Recollections ...

           I shall, forever, remain grateful to my father who introduced me to the wonderful world of poetry erarly in life. I happened to see a notebook of his poems that he had composed when he was in  High School during pre-independence times. All those poems were replete with patriotic fervour, sounding the cry of every average Indian for freedom from foreign rule. It was by reading them that I felt an intense love both for the motherland and poetry. 

         Love for nature was developed by the environment of the small hill town where I spent my childhood. A place, where waking up to the view of a magnificent Himalayan range bathed in the golden light of the rising sun, was an everyday bliss. I also witnessed beautiful but not so pleasant Winters followed by the most enjoyable Spring and Summer. Dense pine woods close by, and multiple streams appearing every here and there during the rainy season were objects of pleasure and wonderment simultaneously. I cannot say when I fell in love with nature,  but, it is true that this childhood fascination kept growing steadily with time and finally merged with another equally strong passion for poetry, And these poems are but the outcome of that deep-set combined impression. Though composed much later in life, they can be defined as '' emotions recollected in tranquillity '' in the words of William Wordsworth.   

               I leave this small collection to the lovers of nature poetry, with a hidden wish to hear from someone that I have not wasted time in creating it.

Indu Nautiyal

Dehradun,

Uttarakhand

February, 2021

PREFACE

                                                                                                                                                   

    Dear Readers,

   'Blooming Twigs' is a tribute to nature with a handful of poems based on my impressions of its varied aspects.   Nature to me is not a mute, insensate thing, but a living entity, endowed with unique attributes of beauty and wisdom. Hence, worthy of reverence and adoration. 

 Sharing my love of nature with you is the purpose of this collection, though only through a small number of poems. However, I am sure, going through them will make you feel like taking a pleasant trip to the wondrous world of nature.

                  Besides, you will also experience the cyclic round of seasons, the deadly winter chill being followed by the rejuvenating Spring; and the blazing summer, ending in cool showers of the rainy season.

                From a larger perspective, you will see the endless sky, adorned with the celestial lights of the sun, the moon, and stars in multitudes, sending their positive vibes to the earth, which nature disburses among us all, without discrimination.

                  It goes without saying, that nature is an indispensable part of our existence right from the cradle to the grave. Her love, support, guidance and inspiration help us survive and flourish in life. we owe her immense gratitude and these verses are only a humble expression of that feeling.

   While submitting these poems to be shared with you, I am tempted to quote a poem by Emily Dickinson, that might sound relevant here, at least in some respects.

                                 This is my letter to the world

                                   That never wrote to me, --

                                The simple news that Nature told 

                                     With tender majesty.

                                        Her message is committed,

                                        To hands I can not see,

                                   For love of her, sweet countrymen,

                                         Judge tenderly of me! 

                               

             

             Indu Nautiyal

              February 16, 2021

                               

                     

                      

 

BLOOMING TWIGS

                                                          Blooming Twigs --

                                 A Bunch of Nature Poems

                         1 -   The Invisible

                       2 -Spring In The Times of Pandemic

                       3 - The Himalayas

                       4 - From the Snow to the Sea

                       5 - The Valley of Flowers

                        6 - The Roadside Tree

                        7 - Bougainvillea

                         8 -  It's My Life, 

                                 The story of a rose

 

                         9 - The  song of the Honey Bee

                         10 -  It is That Time of the Year 

                         11 -  The Winter Sun 

                         12 -  Time to be Home 

                         13 -  Winter Afternoons

                         14 - Evening Shadows 

                         15 - The Solitary Traveller

                         16 -  The Glow before sunset

                         17-  The Night before the Eclipse 

                         18 - The Moon  in Daylight

                          19 - The Earth and the Sky

                          20 - Night Sky

                          21 - The Ocean

                          22 - A Dialogue with the Sea

                          23 - February Musings

                          24 -   Winter is leaving

                          25 - It's Springtime once again!

THE OCEAN....

         

                                 THE OCEAN

                 The ocean is an epic poem,

            A work of the supreme author,

              A classic in its own right,

            Printed in the book of Nature.

           A metaphor for profound depth,

             And seemingly endless span,

             Sending vibes of  inspiration,

            With its perennial sounds and motion.

                 Is the mightiest of the mighty,

             A monarch among monarchs, 

            Managing  an enormous empire,

            With utmost skill and care.

 

              The sky may well be proud of,

               Its  matchless array of  lights,    

              The sun, and the moon and stars,

               Being part of its vast treasure.

                But the Earth isn't less blessed,

                Having this unparalleled  gift,

                So rich, unique, and wholesome

                  As part of its own assets!   

              

            

            

WRITING

                 

                           Writing came back to me,

                        As much-needed succour,

                        When at a stage in my journey,

                         My spirits began to wither.

                          

                          When I felt  too down and tired,

                        To keep pace with the wheel of time, 

                       The road ahead seemed lost in the dark,

                             Without a single spark.
.

                        As if the journey had come to an end,

                           With no option but to stop forever,

                        And sit gloomily in some  dark corner,

                            Away from life's adventures.

                    

                             Strangely, my pen didn't agree with me,

                              And holding my hand like a true friend,

                              Whispered to me, it wasn't the end,.

                                But the beginning of a new venture.

                            That the road itself  never comes to an end,

                              But  takes turns towards new avenues,

                             As, when old songs get lost in the past ,

                           New melodies break forth from the heart.

                                 My wilting spirit took the wisdom well,

                                 That helped me resume my old passion,

                                 Of reading and writing  to explore new paths 

                                 Leading to a world of unknown wonders.

                                             

  

                    

                             

SMILE - THE MAGIC WAND

 

                                        Here is a magic wand called 'smile,'

                                    That can make you forget, 

                                    your woes and pains for a while,

                                    With an assurance of natural justice.

                               It is on the face of an innocent child,

                                   Unaware of the challenges of life,

                                          To be faced by him as an adult,

                                         With all its storms and strife. 

                                   It is on the dewdrops waiting,

                                   On the green leaves and grass,

                                  To burst into myriad rainbows,

                                  At the touch of the morning sun.

                            

                                On the face of the  parching earth  

                                 Receiving  the first showers

                                 After the long spell of summer

                                  Assuring  revival of life

                           But the sweetest  ever known to me

                           Is on the face of a young mother

                          Clasping her new-born to the bosom

                          With ultimate pride and care.

                                It is a gesture asserting  forever, 

                                     That life is a  unique gift,

             .                   Is, therefore, worth enjoying, 

                                  And feeling grateful about.

    29.12.2020