This poem explores the process of growing older while seeking meaning. It shows the confusion of life’s unanswered questions, the ongoing search for understanding, and the desire to embrace each day fully, even without clear goals. It’s about living life rather than striving for perfection.
Still, I Wake
Where do I go from here?
The question sits beside me,
quiet… but never gone.
They said, live the life given.
But no one gave a map—
only breath,
and the weight of time moving.
I am older now,
yet something in me
refuses to be finished.
So I wake—
and wonder:
what if this is the last day?
Not with fear,
but with fire.
I notice light on the wall,
forgive a little faster,
care a little less
about being understood.
The world argues loudly—
about choices, about sides—
but I just want
to feel alive before I leave.
I get dressed sometimes
with nowhere to go.
“Are you going out?” they ask.
No.
I’m practicing.
Because as long as I’m breathing,
something in me still says—
begin again, live again.
(Vijay Verma)
www.retiredkalam.com
Categories: kavita
Retiredकलम 
very nice .
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Thank you so much.
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Verma ji,
This poem stayed with me long after I finished reading it. The way you hold the quiet question “Where do I go from here?”—not as a burden, but as a companion—is deeply moving. And that line, “something in me refuses to be finished”… what a beautiful defiance of age.
I love how you turn waking into a daily practice of aliveness, not achievement. The fire without fear, the forgiving faster, the dressing up with nowhere to go—that’s not confusion, Verma ji. That’s wisdom wearing its most honest clothes.
Thank you for reminding us that beginning again is not a sign of failure, but of life still humming inside. Please keep practicing. Keep waking. We need more of this kind of fire.
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Thank you from the bottom of my heart for such a beautiful and generous reflection. 🙏
Your words touched me deeply, especially your observation that the question “Where do I go from here?” can be a companion rather than a burden. I think that is exactly how many of us come to see it with age—not as a sign of uncertainty, but as proof that life is still inviting us forward.
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Very well penned sir . I am reading a very different perspective today as we all chase wealth, freedom , beauty , success etc . Do we wake up someday and tell ourselves we got to live today in full spirit whether we have less or more ? I think that is the question you are asking your readers through this post. As I try to understand the nuances of life I think we are all perfectly imperfect and there should be no regret in living life this way for that is the beauty of life .
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful reflection. 😊🙏
I believe you have understood the essence of the post beautifully. We spend so much of our lives pursuing wealth, success, beauty, recognition, and countless other goals that we sometimes forget to pause and ask ourselves whether we are truly living today with gratitude and fullness of spirit.
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Well penned, for sure. I notice more and more that I am deliberating about things that I used to simply react too. I’d like to say, I am more carefree, but I ponder the monstrosities of life perpetuated on others by some humans and wonder when it will end. But you are right, there is still something symbolic about dressing up when you have no place to go, making the effort to make the day special. So many have their pajama days here where they do not get dressed and many go out shopping in pajama bottoms. Not me, not yet. Have a great Thursday. Allan
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Thank you, Allan. 😊
I can relate to what you are saying. As we grow older, many of us seem to pause more, reflect more, and respond less impulsively than we once did. While that brings wisdom, it also makes us more aware of the suffering and injustices around us, and sometimes that awareness can weigh heavily on the heart.
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Such a beautiful, introspective poem. Whatever you do today, tomorrow or the rest of this week, we hope you enJOY it to the fullest know you are valued, respected and appreciated. Cheers!
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Thank you so much for your kind and uplifting words. 🙏
Your encouragement means a great deal to me. I truly appreciate the reminder to embrace each day with joy and gratitude. Wishing you the same—may your days be filled with peace, inspiration, good health, and countless moments of happiness. Thank you for making this space warmer with your kindness. Cheers and best wishes always! 🌿✨😊
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Really enjoyed this!
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Thank you so much! I’m delighted that you enjoyed the poem. Your kind words mean a great deal to me. It’s always rewarding to know that something I’ve written has connected with a reader and left a positive impression.
