Monday 30 April 2018

Summer Vacation

Days and dates don't matter anymore till the last day arrives, when we have to bid farewell and depart.
Everyone feels secure in the chaos of children screaming, running, laughing and sleep at night comes fast.
Time is divided between meal times only, am and pm is recognizable only by children's sleepy eyes.
Mindless gossip mixed with some serious talk  is exchanged during tea time, food becomes the primary priority for all.
Healthy food becomes non-existent, even fruits are consumed like shakes, loaded with sugar.

There is no privacy, no quiet hours, no usual tantrums of , I want to be left alone. Sounds turn into noise, noise into peels of laughter.
No reading or writing time, no grown up time, nothing but cartoons playing on T.V.
Elders get dead tired, while children have unbound energy. There are no sleepy afternoons, or nap times, everything is rolled into one crazy time slot.
There is so much to take in, so much to give, so much to share, so much to accept.

Nothing makes you feel more trustworthy than when a toddler for whom you did not exist earlier, addresses you for the first time, pulls your clothes  and asks you to take him for a walk.
Unsupervised baking experiments of children take place, when cakes are baked with salt, thinking they were using icing sugar and finally expected to be consumed with compliments.
Every other hour you are supposed to visit the park outside your home in the heat and convince children that they should stay in or else will catch some deadly disease due to the brutal heat.

In all, it is sheer madness, the madness which begins as soon as the  children enter  the grandparent's home and ends only with the goodbyes.


Wednesday 25 April 2018

Tempest of Emotions

Tempest of emotions churning inside the stomach.
Unbearable pain which fails to subside.

Huge void which gets deeper everyday.
The absence of feelings arise.

Continuous pining for missing aura.
Dwelling within swollen heart.

Thoughts haunting like ghosts.
Clinging like vines.

Waiting for return.
Of presence.

Which imparts,
Life.





























Tuesday 17 April 2018

Cherry blossoms

                                                            Painting by Katyayani Sharma

Friday 13 April 2018

The Summer rain

Lightning flashes like swords of Gods, thunder rolls like drum beats. Gray sky turns pale pink with each strike .

Leaves upturn their faces towards the biggest show on Earth. The magic, the drama unfolds.

The parched, dry Earth waits to catch  the beads of water in its palm,  while the wind tries to sweep away the gathering gray clouds.

Lightning begins the game of hide and seek with shadows. The rain starts, one drop here, another there and suddenly a downpour.

Streamlets start flowing on the roads, commuters get drenched in seconds. No umbrellas in hands, people rush to take cover.

Puddles fill up immediately, dirt washed off, make things muddy. Pedestrians huddle under any shade they can find.

Sometimes hail accompanies, falling  from sky like white  unwrapped sugar candies. Damaging months of farmers' hardwork in minutes.

And the show suddenly stops...as abruptly as it had begun.

Winds win in blowing away the clouds, thunders move out of earshot. The Sun peaks out and lo! The rain is over.

Sun starts shining with a vengeance. The rainbow silently, colourfully tries to attract attention towards itself.

People resume their commute, dirtier than usual.  Hazards await, stray dogs shake themselves dry, inconsiderate motorist splash water as they speed.

Meanwhile, the clouds start gathering up again, defeating the force of winds. Blocking the Sun once again and the audience waits for an encore.











Sunday 1 April 2018

Dreams

Dreams are dreams, inconsequential, only, if they are just  dreams. So...
Dream a little, dread them a little, dare a little, don't let them gather dust.

Dust them, oil them, pull them towards meaningfulness. To pursue...
Plan a little, play with them a little, progress a little, fail miserably if you must.

Open up the mind, think outside the box, focus, don't let thoughts wander...
Wait a little, work on it a little, worship the idea a little, gift yourself your own trust.

Thus realize dreams, turn thoughts into truth, keep the window to your heart open...
Live a little, laugh a little, long a little, give life a loving thrust.