Miracle

I found you again

Like a shell in the sand

Which a small girl buried

Chanced upon after years

Jagged and rough

Marred by time and men

My life's edges fit in your's

A smooth whole is formed

My lost faith restored

A nebulous vista revealed

My hidden treasure discovered

You are my miracle

My North Pole Trip; A story by Bikram Singla, my 2nd grade student

   

It was the first adventure of my life . I bought three tickets from Delhi to North Pole. We three friends were very enthusiastic. During the flight all I could think was the fun we will have.  When we landed we went to our igloo. We wore the arctic suits. We hung our bags,I slung my camera around my neck and we set off to explore. There was only snow everywhere around. I and my friends clicked photos with Polar Bears and penguins. We decided to celebrate the rest of place in next morning.

Then I took out my GPS and looked for a restaurant. Then we went  there and ate food. We went back to our igloo and slept tight. In the morning my friends and I went to a coffee shop and drank hot coffee. It was such a relief in such cold. But we didn't know that worse things were on the wait for us.  

 As we set out excitedly on our trek we heard a splash and a cry. As I looked back Mehul was thrashing his hands about neck deep in icy water. He had slipped on thin ice covering a lake and it had broken. We pulled him out with the help of some men. He was shivering with cold. We took him back and I gave him some dry clothes to wear. He fell ill with high fever and had to be taken back. Our trip was cut short and we landed in Delhi next day.

Beginning

Let's take to the road
Make a new beginning
Walk side by side, hand in hand
up the verdant winding hill-path

Let's spot the snowy peaks
Cry out in joy, sit by the lake
The waters bright like your eyes
The skies crimson in the Suns wake

My love! Let's go
Leaving the world behind
Don't ask me where,
I don't want to decide

Renewal

The noise is transforming
New rhythms returning
My heart beating anew
The melody is trickling in

The sky is brightening up
No longer dull and grey
My eyes shining again
The sun is peeping through

The storm is calming down
Not threatening to engulf
A smile on my lips
The horizon drifting in sight

Just Yet

Let's curl up on the sofa

Hook our arms together

My head on your shoulder

Eyes half closed half open

Let the kettle boil and sing

I don't want to stir just yet

Let's sit in the balcony

Count the stars in the sky

Wine glasses in our hands

Half empty and half full

Let the breeze kiss our lips

I don't want to sleep just yet

Let's sleep on this morning,

My body cocooned in yours 

Our feet together toes touching

Your breath on my face and hair

Dreams dreamt and undreamt

I don't want to wake up just yet

Of Love and Life

Thoughts that I never thought
Would come to my mind
Smiles that I had lost
To the depths of eternity
Love that I had locked away
With memories in an old box

All return like His grace
A potent life giving force
A light that eternally brightened
The darkest nooks of my heart
Restored the love that I had lost
And the faith that I had given up on

Life took me to many places
But the corner of my heart
Which sought the balm of love
Was most often barren and dark
Now I have come to a magic land
And the sparkle in my eyes says yes

Hope #AtoZchallenge #H

Like the pink burst of the Attacama

Hope just needs a shower of love

The dormant buds buried under

Then flower into a bright hue

The vast waste seemingly eternal

Transforms into a garden of happiness

Forgotten #AtoZ challenge #F

From the same tree born 

From the same seed grown 

One given all shade and nurtured

Other left to languish deserted

A shallow reason they had

You won’t carry our name, they said 

That was an excuse so flimsy

They always were in the sway

Of partisan mindset and thought

That taught them to discriminate 

Should they be forgiven again as ever?

And then perhaps be forgotten forever?

On the eve of the great 9 day Indian festival where the female form of God will be worshiped and her designated corporal forms, the kanyas or virgin girls will be venerated for eight days I feel uneasy. Such a paradox for a society which does not respect its women in the normal social milieu. I am not berating the ritual of kanya pujan but then girls should always be viewed with respect and cherished, why just 9 days twice a year?

Parents dont give daughters their right to education and property. Husbands mistreat wives. widows have no place in the social structure, they are simply persona non-grata. Women themselves abuse and exploit other women. Girls are trafficked, sexually exploited and tortured. Rapes are on the rise and dignity of all women at stake. Female infanticide and foeticide are menaces which we haven't been able to curb despite grave efforts.

Equality for the girl child and not episodic elevation to Goddess status is what is the need of the hour.

A change in mentality, an approach supported by effective laws and their implementation is the need of the hour and as always it would first begin with family, the first unit of socialisation. We don't need pseudo-feminist here who educate their daughters and buy them beautiful dresses, we need people who will educate their children so that they get rid of the society of its bias towards men and male gender by educating their children and specially men. Pink and blue, Barbie and Batman, Dolls and toy guns, Kitchen and playhouse....lets remove the signs...

Expression #E #Atoz challenge

My poems are words

Which meant for someone

The whole world reads

And I only hope they reach

That soul's cosmic realms

When they beat in human hearts

Creative expression primarily and emotional expression, both are necessary for lightening the burdens of your mind. I love expressing myself through my writing; poetry primarily. Not expressing myself at the right time has caused havoc in life so many times that now I wouldn’t let an opportunity pass. However it does not mean that I have learnt to express hurt. I can express anger but hurt still flows with silent tears. I am still learning to say something when I am hurt instead of going quiet.

