Friday 26 June 2020

Obsessive Fears!


Obsession!

Life itself is an obsession with me.

I forget, death will not come in my lifetime,

And yet I die so many times over.

Wasting my precious life

Reading … books on Lessons of Life,

Watching …lessons of life by some Guru,

Listening…to the real life experiences of friends,

All with a view to “righting their wrongs”

In the mêlée, I’ve lost the flavor of life!

I’m on tether hooks

When it comes to my dear ones…

The phone call not received on time,

I chew my nails off!

A dear one not reaching on time,

I’m done!

No sound from the bathroom

I’m doomed!

To compose my jangled nerves

I deep breathe.

Not for me to take joys and sorrows in my stride.

Scared of God

Pray to Him with all my might

Just to please Him.

God above beamed

To me  said He

“I blessed you with life,

And you’re obsessed with it”,

"Snap out of it,

Let go

The leech like obsession

For the uncertainty of life!"

 

Thursday 18 June 2020

Memories!


MEMORIES!
Memories are such good cushions to relax on!
Every present well spent,  is a basis for sweet ones!
People dream and make big
 I,  for one dig  my  memories .
Good or bad I indulge in them and why not?
I’m flooded with childhood memories, teenage memories ,
 youth memories, middle age memories: ludicrous, happy, melancholic.
So many summers have gone by,
So many latent memories in me,
Spring roots as soon as a person
Just opens up a conversation
 My mind’s screen springs alive with connected memories.
I must say I have a way with them.
I latch on with them
Much to the chagrin of the unsuspecting person.
He could be talking about an accident,an earthquake,floods,
Cuisine,Eateries, soirees,fashion shows,movies,music concerts, plays, theatre,
Or games in the Stadia
You name it
And I have it.
Views on politics, religion, health, any anecdote or emotions
Mummy’s love ,Daddy’s pride, sibling stories, friends and foes,
Spouse, kids, in-laws and relatives
You name it
I have it!
Travelogue ?   well  the other day
Someone returned from the Alps,
Enthusiastically describing to us the  snow covered peaks
Guess? Yes! I latched on and my memories came cascading out
My walk on the great Athabasca Glacier in the Canadian Rockies  ,
The snow coach, the skywalk , the jasper snow field,
Banff  Rocky Mountain Resort where we stayed for a week
Dousing him,  drowning him with every detailed account.
Not meaning to, but stealing his thunder!

Many a times
I do meet my match
Who loves to latch
Onto my present with his memories.
Good Grief!
Is all that I can think
I shut my mouth
And close my mind.
Roll my eyes heavenwards!
Willing him Stop!
Making a silent promise
In future will be more careful
of latching onto memories!

Such memories certainly are short lived,
with me!






Tuesday 16 June 2020

Marigold Flowers!


Marigold Flowers!



Walking through the meandering back lanes of a temple,
I’m assailed by the sweet smell of the Marigolds.
Suddenly surrounded by a riot of different hues of yellow,
Garlands, flowers and petals heaped up in huge baskets,
Seemed  the sun  taking it’s afternoon siesta!

Five line Gogyokha  (Japanese short poem)




O To Rise Early!


Early Riser.
To catch the dawn, I wake up excited…
…to hear the orchestra of the chirping birds,
…to see the slumbering   neighbor hood languorously opening up,
…to experience  the ethereal  quiet amidst the morning din.
…to expect it as a prelude to a perfect day!

Wrote  a  sample poem of Gogyokha.


Tuesday 9 June 2020

Gogyokha!


GOGYOKHA
Gogyokha style of poetry writing has been recently formalized in 1983.it was recognized and named by Enta Kusakabe.
She originated the idea in 1957,while studying at the Tokyo University of western Literature.
The form has root with in the Tanka,which also has 5 lines.Spearheaded by Kusakabe,a Gogyokha society was formed in 1994.In 2008,the first  American chapter of the Gogyoka Society was establishedin New York.
Five Rules of Gogyokha
1. A new form of short p[oem that is based on the ancient Japanese Tanka and Kayo.
2. It has Five lines in all.
3.Each line consists of one phrase…
4.it has no restraint on the number of words or syllables.
5. one can write on any subject.

