This poem is about resilience during tough emotional times. It highlights the inner strength that helps us get through difficulties, the humor that comes after surviving, and the truth that we are shaped by what stays within us, not by what breaks us.
It reminds us that even in difficult times, we can rise up, imperfect but strong.
# When Life Burns #
when life burns
don’t rush to escape it
sometimes fire
is just here to teach us,
wearing a loud face
you rise
not perfectly
not clean
but still rising
with ash in your thoughts,
smoke in your breath,
still—you move
and maybe you laugh
not because it’s easy
but because you’ve survived enough
to notice that you did
you are not only what broke
you are what stayed within
what didn’t leave you
when everything else did
so let it burn
if it must
you still remain—
amazing,
with your head held high
(Vijay Verma)
www.retiredkalam.com
Categories: kavita
Retiredकलम 
very nice .
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Thank you so much.
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Sir, I really do appreciate the power of the positive thoughts and images of this poem. I agree entirely with its philosophical content. Burning away the impurities and rising to a clean life, remaining there, unharmed, that is the essence of a healthy, strong mind set on triumph. Thank you for this reminder of the power of the spirit.
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Thank you, Sir.
I really appreciate the way you’ve distilled the essence of it—there’s a clarity in your reading that goes beyond agreement and feels more like integration.
What you’ve pointed to—burning away what is unnecessary and emerging into a cleaner inner state—isn’t just a poetic image, it’s almost like a discipline of attention. Not escaping life, but refining how we meet it. And that distinction matters.
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Thank you 🙏🏻 so much Sir. Yes, quite so, your poem is beautiful.
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You’re most welcome, Sir.🙏🏻
And thank you for your kind words—they’re truly appreciated.
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You are very welcome Sir. I hope that you have enjoyed a pleasant evening and are now transitioning to a good and restful night. It is always a pleasure to converse with you and I certainly appreciate our exchanges. I am sorry I have not been available regularly in these days as I am very much tied up with studio work as this is a busy time of the year for me. But I hope to get back to the rhythm of our conversations very soon. All the best to you!
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That’s such a thoughtful message—thank you for taking the time to share it.
I completely understand how demanding studio work can be, especially during busy seasons.
There’s something deeply absorbing about that kind of creative focus, so no need to apologize at all. In a way,
it’s nice knowing you’re immersed in something meaningful.
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Thank you so much Sir. I will still take time to say hello and to wish you a wonderfully creative and productive day. Have a pleasant good night Sir and we’ll catch up in the morning.
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Thank you for your warmth—it genuinely brightens the exchange. I hope your evening winds down gently and peacefully, and that tomorrow greets you with fresh clarity and creativity.
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Thank you so much Sir! I wish you the same. I look forwards to catching up tomorrow. Pleasant dreams Sir.
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Good morning, Sir.
I am on morning walk track.
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Good morning! Have a wonderful walk and day!
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Good afternoon, Sir.
Just enjoyed mt swimming session and ready for painting.
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That sounds wonderful Sir! A good swimming session calms the soul and refreshes the body. I think you will be ready to fully enjoy your painting session and be free to create. All the best to you!
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Well said, Sir.
Swimming calm the soul and refresh the body.
And I like your idea of flow carrying into creativity: swim → reset → create. That’s basically how some of the best work gets made—when the mind stops “trying” and just starts moving again.
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Yes, sometimes you cannot let thoughts get in the way. The trick is to override them and create. Thank you 🙏🏻 and may you enjoy a peaceful night. Catch you in the morning.
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Good morning, Sir,
I am on morning walk track.
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Good morning Sir! I hope your walking brings you strength and pleasure as it is one of the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing. Wishing you a day of peace, tranquillity and much creativity! And if you compete today (TT) may you go forwards and win! All the best to you Sir. I will not be on the blog too much today as I have a work deadline on a manuscript coming up. Take good care!
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Good afternoon, Sir.
Thank you so much for your warm and encouraging message—it really lifted my spirits. The walk did bring a great sense of calm and clarity, just what I needed.
Take good care of yourself too, and wishing you a productive and fulfilling day ahead.
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So good to hear Sir, and thank you so much! Hope your evening is sparkling and relaxing and that you reflect upon a well lived day with peace and in gratitude.
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Thank you, Sir—that’s very kind of you to say 🙏🏻
I hope your evening is just as calm and restorative, with a sense of ease settling in after the day. There’s something quietly grounding about ending the day in gratitude, just as you mentioned.
Take good care and wishing you a peaceful night ahead 🌿
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Thank you kindly Sir. Sleep well and I’ll catch you in the morning. All the best.
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Good morning, Sir.
I am on morning walk track.
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Good morning! I hope you have a wonderful walk and a great and blessed day!
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Good afternoon! , Sir.😊
Thank you so much for your kind wishes—it means a lot. I hope your day is unfolding beautifully so far, with moments of calm and little joys along the way. Wishing you a peaceful and blessed rest of the day 🌿✨
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And a great day to you too Sir! It is finally the middle of the week and all is going quite well. I am grateful for these days of sunshine, mild weather and lots of work! I hope you are having a smashing day as well and that you do great things! All the best!
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That’s such a lovely, upbeat note to end the exchange on.
It sounds like you’re in one of those steady, good-flow weeks where things aren’t perfect—but they’re working, and that itself feels like a quiet kind of win. Sunshine, mild weather, and meaningful work really do make a surprisingly strong combination for the mind.
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In gratitude and open to the many blessings, I accept the evening and the night asking only for peace and tranquillity. Wishing you the same my friend. Take good care, win at TT, enjoy a sparkling evening and a restful night.
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That’s a really calm and grounded way to close the day.
Thank you for the kind wishes—there’s something genuinely steadying about that sense of acceptance and quiet gratitude you shared. Peace and tranquillity sound like exactly the right companions for the evening.
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May you enjoy that peace and tranquility.
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Thank you—that’s a lovely wish.
I hope that same sense of peace finds its way to you as well, settling gently into your day and staying a while. Take care and enjoy the quiet moments.
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and maybe you laugh
not because it’s easy
but because you’ve survived enough
to notice that you did
and you have the
experience to realize
You have been here before.
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Yeah… that kind of laugh doesn’t come from comfort. It comes from recognition.
Not “this is fine” recognition—more like “oh… it’s this again”.
And somehow, that changes everything.
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A stirring testament to the resilience of the human spirit. By weaving humor into the narrative of emotional hardship, you’ve captured the ultimate survival skill—the ability to find a spark of light even when everything feels like it’s smoldering. It is a beautiful reminder that our strength isn’t just about enduring the heat, but about the grace with which we rise from the ashes. Truly a masterclass in emotional depth.
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Thank you—this is such a thoughtful and generous reading.
I’m really glad the thread of humor came through for you. It’s easy to see it as something light, but in moments of hardship, it often becomes a kind of quiet resilience… a way of creating just enough space between ourselves and the weight of things to keep going.
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Verma ji, this poem is a quiet storm—deeply moving and fiercely gentle at the same time. The line ‘you are what stayed within when everything else did’ hits the heart like a truth we all need to hear. Thank you for turning pain into poetry that heals and honors resilience without pretending it’s easy. 🙏✨
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That’s beautifully put—there’s a certain stillness in how you’re reading it, like you’re not just noticing the words but letting them sit with you for a while.
That line you highlighted carries exactly that tension: what remains after everything else falls away. Not in a loud, heroic sense—but in that quiet survival where a person slowly learns that what’s left is still enough to keep going.
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