A pink spot of glee

This dawn, bright and early
On the drive to work, daily
Sighted : A shot of bright pink
A lone balloon with a lost link
It sways and sashays
A mild morning breeze plays
Soaring gently
Diving mildly
This carefree little thing
What a joy with a zing
Couldn't we all just be
Like this lone little pink spot of glee?

One silent night

Into the stillness of the night
As silence envelopes around tight
A lone lamp shines
While a lone soul dines
Its not a clear sky and hence
The clouds seem to weave dense
The moon tries but can't shine
While a lone soul dines
Holiday cheer has landed
In many a Christmas tree planted
There's hope and faith
In a pair of stockings
For what's a Yuletide in taupe
Red, green and gold is fit for the kings
In the silence of the night
As a lone soul dines
What a wondrous treat to sight
There's magic in the air, He signs.

TGIF

A bright and sunshiny Friday
A blue and less used jacket by day
A quick shower and its work time
The jacket beckoned like a chime
I need something warm, but light
So thought I, perhaps this is right
As I slip it on, a rustle I hear
The pockets seems to be drawing me near
In my hand goes to find what fills
And out come two crisp hundred rupee bills
Its Friday and I'm a rich 'un
With warm thoughts and some spring sun
There's definitely spring without a care
Both in my step and in the air

Of bars and dates

The evening calm
A steaming meal
Some bread dipped in fragrant soup
Topped with pepper , what a deal

Digging the toes, deep into a pair
Of fleece socks with blue flair

Of candles, a soft light
Incense adds a perfumed sight
And thus its time to unwind
When a pull can be felt
Deep within the taste buds
That which just won't melt

Right now! it screams
With a pout and a wail
What can one do but rise
What's in, what's not avail

Perhaps this will do
Thus you surmise
A bar of goodness
A dates and walnuts surprise

Ahhh, yes this agreed
NOW time for a quiet read

After all, as they say- what's a craving
But a consuming desire to eat
In this case, for something
Nutty and sweet.

Timeless, Ageless

A forward from many years ago, stored for posterity. NOT my penning, wish it was. If anyone knows the name of the author for this, please to let me know!









You Are You

You are strong. . . when you take your grief and teach it to smile.
You are brave. . . when you overcome your fear and help others to do the same.
You are happy. . . when you see a flower and are thankful for the blessing.
You are loving. . . when your own pain does not blind you to the pain of others.
You are wise. . . when you know the limits of your wisdom.
You are true. . . when you admit there are times you fool yourself.
You are alive. . . when tomorrow's hope means more to you than yesterday's mistake.
You are growing. . . when you know what you are but not what you will become.

You are free. . . when you are in control of yourself and do not wish to control others.
You are honorable. . . when you find your honor is to honor others.
You are generous. . . when you can take as sweetly as you can give.
You are humble. . . when you do not know how humble you are.
You are thoughtful. . . when you see me just as I am and treat me just as you are.
You are merciful. . . when you forgive in others the faults you condemn in yourself.
You are beautiful. . . when you don't need a mirror to tell you.
You are rich. . . when you never need more than what you have.
You are you. . . when you are at peace with who you are not.

~Author Unknown

Cross Roads

Must be fall already
There's a nip in the air
A wish for some ginger tea
A craving for a tinge of spice

Must be fall already
And then life is like a journey
You watch out
See the leaves change?

Life is a like a journey
The track switches
A right here, a west there
Never halting, not of one place

You will always be one
A weathered, weary traveler
No destination belongs to you
You belong nowhere

You will always be one
We've halted at a mile marker today
Tomorrow we start on a new track
Courses might change
The journey itself is a perennial

Must be fall already

Companionable silence

The poet doesn't invent. He listens. ~Jean Cocteau

And I got to witness this live. My dear friend Durga, since the time she set her eyes on this picture I captured recently, has said that it talks to her. So one fine day she sat down and listened. And she tells me this is what the picture said to her......and all I have to say in response is that I am touched and honored. If my freeze frame can produce such masterpieces, I am inspired enough to forge along. Thank you Durga and keep them coming.

