The backpack things….

Spring definitely is one of the best seasons to smell and embrace sunshine.In winter Sun is in its self pitying long dark mood a lot and that dilutes its charm and in summer its rage overshadows  its beautiful soft embraces.

Rage and depression do that….

Reminds me of one of George Carlin quote- “Don’t sweat the petty things and don’t pet the sweaty things”

Autumn has its own charm and is equally lovely to soak up some sun. In a way both spring and Autumn are twins, one celebrates new life and the other celebrates death, which again means time to paint new canvas.

Nature in its own predictable way teaches unpredictability in every thing around. like a fresh water spring or  stream amidst huge rocks or a shoot which finds its way to smile all through a cement crack. telling us again and again if you want it you will  find a way to do it….

In a few days from now it will be sweat and dust everywhere. people hiding under their sun glasses and umbrellas. Constantly looking for cold water to quench the thirst and some just refuse to go out …not appealing at all.

and in these hot humid days all I can think of is to get my back pack and ditch the city for the calmer colder lovely hills. confide in some lovely stream or hill and let my mind and body soak up the beauty that is nature.

I have to try to escape the ‘web of maya’ I have created for myself once in a while and when i do, laptop will have to stay at home with the rest of her pals. Mobile is lucky it gets to travel with me..i have to, one never knows….

A typical Spring or Autumn backpack would have few clothes (  till I learn to make something out of leaves and barks) a camera ( to capture few moments of bliss), mosquito repellent lotion( those blood suckers are huge in some places), Knife, candle, matchbox, biscuits, water among few other things which are absolutely must haves.

it has been a while and the woods have been calling me……soon very soon…

VIZAG

Spring, Autumn,winter and summer

all the seasons to make a perfect weather cycle

one goes another comes, for better or for worse

every season brings in new air

full of new stories and poems

i love and i sing in some

and sigh and crib in others

Spring and Autumn,short visits

showing  the world in HD for a short while

and then vanish like houdini

summer,an overstaying self invited bore

making me sweat with it glaring stare.

hiding in the cooler parts of my home

i secretly make plans and get satisfaction

being able to hide at least somethings from the sun

Summer melts my thoughts away

winter freezes them

Rain would have been nice

if it drizzled just the amount i liked

I have to blame some things

for the drought in my creative spring sometimes.

even though I know it too well

when you close your senses and soul

to the world around

nothing can inspire you

not even the

brightest of the flowers

or the sweetest of  chirps.

A Gem Called Life

” The Most Precious Priceless Gem in this or any other world is life. And more often than not people who have it will abuse it, take it for granted and give it up for a petty little thing.”

A year back I wrote a Poem on how precious our life is….how we take it for granted and some all ready to give it up for something as small as a few numbers in exams or cos they think they failed at love. This post today is an extension of those thoughts I had that day. I hope it makes difference in at least one life.I wrote this with just one hope and prayer in my heart that anyone who thinks they have had it tough,or life has nothing else to offer read what I have to say before they take that step.

Understand that every success and failure comes with new paths,

 new doors of opportunities,

new doors of choices,

lets give every door a chance,

lets give the most precious thing we will ever have ..

OUR LIFE the love and  respect it so deserves

‘Keenan Santos and Reuben Fernandez

stood up to some local goons

who were harassing the girls in their  group.

they were mercilessly beaten to death

they gave their lives in a fight against eve teasing

 ******************************************

Six-year-old Chhampa Kanwar from Rajasthan

lost her life trying to save her sister

when their hut caught fire,

a six-year-old who understood life more than most of us

**********************************************

A mother waved her soldier son good-bye

he died fighting for his country

that mother still stands on the field the exact time

waving at who ever travels on the road

**********************************************

a little girl told her father she wanted a Barbie this birthday

he died saving people from building on fire that day

the girl still waits for some miracle and prays

she doesn’t want a Barbie anymore

just her father coming back will do

In and out of the battle field

brave hearts all around

giving up that precious life

so that we can make our dreams realize

some will make it to the headlines

some will remain anonymous

and there have and will be more

of these angles on this earth

who give up their life

don’t hesitate to look in the eyes of death

when the duty calls

 

