Homeward Bound

Chugging past a distant memory
Of childhood fun and frolic
Playing in puddles, formed of mischief
Hiding under big banana leaves
From prying eyes of grown-ups!

An aeon hence I find that metaphor again
In the splatter of rain on my window
The blurred vision the yellow sign
Beckoning as it used to
Unhesitant in the welcome, in the warmth
That comforts this aching heart.

They said, you can never go home again.
But each raindrop I've met, since I left
Had a different story to tell - no, stories...
Of that time, when rain was life, 
Before Life came along, and rained responsibilities.

All it takes is this rain splattered window
And that blurred yellow sign
My heart, it sings, 
Revels in rain - and I know
I'm home again!

Inspired, entirely by a poem of a picture (as Govind has put it :) ) by Shail Mohan in the way she bent rules while receiving the Inspiring blogger award from Suranga Date :)

19 September, 2012
Online :)
(Picture courtesy, Shail Mohan )

Psst... another of Shail's wonderful photographs found a Haiku here... :) Or rather the Haiku came out of the photograph there... :)

Exuberance - Haiku

Bubbling over with

Sudden sparkles of frothy

Effervescent joy!

18 March, 2012

(Entirely instigated by misplaced exuberance of young girls of my class who indulged in a bit of graffiti in school, and were apprehended, red-handed :P. They wrote "Exuberantz" supposedly a "gang" name. Horrors! Yes, I did my thingy of ogre-ishness, and then wondered: How I love that word!
Hence. Because. And So. :P :) :D :lol: )

More Haiku, here. 

Picture, Google Images.

Quest(ion)ing

I work with words

Work around them

Turn them inside out,

Sometimes invert them

Within themselves...

Split each one, tear limb from limb

And share their screaming silences

Or their silent laughter

With innocence writ large in confounded

faces

Sometimes, again, with blasé bored shut down faces. 

Sometimes, I see them dancing, hanging playfully

Below the ceiling, creeping in through windows

Where a stray eye streaks out to escape the 

Stifling metaphor that coagulates her brain...

And at question time, I wonder at the looks:

Ask, and eyes vacantly hunt upwards, 

Seeking the selfsame words I tried to give them

Only they indifferently ignored them... :)

And now, I see them, there, tantalizingly hovering

Playing hide and seek, as the questing eyes

Cast upwards...

Quest(ion)ing...

How I love that about them!

31 January, 2012

(Live in Class today :))

Loosing Apron Strings

Tiny chubby fingers uncurl
From older hands...

They move, wider, surer
They reach out, and grasp

That handful of opportunity
That beckons, tantalizingly

Always a measure beyond
Always seemingly unattainable.

And so, they move,
On belly, then on fours...

Raise themselves, at first tentative
But the steps get firmer, surer

Blindly stumbling, falling, rising
Walking, walking, suddenly racing...

All in no Time, while time stands still
They're up, and running, gleefully,

Shouting, cheering, in wild abandon
Throwing the right number on the dice

That will take them a pace closer
To the rungs of the ladder on the board game of life

(And so you throw that number, except that it's loaded :)
And I'm glad, for one, this game isn't just one of chance.)

Oddly bereft, odder still, in relief... :)
I see the light, and though sad, I'm thankful:

The apron strings have loosened... :)


1045 hrs, 15 Jaunuary, 2012

Godspeed Ashwin! Keep flying high, and keep your cheerfulness up, ALWAYS! With all my love :)

A Class Apart :)

Fifty two faces, bright, clean
Groomed hair, defying the
Dusty wind that
Pushes thru' windows...

Pretty, demure girls (a total pretence :P)
Boys- Steadfast in attitude (a total sham :P)


But, forgiving of their
Nerdy, strait-jacket
Bonkered teachers
All the way!

A burgeoning thirteen (on average)
But going on Twenty :D
In tiny tantalizing peeks
Practising the come-hither
Whatevers! :D

Bold, brassy declarations
Experimenting always
Pushing the limits-
Their own folks'
And mine!