A

Thursday 4 June 2020

Sexagenarian!


SEXAGENARIAN
On the eve of my sixty status
Bidding farewell to my golden decade
Each year has slipped into the other
Ever since  I’ve taken to my senses.
I’ve always wanted to be an awesome  healthy  centenarian!
But without getting old with all it’s baggage.
Here I am in my birth month once again
A senior citizen!
The words hit me hard.
Time to beware about slips and falls,
Retirement   and all.
Quickly I told myself Baah!
Let me enjoy the next phase
Reset myself on the enjoyment mode
Set  aside hatred, anger, regret  sad.
slow down and view everything from all angles
Front, rear, from the side,  down and under, up and yonder.
Put in all efforts to kindle the  lamp of childlike  curiosity !
…And Dwell on …
Every breath I breathe
Every step I walk,
Every syllable  I speak,
Every note  I sing,
Every sight I see
Every thought I think,
Every letter I write,
Every meal I cook,
Every prayer I pray,
Every day morning ablutions I do
Every wink I sleep,
Every move I dance,
…as  a gift of God
And enjoy the present!
To transform the sweet sixteen heart
Into a wonder full of sixty!

With my dream of a straight spine
I realize my constraint of time
I pledge no more lethargy and procrastinations
 And Smile away all my guiles!





Tuesday 2 June 2020

Equity and Development


EQUITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Leafing through the World Development Report 2006, it raked up issues in my mind.
Economic Development means increase in the country’s GDP along with increase in the citizen’s quality of life, that is measured with the H.D.I.
H.D.I is Human Development Index , a statistic composite index of life expectancy,education and per capita income indicators which are used to rank countries .
In short any development that is planned in an economy should have the well being of the people at large.
Why does equity and well being matter?
The concern of any authority should be development  with Equity.
Equity is so pervasive across cultures. The  philosophical  traditions suggests that a fundamental preference for fairness is deeply rooted in human beings. Complementing this evidence are data from Opinion Surveys ,suggesting that higher inequalities in incomes is on an average is associated with lower aggregate levels of subjective well being.
Perhaps the oldest manifestations of concern with equity and the avoidance of deprivation comes from religion. Several major world religions endorse the  notion of social justice and a duty towards the poor. In  general,it has been found all cultures and religions share a concern with equity and fairness.
Self interest is the most prominent underlying emotion of humans. In a sense we are all selfish for our  own well being, come what may.
People’s view on fairness is based on many variables such as material condition ,age, circumstances, knowledge, ethics…
Plato argued that “if a state is to avoid civil disintegration …extreme poverty and wealth must not be allowed to rise in any section of the citizen body because lead to disasters”. Which we have often seen in developing countries.
Inequalities should be reduced .This will help bring greater efficiency and prosperity in the society in the long run .Equity should be viewed as dignity and worth of a person. Moral values too will be strengthened in society.
Development in its wake will bring about a reduction in poverty and inequality .The cake should be shared by all the citizens . It is the onus on the government to see that every citizen should get a fair share of the fruits of growth and development. That would be a meaningful progress of the human race!

Monday 1 June 2020

Delivery!


DELIVERY

Laboring to push it out of my tummy,

Yelling hoarse for my Mummy

A hundred miles away from me.

I lay in excruciating pain that Friday

After the Doctor broke my “waters”.

White voices urged me,

 Push! push!!Push!!!

Tried so hard ,

Tired I cried,

Let me go.

A voice rasped,

“if you’re done,

We’ll begin the C section”

That did it!

I deep inhaled and whale exhaled…

Amidst cheers out slid baby bathed in my placenta!

Pain vanished.

The most tuneful  cry filled my ears

That sounded like alla…allla.alllaaa

Happily I prayed “Shukriya…”

They showed me an adorable doll like bundle

For all these months was in me cuddled!

I gazed amazed at the wonderful God’s creation!

Someone drew the curtains...

Suddenly the O.T. was flooded with sunbeams…

…beaming at my sunny boy and me!

Exhausted I snuggled in His arms.

Thanking Him once again for His lovely gift!

On that New Year’s Eve!