ZEBRA CROSSING: HELP ME WALK ACROSS

                                                                              

         Alternating Dark and

YOUNGLING

Am I not desirable?

Open Prompt: UMBRELLA

Scorching Sun; 

My First Blog Award - LIEBSTER

DAY 22 - Thank You, EARTH

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 and is now celebrated internationally. In honor of the occasion, I challenge you to write a poem in keeping with Earth Day

XEROX

Savior during exams

WATERFALL

NIAGARA FALLS, CANADA

Splashes of water

VOLCANO

Molten, emotions erupt

DAY 17 - YOU ARE WELCOME!

 write poems of greeting

UPROOT

Abode for eons,

DAY 23 - FRIEND WHO IS TRUE!

A triolet is an eight-line poem. All the lines are in iambic tetramenter (for a total of eight syllables per line), and the first, fourth, and seventh lines are identical, as are the second and final lines. This means that the poem begins and ends with the same couplet. Beyond this, there is a tight rhyme scheme (helped along by the repetition of lines) — ABaAabAB. Triolets were in vogue among the Victorians

TSUNAMI

Unbridled rage

OPEN PROMPT: CHILD LABOUR

Lost Childhood,

DAY 7 - LOVE GONE STALE

write a poem in which each line except the last takes the form of a single, declarative sentence. Then, the final line should take the form of a question. With any luck, this will result in poems that have a sort of driving, reportorial tone, but with a powerful rhetorical finish

SHADOW

Bereft of my shadow

DAY 13 - BOULEVARD

Your prompt for today is simply to take a walk. Make notes — mental or otherwise — on what you see on your walk, and incorporate these notes into your poem

ROSEMARY

Forlorn Lover

DAY 8 - OTTAVA RIMA: BROTHER

in ottava rima — an Italian form that, in English, usually takes the form of an eight-line stanza of iambic pentameter, with a rhyme scheme of a-b-a-b-a-b-c-c

QUTUB MINAR

Sandstone Minaret

PARIAH

Perpetual Suffering

DAY 2- POEM OF LIES: BEWITCH ME!

a poem that tells a lie. I think you could have a poem that’s all lies (that could be very funny — full of things like “the sun is the size of a nickel”) or a poem that steadily builds to telling one big whopper.

OWL

Owl, Prowls in dark night

DREAMS ARE POWERFUL

In the starry Night

I swift and glide

My emotions so pure and white

NIGHTINGALE

Lady with lamp

Nurse Florence

Humanity’s quintessence

MORNING MIST

Pristine Crystal
Dangling ecstasy
Morning Fantasy

OPEN PROMPT: DASSAI

Santhal men

DAY 1 - BEAUTY QUEEN

write a poem that has the same first line as another poem

SISTER

Sister, when I am gloomy and lonely

You are here only, to caress me fondly.

LILY

Assortment of lilies

Swaying and psalming

Aesthetic symphony

DAY 10 - Un-love poem: REPULSIVE LOVE

An un-love poem isn’t a poem of hate, exactly — that might be a bit too shrill or boring. It’s more like a poem of sarcastic dislike.

DAY 11: Tanka (5-7-5-7-7)

a poem based on syllables, with the pattern being 5-7-5-7-7. They work best when those final two 7-syllable lines contain a sort of turn or surprise that the first three lines might not wholly anticipate.

As I sit in my room, searing in the heat of Delhi summer, I write this Tanka - 

KOI POND

Soothing ripples

JASMINE

Luscious buds

Fragrant flowers

Blessing Showers

INCENSE

Aroma, wisp of smoke

Soulful supplication

Ah! Meditation

Inspired by the theme at

MA - My Mother

Reading my lessons quietly

My mind went astray

I realized, how I had

Taken the moments 

Spent with my Ma, lightly

She is Omnipresent,

Showering her radiance

Like a smiling moon crescent.

