What next…

“I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.”

Phew.. This is the last post for that campaign!

Despite being enormously happy about my Alexa ranking and the entire campaign, I’ll not be signing up for any more campaigns. It’s not just my cup of tea!

The campaign has made me realize the following:

1. I am terrible at taking up orders.
2. Writing for any defined reason, doesn’t bring out the best in me.
3. I couldn’t find joy in writing, when I write for any such reasons.
4. The joy of drop in rank is not greater than the joy of writing for writing my thoughts.

Also, I am sorry to be part of campaign and not able to follow the rules.

Sum of these had made me feel guilty overall and has much more adverse effect.

I started this blog to express myself. And the pride I had in my blog, till I started with such rigorous campaigns, has started declining.

I’m content with quality than quantity.

So, I’m going back to my hibernation and enjoy life in the present, as it is.

I won’t abandon my blog at any time, but also wouldn’t let me be constrained even by my very life.

I might throw in a pebble, when it so happens, but not otherwise.

And despite everything I said above, I liked to have found so many blogs through the campaign and am grateful for the likes and comments and shares.

And above all, there’s something coming up on October 5th.

Losing to win!

I signed up for Alexa campaign when that was supposed to be the only meal on my plate. But the hungry me, grabbed much of the delicacies from variety of cuisines and filled the platter so much.

Now, here I’m stuffing everything at the last minute, just because, I don’t want to waste any of it. But am I able to stuff up everything?

I think I do have some leftovers, which I’ve to dine and digest. The only relief is that, those items haven’t expired yet.

So right after finishing this, I’ll continue gobbling away, whining and also winning over another target.

Hope, you could enjoy your meal hot and fresh and enjoy everything without guilt, unlike me!

Anyway, I did take up my blog to the next level with the #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team #BlogChatter.

My Alexa rank on 1st September, 2019 – 51,08,429 (Global)

My Alexa rank on 30th September, 2019 – 5,28,711 (Global) and 28,429 (India)

So that was indeed an awesome bite for me!

United in love!

Today, 30th September, is World Translation Day.

I believe that, this is one poetry which deserves to be appreciated for years to come by many. And this is a sample of the wealth of knowledge and humility of the poet, who had such a brilliant idea, but not the desire to publicise his name.

There are two major elements that comprises the crust of earth. Water and Land.

The element of water is widely considered the flowing element and represents change, travel, search for destiny etc.

Whereas the element of land represents the stability, patience, finality or even a finite object.

The element of water exists in many forms such as ocean, river, falls, stream, lake, rain and so on.

And the land exists as soil, mud, sand, stone, rock, mountain and so on. The larger it is, the flexibility is reduced, while smaller the particle, it’s unusable for modified purpose. They can be used as is or with minor changes.

Usage of water is as wide as it’s form. And each usage relies upon few or just one form. For e.g., ocean is good for transporting through ships but useless for drinking directly. Also, existence of each form is restricted by the area of it’s existence. A falls can’t exist in plain and not ocean on top of mountain.

Another interesting feature is most of the water forms exist above land, though source of water is below land, apart from rain.

It’s born out of land, nurtures land, floods land, and consumes two third of earth’s crust.

Seems neither exist without the other. And also one overpowers the other at each stage.

But do they ever be at par?

Yes, when the land is mud/red soil and water is rain. They both lose themselves and they adorn a new form, of mud, which is neither liquid not solid.

Thus, merged the heart of two, in love, inseparable and into one, by losing itself. And together they could be created into new formations, which isn’t possible to be attained by either water or soil independently.

This is the example given by an anonymous poet to describe love. And the richness of the thought paved way to name the poet after this example.

யாயும் ஞாயும் யாரா கியரோ,
எந்தையும் நுந்தையும் எம்முறைக் கேளிர்,
யானும் நீயும் எவ்வழி யறிதும்,
செம்புலப் பெயனீர் போல,
அன்புடை நெஞ்சம் தாங்கலந் தனவே.

-செம்புலப் பெயனீரார்.

What is my mother to yours?
How is my father related to yours? Although you and I knew not
each other in any way,
just as red earth and pouring rain:
the love-filled hearts merged.

(Kuruntokai – 40)

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuṟuntokai]

A single line that has such a depth of meaning. This keeps amazing people for generations and still going to live for long.

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.

Poetry without words!

Nature’s poetry!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team BlogChatter.

Rambling on love

The magical feeling which is the topic of discussion for ages bygone and ages to come, never gets old. I was wondering why was that, just like every one musing about love.

I think, it’s because, that’s something special, obviously.

For those who aren’t made aware of the sweet nectar, in full, but just given a fleeting glimpse, that’s the ultimate target. To which all of their routes are diverted.

For those who are in the heavenly bliss, they are so full of the happiness and doesn’t have the slightest inclination to get out of it, to help others on their route, nor explain it in words. For that bliss is of such addictive nature without any reprieve. And also, for the very reason, it couldn’t be constrained to meagre words. That’s beyond any compare and can only be enjoyed by oneself.

If someone bothers to explain or guide through anyone else, either they haven’t experienced it in full and are showing off in vain, to make others believe the better of them. Or else, some twisted fate has pushed them out of the heaven, to only linger the joy and not continue to experience it.

And those are the ones who tell tales, throwing a glimpse of heaven to the newbies and those are the ones who extend the life of their lives through the memories of their tales.

And in every way, the love and love alone remains as the constant, which stands witness to the trials and triumphs of all!

After all the regression, I realise that I’m in that heaven and hence I couldn’t put myself to be constrained within few words. Hence, couldn’t write about lamenting nor anything else.

Thus, you are here, reading another post of mine, searching for something, which might not be present here. But if it did, do drop a word and let me know, whether you could make heads or tails of this post!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with #MyFriendAlexa campaign by the team #BlogChatter

Bridging the gap!

Fortunate are those who know to read, and even more are those who can, in more than one language.

My mother tongue is Tamil, but my mother’s language is English, even though she loves Tamil. So, I’m introduced to literature of English and Tamil at a very early stage.

As much as I love reading in both languages,I love to write in both as well. Since, most of my communication is required to be in English, writing in English has become more common than my mother tongue.

My blog wasn’t started on an impulse. I first decided on the tag line, “aZhagiya salanangal“, then on the name “Ripples”. Also the very first post I conceived for my blog was in Tamil, which can be read here and I eventually translated it into English, here.

The reason I shifted to English is for two reasons. First, my Tamil audience is so limited, that there is no point writing solely in English is understandable to them. Secondly, my respect for the language is the highest and I don’t use it in vain. So I started writing in Tamil, only after a long thought process and for the content very close to my heart.

I mean no disrespect for English, as that’s the first language I prefer to communicate with a stranger and that’s the language that has given my words a global audience!

To find a balance between my passion for writing in my mother tongue and for reaching global audience, I stepped into translation. And that opened a whole new horizon for me.

I started translating only on my blog and for my own work, but later extended it to translate movie lyrics, just so, those who weren’t able to understand Tamil could understand the beauty of the works in Tamil. That led me to working and becoming co owner of the site, lyricaldelights.com

This venture has led me to take my passion to next level, when I started translating the works is my favorite poet in Tamil, Bharathiyaar. The project is still a work in progress, but what’s done so far can be found here.

I’m not sure whether I would be this content if I was able to write in just one language. But being the bridge between the two has made me even more purposeful and content.

Today is World Literacy Day! And I dedicate this post to everyone who’s taking a step forward to make the world a little more wider with knowledge!

I’m taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa

Right now!

I’ve been pondering what to write for the first post of #MyFriendAlexa In other words, picking the right bait to keep my new visitors hooked up with my words and/or posts.

Just when a beautiful idea started forming in the back of my mind… (Translation – Am staring out the window and postponing every other task I’ve to complete and call it thinking for my next awesome post) the climate itself took pity on me, or rather protected you all from another post of my ramblings…

The melancholic climate turned into a feisty downpour! I’ve heard from many sources that rain is sort of a gloomy mood. But when I’m traveling in National Highway, with my dear one(s), listening to my favorite tunes, a downpour is more uplifting than anything for me!

The road looks blacker, the greens around are greener, the surrounding looks fresh and free of dirt.. The dirt is sort of permanent fixture on these roads, so even the familiar road looks fresh. And the look is enhanced by the filter created by the tiny droplets on the window pane…

Nature’s filter!

As I was thus enjoying the travel, with a big smile on my face, I saw few kids going back from school, with a heavy backpack and drenched completely.

I felt sorry for them, till I crossed them and saw the bright glee on their face. There was not even a tiny bit of worry nor any other thoughts troubling their happy minds. I felt like the girl looking at the sparrow and wishing warmth with clothes, when it was already warm with its own wings!

In those happy smiles, I realised that happiness is not a by product or result of something else. It is being happy for the mere sake of being happy!

The lingering clouds!

The rain has stopped now, the climate has changed, the tunes changed, but not my happiness… Like the leaves drizzling long after the rain stopped, my smile still lingers on, without any cause, yet spreading cheer!

Hmmm.. So what makes you smilewithout a care in the world?

