Reena Bawa

Reena Bawa was born in Ambala Cantt, India. She was born into a Sikh family and practices spirituality. She graduated from Thapar Insititute of Engineering and Technology in India, with Bachelors in Engineering. She migrated to the United States in 2002 after her marriage and since then, has been living in Austin, Texas with her husband. At present, she is an IT analyst at Austin Energy. Reena Bawa has recently started venturing into writing. She is trying to put her creative side to work and for her writing is the most viable outlet. Currently, the focus of her writing is on feminine subjects and spirituality. She has recently become a member of the Writers League of Texas. Her hobbies include staying pretty active physically as she strongly believes that a healthy mind can only rest in a healthy body.

My Morning Prayer
By Reena Bawa

Should I fold my hands and close my eyes
Should I start my laundry list of things that I ask Thee to bless me with?
Should I rote out those lines from my sacred text
Should I follow the rituals in order to please Thee
Should I condition my mind to accept Thy will
Should I have a conversation with Thee?
Should I thank Thee for the countless bounties bestowed upon me
Should I seek Thee
O Dear mind
Forgive me for I do not know how to pray to Thee

I try to seek Thee in all little things that I see
I try to feel Thee like the wind that brushes my skin
I try to experience Thee in all living things that I interact with
I try to love Thee like I have never loved one
I try not to wander aimlessly in Thy’s world
I try not to seek answers to Thee’s mysteries
I try to curtail my quest for Thee
For I know Thee that you are a part of me
O Dear mind
Forgive me for I do not know how to pray to Thee

I ask Thee to bless me with enough wisdom
I ask Thee to bless me with what HE thinks is best for me
I ask Thee to show me my path
I ask Thee to bless me with courage to accept Thy will
I ask Thee to bless me to be at peace with Thyself
I ask Thee to bless me with enough love so that I can forgive
I ask Thee to bless me so that I may seek to be humble and modest
I ask Thee to bless me so that I can find happiness in little things that life brings my way
O Dear Mind
Forgive me for I do not know how to pray to Thee.

Conversation with the poet
What is the inspiration behind your work?
When I realized how little time we have on earth, I started questioning my existence and my reason to be here on earth. I thought the best thing I can do here is to be creative and for me that outlet was in writing. This is perhaps the best way I can channelize my energy and feel good at the end of the day that I did something meaningful. This is my way of connecting with HIM.

Tell us about your creative journey. Did you receive any formal training?
My creative journey has just begun and there are miles and miles to go. No I haven’t received any formal training so far.

Describe your style?
I am more of a fiction writer. I also dabble in poetry and write memoirs. I am still figuring out my style. I think it’s too early for me to nail down on one particular thing.

What would you consider your biggest success?
Success is very tangible and materialistic in my mind. And am no where close to anything that I can claim to be proud of so far that I can consider as a benchmark for success in writing as of now.

How has you work been received by the world and what is next for you?
I am pretty much on the tip of the iceberg in writing and so far I haven’t got any of my works published. So probably this question is not applicable for me right now. I wish someday I reach a stage where I can get my work published. That is something I would want to happen in the near future.