Canvas

Overheard in an exhibition-

“What have you painted? I see utter confusion spilled here”

“That is my soul poured out on canvas”

“But I can’t find anything meaningful”

“Look again”

“What are these spirals in black?”

“My past- dark and messy”

“And all these lines?”

“My present- paths leading to dreams”

“And those eyes and smiling faces”

“My future- bright and self-made”

“You are a true artist!”

“Thanks!”

For Mag 290 Picture Prompt

  

Truly Together!

In these technical times, we have achieved a lot but on the cost of togetherness and heart-to-heart bonding. Now we see far more cases of elders spending long afternoons alone, waiting for their ever busy professional office going children to remember them once in a blue moon and kids who have a life of their own and are consumed by electronic gadgets  and television. Also, with urban colonies coming up, every inch of land is covered with concrete. In such times, it has become a task to come together to enjoy each other’s company and spend time in the lap of nature. However, every problem has a solution and one important catalyst that can make us achieve this goal can be the nature itself. Spending time in nature is not enough; rather, taking up a project can solve both the issues.

We can find a patch of raw land, or simply take two or three planting pots and start off! Seeds are available in the market and even online very easily and I would love to recall what the ace writer Late Khushwant Singh once said, that there are few things that are really therapeutic and gardening tops the list! Watching a plant grow is to unlock your emotions and feeling one with nature. For example, we can plant small household plants like tomatoes or ladyfingers that are easy to maintain. For this we can come together and this way every day or every other day, plan a small tea party as well. Growing flowers and sharing tips with neighbors and friends is also a great way to come together and experience warmth and bonding.

I remember an incident where an old couple, on their front yard, sort of exhibited their cactus collection for the colony to see how amazing it was! Not many of us know that cactus plant gives beautiful flowers and is one of the most beautiful plants. Many people shared tips and some took photographs even when there were no digital cameras but only the traditional film-roll ones. Their socialization popped up suddenly and I saw them smiling more often.

In the digital era too, we can blog and form groups with like-minded people and come together for gardening or improvement of a colony park. I think this will not be necessary even, because real closeness is to be found with our neighbors and friends. However, another relevant point is the involvement of children. They must learn to open their hearts and break the ice and feel how deeply and beautifully one can find solace with nature even in the midst of an urban life.

I planted tomatoes once and along with my family members, I tended to the plants. However, the crop wasn’t bumper but still we loved tending to it and the desperate wait for that little green raw thing to become a full grown red tomato soon was awesome. Try doing such things, you will never forget or regret!
(Real pic of our tomato plant)

To find how you can come together, do visit www.kissanpur.com

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Perceptions

One fine day, I saw some people crowding over something and sharing their opinions with each other. When I saw closely, it was a portrait that no one had seen before and upon which different people gave their own views. I would love to share some of them here-

• Philosopher- I got it! look deeply and you will find that this shell represents life that is enclosed inside our bodies just like itself and this boy’s blue eyes mean universe never sleeps and his stern expressions mean time is brutal and his…..
• Pessimist- That must be the last thing he might have had or a gift from a long departed lover...he must have lost his mind brooding over her…Oh...
• Optimist- He must be planning a trip to some fantastic beach place! yay!
• Girl - I like his jersey combination, black and blue but his hairstyle is weird!
• Cop - He must have murdered someone with this conch or he must be trying to skew the investigation towards someone else. I see this murderer is very smart.
• Child- He is just like our sports teacher who often holds a clock.
• Psychiatrist- Indicating whole or partial derangement leading to or arising from an unconditioned mental bipolar neuroleptic possibly narcoleptic disorder of previous sea sickness.
• Realist- A simple self portrait.

For Mag 289 Picture Prompt

ज़ख्म

क्यों छुपाएं हम कुछ रिस्ते ज़ख्म
क्या महताब का एक रुख स्याह नहीं होता

Why should I be ashamed of my pain?

Even the moon has a dark side

क्यों न मानें के वो भी मुन्तज़र हैं हमारे
दिल बहलाने पे कोई इलज़ाम नहीं होता

Why shouldn’t I make myself believe that he too longs for me

For one can’t be blamed for beguiling one’s heart

जब चाहा छूना आस्मां का दामन,
जाना हर परवाज़ शानदार नहीं होता

When I tried to soar and touch the skies

I learnt not every flight is destined to be grand

किस चाह मेँ कटती ज़िन्दगी हमारी
अगर सितारों के परे कोई जहाँ नहीं होता

I would have spent my life in vain

Had I not known there is an afterlife

(Because of pain, she is looking forward to afterlife)

Source: hdwallpapers

Winters

Cozy bed and lazy eyes

Shy sun and hazy skies

Icy frost and hot coffee

Winter is here already!

When scorching summer rips your skin off, winter seems like a cooling balm. To put it simply, I love winters and deeply get envious of all the lucky souls who reside near those mysterious frosty mountains and frozen lakes. What else can define heaven on earth other than a warm blanket, a notepad (and pen of course!) and a cup of hot ginger tea. Curled up beside my window that overlooks a large portion of the sleepy grey sky, my mind, not perturbed by the constant annoyance of blinding sunlight of the days and sweaty irritation of evenings that signify summers in Northern Indian plains, wanders as far as it likes. These thinking sessions are provided a perfect platform in this season for which I always long for the whole year! 

Pic from here

Little Miss Lucy

To little Miss Lucy’s tired heart and mind

The moon was a bubbling mass of foam

That glittered on a corner of her room

And winter trees were lush once again

In her dreams that were quite strange

Her dog would even talk in her tongue

Lying on bed, weary and half awake

Little Lucy felt strokes of gentle lake

Hers were dreams, surreal and crazy

Where life was too magical, too hazy

Every night she unlatched her mind

And entered so solace she could find

Alas! The mellow rustling of leaves

That was her clock’s tick tock tick,

Pulled her and that’s what it did say-

‘It’s morn Lucy, be up for another school day’!

For Image prompt @ Mag 288 

Couplets

“Why this ire?” Out he did freak

I said “I am patient not meek”

 Incessant churn of day & night

Crushes my little life

Pic from here

Goodnight!

It is said that our sleep says much about us and often we come across articles or weblogs that analyze our sleeping patterns, style etc to indicate our personality types. I have often come across people with strange pre-sleep habits, like one classmate could sleep only after having a glassful of dark coffee. While most of us take coffee to concentrate, she did the very opposite. Another person could not go to bed without working out. While most people workout in the morning, not many are there who exercise right before going to bed. A woman I know has to gossip about every darn person otherwise she can’t get sleep comfortably. One of my classmates used to forward sms jokes to almost entire class before sleeping and yet another used to brood and lament for atleast an hour before she could get some sleep. One man I know can sleep only after watching a Bollywood movie; he can’t go to bed if he fails to catch up on his daily cinema dose. Some people take herbs like trifala, brahmi etc before sleep.

However, I feel if one is a bit too particular in such things and if petty disturbances hold the power to snatch his good night’s sleep away, it is not a very good thing as this can pose problems while travelling or when one is staying at some other place.

I pray and often take some tea before dozing off. Btw, what are your pre-sleep habits?

Pic from Here

Doll - House

A house

Old and abandoned

Where only quiet reigns

Still echoes its happy past

When once cheers resounded all around

Childhood doll-house that still makes me smile!

Written for Mag 285

Life

Life

Is

An interesting journey

Highs & lows; lights & shadows

At times prickly cliffs and at times green pastures

Are to be taken in one’s stride

Journey to the last gate

Is

Life

Written For Mag 284