HOUSE OR HOME?

                              Are the ' house' and  'home' 

                              Synonymous words? 

                              Though apparently similar

                              They are way too different

                              In their essence.

                             

                              

                                                   

                               A  house is just a structure

                               Of any size or  design 

                               Small, simple and trivial 

                               Or big, imposing and royal.

                   

                               A little cottage or skyscraper

                               Roadside  hut or luxury motel

                              Any safe shelter you can stay in

                              Paying duly for what it offers.  

                              

                              And a home? Is it a house too,

                             Made of bricks, cement and iron?
                            Indeed, but upgraded in many ways

                              To make it most desirable.

                             A place you  long to return to

                              Seeking solace and  respite

                            After every outside wandering

                              Rewarding or otherwise.

                     .

                    

                           A resort where you  needn't pay

                           For boarding and lodging 

                           All  services being free  therein 

                           With personal care in addition.

                            A place kept  alive forever

                           By members of the household

                            Inseparably bound  together

                               In loving familial cord.

                           

                                

                               

                                

                                

                             

                                

                                

                              

                               

                            

                                  

        

       

SOUNDS OF HOPE

                     

                     The  sound of hope is, 

               The sweetest ever we hear,

              When things get hard to deal with,

               It assures that life will go on,

               Despite all the hurdles there. 

           

              The sound of hope is,

               In the siren of an ambulance,

               Rushing to save precious lives,

               In the alarm bells of a fire brigade,

               On a mission to douse killer fires.

              The sound of hope is,

             In the thunder of  dark clouds,

             Appearing in a  corner of the sky,

              Heralding the arrival of rain,

             At the peak of the burning summer.

            The sounds of hope are varied,

             Their tunes and tones  differ,

           But they have a feature in common,   

            They  all received with cheers,

             They all are music to ears!

THE NIGHT AFTER FULLMOON

    

         The moon is not perfect tonight,

       Its glow, too, is not so bright,

       Nor does it look as confident,

        As it did last night.

       The moon is not full tonight,

       And not so enchanting either,,

       To make tides rise high, 

       In excitement to touch the sky.

     I know it will keep on waning,

       Both in size and brilliance,

      Bit by bit through the fortnight, 

     And once will even disappear.

    

       But truly, it's resilient enough,

       To bounce back and  resume,

      Its eternal journey  in the firmament,

      Though different in look every time.

                                

                                         

                                    I wish I could be,,

                     Like flowers in the wild,

                   That bloom there unconditionally,

                    And be the reason of smile,

                   For bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

                            I  wish I could be,

                          Like a flower in a remote valley,

                          Blooming in sweet silence,

                          Making the surroundings fragrant,

                          Without any admirer nearby.

  

                         I wish I could be,

                       Like cactus flower in the desert,

                        Blooming in the burning sand,

                        And appear to defy the harsh heat,

                        With a spirit of calm forbearance.

                       

                         

                         

                          

WORDS

 

                              Words are part of my existence

                     Through them I express myself

                      And share my mind and heart

                      With the people around.

                    But sometimes they desert me

                    Making it rather impossible

                    To convey what I really mean

                     And the way I wish to do so.

                     Then all I do is, to keep silent

                      And wait for them to return

                      I know they will sure be back

                      Like life-long companions,

                    Enabling me to reconnect

                   With the world, I always belong

                  The people I love to be with

                   In the vibrant fair called life.

NIGHT IS STANDING AT MY DOOR

 

                            The night is standing at my door

                   Like a much-concerned mother

                  Asking me to take a break

                  And go to her fold to relax.

                  It won't be wise to ignore her,

                 As I too, am feeling tired

                And she is a true well-wisher

                Offering the much-needed rest.

              She is standing at my door

             Promising to rejuvenate  my mind 

             So, humbly I surrender myself to her care

              The unfinished work, I will resume later.

                    

LOOKING UP AT THE SKY

                                            I look up at 

                       The velvety darkness of the sky

                        And see the stars in multitudes

                          Dotting it from end to end

                          Twinkling now and then.

                     When in my childhood 

                      I often wondered

                    (Like all children, everywhere do)

                     What they   actually were

                     And where they after all went

                     When the sun came up.

                     And now, though old enough

                       To understand things better

                      I still look up sometimes

                       Waiting for a shooting star

                      That I may make a wish

                        Before going to bed.

ONE STEP AT A TIME

       If   the path ahead 

    Is too steep to climb on

   And reaching the summit

   Appears a distant dream

            Move on cautiously 

            One step at a time.

   If the hurdles on the way

Are too many to be numbered

 Daring you to walk them over

And you fear lest you stumble over

        Take the challenge in your stride

        One block at a time.