Songs, poems, lyrics and music are a superb way of expressing yourself. Its important that you tell others what you feel. Lack of expression and articulation leads to suppressed emotions and that leads to depression. When Raman passed away I couldn’t express myself for some time. Probably that was why I was fainting repeatedly on his funeral yet my poems have given me the strength and fortitude to face the ordeal and chin up.

Drama #AtoZ challenge # D

People indulge in lots of it and I find it futile except when it is the literary kind. I get exhilarated by Shakespeare, Marlowe and Shaw but the usual family or couple dramas, reel or real, God Save Me! I tend to switch off and shift my attention to something more informative. 

These days even news has drama.  Certain journalists think they are film actors spouting innate emotional phrases or political leaders shouting nationalist dialogues. Why do people indulge in such useless pursuits is something I fail to understand.

I have tried to analyse various situations and come to the conclusion that it’s either guilt we try to assuage or be righteous. Also sometimes it is the fear of losing a loved one after we have committed a mistake that we presume may have repercussions.

We are social people, we thrive on relationships and they make or mar us. Why don’t we come clean and be truthful in our closest relationships; either because we are afraid to lose them or they become frustrating. Wouldn’t it be less hurtful if a spouse came up clean on cheating episodes and asked for forgiveness (in that case first they should decide whether they want to keep up the pattern or be faithful) rather than calling the cheated upon spouse names and blaming them for  something they hadn’t done?  Again Wouldnt it be saving the situation if different generations in a family sat down together and resolved various family issues and came over generation gaps. We do that in our work scenarios, we deliberately avoid conflict and sullen faces till the situation gets out of hand. We even tend to resolve the situation by negotiating and without raising our voices because we know that our livelihood is at stake. Yet at home or during social situations we lose our cool and indulge in this drama because we take them for granted.

Drama should be kept for movies and stage. Relationships are tender and precious , drama is not a genre for them, meaningful communication is a better tool. A warm hug, a nod of  understanding, a loving look, a friendly smile and things get better!!!!

April #AtoZchallenge, #musings

A fine day in April

Spring heralded itself exclusive

A tender pink was all I saw

Like the trees on my city roads

The burning sun lost its fire

An orange moon grew pale-gold

The hot air cooled, becoming balmy

From somewhere song birds sang

The embrace of eternal love and

A lost soul found its other half

A long sought union of hearts and

Life became eternal spring

Shakespeare once said that April puts life-spirit in everything. My life has a special connection with this month. One of the days in the month had always been special but not ever celebrated now I feel like celebrating it every year. The beautiful city I live in transforms into a colour riot as soon as Ides of March takes a turn. The Amaltas blooms bright yellow and purple, the rose garden is full of colours, the trees are verdant and by April it is in full bloom.

Similarly my life too has taken a fresh turn in this month; life for me this time around started a new lease in March and is in full bloom by April. It is going to be a long voyage but the beginning is auspicious and full of hope and love. Doubts are plenty but not portentous enough to mar a beautiful ride. Sometimes perhaps the journey itself is more important than the destination.

It’s a beautiful time of transformations, changes and laughter. Once in April someone had given me Myself back and taught me how to live. Today I feel I am cut out for the role. Love is the prime reason, it brings that life-sprit to my ravished body and soul. A nourished soul gives out love and laughter and the life’s sharp edges get sand-papered. This April has given me that life-spirit, that hope, that love and laughter. A manna from the heavens and and as Keats said.. “An eternal fountain of immortal drink” 

Ardhaakar

इस दिल के पान के पत्ते  का
इक कोना चिर के कहाँ  गिरा
मिटटी पानी या हवा हुआ
हमको लेकिन फिर न मिला

कटे फटे इस दिल कों अब
बस यूँही लेकर  फिरते  है
कुछ चाक पैबंद  लगा के
अब आकार कों पूरा  करते है

आकार जो पूरा हो भी गया
फिर जान कहा से फूकेंगे
कुछ ज़ख्म ये दिल का ऐसा है
खुद दर्द ही जिसका मरहम है

A Summer Spring

On a summer day in April

Spring heralded itself exclusive

A tender pink was all I saw

Like the trees on my city roads

The burning sun lost its fire

An orange moon grew pale-gold

The hot air cooled, becoming balmy

From somewhere song birds sang

The embrace of eternal love and

A lost soul found its other half

A long sought union of hearts and

life became eternal spring

The Cold Sun

As the sun, a golden ball
Of cold fire hides behind
The cotton clouds, I sigh

Today too the moon,
Won't be seen In the sky
And today again I will

Be left longing For those
morsels of you that the
moondrops bring for me

Broken

I would lay myself bare

Peel my skin

Shred my innards

To pour myself unto you

But I don't yield 

My being and body

My heart and soul

Hardened and cold

Fragile and brittle

Hammered, 

Broken

into sharp fragments 

I split In a thousand shards