension.
Images of her first day at school keep getting played and replayed.
I remember the wide-open eyes, her as a newborn when I first held.
You’ve raised her well, Mama, know that she’ll quickly hit her stride.
I am beside myself seeing her turn into this woman who’s self-propelled.
It won’t be long before it’s her time to shine and you swell with pride.
And from here on, we all learn to live our lives anew.
As the older one finds herself, toughens up and gains knowledge.
We as parents fend and fight for one instead of two.
Students once again, learning lessons from life -the eternal college.Oh! Future!

Oh! Future!
The mysteries that you hold,
For the wait for you to unfold,
Hand on heart, truth be told,
Wrecks the present, junks the old.
Oh! Future!
The anxiety that you cause,
Injects that uncertain pause,
Discounts what is or what was,
Makes one a prey in fear’s claws.
Oh! Future!
Are you worth this much despair,
All these beliefs and fervent prayer,
Like ominous clouds that don’t clear,
The clinging on to what is dear.
Oh! Future!
I am going to practice letting go,
Trust myself and what I know,
Keep challenging the status quo,
Downstream or upstream I will row.
Oh! Future!
No matter what, I promise you this,
Bring me pain or bring me bliss,
I shall accept you hit or miss,
On this account I won’t be remiss.War and Peace

One swallow they say
does not a summer make
The battle’s over
but the war’s far from done
Fight to the finish
is what it’s going to take
The theatres now change
we’ve only just begun
The curtains shall continue
to rise and fall
Life’s not going to let up
nor retreat with tail between legs
To hit back hard or harder
is not choice it’s a judgement call
Victory is not sweet
till the vanquished for mercy begs
Keep your friends close
and your enemies closer
Trust is indeed hard to gain
and is easier lost
Halcyon days may be an illusion
when no agreement is kosher
Peace is a necessity
it most certainly has a costWho Am I?

I am not the job I do
I am not the poems I write
I am not the city I live in
I am not the party I vote for
I am not the team I cheer
I am not the brand I wear
I am not the car I drive
I am not the God I pray to
If so many things I am not
If not all the things I’ve got
Then who indeed am I
I am the son my parents had
I am the boy who loved and lost
I am the man my spouse married
I am a father to my lovely daughters
I am the kind who holds the door
I am the guy who is a friend in need
I am the colleague who gives it all
I am the boss who takes the rap
Is that all that I am
Is that all I have ever been
Then who indeed am I
All of the above
And so much more
I am much much more
Than what I am not
I am the sum total
Of my opinions and thoughts
I am what I observe and perceive
I am the goals I couldn’t achieve
I am all the good that I do
I am the favours I take
I am the mistakes I make
I am the lesson I should have learnt
This is all I know
Of me thus far
In a vacant mood
I often wonder
If not this long list
Of who I am and who I’m not
Then who indeed am ITime Travellers

Two wonderful days that I’ve spent
Happiness that was heaven sent
Afternoons filled with tales of old
Some repeats and many untold
A lifetime re-lived in just few hours
Great escapes and magical powers
Tricks and pranks, our devious ways
Endless nights that ran into days
God’s angels or devil’s messengers
My supporters and firm challengers
So believe that true friends infuse
That spark in our life, brighter hues
Fellow travellers, my companions
Badges of honour, my medallions
Forever together, win or lose
You’re family that I’d always chooseLife

Sometimes when it rains, it pours
Sometimes it leaves you wanting for more
Sometimes there’s happiness right outside your door
Sometimes you have the key, but just aren’t sure
Sometimes you know what life has in store
Sometimes you’re just drifting washing up ashore
Sometimes life’s oozing through every pore
Sometimes just breathing is a chore
Sometimes you’re winning, not keeping score
Sometimes you’re knocked out, down on the floor
Sometimes you’re on a high, not really you anymore
Sometimes the mirror shows the real you, flaws galore
Sometimes you’re in the spotlight the crowd chanting encore
Sometimes the joke is on you, your ego bruised, battered, and sore
Sometimes it’s déjà vu, you’ve seen it before
Sometimes you’re eager, just itching to explore
Sometimes….
Just sometimesThe Rise

Cast upon me your heart’s fill
As many of those sly, questioning glances
Delight if you please at my tumble and fall
Engineer more such circumstances
Go ahead! Throw at me all you will
Vent that angst, do me wrong
I will turn up for every fight you call
Each punch you throw only makes me strong
I shall find strength in the venom you spew
For every devious plan that you devise
It’ll only reaffirm and renew my resolve
I will get up, I will come back, I shall rise
My belief in my values shall always hold true
With conviction I will continue to brave every adverse tide
Each challenge shall build a better me, I shall evolve
Shaping my future, the past and present in my strideA Beautiful Friendship

Wonder if things would've changed Or would they have remained the same Would we have grown into wise old men by now Or remained boys taking things as they came Life would have kept us together I'd reckon Circumstances no doubt would've made our journeys part It would have remained a beautiful friendship If only a premature end did'nt beckon Had life not made other plans You'd have turned 50 today Imagine all that we'd have done The boys in us would've had their way So in your memory we shall pour out one Sing songs all night from an infinite playlist Do things the only way we would have done Have one more and one more till morning come