        

 The heights you wish to reach

May not be attained overnight

Nor can the whole world be yours

By winning a single fight

            Keep going on steadily

            Aiming one goal at a time.

            

THERE ARE TIMES

          There are times

        When everything seems to go against you

         For reasons unknown

         Making you feel bruised and broken

         And existence seems a burden

         The whole world appears to be hostile

         No hope or help  comes to comfort 

         And light goes out of sight

        But it's often in these darkest moments

         That suddenly appears from nowhere

        A ray of light dispelling all despair

        And restores your faith in the power of prayer.

RAIN IN SUMMER

 

                   The  second week of June,

               And summer at its peak,

               The sun, a ball of fire,

                The earth, a burning furnace.

                  

                 Its myriad creatures suffering,

                   Under the  scorching heat, 

                 Animals and plants and humans,

                   Facing unbearable plight.

                  The landscape, a face of despair,

                   All greenery turned into cinders,

                  Water bodies dried up  to the bottom,

                    Proclaiming absolute disaster.

                 Yet I do hope, one fine day,

                Dark clouds will gather in the sky,,

                Lightning will flash in a distant corner,

                 Followed by loud thunder.

               And down will come the blissful rain,

                 Bringing the much-needed respite,

                 Beginning with a few small drops,

              It will turn into big soothing showers.

                

                 

Rainbows Make Me Believe

 

       My heart  leaps up when I behold 

       A rainbow in the sky ....

                William Wordsworth

       Rainbows make me believe

       That colours will never cease to exist

        In Nature's secret vault

       And will keep painting  the sky

       Every time the sun and the rain

       Wish to have some fun together.

       They also re-assert the truth,

       That every single ray of  the sun,

       Has a whole spectrum of colours,

        To create such magical images,

       Leaving millions of eyes mesmerized.

          My heart, too, is often overwhelmed, 

          With immense pleasure and wonderment,

          Watching this amazing  feat of nature,

           That is not just a  passing  tableau,

           But a memory to be cherished forever.

    

                                                          Image courtesy 

                                                             Pixabay .com            

HEY LIFE !

               

           Hey Life! 

I know not what you are,

A renowned  Noun, 

 A vivacious Verb, or

 An instant exclamation!

An all-weather friend,

 A total stranger,

  Or a keen onlooker, 

  With mixed gestures?

  Little do I remember,

 When had we met first,

Nor do I have any  guess,

How long we'll stay together.

  But sure, I feel around,

 Your unfaltering presence, 

Through all sorts of weathers

  Favourable or otherwise.

*

    It's also true that someday,

 -We'll have to part ways,

  As actors silently disappearing,

 Having played their roles on the stage.

  Long we have been together

 Sharing the same time frame,

 It would, indeed, feel painful,

To be ripped apart unawares.

 

Yet, we may have no choice,

But abide by Destiny's rules,

And bid adieu to each other,

 With tears covered by smiles.

 

       Here is my earnest  wish,

     You may take it as a request,  

    To give me a hint beforehand,

      When it's time to wind up.

    So I  could prepare myself,

   To take leave of everyone,

 With gestures of deep gratitude, 

  For all their love and affection.

 

Welcome August!

      

        Welcome, dear August!

       May you be a harbinger of healing, 

         Relief, resilience and restoration,

        To the troubled  mankind,

        Suffering under a calamity,

         Never known before.

         Plagued by a fatal pandemic

         Life has turned upside down

        Grief, loss, and helplessness

         Have replaced all emotions

      

           All we wish and pray  now, 

          That good times return soon,

         And life regains its usual vitals,

         Braving death and desolation.

   

          

      

        

       

   

ईश्वर ने नहीं किया है यह वादा

  

   ईश्वर ने नहीं किया है ये वादा

   किआकाश रहेगा सदैव नीला,

   कि जीवन के हर पथ पर  मिलेंगे,

    तुम्हें  फूल ही फूल बिछे हुए .

   यह  नहीं कहा कि,

   सूरज कभी ओझल न होगा,

  तुम्हारी दृष्टि से,

  और न कभीअतिवृष्टि  का प्रकोप,

   झेलना पड़ेगा तुम्हे.

    यह भी  नहीं कि दुःख  से अनछुए  रहकर

     केवल आनंद   में रहोगे सदैव  लिप्त

      और  पीड़ा का  अनुभव किये बिना ही

      महसूस कर लोगे उस  से मुक्त  होने पर

       मिलने वाला सुख 

       किन्तु दिया  है यह आश्वासन ,

       कि मिलती रहेगी तुम्हे दिन भर,

        काम करते रहने की ऊर्जा

       और थक जाने पर पाओगे

       विश्राम के लिए लम्बी रात

     कि जीवन- पथ  पर अन्धकार तो मिलेगा

          यदा,कदा अवश्य ही

           किन्तु प्रकाश भी रहेगा

           दिखाने के लिये रास्ता

            हमेशा , आस-पास . 