Impulse

As dawn breaks across the blue
On a fine morning in spring
As the warmth of light shines through the flue
Awake, arise it does sing.

There's miles to wend
Plenty of to-do's in a pile
But serenity , the moment does lend
Breathe deeply and curl up for a while

Just as sunset and sunrise
Spring follows frost, its no surprise
The rhythm of life is a pulse
Dancing to its tune is just an impulse.

White and pearly

White and pearly
Dense and piled up
Comfort food, rice it is.

White and pearly
Soft and wet
Snow, cascading down the skies.

Frozen in time

Koi atka hua hai pal shaayad
Waqt mein padh gaya hai bal shaayad

Aa rahi hai jo chhaap kadmon ki
khil rahe hai kahi kamal shaayad

Dil agar hai toh dard bhi hoga
Is ka koi nahin hai hal shaayad

Raakh ko bhi khuredkar dekho
abhi jalta ho koi pal shaayad
Written by : Gulzar
Sung by Ghulam Ali, from the Album Visaal

Footnote : I realized rather than fretting over not going anywhere to "see" fall colors, I could just open my eyes and capture nature's brilliance that I get to see everyday right in front of my doorstep.

Haiku mints

Rickety old bench
Showers galore
Drenched and soaked.

Thunder aloud
Lightning flashes
Awaiting the drops

A beat, a tick
Heart and clock
Hand in hand.

Its a poem
To string words
Sense and beauty

Distorted digits

Wiggly toes
Red and glam
Now your turn
Pick the sham.

Life support

When a pair of crutches
Decide to play hide and seek
One frail frame
Curses at the cheek

It aint just the body
Immobile and helpless
When good friends are out on a break
The mind is just as spineless
Yes, crippled and weak
Days drag along, weary and bleak.

Carmic Capers

There exists a time in every person's life when one strongly believes that life is a bed of roses. That them movies arent lying- its all about celebrating life, gifts, flowers, cards - all sugar and spice and everything nice. Optimism seems to be the mantra for life or so one's told to believe and so one's told to get through with schooling and attain a well rounded education.

And then middle age sets in. The other day one of my co-workers mentioned that he believes in karmic justice- the kind of justice where good begets good and bad begets bad. Accounts are settled in real time- or so its said in this age- Kali Yuga.

I believe in another kind of karmic balance. That of happiness/successes and sadness/hardships. Well call me jaded, but for most part I am convinced if there is one day that is a supreme high, the next day or one of the following days will definitely be a supreme low. Just as there is an ebb and flow of tides, just as there is sunrise and sunset, just as there are summers and winters likewise happiness and sadness, joy and disappointment, successes and failures all go in pairs. One cannot exist without the other. Life is all about balance. Karmic balance.
Remember the physics law "Energy can neither be created nor destroyed." ? Well it applies to everything in life, be it mechanical energy, chemical energy or karmic energy.

Hence I believe the Serenity prayer is so apt when it says

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Why all this tatva on a Friday? Cos its true and cos one needs to be reminded of some basic laws of life and living...cos there's beauty in symmetry!

Ma day in May

I probably lived for 25+ yrs under the same roof as "Amma" and never once wished her for Mother's Day or realised there would/could be a day dedicated solely for her. When I did hear about it, I was tens of thousands of miles away, but it definitely made me realise what a wonderful idea it was. No wonder greeting cards and gifts sell like hot cakes on this day.
To dedicate one day of the year solely to that one person in every person's life, it is my next favorite day after Teacher's day in India. What a wonderful gesture that was by our ex-President Dr. Radhakrishnan.

So here it is, this post is for my mother(Amma). All personal details aside, she has been the source of encouragement and support every step of the way. And I am very sure, when she sees this post, she is sure to ask why I have a picture of a flower.