The writing.

The writer
Read all owned books,
Researched in the library,
Surfed the internet,
Listened to scholars,
Discussed with friends,
Observed the world around,
Travelled far and wide,
Learnt people’s customs,
And almost everything
That crossed his path..

While he wrote,
His pen would glide on paper,
Pausing only between words
For the requirement of space
Rather than for the thought,
And to refill the ink
But not to replenish the idea..
There was no draft,
What was written is final,
For there were no changes to be made..
There were no crossings,
No strike outs,
No rephrasing,
No corrections..
The text written was
Properly aligned
And filled just that page..
No more, No less..

The writing style
Is called impromptu,
By most people..
But is it really so?

Isn’t the thoughts
Bettered, cultured and educated
All through the past living?

So is there anything
Which is what it really is?!

And now you, the reader,
Have added a tiny note to your thought,
Consciously or unconsciously..
Which would reflect
Maybe in the very next thing you write,
Or just lay hidden as the seed,
To grow into a nourished thought,
And spread it’s essence
In a far future writing..
Which might even be titled
Impromptu! 😉

[Thanks to Mr.Hari for an awesome prompt for this post. Now I would like to extend the challenge of finding the given prompt for this post.. 😉 And the winner gets to provide the next prompt.. 😀]

I

I am the centre of my universe,
I am a tiny speck in the universe…

I drown in guilt with deadlines,
I procrastinate like no other…

I live here in the present,
I lose myself in memories…

I believe life is beautiful,
I dread waking up in morning…

I wonder what next,
I wander into past…

I am just a caterpillar,
I am the exquisite butterfly…

I wake up earlier somedays,
I sleep in till noon at times…

I am so organised with few,
I am most chaotic at many…

I dish out counsel, as if I conquered life,
I break down and dread to pick up myself…

I laugh louder with not a care,
I cry harder when it’s needed too…

I am an introvert to speak to others,
I am an extrovert to explore places…

I chatter incessantly to few,
I measure my words as few…

I am an explosion that brightens the sky,
I bury my head like an ostrich in earth…

I am just like you,
I am as unique as you..

I am many parts of one,
I am more than sum of my parts!

I am an oxymoron!
I am an epitome!

Summer holidays

That’s the time of the year to stop the routine, rejuvenate, and replenish the soul to get prepared for the next long year!

And May month is the month of summer around here! Taking a big break now from writing to enjoy the summer.

Roses

My dearest friend was having a birthday cake with two roses on it. It was a time when cake cutting wasn’t so famous.

I looked very eagerly towards the cake and those beautiful roses.

The cake was cut and was cut into many pieces, two roses were cut into two different pieces.

One was given to the birthday baby and the other was given to me.. What else could bring joy to a little kid than being made special?! 😃

Zipping it!

Looking back at 2016 A to Z challenge, I completed it far better than this year’s challenge. But at least, I completed it this year too!

What next?

I’ve no idea whether I’m going to continue with any frequency, or go completely silent..

Let me face when it’s time.. And for now bidding adieu..

Thank you dear readers for your continued support! 😊

Yelp

I love watching movies but not so much of the genre similar to Jurassic Park. It might be due to my reaction watching it the first time.

In Jurassic Park, there is a scene towards the end, where the kids are chased by dinosaurs and the kids get into a lift. Just when it’s to take off, a dino almost catches a kid. The kid has to pull in the leg to be saved.

I let out a loud yelp and pulled in my leg. And people next to me started consoling me rather than watching it, for I was that scared.. 🙈

X ing a paragrab

The short story X ing a paragrab is written by Edgar Allan Poe.

It is one story that had me laughing so hard.

Written during the olden days, when the press used to manually set the entire article, letter by letter. And the rivalry between two presses and their challenging each other on drafting an article, with using of one particular character in almost all the words. So what happens when the entire block of that particular character is stolen and how the habit of using the character x as an alternate for the missing character is used.

I believe this was the starting point for all those challenges for using or not using any of the characters in blog posts.

Writing…

In my childhood days, I don’t like to write much.. Which my mother has reminded me so often enough, until very recently..

The reason I don’t like to write, is not because I don’t like to write, but I don’t like to repeat..

Allow me to explain..

In those days, the school work mainly consisted of repeating parts of what’s available in the text book. And the exams asked to vomit the mugged up parts of the text book. So I didn’t write those essay type questions, which was to be answered to score marks above the required pass mark. But I did attended the questions which required answer in just few words or lines. And also attended all the mathematical problems and would score above 90%

It took them a long time to understand that I hated repeating while I never stepped back when it came to any activity that required original content.

So the girl who hated writing becamea pseudo writer and blogger! 😜

Visual appeal..

Though I have never displayed my photo on my blog, please do believe me when I say that, I do have a very photogenic face and I do have some great pictures taken.

There is one special photograph of me taken at the age of about two / three. It is not so uncommon in that age to braid the hair, adorn it with flowers and take a picture of that long hair along with the front view, right before tonsuring (head shaving) for the first time.

I was all dressed up pretty and was having a beautifully designed braid. It was time to take the customary photo consisting of both the front and back view. Please bear in mind that taking photograph is such a rarity and reserved only for very special occasions. So there were only very few pictures taken at that age.

Back to the photo.. It was easy to take the picture of the front view, though they hadn’t taken it first. When they asked me to turn back and show the braid for clicking the picture, as my parents say, I was not turning back. When they insisted, I had argued that how will the photo has my face, if you take it when I am facing the other way?

Seems quite logical, when you can’t make the kid-me understand that both front and rear view will be merged into a single picture and it just shows the doll-me front and back.

Thus the resultant photo was an expression less back form, along with the sullen face next to it!

Of course, it does bring a good laugh around whenever we see the picture now, even though I’m sullen faced and cute just as tiny toddlers could be!

UFO

I’ve an undying love for electronics. It all started with a video game named UFO.

I was about seven years, when I went for a walk with my father, spotted an interesting-looking-odd-shaped-violet-colored object across the counter of a shop.

As I asked my dad about it, we stepped in and enquired about it, the details of which are insignificant background noise, while I was engrossed in admiring the object’s odd shape and the tiny little buttons on it.

All I remember was that, it was not something meant for me, as we were not buying it right then. I was disappointed only little bit, as it looked like something too costly and also I was not so sure that it was meant for someone as young as me.

We returned home, and dad called me back for another walk immediately. Still I didn’t understand the meaning, until we reached the same shop.

Yes, I was gifted that video game and that was my first video game! It was a very simple game, where you ought to catch / shoot the falling objects. Not all, just the wrong objects flying disturbing the UFO.

I still have that game with me, it may even work, if I fit in a proper battery. It’s like those Andy’s toys in the toy story movie. Always having a special place in the heart of it’s owner.. 🙂

Quit, should I?

When life gets tough, it is easy to consider quitting. And there are so many motivators to push me ahead. I’ve also written few posts on those.

One such motivator was part of my curriculum in school. Which stayed longer than most other lessons.

It was about Jesse Owens. And his greatest Olympic prize. He won four gold medals in that Olympics and set an amazing record, when none expected him to succeed in anything at all. Even if he is the most eligible candidate to winall those laurels. Though he overcame many hurdles to participate in finals, the most difficult hurdle was when he was almost not making through the trials.

That’s when Luz Long, his fellow competitor offers him an advice, which costs him his own victory in Olympics.

When Owens was trying to give his best, even at trials, and was instead making a foul, he was consulted to not give his best, but just get through the trials. So he might get into the finals and show his worth, where it matters the most. Thus, he sets back a little to achieve even more in the finals and go on to win the coveted gold medal in Olympics.

The lesson, that stayed with me is not just about losing a little to gain more. But to earn a friend, who would push me ahead, even when it might cost them their victory. Who would stand by me at all times, who knows what I’m capable of better than me, who knows when I’m stuck in an imaginary pit and who knows how to redeem me from myself, so that I would achieve what I’m capable of..

That might seem like an unachievable dream. But the lucky me found not just one but more than one such dear true friend! Yes, they still exist and they still stay along as my friend in my happiness and sadness, and all ups and downs.

And whenever I’m on the verge of quitting, one of them comes around to push me ahead. And thus I keep on going forward as well as achieving more and more.

For those who wonder, whether I return the favour, I do so, as said, by my friends.. 🙂

Thinking out loud!

I wrote a post named Leave few days back and said, I love blogging more than anything. But I started taking leave from the next day and wasn’t paying regularly since then..

So, I do love my life little more than my love for blogging!

I promised few with some deadlines and haven’t been keeping up to it on time, though I finished it late.

So, I would rather finish it properly rather than merely rushing and compromise on my satisfactory level of quality!

I read and keep reading at many places that social networking and writing posts in a certain way helps you reach more audience and much more to the likes of it..

So, am I willing to follow them instead of writing for the sake of writing? I don’t think so.. For, I seem to be missing the actual joy of writing as well as the pride I feel when I read back even after long time..

So, I’m dropping any notion of blabbering past my post for A2Z, which will end in few more posts..

What am I losing?