Today as I sit alone

I resent:

I never took out time to say

‘I Love you Ma’

You are my most prized relation

The holiest Love, I could ever have

A stupendous blessing

That is always in my grab

Her unfailing support

Her genuine concern

Care and bliss

Snuggles and cuddle

Kisses and hugs

Flowers and tears

Her innocence

Would sometimes make her cry;

And I would also cry

To see a smile on her face

I always think of her

She is always in my heart

She is a gift from above

If there is God

Ma would be one

Nobody can be like her

This can’t be undone

I have hurt her at times

I have been rude, other times

Only later do I realize

That I am on the wrong side

But with my Ma beside

She lessened my guilt

And rectified my fault

Though Far,

I know she is near

As my heart beats

I may skip to think of her

But she thinks

Involuntarily about me

More often than her heart-beats

She is the most

Wonderful person

I have ever known

As I have slowly grown!

PS: I Love you Ma. I always now make it a point to talk to Ma, Pa and Nani (my grandmother) daily. So much so that it has become a habit or you can say a part of my daily routine. I am what I am because of them! I am blessed to have their guiding wisdom on all fronts.


Also read:
BLISS
SILENT NIGHT
JOTTINGS

EGGSHELLS

Tough outside, squishy inside

Crackle delight

Mother’s plight

Inspired by the theme at

DRONE

Drone of yesterday

Song of today

Tune of love is in the air

Inspired by the theme at

ASCENT

Rise high

Touch the sky

Ascent knows no bound

Inspired by the theme at

HUNTER

Dreary ambience
Sinister silence, aim the shot
game you slay

***

Adrenaline rush
gives the push, off ye go
for prized kill

Inspired by the theme at

Also Read:
BLISS
MA- My Mother

                                                   

FIRE

                                 
Burning desire

Ignite my soul
Linger on, yearning for more.

Inspired by the theme at

BUTTERFLY

Flap and fly

Nectar is life
Innocence; Beauty divine

Inspired by the theme at

CANDLE

Light up and burn

Emotions melt

Unhindered, tears pelt.

Inspired by the theme at

GRASSHOPPER

Green as grass
swift as breeze
hop and leap for playful din

Inspired by the theme at

BLISS

I was sitting on the platform waiting for my

 train to arrive. I was heading off to Gaya (Bihar), 

where,I spent significant part of my

 early life with my Nana and Nani.

I felt the hustle and bustle around me. People from all walks of life and of all age group converted the station into ‘museum of people’. One could spot rich, poor, old, young, teenager, infants, male, and female from all different corners of India. One could not help but notice their differences in appearance, language, attire and body language. The air was filled with different frequencies of sound and in that indistinct chatter one could make out the tinkling of cold drink bottles, cry and wails of deserving infants, gossips of various flavor, loud call of self-employed entrepreneurs selling anything and everything under the sun, sizzling of the mashed potatoes for the spicy aloo chat (Indian street food) and announcements meant for the passengers, to name just a few. There was a mobile book store near-by and it had various novels and magazines. The mosaic that the books formed depicted all hues of life- child care, self-help books, career, entertainment, politics, romance, thrill, adventure, crime etc.  

An elderly man was sitting beside me. He was holding Akhand Jyoti (a monthly magazine published in Hindi which deals with various issues of life and other matters concerning life in a spiritual light).

I had hardly seen anyone with this in a long time.  This instantly transported me back in time.

*I am a small kid and I am swinging as my Nanaji (maternal Grandfather) gives me an occasional push. Meanwhile he chops the vegetables while my Nani (maternal Grandmother) is cooking in the kitchen. The swing is in the aangan (courtyard) and I can see the kitchen window. Its exhaust fan is spewing oily and spicy smoke into the aangan 

and the aroma spreads and takes over me. The swing, the smell, my nana-nani and me – this combination feels a part of the best wonderland I could ever imagine.*

I am still swinging on my seat when I was rocked back to reality as the elderly person asked me what time was it.

I looked around and I began to feel a noisy seclusion. I put my head back and closed my eyes.