Well Ma, thats because I didnt find a suitable picture of you to post, when I do, I will update the blog. For now, this could be considered a dedication to your green thumb!

MY MOMMY AND ME

© Craig A.Shames

My Mommy and Me

Once upon a time there was a woman named Shirley
Born and raised in Brooklyn this is who gave birth to me

That would make her my mommy and for that I'm thankful
She's a strong, compassionate, caring person and that's no bull

I couldn't ask for a better mommy and I'm not just saying that
She's never done anything wrong, even if she did replace our cat

She's always been there for me no matter the situation
Her daily calls and 'nagging' is what got me through to graduation

She only wants what's best for me, which is why she let me quit the Army
From shopping at the Gap to send caring packages she's always thinking of me

She might not like everything about me, especially my hair
But she'll always be there to pay my train fare

And I know I can always count on her when I have conflict or strife
She's been my rock, the pillar of strength in my life

I can't imagine what my life would be like without her
I'm just so glad that we're always going to be together

That's because my mommy and me get along so great
Even if I am complaining about what I just ate

Now, we haven't gotten to see each that much over the last few years
But I'll be moving back home soon so there's no need to shed any tears

From going to the beach to having a BBQ there will be lots to do
We should get along great just so long as I don't have to pick up any dodo

I'll always remember the years she spent at Yellow Book
Since she married Mark she no longer has to cook

Working two jobs for all those years to support me must have been hard
I appreciate all she's done, that's why I wrote this poem instead of sending a card

I like the things that I have and the situation I'm in
I couldn't have asked for a better kin

My mommy and me make a great team
Now stop crying and go make me some ice cream

Pi(e)ning

I picked up some apples
At the farmer's market this week
Red, juicy and deelish,
A pie is what the tastebuds seek

Swoosh went in the sugar and flour
A mix and a whip and all it needs
Is chopped apples and some spice
And out go the cores and the seeds

Moving on to the crust
Again the flour comes in handy
Whip in the butter and shortening
And the crust is all fine and dandy

Roll the crust and pour the filling
Top it with a lid and bake till done
Grab a fork , dig into heaven
Yumm! This was SO much fun!

Wheeze-along

The air is full of pollen
My eyes are swollen
One day its hot, one day its cold
If people were to be polled
They'd swear that spring should arrive
With a bang, with a bow and an overdrive.

One day at a time

Twas dawn when I walked every day for my classes
And dusk when I walked back
And all day long as I walked twas the gulmohar
twas those trees that gave me shade
they gave me the cool air and the sweet scent
they'd make it fun, they'd make it easy
now i've learnt a lot, but i dont see the trees
the same ones that helped me get here

The concrete jungle has overcome
That which nature provided with love
so now let me give back what i gained
to have one day back
to those times when i'd hop skip and jump
en route to class under the gulmohar trees.


Can I get one of those days back
When mom would walk me back from school
Under these shady branches
When mom could look at me with hope
that my life would turn out far better than hers

I want it all back, thats all I want
One day at a time!

=================================================================
[Err, thanks to the chiclet for pointing out the error, the earlier picture has been removed(the owner definitely agrees that it was a very good one) and replaced with a pic, kindly lent by Chiclet herself of the same gulmohar trees referred to in the poem . Sigh! What would one do without such kindred souls as Chiclet!]

Picture a poem

Bridge Over Troubled Water
P. Simon, 1969
(From the album of the same name by Simon and Garfunkel)

When you're weary, feeling small
When tears are in your eyes,
I will dry them all
I'm on your side
When times get rough
And friends just can't be found

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you
I'll take your part
When darkness comes
And pain is all around

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down

Sail on silver girl
Sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
When you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind

Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind

Soup-er Zen

Live to earn or earn to live
Give and take or take and give
Either way you see the rules of life
In glory or in strife
All that glitters sure is not gold
There's no comfort in drinking soup turned cold.