My piece of mind along with a huge number of supposed followers. Maybe even my chance to get few great friends.

What do I wish to gain?

The joy of writing for the mere purpose of writing, where the content is filled with passion or some emotion, rather than using this space asa scribble board. And I wish to have readers who step in as strangers, but hit the follow, for they really like whatI write from my heart!

So, all in all, I’m not going to think out loud in my posts anymore, and write from my heart. Even though I might blabber through the rest of my posts till Z, for I’ve begun and I’ll finish it!

Play – Do you play now?

While I was a kid there were many friends to play with and a huge open area to play as we wish.

We used to play many games. The evenings started with games involving lots of running and moving around. With that we would be drenched in sweat and while we are near exhaustion, we will shift to games played by sitting around.

So whatever our energy level, we played and played, till we were dragged to our homes by our parents.

And the level of animosity between neighbours was far less. We could knock any door of the neighborhood for a glass of water and they would also care for all of us.

There were few houses who let us play full time in their home. There was an aunty, who always has some craft or something to keep us engaged during the sunny hours. She also lovingly made popcorn and sometimes noodles for all of us.

There was an uncle who was living in a sparsely furnished portion. And he had set no limits for playing anywhere in the house and he would also join us playing hide and seek. He always entertained with some interesting conversation where he taught us something new in a playful way.

Life is beautiful when people interact with people, face to face, rather than when everyone finds their temporary deluded moment of happiness, within a small pixelated window!

Oops.. The stolen mango!

Over the terrace, I mentioned in my last post, was a large mango tree. During summer, the mangoes were hanging low enough, from the part of tree spilling into the terrace.

They are low enough for kids to pluck them without much struggle. Yet, we kids were always reminded to stay away from the tree, for there might be tiny insects and I was so allergic to them.

Yet, the allure of those tasty raw mango are far more inviting than the constant reminders. So we decided to pluck it. And we did it.

No, there wasn’t any insect bite or any allergic reactions or no cause to question our safety.

But we, me and my cousin, didn’t dare to go into the house shouting our victory. Though we were safe, we were not sure that about the scolding we might receive. It was a small mango and we thought of finishing it in the terrace itself and throw away the seed.

When we were almost half through, grandpa came onto terrace in search of us. We were caught green-handed, I mean with mango in our hands and I sort of panicked for a moment.

As he was about to question about it, I volunteered that the mango fell by itself, as some squirrel or parrot might have nibbled and dropped them.

Though we were spared from any scolding, we were to give away that mango! For it might not be properly cleaned. Sigh! Our heart was already content from half of it and we parted with it. But soon afterwards, it was nicely cleaned up and cut into small bite sized pieces and given back to us!

Nights on terrace

One of the happiest memory of childhood is the time spent on terrace after dinner. Sometimes even for dinner!

And those night outs require some prep work done by evening. We have to splatter water so that it is not so hot for relaxing later on. This is one of the favorite chore on the summer vacation. As we get to play with water, while we also get some work done.

Regressing, I wonder how our well was up to its maximum capacity even during summer and the idea of water scarcity was not even so remote in the ideas. Also, the water comes from well, that is self replenishing, whereas the water waste from bath and kitchen goes to water the plants and trees of the garden.

Still, I think I might not be watering the terrace just for cooling effect, while the water is becoming much more precious day to day..

Anyway, twenty years back, that’s the only source for cooling as air conditioners are not so common and also the electricity can’t be trusted at all times for fans.

I’m moving away from the main idea. Getting back to it…

Those night time gatherings are so great memories, for that’s the time the entire family gathered together and shared much more than stories. That’s where the creativity is kindled with riddles. That’s where the knowledge is passed on through generations. That’s where we counted stars and believed we could finish it some day. That’s where we learnt stories of our parents as kids and it was always a pleasure to see the parents be kiddish, which makes them more likable even if they reprimand us for our pranks.

So that’s where life was at is jest, happiness breezed along, cheerfulness lingering like the distant train’s passing, and smiles were abundant, while making the childhood best of times!

Mundane Monday!

Leave!

In days of my education as well as career, I take leave, very often.. Like once in a month at the very least..

Do you want to know why?

Simply because, I wasn’t feeling like going to school on that particular day..

I say the very same reason to my parents and they do allow me to avail that. For they believed firmly that if you don’t accept the real reasons, even if it doesn’t sound so correct by societal norms, it lead to telling lies. So they encouraged by accepting the simple fact that I don’t feel like going to school..

So it got ingrained in me to take a little while to enjoy the vacation amidst chaos of the routine..

And now I wish I could avail a leave from blogging, but there is something else that drags me back to post every day.. And that’s when i realise that I’ve never loved my school as much as I love blogging!

❤

Keepsakes?!

There are so many collectibles around to collect and I’ve had many hobbies including stamp collection and coin collection.

But there is one weird collection amidst that which even I don’t understand as to why I started collecting them.

To this day, I couldn’t throw out the collection from almost a decade back.

Oh my collection is bus tickets! I commuted through bus during my college days and if I could date them, I might check my attendance to college.

Alas, I don’t keep them organised in any way. But there are about three boxes fully packed with those.

To this day, I could never fathom the meaning of why I did, what I did nor have the heart to throw them away. I know I should definitely declutter my useless keepsakes.

I have started throwing away most of the useless things despite great memories. But, this is one thing I couldn’t throw away yet.

I’ve stopped collecting them when they shifted to the printing system, for those prints faded with time. Now, my collection has become a relic as the system of pre printed tickets is almost extinct.

So what’s weird in your collection?

“Just Thinking”

A Book by one of the dear friends, I got from blogosphere, Mr. Colin Chappell. This book is a collection of poems by him and few others.

The little blurb on the cover exactly summarises about the book, while the image on the cover sets the tone for the book.. Pleasing to view, Comforting the soul and a beauty to cherish!

The book is a very short read, if you want to finish in a single siting. But it is best enjoyed, when read one at a time and pondered upon, as each of them provokes something inside.. To emote, to inspire, to laugh and sometimes create a new post!

The book is divided into Five Parts.
Part 1 -My friend Ray: It talks about thoughts that influenced the life of Ray just as Ray influenced the life of Colin!
Part 2 – Relationships: Every reader could find some connection with at least one of them. This section is a fine example of how our personal life impacts turn out to beautiful creation.
Part 3 – Life’s Journey: The largest collection of poetry falls within this section and the prelude to the section explains / justifies why very aptly!
Part 4 – Tina and other stories: This is where stories unfold as poetry. And the stories are rich!
Part 5 – Just thinking: This is a collection of random poetry, which are not falling into any of the previous categories..

When I received the book and skimmed through the titles, indeed I was drawn to the “Ripples” and I was astounded for that conveyed my exactly thoughts on why I named my blog as Ripples.

And the poem that became a favorite of mine in the collection is, “The Old man’s lament“. For this one was beautifully inspiring to start living the life right now, or lament later. It is so practical and doesn’t exclude the base of our necessity to be a social being as well as the necessity to live for one self!

There are few written by his daughter, Melanie-Anne Chappell, Dr. Phoebe Chi and Carolyn Shelton. There is some invisible thread tying those poems into the book, very much in sync with the tone and theme of the book. Especially “The Toque (Knitted Hat)! “ by Melanie and “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more” by Dr. Phoebe had a lasting impression on me.

There is an important feature laced all through the book. The poems (not all) starts with a short (or sometimes a page-length) note. It is more like setting the stage for the show. For those notes play a vital role in setting the context. As it eases understanding them on the first read and doesn’t leave any space for misinterpretation by reader, from the perspective of writer.

I have always pondered whether my writing is ever understood, the way I conceived it?! And this seems to be the best solution for that. I might be trying it in the future! Thanks for the idea!

As for acknowledgements, which was at the end of the book, I read it last and was most surprised! For Colin has included me in it, as my Header Image in the past was an inspiration for his poem, Ripples.

The joy of seeing my name in print, along with a very clear understanding of the idea behind it was one of the personal favorite moment of my life. Thank you Colin, for the understanding and the joy you created in me!

The book is a real treasure to ponder upon various facets of life and provides a good meal to the hungry of the mind!

Do grab your copy of the book is available here!

Heights!

Do you know the queasy feeling when you look down from a high building / place?

I used to have that! Very often.. And what you define as high is highly different for me.. Because to me looking down from the first floor will give me that wretched feel..

And in my days in school, we would often visit my grandparents on the weekends, which was a very short ride on bus, but stretching over, a small bridge, just about 200 mtrs or so. And every single time I would wrangle my mother’s hand, in the name of holding her hand!

This continued for so long until few years back.. And in the years before, our vacation will mostly be to hill stations. Guess who suggests those places.. Still me.

Though I have never cared for the adrenaline rush of any activity, I still prefer the mild coldness in the hills in contrast to the scorching heat of our place. And so yes, I will go on a whole trip enjoying the growing side of mountain rather than the steep downside.

