My Wayward Way

The late nights I spent in the waiting room of Apollo Hospital, keeping vigil as Maa fought for her life in the CCU, forced me to confront death—hers, and someday, my own. Was I ready? Would it catch me off guard? Would regrets linger when my final curtain falls? In those quiet hours, Frank Sinatra’s My Way came to mind, its spirit of defiance and reflection striking a chord. Yet my journey—however wayward—felt uniquely mine. I hadn’t followed a conventional path; I’d skipped college, never had kids. Still, I’ve lived richly, fully, in ways my own. Could I weave that song’s essence into a poem that mirrored my way? Through the stillness of those nights, I shaped these words. I hope you like it.

My Wayward Way

My Wayward Way

And now, the end draws near, I face

The final curtain of my race,

I left behind the corporate maze,

To find myself in Himalayan haze.

Regrets? I've none, not even few,

I walked away from what I knew,

I planned my course, each careful step,

From mountain heights to ocean depths.

I walked away, no grand goodbyes,

To watch the world through wilder eyes,

Through misty hills where echoes play,

To golden shores where dreamers stay.

On silver nights, the stars unfurled,

I drank the sky, dissolved the world,

One drop, one breath, the self untied,

The cosmos danced and I complied.

I met the winds, I spoke with trees,

I bathed in light, I kissed the seas,

No fleeting wealth, no hollow ties,

Just open arms and endless skies.

Yes, there were times, I'm sure you knew,

When consciousness expanded through

The veil between what is and seems,

As acid painted cosmic dreams.

I faced it all, the joy, the fear,

The moments when the truth was clear,

That we are one beneath the sun,

All separate threads, yet finely spun.

I've lived a life so rich and full,

Away from paths predictable,

I found connection, deep and true,

In ways the rat race never knew.

The record shows I took each blow,

And did it all to truly know

The bliss of being fully free —

I did it my wayward way, you see.

And now, if this should be my time,

I’ll go in peace, I’ve lived my rhyme,

No tears, no chains, no last goodbyes,

Just one last laugh beneath the skies.