 

TO YOU ALL

 The verses I pen down, 

Aren't merely words,

 Carefully strung together,

 But my letters to the people, 

 I  have been with, anywhere.

Ù

 These are meant  for those too,

    Who  haven't met me ever,

   And know  only little of  me,

  But are  kind enough to read, 

  What I scribble occasionally.

So, if you ever  come across, 

 Any of these random writings,

Read  them as letters from one,

Wishing to share  with  you,

 The joys and wonders of life.

 Now, if  I say  we are  kins,

 Children  of the same great  mother

(We know by the name  'Nature')

Would you mind my sharing with you,

 Some thoughts I really hold dear?

 

The Silver Lining

 

                                          We often fail to see,

                               The bright silver  lining,

                                Hidden under the black clouds.

                              The darkness of despair,

                              Is too deep to penetrate,

                              And make us believe,

                            That something golden,

                             May really be lying,

                             In the very core of it. 

                              The bird in the cage  may sing,

                               With full-throated ease,

                               If only she nourishes the hope,

                               That someday, somehow,

                               The cage will be broken,

                               And she will again  be blessed,

                              With the joy of flying to freedom,

                               In the  boundless open sky,

                              And enjoy herself as before.

                               

                              So, never let hope leave you,

                              Even when bruised by despair,

                              For the sun  is sure to  heal up, 

                              Every bout of rain and thunder.

यात्रा -- हिमालय पुत्री की

रजत शिखरों की गोद में बसे,

अपने सुन्दर घर- संसार को छोड़ती ,

निकल पड़ी वह नन्ही सी बालिका,

एक अनजानी, सुदीर्घ यात्रा पर.

घर की सुख-सुविधा, सुरक्षा से दूर, 

एक अनजाने पथ पर, बढती चली गयी,

विघ्न-बाधाओं का सामना करती हुई,

जानती न थी ,उनका कहीं भी अंत नहीं.

 अनायास ले लिया  यह कठिनम प्रण उसने, 

 कि  रुकेगी नहीं, कभी भी,कहीं भी,

 समय की गति के साथ  बढ़ती ही रहेगी,

 अपने अभीप्सित लक्ष्य को पाने तलक.

कठोर चट्टानी दुरूह  वन -प्रांतर में,

 निर्भीक,अविचल   बढती रही वह,

 कभी  सघन जंगलों से गुजरी  तो,

  कूद पड़ी निडर कभी गहरी खाइयों में .,

    संकरी घाटी में स्वयंको सिकोड़ कर 

   आगे निकलने का  बनाया था रास्ता   ,

   कभी मानव -निर्मित बांधों में बंध कर,

   कुछ  पल अपने को दुर्बल था पाया.

    किन्तु शीघ्र मुक्त हो शान्त स्वरुप  धर,

       बढ़ चली आगे सब कुछ संवारती,

   अमृत- जल  से अपने तटों को   सींचती,

  सुख -समृद्धि बाँटती निष्पक्ष जीव जगत में.

    

       धैर्य और साहस से जीत सारी   बाधाएं

       सहस्त्राधिक कोसों की दूरी  यों नाप कर,

       जा मिली अंततः  अतल  सागर  से,

         एकाकार उसमें हो अनंत से जुड़ने!

       

      

   

     

    PHOTO CREDIT 

      Ritu Mathews  

  

  

Musings amidst Covid menace

        In this night of  fear and disquiet,

       With gloom prevailing all over,

       You ask me to sleep and dream,

       Of a bright, sunny morning!

        In the depressing absence of light,

        With hardly a spark in view,

        You ask me to  lit a candle,

        And spread hope and cheer around.

         While in the abyss of  despair  

          I lie indolent and sad,

         You ask me not to lose heart, 

         Hoping the storm will end soon.

        

  

             In the tumult of heart-rending cries,

             And the flood of helpless tears,

             You ask me not to get  nervous,

          But console the bereaved in earnest.

             

 

            It  won't be easy for me, though,

          To abide by your timely prudence,

          Yet, try  I will  what  you suggest,

           And fight this devil to its last.

            

                       

                      

                

     

   

         

         

 

Mother's Day -- 2021

            

        Recalling you on this special day, 

        Isn't a ritual for me to observe,

        Though formless and invisible,

        You are forever present in me, 

          My revered, adorable Maa!

          Inseparably mingled  are you,

           Into my very existence,

           Making your mark truly felt,

           In whatever I say or do.