I was scared of the heights of Ooty and Kodaikanal, until I visited Manali, Shimla and Auli. The view all through was snow clad mountains as far as you could see. The roads were narrow and right next to the road flows the Ganges, few kms down the hill. But now I was not afraid, as I was mesmerised by the ethereal beauty, which can never be bound by words.

That was a true heavenly sight to behold and an experience to nourish for life. For not everyone realises the exact moment they let go of their fear. And that feel gives a better mushy feel! 😉

Good Night or Good Knight?!

There is a secret handshake or something unique, each kid creates when they are young, and few sustain the time and others are lost. Those lost memories, when revived add a smile to the self and sometimes may earn the awkward reaction, from the listener.

My mother tongue is Tamizh, a language which doesn’t have the concept of ‘silent’ characters as much as English. And for a kid starting to spell the words, that is a bit complicated concept to grasp. One such complicated word for me was “Knight”. The word was introduced by the brand name “Good Knight”, the mosquito coil, before it was introduced to me by school.

So on that day of introduction, at night, I said, “Good Knight.”
But how do you differentiate between the night and knight, while saying it out aloud?
Hence, Good night was followed by “Gooduk night” (Yeah, that’s how the toddler me pronounced it!)

And from then on the following became my father’s and my Good night routine.

Good Night
Gooduk Night
GK
GN

And for years it was exchanged daily and with time it was forgotten, until my sister was in school. And by then, she knew how to pronounce “Knight” and lots more. Also, we have changed the brand of our mosquito repellent to “All Out”

So when we narrated this story, she asked why stop with one brand and created a new big series for exchange and she tells them in the same order every single time without any interchange. The List grew into…

Good Night
Gooduk Night
GK
GN
Good Knight
All Out
Mortein
Martin Cooper
Albert Einstein
Issac Newton
GOOD NIGHT

Wondering from where did all those people come? Or have you guessed it rightly that was the day, she learnt the name of those scientists and she started linking with the phonetics of Mortein-Martin…

And thus Newton and Einstein came into our everyday lives! Who would have guessed.. 😉

For the First time in Forever..

We were living in a concrete jungle, popularly known as apartments. There were many kids to hang out with and the terrace is always under lock due to us. They said it’s for our safety. One day, one of the wooden door bucked under climatic influences. And that’s when a new horizon opened to us, literally.

We, the gang, were school going kids, in a generation, when the kids aren’t actually burdened with too much of schoolwork and parents let their kids play along with others. It was those golden days, when we would play till we are drenched in sweat, our tummies ache with laughter, air is filled with happiness, our cheerfulness an inherent identity of the neighbourhood.

Though we have played our hearts out on the ground, the information that the door was cracked open, invited to explore us more. And the opening was good enough for us, the kids to get in, but very hard for grownups to follow us in there. And of course, it became our secret spot for playing.

We were playing there and it was on one of those days that we happened to stop our games, just to enjoy a moment around us, when the sky was painted with the myriad of colors of the sunset. So far, sunset only meant that it was time to end or games and return home. Now it was a whole different thing.

We started noticing it when the Sun takes a glorious shade of light yellow, bordering orange and we stood near the outer wall and silently watched as it turned into all those shades before it buried itself into the outlines of what lied ahead. And we continued to watch in silence, till the sky has lost its lighter color and started to darken. It was a wonderful moment and all of us fell for it. And we kept returning to the terrace simply for that moment.

Like all good times, it too came to an end, when one day one of our parent started searching for us and with all the usual ruckus around getting caught, we were forbidden to the terrace and the view of sunset wasn’t the same when watched from ground of a concrete jungle.

But I am smitten forever with sunsets and the golden hour forever. And I still watch the sunsets with the same curiosity and wonder we had then..(and at times I get stared at for being so curious over sunset )

Do you remember the first time you stood memserised by the magical colors of that golden hour?

Everlasting friendship..

It’s said that if a friendship survives for seven years, it will last a lifetime.

Yes, it’s true for me.

Our friendship started when we were seven and now we are decades stronger.

How it started?

When I moved to a new neighborhood in apartments. Contests were being held as part of their annual celebrations and there is only one competitor for mein every contestI entered into. In later years, we teamed up and the association always got very similar prizes for both of us, irrespective of the first and second places we would get.

Also, we were mostly considered twins, due to our facial similarities and also the way we were always found together almost at all times, despite attending different schools.

How did it survive?

After five wonderful years, we had to shift and it was the first time, I experienced the pain of parting ways. It was the time when telephone digits were just three or four and existed only in certain offices and such.

But the pen pals were in rage, by then. And yes, we wrote to each other occasionally and shared few cards, though the times we remembered each other were much more than that.

Later, we connected over phone after years, and the teenage years went busy in our own separate ways. When we met again after almost a decade, nothing much has changed between us and now the technology keeps us connected!

Our story together alone could take up much space and few of them might be coming up in this series.

How about sharing your longest friendship story?

Do we need BookReviews?

Today I am deviating from my theme – nostalgia, apologies, if you were expecting it!

A recent conversation with a friend lead to the topic, why book reviews are important and here is my personal, non-researched view on that question.

I’ve been reading books for years and still haven’t bothered with reviews until the past few years.

It was when I started picking books myself rather than read what’s recommended by dear and near. When I started exploring the plethora of categories and titles, I was literally confused on what would suit me and what wouldn’t.

So, I started searching for the title in Wikipedia, to get a gist of what is awaiting in the content. But that wasn’t a helping, when I started picking up books that aren’t very famous. And thus I stumbled upon Goodreads.

Until, I was part of publishing a book, I didn’t realise the impact of reviews completely.

Now my perspective of reviews are much different than what I started with..

I feel the reviews are important because of these points.

• It conveys the emotion of reader.
• Helps a new reader to pick a book more often than a book without reviews.
• Constructive criticism helps the author improve their writing.
• And honest positive review is to the author, what the sound of first clap to a live performer is.

There are few downfalls as well to book reviews.

• Reviews by amateur/immature readers, doesn’t give an objective review.
• Also, when the reader is not familiar even with popular books of the same genre, they couldn’t identify the inspiration/theft of ideas from other sources. (And it’s really disheartening to read huge praises being misdirected)
• Paid reviews – it’s true that it’s very very hard to get genuine reviews for new books by persons, yet to become famous. But considering an author famous, only based on paid reviews is totally unfair.

So I do believe that avid readers must come forward to write honest reviews and create a trusted platform for new authors and help the growth of genuine creativity.

And Blogchatter’s platform to bring them together is a right move in that direction. The details of the program are here.

Cry for help!

A big house, grand parents, two cousins, a game.

What could go wrong?

Nothing much, unless the game is to play police and thief, by a 5 year old and 3 year old. And the police decides to tie down the thief in an adult sized chair with real rope with real knot!

Oh yes, I did tie up my cousin and was not expecting to have tied a real knot and also was not expecting my cousin to start crying, because he couldn’t get out.

I started panicking as just one of the two is enough to land me into a good scolding and how am I going to resolve either of them?

And I too started to cry.. Don’t judge me! I was a helpless five year old!

And of course, eventually he was rescued from the knots and indeed we both had received scolding for the next hour or so.

Though till day, we haven’t discussed the instance as grown ups, it created a fear in me to get into games, from which I couldn’t rescue myself and it has also helped me to learn tying knots properly, to remove or to tighten.

And just like every crying memory of past brings a smile in the present, I do smile whenever I see any kid playing police-thief.

So what’s your smiling memory from your childhood?

An initiation

Few long years ago, when I’ve started taking baby steps into the world of literature, an initiation happened. And the details are….

Bharathi was introduced to me even before I started crawling.. For my favorite lullaby was the song written by him.. In the early class, for school competition, I frequently dressed up as Bharathi and secured prizes every time. So that’s the prologue for this following incident.

My dad was leisurely lying next to me and we both were chattering away. Across us, on a line, two cloth hangers were hanging empty and swaying. They were sort of perpendicular to each other. A hit on the left edge, made them sway on the right edge. Hence, they were on some kind of perpetual motion.

My dad pointed it out and said, see they were chattering and playing with each other. It was fun to me, to see how that non-living thing came to life.

And that’s when my dad picked up a small bound pink book and read out something in the perfect voice to amaze a kid with those little sound effects.

It was about, how two strings hanging from rooftop are given name, life, romance and how they alternate between life and death, by the power of wind.

And without even recognising, I fell in love. With the wondrous words of Bharathi for its simplicity and the imaginable story believable by the kid. And also it felt so important, even though I couldn’t fathom the profound meaning of it, by then.

To this day, whenever I see something fluttering in the wind, I remember that day, when I kept looking at him, as he kept reading out the story, in awe, for the story, for Bharathi, for the time well-spent, for changing something mundane forever.

Just like, as the drop of stone, has no inclination of how far the ripples caused by it can reach, that day had nothing extraordinary to know, it’s going to impact my life huge decades later. For that was the same prose-poetry, I took up for translating and felt a pride for my translated work. 

The story, original + translation available here.

So what do you remember of the first step into a long journey?

A to Z of… #ThemeReveal

I’ve been writing everyday but without any fixed theme in the past. Now am planning to write all 26 on single theme.