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This is quietly powerful Verma ji✨The idea of waking each day with curiosity rather than certainty is something I think many of us can relate to. And that final line, “begin again, live again,” leaves the reader with a wonderful sense of hope. ✨
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Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful reflection. ✨
Your observation touches the very heart of what I was trying to express. Life rarely offers us complete certainty, but it does offer us another sunrise, another opportunity to learn, grow, and begin anew.
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Vermavkvさん、おはようございます。いつも有難うございます🙇♂️
その先に確たる目的や目標がなくても毎日を心から受け入れるということは、願望の完璧なものを目指すのではなく、いかにして与えられた人生を大切に生きること。それが何よりも大事なことだということを表現しています😉
人生の道のりには、どこへ行くともあてもないままに服(お出かけ用の)を着ることもあります。人はそんな姿を見ると「出かけるの?」と聞いてきます。ですが、服を着ることがお出かけにつながるとは限りません。ふと、そんな思いにかられるからです。そしてそれは、呼吸をしている限り、心のどこかで「もう一度始めて、生き直れ」との声がかけられるからです☺️何らかの事情で、生きることに疲れた時、その声はまた生き直ることを呼び起こしてくれます。感動的な言葉です🥰共有してくれて有難うございます🙇♂️
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Good morning, and thank you as always for your thoughtful and heartfelt comment. 🙇♂️😊
Your reflection touched me deeply. I completely agree that even without a definite goal or destination ahead of us, embracing each day wholeheartedly is not about striving for a perfect life, but about cherishing the life we have been given.
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Vijay, excellent reflections to ponder, delivered with impressive brevity. I completely understand, think we’re about the same age… the dropping of expectations, pretensions, wanting to seize that which truly matters. Carpe diem, my friend 😎🙏
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Thank you so much, my friend. 😊🙏
It does seem that age has a way of peeling away the unnecessary layers—expectations, pretensions, and the endless chase for things that don’t truly nourish the soul. We begin to value simple joys, meaningful connections, and the precious gift of time.
“Carpe diem” indeed—seize the day, but also savour it. Wishing you many moments of peace, laughter, and gratitude as we continue this beautiful journey called life. 😎🌿
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This is true faith and internal peace granted through knowledge. Your poem is a ray of positive energy!
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Thank you so much , Sir. 🙏✨
I’m truly glad the poem resonated with you in such a meaningful way. If it carries even a small sense of peace or positive energy to the reader, then it has fulfilled its purpose.
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Yes, it certainly has resonated and it does carry much peace and positive energy. It is a wonderfully uplifting poem Sir. Congratulations!
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Thank you so much. Sir. 🙏🌿
I’m truly glad the poem resonated with you and carried a sense of peace and positive energy. That is always the deepest purpose of sharing such reflections—to offer a moment of calm, connection, and quiet encouragement.
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Always a pleasure to be engaged in positive conversation with you Sir. All the best and may your day be blessed and give you happiness.
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Thank you so much for your kind and uplifting words. 🙏🌿
It’s always a pleasure to engage in such positive and thoughtful conversations with you as well. I truly appreciate your warmth and good wishes.
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Always a pleasure Sir. Enjoy a lovely Friday evening.
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A reflective poetic introduction that explores aging, meaning, and the quiet human search for understanding and acceptance through life’s uncertainties. 🌿✨
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What a beautifully expressed reflection. 🌿✨
Your words gently capture the essence of aging—not as a decline, but as a quiet unfolding of understanding, acceptance, and deeper meaning. There is something profoundly human in this ongoing search for clarity amid life’s uncertainties, and you’ve conveyed it with great sensitivity and grace.
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A thoughtful reflection that captures the journey of aging as a search for meaning, marked by questions, uncertainty, and quiet self-discovery. 🌿✨
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What a beautifully gentle and insightful reflection. 🌿✨
You’ve captured the essence of aging not as a decline, but as an unfolding journey—one shaped by questions, quiet uncertainties, and a deeper search for meaning.
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