Dear readers, your overwhelming response to the ‘Wow Your Valentine’ Contest left us all at Parsi Times even more wowed… and touched at the beautiful show of emotions and talent! Kudos to all our wonderful participants for doing justice to the true and all-encompassing spirit of love – just the way St. Valentine would have defined it. Thank you for the brilliant poetry and prose sent in from all including grandmothers, husbands, wives, pet-parents, friends, sisters, et al! Here are our top three winners, and a few others with great talent and love!

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WINNER:

Warm Valentine Wishes To My Dearest Husband

From Roshan Dastoor

Life with you is a rollercoaster ride
Through ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, taking things in our stride
For three decades we’ve been together
Learning, fallen threads to gather
There are no seasons, it only ‘rains’ love
In your warm embrace, there only ‘reigns’ love
Lucky, fortunate and blessed am I
May you ever hold my hand till life says goodbye
So, till the end of time, my sweet Valentine
I proclaim, I shall, forever be thine!

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WINNER

પડોશણના પ્રેમમાં પડેલ પતિની ગઝલ

આબાન પરવેઝ તુરેલ

પ્રવેશ કરે ઘરમાં, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
પડોશણ ફરે ખૂબ વટમાં, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
કયારેક પર્સ યા ‚માલ હીંચકા પર ભૂલી જોવા આવે, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
સતત પગરવ કરે ઘરમાં, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
તપેલી દૂધની મૂકવાને બહાને કરી લે ડોકિયું ફ્રિઝમાં, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
સવારે રોજ છાશ માટે મેળવણ લેવા આવે રોજ રાતે, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે
સવારે નાસ્તો મૂકીને જાય રાતના જમવાનું ગરમ, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે,
પરત ઘર આવવા હવે મોબાઈલ કરે તું શાને?
બધુ સચવાય છે ઘરમાં, પિયર હોય તું જ્યારે…

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WINNER:

‘Tigu Maaro Mittho’

By Pet-Parent Armine Bharucha

He’s gentle, he’s caring,
So handsome and daring.
His licks and wags make my day,
All he asks for is love and play.
Being a typical Bawa, he loves his food,
He’s always well-mannered and good.
Tigu, you are the apple of my eye,
My sweet little pudding and pie!
Feel so blessed to have you and call you mine,
Tigu my love, my doggy Valentine!

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WINNER:

From A Grandma To Her Mum!

By Kashmira Khatow

Her love is so sublime and so pure,
At this age and stage I could not have asked for more.
Here is the woman so tender yet so strong.
I’ve always admired her and she’s my mother o lord.
I’m a grandma myself,
yet I have a lot to learn from her,
She’s the backbone of my existence and I’m proud to be born from her.
Yes she’s my mother, my most beautiful valentine.

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To My Wife Pinky

From Rohinton

I wrote your name in space but the wind blew it away.
I wrote your name in silt
but the waves washed it away.
I wrote your name in my heart
And that’s where it will forever stay!

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A Prose For My Hubby

By Delnaz Batty

My beloved Hubby Eddy, When I first met you I honestly didn’t know you were going to be this important to me! You have made me laugh, wiped my tears, hugged me tight, watched me succeed, seen me fail. You are a promise that I will have a friend forever. The only thing better than having you for a husband is our children having you for a Daddy! From your wifey , Del.

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To My Grandsons Fredoon, Jamsheed and Shahvir

By Amy Savak Bhathena

My triangular golden box, adorned with strings of silver, has chocolates for my forensic expert Fredoon, gems for my CA and lawyer Jamsheed, and assorted sweets for my scholar grandson Shahvir. Ah! I am so thrilled and delighted that my grandsons are ruling my golden heart with fame and fortune!! Oh Lord! I sincerely express my gratitude with my pen filled with oceans of ink, on a sky length paradise paper.

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To My Late Wife Meheroo,
After 14 Years On Valentine’s Day

By Rumi S Tatary

Very fond of me, was darling Meheroo, my wife,
Whose love was sublime, till the end of her life.
I was sure, our togetherness, would reach 50,
But God snatched her away, before even reaching 40.
Severe illness, shattered her courage, miles apart,
And I, completely unsustainable, accepted her depart.
Ruminating, I kissed all over, her pretty face,
So beautiful she looked, with God’s extra grace.
14 years separation is the period uptil now,
Hoping time to pass by soon, for my final bow.

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To Arash

From Delkash

All my money is demonetized!
My wallet is now computerized!
Yet my heart is still the same,
And beats with just one name.
You know I don’t need many nor do I need a few,
Cause I just yearn for one name – Arash – it’s you, it’s you, it’s you!

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For My Beloved Hubby Burzin

By Farzana Mistry

Life is for living, I live mine for you!
Love is for giving, I give mine to you!
Dreams are for dreaming, mine are for you!
HEARTS are for beating and MINE beats for YOU!!
LOVE you till eternity my Sweetheart!!!

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Love You Mom

By Rashna Irani

You are the first teacher,
One who taught me about life,
The first friend who stood with me in strife.
Bearing me nine months and more,
Blessings infinite on me you pour.
You are the gift I fear to lose,
The Muse for my poetry and prose.
They say children personify God,
I say it’s you who impersonates Him.
Like purity is by a turtle dove,
You exemplify true love.

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Clandestine Valentine

By Afried Dastur

Loved you, with all my heart I did.
My dreams were indeed very vivid.
But from the world, them, I always hid.
Then my parents said, “in love, it’s easy to fall,
But difficult it is, to sacrifice, stand tall;
When religion beckons and duty does call.”
So my love; sacrificed I, my dreams and you,
A sacrifice big, was on my part too.
Happily married with kids I am, but I do miss you.

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On Valentine’s Day

By Armin Dutia Motashaw

At a glance, yours forever, I was.
Does falling in love need a cause?
Now, yours I am, forever,
This relationship I cannot sever.
Falling in love – there is no reason why.
Limitless is the sky.
No reasoning helps, it just happens.
In your absence, my spirit dampens.
May Ahura grant you the best,
Long, happy, healthy life and rest.
Near-far, may you always happy be.
Your happiness, I always wish to see.

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પ્રેમાળ પ્યાસી, પ્રિયતમાને,

લી. પ્રેમાળ પ્રેમી

જહાંગીર દિનશાજી ચાયના
જીવનમાં જિંદગી બનીને આવીશ,
દિલમાં તમારી ધડકન બનીને આવીશ,
ભૂલવાની મને ના કરશો ભૂલ,
ભૂલોમાંજ હું યાદ બનીને આવીશ,
જ્યારે છોડી દઈશ આ દુનિયા,
ત્યારે હૃદયમાં તમારા ‚દન બનીને આવીશ,
પ્રેમમાં મીઠી વેદના મળે છે એ બહુ છે,
સપનાને નવી દિશા મળે છે એ બહુ છે,
પ્રેમ પૂરો થયો કે રહ્યો અધુરો, વાત એ નથી,
પ્રેમ કરવાનો અવસર મળ્યો, એ બહું છે
હેપી વેલેન્ટાઈન ડે