So, on what theme?

Even after living through a very happening life, a walk down memory lane pops up only few instances to the forefront than others..

Some such instances are great to listen to and narrate as it is. But over time, due to the failing memory of the incident or due to the hyper-active creativity at the time of narration, fact gets mixed with fiction and fantasy.

This April 2019, let me re-live few of those moments while huddling through A to Z challenge.

Stay tuned for a ride into nostalgia through my memory lane.. Watch out! 😃

Fitting into a square!

My entry for this week’s Mundane Monday Challenge hosted by Trablogger. Have you uploaded your take on ‘Bottles‘?

Here below are some edited versions which I liked..

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The unseen Sun

The dawn

As the invisible Sun
Spreads across shine,
It’s indeed impossible
For the dew drop
To hold on to the blade of grass..
As it has lost itself
In totality
To the unadulterated Ray
Signifying a new beginning
Filled with warmth and life!

Shadow

Is the tree casing it shadow on the sky? Or is the cloud imprinting it’s presence on earth for a longer life span?

What lies ahead?

Is it the end,
Where the path of the past
Bids adieu
As it ceased to exist?

Is it the bend,
Where the path takes
A new turn
As it enters new horizons?

Is this the beginning of
Another new month?
Is this the end as
The year comes to a close?

What was in the past?
Few promises were broken!
Few new promises were made!
And in between life did happen!

What lies ahead?
Isn’t that the billion dollar question?
Blushing blooming buds?
Fragrant fluffy flowers?

What’s out there could be
Seen, heard and felt from there…
But not from here, for
Appearances are deceptive!

So step ahead..
Even if it’s towards an end..
For the road bends and there lies
Another new beginning!

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Cap

Snow cap has a beauty to it..
And so does the cloud cap..

Steps!

Steps! They are well worn! Many people have used those steps but to go up …. or to go down? Perhaps both? Were they walking … or running…. and why? What is at the bottom? What is at the top? Were the people adventurers, or refugees? Recreational enthusiasts or environmentalists? They could have been very young….. or very old, and perhaps had horses or donkeys to accompany them? Did those that go up them find their goal, or did they return disappointed. Did those that come down them ever return to the top? So many questions must go unanswered. So many stories must go untold. Steps!

Caption / Post / Thought courtesy – Mr. Colin.

What would you name it?!

A random day, a random conversation and a random challenge.. That’s the background of this following post.. I took up the challenge and completed it.. Now I would like to challenge you people for a simpler one.. Guess the prompt for which I wrote this post! 😉 And do suggest a good title for this post! 🙂

He was waiting for a decade..
For that moment..
The moment he would meet her..
The one destined for him..

When someone asked him,
How would he recognise her,
When they meet each other..
For that he replied,
I would recognise her the moment
When my vision becomes clouded with rainbows,
When my hearing is added with sweetest melody,
When my nostrils inhale the most exotic smells,
When my skin tingles with the thunderous shock and
When I speak, poetry flows out incessantly in praise of her..

The day came..
He met her..
He realised what he expected was right..
For he did experience all of them and a little more..
The little more was..
The rainbow was also clouded with tears,
The melody was chaotic without sync,
The smell include a waft of pungent smell,
The tremor of shock didn’t fade away while
He said, Happy married life, to her,
at his occasionally met cousin’s wedding!
And he stepped down from the stage murmuring,
Three isn’t always a crowd, but it is,
When your love is married to someone else!

Caged

Is it the bird that is caged?
Or is it the heart of the one who caged them in?

Peaceful sleep

Dog sleeping on dust

Only someone who has no regrets or one who leads a contended life could sleep this peacefully while lying on the floor surrounded by nature in its primal form. So what would it be for you and what might be the reason for this dog? But do dogs need reason to be peaceful?! 😉

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Tagged to Jithin’s Mundane Monday Challenge!

What is the story!?

This is a very common site in the southern India, where many stories unfold every single day. What is the story it speaks to you?

Which story do you hear?

The post is tagged for Jithin’s Mundane Monday Challenge: Learn Photography. Do visit his new awesome site for more mundane, yet beautiful pictures!

A duck face selfie!

If you think you are misguided by the title, I am sorry. But this is indeed a selfie.. Yes, that’s my other hand and it pretty much looked like a duck face to me.. 😉

Duck face?!

The fun of making shadow puppets is ageless! So what is  memory that surfaces when you think of shadow puppet? Waiting to hear your story.. 🙂

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Linked to Trablogger’s Mundane Monday Challenge that thankfully runs beyond the Monday.. 😉

Pen and paper

In Black and White

As the nib dances over the page,
As the ink flows through the pen,
As the emotions drip through the hand,
As the mind empties as the heart speaks out,
As the time ticks by, the paper is filled..

The heart is empty as everything was poured out..
The mind so serene, for the heart isn’t wavering..
A glow is added to the smile in the eyes..
The heart feels content, happy and what not!

Even when the ink fades, the emotion stays..
Even when the paper decays, the smile lingers..
Even when the sender is forgotten,
The message stays..

Let our words outlive the version of our memories,
In the hearts of people around you..
And let those be the sweetest of words,
For the pain of words has no cure, at all..

Relax with Nature – Magnetic Poetry

Here is my first attempt at Magnetic Poetry. This is like scrabble, just with words instead of alphabets.. So kindly excuse if that doesn’t even make any sense at all..

This was quite interesting for me and if you are willing to try this, Here is a detailed and lucid explanation of how it works by Mr. Douglas (Elusive Trope) – https://elusivetrope.com/magnetic-poetry-saturday-challenge/

He also hosts a challenge every Saturday and there are many more interesting and much better entries than mine.

Whether participating or not, click those links and have fun.. 🙂 And I hope there are few more poetry around.. 🙂

 

Thank You Stalker!

Every work of art has
Flawless Beauty,
Beautiful Flaws,
Mere Perfection,
Lack of Substance,
Life Lesson,
A mere scribble
And so much more..

And every such creator
Needs, not wants,
Needs a follower,
Bordering the level
of a professional stalker,
Without the creepiness,
But just with the consistency
And observation of the stalker..

To read the words,
To read the spaces,
Between the lines,
To realise the intent,
To understand the nuances,
To find out the unwritten words,
To appreciate the concealment,
Of ingeniousness inside simplicity..

To criticise,
To condemn,
To proofread,
To push when stagnating,
To pull down when going overboard,
To travel alongside,
Just to make sure,
The journey isn’t lonely..

For every journey
Is bound to get lonely at times
And also it could make sure that
The traveller feels
Abandoned,
Hopeless,
Lost and maybe
On the wrong route..

So I dedicate this 275th post,
To thank my followers,
Friends, critics and supporters
And especially my stalkers,
For every single Like,
Comment and Follower,
On and Off the WordPress,
For getting me here!

(: THANK YOU! 🙂

The window

The door

Does this signify an entrance?
Or is this the barring gate?
Will it open to new ventures?
Will it withheld the dreams?

Could I push it open?
Will it pull me back?
Is it colorful from the other side too?
Does this contain rainbows?

Or is it just the leftover unfulfilled dreams?
Or is it the color palette to paint new dreams?
Or is it a mere part of the door?
And am I thinking too much again? 😛

Do Diamonds grow on plants?!

 

When I saw these diamond buds in the morning, I thought yes, Diamonds goes grow on plants! And these diamonds are even more precious as they couldn’t be held in palm or made into jewellery. But they help us nurture us and cherish us with the vital element of our life. The H2O. And still they look like poetry written by Nature!

 

The switchboard!

The power to reconnect broken links!

Waiting eternally
For being switched on again!
To restore the connections
And to set in rotation
The movements of the fan!

Waiting for you!

As the sun rushes to kiss the horizon,
The sky blushes and turns red..
He kisses her everyday..
She blushes at every kiss..

This is the oldest, yet youngest love
And a truly forever kind of love..

I’m here on this rooftop waiting,
For my kiss, blush and love..
Is that you over the horizon?
Oh yes! And here I come, my love!!

Eyeing the eye!

View this post on Instagram

The mechanical eye Witnessing everything To help re-live the memories As in #MyBlueberryNights Or just another machine?! #photography #phonography #mobilephotography #camera #cctv #mundane #mmc #mundanemonday #mundaneMondaychallenge

A post shared by Aadhirai (@i_aadhira) on May 30, 2016 at 3:09am PDT

Posted for Mundane Monday Challenge hosted by Photrablogger

What will it be?

He looked at the blank screen
And the blank face reflected on it,
Waiting for the yes or no,
To build or shatter his dreams!

What would you complete the first phase with?

Do click on the link to view more interesting takes.. Thanks to HB for the two phrase story prompts!

Contrasting Sprinklers!

Here’s another water sprayer,
But this isn’t to sprinkle
Tiny diamonds on golden leaves..
But to bring down the sparkle
Of fire ablaze to safety!

The fading picture!

It was a fading picture
And hence I threw it away!

If you were expecting a twist or dramatization of the picture, sorry to disappoint you.. That’s what actually happens in life most of the times.. 😉

A view through kaleidoscope!