*There was echo of laughter all around me. Amidst that I spotted my Nanaji’s ever smiling face. He had an aura of exuberance and a lilt in his happiness which refused to fade away. His presence was as soothing as it could ever be. He radiated calmness and peace.

Nanaji is sitting in the drawing-room of our house donning his usual lungi (Indian dress for men that one wraps around ones’ waist). He is watching news and I sit behind him, itching his back. It was so much fun that I looked forward to it and sometimes there was fight among us siblings to scratch his back. During the ad-breaks, he was asking me to itch a little upwards or sideward.  I got a feeling that his back was a jungle and he gave directions to traverse it: childhood imagination! Then I would travel uphill and message his head, if he allowed me. After sometime, he lied down diagonally on the bed and I rushed to give him a pillow under his head. Soon he would doze off and snore.

His loud snore was very reassuring to me. During my Xth board preparations his snores, somehow motivated me to study and gave me company through the night.*

I opened my eyes and found the beggar poking my legs, for alms. I handed him few rupee.

A chana-wala passed by. I bought it. It was mixed with sliced onions, green chilly and a dash of lemon. As I took a mouthful I recalled my nanaji’s fondness for sprouts and salad for lunch and dinner. He would not mind it even for breakfast. He was a big food enthusiast and even I am like him. His passion for food somehow made him a passionate cook and his delicacies were always a treat for my taste buds. Over the period of time he maintained six hand written cook books.

I remember inviting a school friend for lunch. After the sumptuous meal she was all praise for shahi-paneer and she was even more surprised when I told her that it was prepared by my nanaji.

I saw the elderly uncle engrossed in reading Akhand Jyoti. Nanaji had lifelong subscription of this magazine. I remember as a kid reading the lines that had been underlined by nanaji.

It was a treasure of knowledge and wisdom and gave different perspectives of looking at things. One line that came to my mind at that instance was ‘Karm avinashi hai, uska bhog to bhogna hi padta hai.’ It means, “ The deeds that we do never die and forever stays with us, and according to our deeds, good or bad, we will definitely face its consequences sooner or later and nothing can prevent those consequences.” These lines though subtle, will always guide us on the right path and before treading the wrong path we will restrain ourselves and employ caution. 

I gave a cursory look all around and found a glimpse of nanaji in every person. I guess this was due to his versatile personality. He was a kid with his child like innocence. He would instantly become a kid in a kid’s company. He would enquire about his/her likes and dislikes and display a playful nature during such interactions.

With women he would talk about domestic issues and occasionally give them cooking tips and secrets with pleasure.

With his old bunch of friends he gave a glimpse of his youthful days that would defy the superficial friendship that many of us have today for fulfilling personal ends. With students he would become mentor and guide them, simultaneously, also learn from them about the new career opportunities available for the present generation.

He could readily mix with anyone from any age group and instantaneously strike a chord with them and share a brief but meaningful relation with people he came across.

He was an epitome of love, care, sympathy and gratitude.

I always saw him with a smile on his face which hardly escaped his lips. When he was sad he would jot down his feelings in his personal diary and rarely share it. He wanted us to enjoy each moment.

What living is all about; I learnt from him. He was always bursting with enthusiasm and positive energy. Life is: each new day that comes our way, he truly symbolized this. But this never meant comprising the future, when today is taken care of; the following days fall into place. His advices were crisp which will never leave me for as long I am on this planet.

Growing up with nana-nani is a truly wonderful experience not every one is equally blessed with. The un-conditional and un-demanding love that came my way always mesmerized me. But love is so powerful that you always love back those who love you. But in the case of grandparents’ the love is increased manifold with each passing minute.

Earthly possessions are dwarfed in front of this pure, heavenly bliss.

This has the power to propel you on the life path that is so uncertain.

In my opinion this gives us strength to bear the most vicious pain of fate and destiny.

Nanaji influenced all aspects of my being in a crucial way. It is so inseparable that I seem to share not only his flesh and blood through lineage but also the essence and verve of his soul due to the bond that we shared.