And, much as I do
Shudder, chew imaginary nails
Worry and rage...
I must confess, that
In their sneaky
Absolutely naughty way,

They have me.
Just that!





28 December, 2011
While supervising a test, my own class, VIII 'A'

Can I, Please...

Ungrammatical I shall be

For I am not concerned with 

Semantics

Rather the antics of 

A Drama Queen

She Lords, she Laughs

She dictates, she deigns

To condescend upon lesser mortals

The toss of her mane, and 

Ubiquitous sniggers

Irreverant to tradition, but

Oh yes! Loyal to fastidiousness 

Drumming up 

Strumming up

Stirring up from 

Her cauldron wild and wanton wiles

To fox, feign and frighten

Wilder yet the melodrama

(Though why it be called mellow drama

Confounds me yet...!)

When outfoxed, stared down

And talked to, for a change!

So, O Queen, Can I, please

(and grammar be damned!)

Laugh at you?

28 July, 2011

Seriously erratic today :D

(Pssst... can you see a smiling smiley? I cant... :( - I can now - 30 July.. :D)

She waits...

A doting mother waits

In expectation of a windfall!

She waits...

With a secret joy-

A quiet knowledge,

An earnest prayer

And

Absolute faith!

29 March, 2010 ...

Vindication!

Ah! You said I couldn't!
And that you wouldn't

Share in the losses if any
That's a laugh, and you know it.
I'd have dared you, had I the
Tiniest inkling, what more
You laid in store for us!!!

Still, I shall be generous
As I stand vindicated.
No matter how hard you tried,
Fortune, sheer luck, was on our side.

And try as we may, to ignore
Somehow, it still grates sore
That what we could have been
Is a fraction less than what we have just seen.

What matters, finally
Is just this.
It happened. As it should have.
As it did.
As we did.

Period.




20 November, 2010

The King Returns...

Long ago, in days of yore
A mighty yoke Mahabali bore

'Twas none but ability, grace and compassion
Which urged denizens of upper echelons to bash 'em

So they set out with plans afoot
A little boy, his grace to loot!

So Mighty was he, the King
'Twasn't easy his neck to wring...

With teasing irony, and gentle demand
The boy, a mere God, asked three paces of land!

All-knowing, more wise, the King relents
(His Guru's pleas while he rejects)

Thus proving, in his gesture, who was more generous
Leaving the said denizens of Heaven, looking preposterous!

Thus blessed, and granted his wish, forever more
He graces this day, Thiruvonam, so goes the lore

To bask in his country's pleasure, the love of his people
Hopefully, he's not disappointed, with response, feeble

While his erstwhile countrymen lol about, placid
With a full tank of alchohol, smelling rancid.

Still, some, like me, foolish perhaps, but filled with anticipation
Still await his visit, with bated breath, with happy fascination

For in a little child's eyes, we see, hope yet, love yet, joy yet
And that in itself, a season to celebrate, will be our best bet!







Online, 21 August, 2010


*************

Happy Onam everyone :) May the season's best dog you right through this Onam :)

Edited to add, 1800 hrs: Well I took it for granted that the story of King Mahabali must be a familiar one; and then realized that it may not be so :) You see, legend has it that Onam is celebrated to welcome King Mahabali, who once ruled this place, in which Kerala now stands, who was sent to the Patala (the lower areas of Hell) by none other than Lord Vishnu who came disguised as Vamana, a young small brahmin boy. King Mahabali was just, fair, a noble King, and utterly generous, but bordering on being a mighty king. So the devas decided that must not be so, and with the help of Lord Vishnu, ensured that his generosity would stall his plans. The young brahmin boy asks for just three paces of land, and being granted so, takes the Earth and Heavens, in two and asks where he might place his third step. King Mahabali offers his head, and is then pushed to the Patala, before which he is granted the wish that he be allowed a day to visit and mingle with his countrymen, once in a year. And so Onam celebrates this great King's return!

The Blessed Touch!

In the gap-toothed smile
Or perhaps the brightening twinkle
In eyes, brimming with laughter!