Though not sure whether it’s mundane, it’s tagged for MMC at trablogger.wordpress.com.

Revelation!

And in a puff
The dark clouds parted,
To reveal
A beautiful silver lining!

What would you add to the phrase “and in a puff“?

A creepy crawl!

View this post on Instagram

Where to? #lizard #Silhouette #silhouette_creative #window #mundane #creepy #crawl

A post shared by Aadhirai (@i_aadhira) on May 17, 2016 at 10:09am PDT

Though it might be scary / creepy for few, it is quite mundane at few places!

Where are they?

Where are the plans,
We plotted together
To rule the world?

Where are the dreams,
We dreamt alike
To make a difference?

Where are the shoulders,
That lifted my burdens,
By taking them up yourself?

And above all,
Where are the heartbeats,
That were promised for me
To beat in sync with mine?

Waiting…

Waiting may be pleasant or not, depending on what the waiting is for.. But the time of waiting is absolutely ours to make it worthwhile by filling up the mobile space with some creativity. Here is what was captured when I was waiting for the bill after a happy dinner!

This long forgotten photo was dug out from archive after seeing the entry of TraBlogger in his Mundane Monday Challenge!

Waiting for the waiter!

Smiles!

Few smiles are un-erased by anything. For they are not actual smiles and they will never ever fade.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Aadhirai (@i_aadhira) on May 2, 2016 at 9:33pm PDT

Z!

The last of alphabets,
But the first of completion,
Of the challenges undertaken this year!

Yell

The primal way of expressing!

Xpiry

When life expires,
So does few expressions!

Wonder What!

View this post on Instagram

What are they talking about? How to prevent withering leaves? How to find shade to rest? How to beat the beat? Tell me what you think as the topic of their conference.. #mundanemondaychallenge #mmc1

A post shared by Aadhirai (@i_aadhira) on Apr 24, 2016 at 11:45pm PDT

Vicious wish!

I neither have the heart to wish life
Nor the courage to face death!
Hence life rolls on!

Unison of love!

Oh dear flower, you bloomed with the touches..
But why forget who touched you to blooming?

Are the looks new?
Are the caresses new?
Why would the earth resist the rain?

In our young days, in the banks of the river,
We placed our foot marks, who erased them?
In the corner of the garden, in the plant we planted,
The first bud bloomed, who plucked it?
There’s no honey in the flowers untouched by lovers..
Don’t cross the gap, I’m not in control myself..

Oh dear flower, who bloomed with the touches,
Aren’t you drenched in the warmth?

The looks are anew,
The caresses are anew,
I shudder as the veins tangle within..

To see the young flower bathed in the dew drops,
I’ve waited for twenty springs..
For the hungry, to quench the thirst,
I’ve grown sweeter lips for seventeen springs..
Like the leaf that hides the flower,
Don’t you too hide away your heart..
Like the breeze that takes the flower,
Don’t you too shake away my heart..

The details of the song’s translation will be revealed tomorrow.. If possible take a guess..

Tweaking the magnetism!

He wanted to be loved..
She wanted to love..

He knew her..
She knew him..

He liked her..
She liked him..

He is full of logic..
She is full of nonsense..

He saw that togetherness is impossible..
She saw that he deserved someone better than her..

He understood life as is..
She understood life as fate..

Yet they understood each other too well..
To the extreme extent that
They could never be
Opposite poles of
the same magnet..
But just be the Same poles
Of Different magnet!

Sharing is NOT Caring!

Yup, Sharing is NOT Caring..

When?
You have a happy news and I am in the rock bottom of life. I could either see it as light at the end of the tunnel or I could rather dig my self pity deeper..

What?
Sharing your happiness makes the World a better place to live in, while pouring out your disaster story gives a life lesson for few, while it teaches others, how boring it is to hear a sob story..

How?
If you are finding some fault / mistake of mine, Sharing it with anyone other than me brings out many characteristics, but definitely not Caring..

So?
Even a deed with good intention could backfire, depending on the timing and circumstance..

Do share love and care, but be wise in doing so..
Also try to be open to receive the love and care shown towards you, for not everyone is entitled to received them unasked and without expecting anything in return..

Righteousness

என்பி லதனை வெயில்போலக் காயுமே
அன்பி லதனை அறம். (77)

enpi ladhanai veyilpoalak kaayumae
anpi ladhanai aRam.

A life without love will be stung by the righteous conscience
like a body without bones that is burnt by the sun. [Couplet 77]

This is one of the oft-quoted couplet. The usual explanation to this goes as given in the English version.

But I have recently heard a better explanation to this couplet on its nuance. And I just wanted to share it here for I loved the explanation.

The righteous virtue burns away the soul of the loveless people. But why is it compared to that of the Sun burning the boneless? Because, it has a special unique feature.

The Sun burns the boneless only when the creature attempts to stay in the Scorching sun. As Sun never goes in search of boneless to burn them..

Similarly, Righteousness doesn’t burn the loveless as long as they stay confined within their solitude.. It starts punishing only when the loveless people come out to stay in the society without having the least compassion for the society.

So being Loveless is not a crime by itself to deserve the punishment of righteousness.

Share your love and let the World be a better place to live upon.

Quaint or Quite Mundane?!

The everyday life can be more beautiful when you know to see the everyday things in a different angle.. I clicked this some time ago and found this mundane beauty while browsing through my archives..

If you like this click, you would love the beautiful clicks listed here in Trablogger’s blog under the Mundane Monday Challenge.

The object in the click is a not-so-rare view and why don’t you take a guess on what is it.. (Hint: It is not a personalised item like Bags)

Waiting for your guesses.. 🙂

Passions and Possibilities!

Had N number of Passions.
Had N number of Possibilities.

Out of the N number
Not even one
Could cater to all Passions
And not even few
Could cater to most Passions.

Then came the prioritising
Of Passions and
Discrimination of Possibilities
In the name of Practicality.

Then came a new possibility
Possessing my heart and soul
Though it was not listed
In the N number of Passions
Or in the N number of Possibilities.

The Possessive Passion
Paved way for every other Passion
With a new Possibility
And gave Hope that
Anything is Possible
When the Heart and Soul
Is tuned to achieve that
One single Goal
Without any diversion!

And it also proved that
N number is not a nightmare
And also that
N number is not all,
For the destiny could be beyond
the N number of Passions
and the N number of Possibilities!

Oasis to the desert!

The journey continues…
The highway extends…
We are the birds that forget the path travelled;
We are also the bend that unites two poles

We crossover the desert,
We enjoy when we reach the oasis…
Nothing is permanent!
This too will pass on!!

The stars and the crescent moon has become alone;
The rain under the umbrella and the tides of the sea have parted ways…
Your portrait is being drawn with my teardrops;
Your photograph is calling out my name…
We lighted the lamps like the Candle and the Wick,
Yet, we are just wasted like the unburnt lamps..

Give farewell, Take a decision, I will leave..
Alright, Give it up, Move aside, I am leaving..
The chimes of your anklet is heard like music from afar;
The echoes of your voices is heard in the directions I turn around..
We talked together like the River and the Shore,
At the end of the story we are parting ways..

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The details of the song translated are available over here!
This song is one of my recent favorite for the music and I started liking it from the very first time.. Loved the lyrics for the clichés..

Hope you too enjoyed the song.. Do let me know about your thoughts on the song..

No one!

I’m no one
to you in the list of
predefined relationships,
while you are
everything to me!

---

This week HeSheStory is merged with Dr. H Bhatnagar’s two-phrase story challenge!

Challenge? Who has the patience to follow the rules / link backs?
If that’s what you were thinking, you are in the right place. Coz the rules are almost nil!
(Hmm.. Are there any, Dr. HB? Since I don’t follow most rules, I skipped this too.. :P)
But if you are willing to stick to rules, refer here!

Willing to take part in this challenge?
Feel free to reply to the first phrase either in my comment section or the original posts’ comment section.
(See how simple this is!)

Feel free to unleash your creativity with a new second phrase
(or bit more, coz he has a big heart to accommodate more than a second phrase.. 😉 )

There’s little more!
He compiles all the entries and posts!
Trust me, it is awesome to see the multitude of replies for a single phrase.
Check out the last week’s compilation here!

So what’s your reply to “I’m no one…”
Looking forward for your take on this.. 🙂

My Words – Are they really mine?

When words were never mine to begin with.  I was only their carrier upon transport- both serving time together- holding some- mere milliseconds- while others cellmates serving a life sentence.  Each letter and word- wound within my dna- and- transcribed by my process of knowing- has arrived from the hands of someone else.

Who am I to say- I own these words?

Yes- they may empower- even set you free- but to own them- is to put them in a zoo.  To cut out their lungs- give them hugs for legs- and tell them to run- then send them on their way to have a nice life- and a breath of fresh air- from the inside- out.

If I copyright words- Van Gogh copyrights Starry Nights- Aristotle copyrights thought- Harper Lee and  Maya Angelou know why the caged mockingbird can’t sing- if their teachers own all the words.  Does Shakespeare care if Hamlet is performed at the Globe – a renowned performing arts high school in New York- or the streets of El Salvador?  Or is it about sharing in our words- living through his words- copy what was- homage to the author.