             When tears well up in my eyes,

           Seeing someone reeling in pain,

            It's your genuine empathy,

             Surging up in me from within 

                When I  fail to check myself,

             From rushing to someone in trouble,

               It's but your passion for helping 

              Prompting me to do what I can.

                Whenever I'm vehemently critical,

                 Of cruelty and injustice,

                It's your  keen sense of righteousness,  

                Forcing me to fight the wrongdoer.

       

                    When overwhelmed with happiness 

                   At something good happening around,

                   I bow down to God  gratefully, 

                   Reflecting your way of  thanksgiving,

                

                

                

    

        

          

TONIGHT .....

           '' When  you have something to say

          Silence is a lie......''

       It's past midnight and I am still wide awake, the same has been happening for the last few weeks. As the second wave of the killer covid has started striking the unsuspecting people around and the death toll is growing higher day by day, life is again faced with the cruellest enemy ever. Day by day, it's getting increasingly difficult to cope up with the prevailing situation. The whole environment is flooded with depressing news, with little comforting vibes from anywhere.  This makes me feel so very nervous in spite of all my optimism and positive thinking. 

 Never before, had I felt so helpless and miserable. I hear about the illness and hospitalization of a friend or relative but cannot rush to be by their side to share their pain and support them in this tough time. Worse still, we can not be even with our close relatives or friends at the sad loss of a precious life. All you can do is to send a note of condolence or make a phone call to register your sympathy. While doing so, you very well feel the hollowness of your own words which can hardly be enough consolation.  yet,  ironically, that it is the only option left to express your sincere feelings.

  To say the least, never before had we come across such a painful, trying and terrible situation. How long this chaos will last, no one can know, except, perhaps, the Almighty God Himself who has been the ultimate resort forever, for all the believers. 

             May all our combined prayers reach His kind ears and exort Him to shower His mercy on the mankind reeling under the cruel effects of this unprecedented calamity!      

  May 2, 2021        

     

 

MY OASIS

 

                                                                                                                                                    

                      Deep down in  my heart,

                  In one of its  secret chambers,

                 There lies a cool, shady space,

                  I love to call my oasis.

                      Built-up of  fond memories

                      Crystallized as precious pictures

                       That come alive to  help me 

                     In facing the odds, whatever.

                         I slip into it  as often,

                        As the heat around gets higher,

                        And I need to feel  pampered,

                        In its cool, comforting bower.

                        I feel every one of us,

                    Should create a resort within,

                    Where sure refuge may be found 

                     In times of rough weather. 

 Picture Courtesy

Pixabay. com.

APRIL SHOWERS ...

                  

             ''April showers bring May flowers'', 

           But there is no trace of  clouds in the sky today,

           Should I still expect showers on this hot April day,

          Can there be rain without the clouds, ever?  

          Yet, I imagine them appearing on the horizon,

          Loaded with waterbags, ready to pour down,

            Give each one of the trees and plants its due,

                Here, there and almost, everywhere.

               For, I have  been an unfailing  optimist,

                Just like any of my village folk,

                 Simple  but strong in their faith,

                 Trusting God and nature forever.

                 My own faith, too, is as unfaltering,

                 Can never be bruised or  shattered,

                Or oscillate between hope and doubts,

                 Prior to or post a  real experience.

  

       

COVID TIME.... TIME

 

 The eternal traveller,

 Keeps moving on unseen,

Been on the non-stop run,

 Since the beginning of creation.

 

    Countless ages have gone by,

    Myriads of events taken place,

    But the moving wheels of its chariot,

    Are never seen taking a break.

     

    

    

    Since this peculiar traveller,

     Never stays anywhere to rest, 

    The curse it has brought along,  

   Will too be carried away as it moves.

    

     

'Curse' here  refers to the pandemic Covid Nineteen

 

 

To The The Eternal Lamp

 

                           Hey mighty Sun Lord!

                       A synonym of light and life,

                  You have forever been,

                  With your boundless empire,

                  And magnificent aura. 

                   

                 The  supreme lighthouse,

                Holding within your bosom,

                The entire spectrum of colours,

                As springhead of all rainbows.

             

              Yours is the light that illuminates,

              The  entire earth from end to end,

              And ensures the existence of life,

               By providing warmth ceaselessly

                 Who can be it but you,

                 That foils with its fiery rays,

                 The plans of insolent clouds,

                  Bent upon inundating the earth,

                     With incessant rains?

                It's not without reason or merit,

               That you have been adorned with,

               This most coveted godly status,

                 Acknowledged universally.

                 It's because you  are made,

                 By the Creator in His own image,

                Empowered with such features,

                For the well-being of His  creation,

                 Both animate and insensate. 

                 And you, His deputy, perform

                  The task tirelessly forever

                   Hence, aren't just loved 

                   But  adored religiously

                    As a visible godhead.