For the brave hearts who gave up their life for others

for that mother, for that little girl

and for all those who have given us more chances at life

lets not let this life go wasted

lets stop the mindless violence in name of religion

lets stand up when it matters

and every time you think of giving up your life

cos you had a bad love life

or your marks didn’t match up

first bring a smile in those grieving hearts

give that little girl and kids like her hope

if you think others have got a better deal

help those who lost a brave heart

look into their hearts and tell me what you see

 tell me that life is cheap

tell me life treated you unfair

tell me your life doesn’t deserve another chance

tell me how you will give a matyr’s life back

and then my dear walk on that path

And call it coincidence or a sign from above when i was writing this post a local radio station played this song…its one of my favourites, about lives of soldiers guarding our borders

hope it stirs same feelings in your heart as it does in mine

hope it makes you think

hope you understand how rich we are to have

a life

Flute

 Beautiful breeze

That flows by my window

Comes from faraway lands

Goes further beyond

Gathers wisdom from under the huge rocks

From the small shrubs who have never seen sun

Contentment from streams that never met their sea

From scattered seeds that never grew a shoot

The beautiful breeze

That flows by my window

Brings twinkling messages of courage

From the stars still sparkling but long gone

From birds living in cement world

Fom the unsung but powerful verses

From trees braving dark and humans

From the paths eager to see a traveler

The beautiful breeze

That flows by my window

Whispers stories of wrinkled eyes

patience and memories they hold

From the attic and its old world charms

From the battle field it brings selflessness

And the longing from a soldiers home

Carries brave stories and cheers

when people stand up for each other

The beautiful breeze

That flows by my window

Touches the poles and equator

Caresses all the oceans and mountains

Tells me now is not the time to stop

Tells me keep going till there is life

Tells me death is a journey why mourn

Tells me pray when you can

Play when you can

Do not forget to make friends where ever you go

And call your loved ones

Safar(सफ़र)

We started the journey(सफ़र)

Of the known and unknown

The day we were born

The day we shook hands with death

And agreed to meet him somewhere in between

Or in the end as he called it

And then spent the life wishing never to see him again

Somewhere in this journey we found ourselves

We lost ourselves

We understood, got confused

And in this journey

we trusted God

we blamed God

Ignoring, avoiding, being indifferent to suffering around

And still hoped and prayed for his mercy

Somewhere in this journey

We became rebels

 Stood for values

 Fought for one

 Agreed with none

Stood up for something’s

And regretted not standing for that one

Somewhere the hope died

Somewhere a new shoot was born

Rainbow failed to show up

Sun peeked through heavy clouds

Somewhere in this journey we found love

Lost it, all heart broken

To be filled with love and warmth again

Or may be never

Some rivers found their oceans

Some lost their route or the zest

Somewhere in the journey

                                                          Some found courage,

                                               some lived with conscience muted

Some wrote, some listened

Some got married and some..

Well some of them still say single makes sense

Some lived happily ever after

And some never found out what it was

And in these alleys of the life we travelled

                                              We ran, we gave up and sat for a while

And in these alleys of life we expressed

Sometimes we howled out loud

   Sometimes we muffled the screams and the laughter

And just let our body talk

And in these alleys of life we lived

Dying every night

Coming to life every morning

Wishing for more, hoping for less

What ever worked…

And in these alleys of life

We met death

Some called him, embraced him

And some begged for another chance

Sometimes he came straight to us

And sometimes he just shook hands and said

Some other time

And in these alleys life ended

 life began..

 

‘Of Chimes and a Gong

Sketch Artist- Indira Mukherjee

Life,a journey, a saga, and all the fuss

Of spotlight hogger’s and the anonymous

Masters and puppets, tortoises and rabbits

People driven by wants and habits

Sweet thorns and dangerous flowers

The agonizingly slow seconds and fast paced hours

Unbelievable adventurous path

Few taking the walk, living it

Others spending time doing all the math

Some will’s some wont’s

Arguing the do’s and don’ts

Shying away when times call

All but speculating rise and fall

To say nothing exists without its opposite

Good and bad, traditional or fad

Have you taken a dip in tranquil pool?

Are you sane enough to call others mad?

Destiny,fate, chance or choice

Listening or ignoring the inner voice

Careless whispers, raves and rants

The hidden agendas, a knowing glance

A friend’s betrayal, a foe’s dance

Crayons,tree houses, kite flying and puddles

Reminiscing blissful past, entangled in present hurdles

Amazing paradoxes, shifting paradigms of thoughts,

Parallel truths and the lucrative lies bought

While most will forever be solving

All the how’s, what’s and when’s

The ebb and flow of life will go on

With all its odds and even’s

A path, a dance, an eternal hum or song

Will you be lost in the past or

There in the moments, in the chimes of life

Contented when the death rings its final Gong