And…

What if my thought- was first a song lyric written on the back of a napkin- tossed aside- blurred- by someone who was playing the drinking game.  Was my thought already prefabricated- plain as day- in the light of moon- beyond the wonder of a five year old Nigerian girl.  Or in the dreams of an addict to spun to remember what was said- when morning is four days later- and still hasn’t come.  Maybe it was the taxi driver in Karachi who first said, “poets can be any color- they just want to be read…” way before it entered my head.  He just didn’t have access to a pen- or- when he got home- had trouble remembering again.

Or…

Maybe this was all confiscated- stolen- copy unwritten- from a man who has ALS. Everyone baby talks- the man- like a toddler- and pats him on the head.  Like sticking a finger in the soup to see if it is warm.  Somewhere he is reading my words- his words- unspoken- on a screen- screaming so loud.  But no one gives a fuck- because they think he doesn’t have words.  These are my copyrighted- hijacked- borrowed from another source- all the source- is the same source- words- just a different kind of sauce.

Understanding- I only carry these words- all thoughts that have been conjured- inflicted- and finely tuned- have come from the fingers- tongues- brushstrokes- madness of others. Screamed in splinters- whispered in born against- washed into the sand’s stone- are all words- for consideration.

My search in writing- is for a comfort- for the words- and the people to be as free as possible.  Knowing- nothing is free- especially as a Dad- to three- all girls.

What about the tree- when were they going to see a royalty- for all the copies they have written?

Like a tree roots in- I am rooted in my children.  For them- and my family- I have to remain a true artist- a true contradiction- like any human- that varies on a multitude of spectrums.  To a take stand- show my copy rights as author and carrier of words- would only be for them- so their walk is a little lighter.

Their Father’s hands which have borne the scars and marked calluses of time- that comes when the sun shines so bright in life- you have to squint- and trust that you’re walking- but- not off the edge- because you can still feel the sun radiating through your face- and trust can be easier- when you can’t see in the first place.

I will chase- these words all copied from the same source- just a different sauce- tasting- and holding on to what I can- understanding what was already written…

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This is a post written by Anthony in his blog “Symbols between Spacebars” under the title “Do I have a right to copyright words- call them mine?“

Learning to or simply being?!

சித்திரமும் கைப்பழக்கம்
செந்தமிழும் நாப்பழக்கம்
நடையும் நடைப்பழக்கம்
வைத்ததொரு கல்வி மனப்பழக்கம்
நட்பு தயை கொடை பிறவி குணம்

The art of painting is excelled with the habit of drawing,
The beauty of tamil is excelled with the habit of speaking,
The pace of walking is excelled with the habit of walks,
The learning of existing scriptures is excelled
with the habit of memorising and understanding,
But the traits of Friendship, Compassion and generosity
Are in-born traits (and not excelled with habit).

Though the first two lines are famous in the usage I love the last line much more than the others.

Being friends with few is more easier than others. You could just start an conversation with those few people and feel at ease discussing many things, even those which you might not feel comfortable talking to with your dear friend of long years or with the one who grew up.

There are few who care for anyone and everyone at any time without any excuses. You could always rely on them for anything between lending you a shoulder to an offer of kind word to reinstate the long-forgotten-hope.

There are few who never know how to say no, when asked for help. And they are very creative in coming up with ways to help. Also you could see them feeling uncomfortable when they have an excess of something when someone else in need of it and they would even go to the extent of giving away, even though they might need it..

These traits can never be developed with practice or habit. You might act well the role of these people, yet a dire need reveals the distinction of these in-born traits as compared to the self-trained people. For the self-trained people take at lease a tiny second of thinking, whereas the people with in-born puts others first and offers immediately without asking.

Kaleidoscope?!

When was the last time you stopped to notice the simple mundane things with attention to detail?

If you are wondering so long, to remember that, now is the time to look around.. But with a little more attention to those everyday things and scenery, we take-for-granted.

Isn’t there something beautiful that grabbed your attention, more than others. Now, frame-it and hang-it out, not in the legal sense, but with a camera and a blog post.

Don’t you want it to be enjoyed and appreciated by many? Here’s a simple way! Give a pingback in your post to TraBlogger’s Mundane Monday Challenge!

He is hosting this challenge for over a year now and he is always kind to share his views / appreciation on the submissions, as well as, to compile them in his next week’s post. More than that, there are even simple and interesting guidelines offered by him to help us take better mundane shots. Do enjoy his clicks and other submissions for the challenge over here!

Kaleidoscope

The reflections of a normal Jhumka gives a somewhat resemblance to the Kaleidoscope to me.. And it also makes me think of a little girl with her head slanted to the side.. Do let me know what you think of it in the comments..

Juxtaposition

I am far from you,
Like the water droplets on the lotus leaves,

Yet,

I am so near you,
Like the reflections of moon in the river..

Is this Inspiration or Imagiantion?!

Full moon would be her face
Jasmine would be her fragrance
Lightning would be her eyes
Silence would be her language
Dew drops of winter would be voice
Deer calf of the fragrant forests would be her walks

I saw her one day and
asked for her heart as boon
She did give but immediately took it back and went away!

She is indeed the island of the sea, untouched hitherto,
In its fragrant sands, I wished to be a floral shrub..

She is indeed the melody, unforgettable after hearing,
Even after understanding the stanzas, I stood in silence..

She being one shore, and me being the other shore,
In between gushes the river of solitude..

Is it possible for the hands to fish in the waters of mirage?
The time stands testament to the happenings of the present..

She comes along with peace,
And I grasped her fingers..
The journey continued while witnessing the many rainbows along the path..

As sleep caressed my head, I rested under a tree..
When I woke up, she wasn’t there and the minute turned bitter..

She was by my side, in that minute,
She appeared afar, in the next minute..
She runs like the false-deer that eludes the vision..

Between me and her, a screen stood opposing,
When mask is worn, would the faces be visible?

---

This is my translation of a song from the movie Jodhaa Akbar, released in 2008. The details about the song is available over here along with the tamil verse.

This song caught my attention with its music, for it is so soothing and pleasant to hear. This song is always in the top 5 of my most played track list. The reason it is there is just not for the music or the voice. But the lyrics.

The hero gets besotted by the beauty of his new wife. She is near yet so far in heart. He yearns for her. And this song is what transcribes his emotions.

The reason the lyrics stands close to me is the closeness of this song to the John Keats’ song “La Belle Dame sans Merci“

Below  is the complete song: 

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
Alone and palely loitering?
The sedge has withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

O what can ail thee, knight-at-arms,
So haggard and so woe-begone?
The squirrel’s granary is full,
And the harvest’s done.

I see a lily on thy brow,
With anguish moist and fever-dew,
And on thy cheeks a fading rose
Fast withereth too.

I met a lady in the meads,
Full beautiful, a fairy’s child;
Her hair was long, her foot was light,
And her eyes were wild.

I made a garland for her head,
And bracelets too, and fragrant zone;
She looked at me as she did love,
And made sweet moan

I set her on my pacing steed,
And nothing else saw all day long,
For sidelong would she bend, and sing
A faery’s song.

She found me roots of relish sweet,
And honey wild, and manna-dew,
And sure in language strange she said—
‘I love thee true’.

She took me to her Elfin grot,
And there she wept and sighed full sore,
And there I shut her wild, wild eyes
With kisses four.

And there she lullèd me asleep,
And there I dreamed—Ah! woe betide!—
The latest dream I ever dreamt
On the cold hill side.

I saw pale kings and princes too,
Pale warriors, death-pale were they all;
They cried—‘La Belle Dame sans Merci
Hath thee in thrall!’

I saw their starved lips in the gloam,
With horrid warning gapèd wide,
And I awoke and found me here,
On the cold hill’s side.

And this is why I sojourn here,
Alone and palely loitering,
Though the sedge is withered from the lake,
And no birds sing.

Both are very beautiful songs as stand alone. They both are in different genres, yet they both have some common elements and that’s what I link and like between them.

The mysterious girl;
Her beautiful features,
Her love for him,
Him, wanting to serve her,
The feeling of elation in being with her,
She lulling him to sleep,
Him waking into harsh reality,
From the dream of the dreamy girl,
His lament to reach her..

Now all I wonder about the first song is whether it is an inspired imagination or just imagination by two individuals in the same way!

He!

Someone asked her
Who is he?
He is……..friend?!

Long night chats
Chats on Anything
To everything
Shared without hesitation
And without waiting
Always there for each other
To pull pranks
As well as to lean on

Someone asked her
Who is he?
hmm.. my.. my.. friend?

Abundance of care
Genuineness in smiles
Respect for the other
And yet
He moved on
She stayed on

Someone asked her
Who is he?
My crush or bit more than that!

He came back
Now with a different mask
But the same face
She is still the same
Void of the masks

Someone asked her
Who is he?
My best friend!

Grand Christmas!