I was jolted back from memories and thought process; the attention shifted to the approaching train. I got up to board the train. As I walked towards it with my luggage I knew I was not going to meet him or share his company ever again, or hear his cheerful voice. I was going, to pay my last respect to his mortal remains. While I head forwards I know with a heavy heart that I have only memories to revert back to: the only place where I can take refuge with my nanaji.

As I take my berth I reminisce the only time he expressed his extreme pain and utter delusion. That was the last days of his life; he was bed ridden with fourth stage of berkitt’s lymphoma, a rare type of cancer. We never told him but he knew he was seriously ill to be able to live as always. His eyes still expressed the residual childish playfulness and innocence before death trampled the remaining bit of it.But death can not slay the reminiscences of him that I cherish.

MONOTONY

What is that unknown feeling?

That’s creeping deep within us

What should we do?

When Monotony sets in?

The same trite routine

The same milieu

The same menu

Is there no escape from these?

Through civilizations, Have we

Been like this

Tied in the tide of time

That a slight change would cause havoc?

Or was it that early being

While hunting or food gathering

Lived in the lap of nature

Interacting and learning from all its creatures

Today, we have distanced ourselves

From the pristine beauty of mother earth

Striving for the inevitable

Have we harmed nature and its creation?

In calling ourselves the supreme beings

Are we suppressing our basic instincts?

This unnatural suppression

Becomes the cause of our oppression

And thus sets in depression

As there is no time to spare

To enjoy the sheer beauty

To feel the air

To smell the freshness

To live to the fullest

We have been bound and gagged

By our duty

I pity, I pity

Of what we have made ourselves

By letting monotony take over us!

JOTTINGS- 1.2.3.4.5

                                         

It is a clear still afternoon. I sit and look through my window. I see buildings outside glowing bright as the afternoon sun illuminates them. I wonder about sun - the big ball of fire, ultimate source of life and energy for Mother Earth and then I think about so many other suns that exist in the galaxies and possibility of another earth. My visions go beyond the horizons and I imagine myself wandering with the stars and galaxies of the universe. I feel tiny among them. This earth is a speck but still mesmerizing as it is so full of life, which according to our current knowledge does not exist anywhere else.

My thoughts come back to my room and thus I jot down while I try to comprehend and organize my thoughts.

A- This unique alphabet specifies infinite number of general objects, giving identity to one and all. Small things matter much. Never underestimate the tiniest of all or the smallest contribution from any.

DO- Couple of alphabets denotes the power of two. Yes, the joint effort is better than solitary effort. Though a small word but propels and motivates many a soul towards their aim.

SKY- A triplet, easy to spell but its fathomless boundaries are not known. The vast stretch of sky is daring us to do great deeds, to acquire an outlook which is ever expanding like this Universe. And if you are taught by the stars, Sky is the limit.

LIFE- This four lettered word is such a desperate want of human being and the creatures of this earth. Life becomes easy if we take one day at a time, otherwise; life is intriguing and ushers many a mystery to it, supplemented with inexplicable elements that is so puzzling to solve that we entangle ourselves into its delicately woven exquisite network of fate, luck, love, labor, lust, hatred, wants, whims and fancies that the list goes on endlessly pushing us to the brink of utter delusion. Live for now! Live in the moment and contribute in your own simple ways.

DEATH- A combination of five letters is a surety that we challenge in its name ‘DEATH SURE’. Still we dread it, that it will grab us any moment and lead to a totally unknown and different world of fear or who knows it may be more fabulous than the life we envisage?

I write this as I also ponder about the short existence of the lives of some of our earth-mates.

Why do some face untimely, cruel and painful deaths? What does brief existence of some signify while others fritter away their lives in insincere things?

There are strange ways of the universe which are beyond human comprehension.

All in all, a bird in hand (our present life) is worth two in bush (castles in the air, life after death). Live for today; Strive today. Tomorrow never comes and past is all but memories. Tap the invaluable ‘Today’ and everything will fall in place!