Yesterday I was pondering for a long time. That’s when a little angel came to me and asked what is today’s post? And what is the word you picked for ‘G?’ As I told her that I didn’t know what to post, she spontaneously told this story along with the title.

I know this is a very clichéd story. But the reason I recorded it nonetheless was I had the simple pleasure of listening to a cute bedtime story with a feel good ending. I loved the way she expressed this story in my native tongue in her own style. Though I couldn’t record the same awesome feel I had listening to this story, I thought of just recording the story.

Feel free with your imagination to visualise the story from a kid’s explanation perspective and have fun!

---

Long long ago, in faraway country, there lived a little girl named Ina. She is a sweet little girl living happily in the tiny village. And today she was so excited as there was only one more day for the Christmas holidays. She was very eagerly looking forward for this vacation as this is the time filled with gifts, but more importantly, fun with friends and relatives.

There is a girl named Mina, living near Ina’s house. Mina’s family is not that financially strong as Ina and hence Mina wasn’t so excited about the Christmas. Moreover, she was feeling low as her parents could not even afford a new dress for her Christmas.

Ina came to know of this and that night before going to bed, she added this in her prayers. “Dear God, Please send Mina a good new dress for Christmas.”

When she slept that day, she had a dream and a fairy appeared in it. The fairy said, “You are a very sweet girl Ina. It is very nice of you to pray for Mina’s gifts. So, here is a new dress for her and you can gift it to her.” When she woke up, she saw a gift box near the foot of her bed and she was exploding with happiness.

She ran to Mina’s home with the gift and they opened it to find two dresses, each having their name tags. Thus the holiday started with enjoyment for both of them. And the smiles kept multiplying all around..

Here is one for you too! 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

Share the smiles!!

Failure isn’t always a failure!

The joy of ticking off a to-do list,
The joy of scoring out a pending task,
The happiness of achieving some target,
The happiness of getting appreciated for timely completion,
The happiness of shelving a project after completion,
And every other joy of accomplishment,
Takes up the level of self-confidence a bit ahead!

And that little more confidence helps you to achieve even more..
And there is another kind of confidence that helps us to accomplish things, which we might otherwise find beyond our capability..

The confidence that you have nothing to lose, but could gain anything to everything..
Also, there is the confidence that comes with the knowledge of having every possibility a success!

Is there ever a possibility of having every try a success??

Yes!
Though the success from each chance is not the same, some failures are worth more than the success and hence, the failure can’t be classified as failure!

Wondering how failure is better than success?
Here’s the formula as told in Thirukkural by Thiruvalluvar..

கான முயலெய்த அம்பினில் யானை
பிழைத்தவேல் ஏந்தல் இனிது. 772

kaana muyal_eydha ampinil yaanai
pizhaitha_vael aendhdhal inidhu

Better to bear the spear that missed the tusker
than the arrow that got the rabbit. [Couplet 772]

This couplet says that it is better to hold the spear that missed the target of a massive elephant, which symbolises a not easy target, than to hold the victorious arrow, which pierced the aimed, easier target of, rabbit!

So is that really a failure, when you have a not-so-easy target, give your best efforts and yet not achieve the target?

And when you are sure that there is no way to fail, won’t you be tapping more and more success?

Be carefree for there is no failure and win more laurels as you are carefree and content with what you do!!

Exquisite Silhouette!

When was the last time you stopped to notice the simple mundane things with attention to detail?

If you are wondering so long, to remember that, now is the time to look around.. But with a little more attention to those everyday things and scenery, we take-for-granted.

Isn’t there something beautiful that grabbed your attention, more than others. Now, frame-it and hang-it out, not in the legal sense, but with a camera and a blog post.

Don’t you want it to be enjoyed and appreciated by many? Here’s a simple way! Give a pingback in your post to TraBlogger’s Mundane Monday Challenge!

He is hosting this challenge for over a year now and he is always kind to share his views / appreciation on the submissions, as well as, to compile them in his next week’s post. Do enjoy his clicks and other submissions for the challenge over here!

 

 

Destiny – Is there a choice to it?

This is in reply to Dr. H Bhatnagar’s two-phrase story challenge!

Challenge? Who has the patience to follow the rules / link backs?
If that’s what you were thinking, you are in the right place. Coz the rules are almost nil!
(Hmm.. Are there any, Dr. HB? Since I don’t follow most rules, I skipped this too.. :P)
But if you are willing to stick to rules, refer here!

Willing to take part in this challenge?
Feel free to reply to the first phrase either in my comment section or the original posts’ comment section.
(See how simple this is!)

Feel free to unleash your creativity with a new second phrase
(or bit more, coz he has a big heart to accommodate more than a second phrase.. 😉 )

There’s little more!
He compiles all the entries and posts!
Trust me, it is awesome to see the multitude of replies for a single phrase.
Check out the last week’s compilation here!

So what’s your reply to “It wasn’t my choice…”
Looking forward for your take on this.. 🙂
And here’s my take!

---

It wasn’t my choice,
But my destiny
to travel the less trodden path
and pave way for others
to follow and reach new destinations!

Charismatic painter of words!

He:
When I draw a flower, dear girl,
the fragrance emanates from it..
When I draw the fire, my sweety,
the heat spreads to caress your fingers..

She:
When the non-living picture gets life from your touch,
What would happen to me, the living one?

He:
You are a painting that takes away lives
with your breath-taking beauty!

He:
Dots join together to make a beautiful painting,
Hearts join together to make an epic love story.

She:
Lines are part of the painting,
Tiffs are also part of the love.

He:
To paint the sky, blue is the color,
To paint our love, what is the color?

She:
Come let’s paint our love,
Using fingers as the brush,
And my shyness as the palette.

She: Where lies the soul of a painting?
He: It lies the eyes of the beholder!

She: Which part holds love in a girl?
He: The part that is untouched by the guy!

She:
You are a modern poet, who knows how to paint,
You are a poor artist, who knows to mesmerise girls.

He:
Like the rain that cheats the clouds to reach the earth,
And becomes inseparably tangled with the earth,
You have come to become a part of me, welcome!

---

This song is a translation of a tamil track with lyrics penned by Vairamuthu. Click here to check more about the original song and the video of the track.

Be loved, my beloved!

The numerous masks,
The endless reasons,
The not-so-strong no,

The differences,
The similarities,
The sweet nothings (or lack thereof),

The misunderstandings,
The mutual liking,
The distance,

And multiple other things,
Significant and insignificant,
Are not enough,

To make me stop loving you!
Break your shell and
Be loved, my beloved!

Another beginning!

A new day,
A new month,
A new quarter,
A new challenge!

Is this challenge really that new to me?
If the experience of three months of daily posting is any good, Nope, this is not a new challenge to me!

So what is beginning today?
The famous A to Z Challenge!

What is the Challenge about?
I still continue to post in my blog in my own style, but be careful in naming the posts. I need to use the letters A to Z serially, to start off my title everyday. So day 1 starts with A, day 2 with B and so on.. And they let me take a break on Sundays!

There was a specific day to reveal my theme for the month. But I didn’t get around to post that, earlier. So I am telling about my theme here.

The blog loosely follows a pattern for the past three months. Though I will try to stick to the same theme, it might be changed as I come up with other ideas (or lack of them.. ;))

The theme that is being followed is listed here!

• Sunday Stories – He-She Story / Poetry
• Musical Monday – My translation of one of my favourite Tamil track into English Poetry with my rambles on why or what I like the most in that track.
• TTT / Tiny Thought Tuesday – My Entry for Dr. H. Bhatnagar’s Two-Phrase story Challenge. (Where I am supposed to add just one more phrase to the given phrase of the week, though, I usually end up adding more, just like what I am doing right here.)
• Wordless Wednesday – My Entry for PhoTraBlogger’s Mundane Monday Challenge (I will really try to shut up with words and let my picture speak in this post.)
• Thirukural / Thoughtful / Throwback Thursday – Depending on time and thoughts cluttering my mind, one of them would be chosen, with a very high probability to Thirukural.
• Friendly Friday – The day to reblog a post of a friend or reach out to my followers like what I am doing with this post.
• Saturday – I have been translating the works of a great Tamil poet, who happens to be my most favourite, Subramaniya Bharathiyaar. (So I would be availing my weekly off on Saturdays rather than Sundays in the A to Z Challenge)

So now you know what to expect from my blog in the upcoming month. Now moving on to what could be expected from me..
I am working on a tight schedule in the recent few months. So I would definitely reply to the comments I receive, within few hours, but I am not committing to be a good reader, as I used to be. ( I still wonder how could I read every single post in my reader once, and where did that time vanish into.. If that time has crossed over there, please feel free to direct it back to me.. 😉 )

Seems I am all set to move forward.. And now is the time for you to hop around the pages and posts..

See you around!

Keep Smiling!!

A dawn into power or criss-cross?

 

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Did you find this nice?
Then you would love the brimming beauty from mundane things listed over here!

Do you have a mundane beauty in your Gallery?
Now go upload the click and pingback Trablogger!
And let us all relish beauty from simple things!!

And please consider yourself to be tagged for taking up this challenge!