In the brush of tender fingers
Wanting to hold your work callused hands
Or a wet slobbering kiss
Planted on an unsuspecting cheeks



A sudden hug
Strangulating from behind?




Or a trusting drowsing face, tucked into
The nape of your neck
Curled into you, cuddling softly...

Have you been blessed today
With the butterfly touch of a child?






15 August, 2010

The images have all been googled and taken from different webpages :) All of those beautiful pictures belong solely to the owners :) :)

When Nestlings Fly...

A flutter of wings when you did not seem to be sure

Was enough to set my feathers a-quiver :)

Peering out of the edge of the nest,
Beak on rim, wings spread,
Eyes faraway, you perched.

I watched.
And waited.
Knowing.

Though you did not.
Then.

And when the time was right,
And the wind blew quiet,
There you sailed, as if you knew
All along.

I knew, that you did.
But you had to know too!

And today you do...

As I watch, another one leave the nest!
Happy and proud,
To be a bit of that buoyant breeze
That has lifted and let you be.

The best you could ever be.

And yet...
You know, don't you?

The best, my nestling, is yet to come!



Online :)
3 August, 2010

*****
Happy Birthday, Ash :) And Congratulations!
For the wonder of an offspring, who found himself a job :) :) Just been selected, but he will make it, I know :)
Congrats and best wishes for always, but always, dearest Ash :) :)

My Sun Child

Sleepy eyes slowly coming to wakefulness
Recognition slowly dawning on his face-
His lips quirk in a semblance of a smile-
And at a shot, he's out of bed,
toddling around in wondrous rapture.

His eyes are lit up by the streaking sunbeams
he tries to catch-
Vivid at the sight of the riot of colour
in the garden-
Tender when he sees a little bird or his
Little kitten purring at his feet.
His diamond eyes never lose their sparkle-
Because he's a sun child!

His peal of laughter rings around-
Its music to my ears:
His gurgle of laughter fills me with a
consuming sense of happiness and elation-
Because he's mine!

After watching the crimson-gold sun go down
with a curiousness that nothing can surpass,
he nestles close to me;
And with a satisfied sigh,
his eyelids shut, to capture within
The sun in his hands, and the stars
all his to play with;
To frolic with angels in Heaven;
To know every joy of nature.

The world's all his and so am I
For he's my Sun Child!

16 Jan. '81

Love is in the Air!

Haunting
Gentling
Filling

Spring has come again-

Wafting on the wind
Is that familiar ache-
Of loving and yearning...
That poignant hush
That brings with it a sweetness.

Softly
Meltingly

Hearts meet, hope and build
Nests, in the wildernesses of dreams!
Couched in the same certainty;
The security of togetherness-

Where, yet again, I and you
Meet and melt, into us...
into that circle of completeness...


29 March, 2010


For Devesh and Bindya, and all those in love :) May God keep your nest safe, warm, and loving always :)

Pic. Courtsey: http://www.collecto-mania.com/Circle%20of%20Love/486930.jpg

When Memories Rain

It's that time of year
When memories
Rain down on me-

Holding your little hands,
Running out into the rain,
Splashing, drenching,
Squealing, howling!

You two just loved the rain!

The years have flown by-
And this rainy afternoon
I sit, wrapped up in
Muffler and socks

At the open window
Feeling the tingling
Spray of the heavy rain,
In the light breeze...

Watching you play with
Other little hands in yours,
Little feet, and broad arms,
Linking and pulling
Squealing and rumbling-
Laughing and hooting!!

I'm glad, you still love the rain!

My heart warms at the sight
More than any woollens can do;

Am I glad, you two still love the rain!!







19 June, '07


Pic: www.thousandfaces.net

Growing Up!

She wrinkled her
Pert nose-
Prettily,
Provocatively...

No!
Please? Let me!

No! You taught me,
And now, I will!

But your soft hands...
And the nails you grew...!
So what, they'll grow back again!

But...!
Daddy dearest, No!
I will change the flat tyre!



23 September, '07

***

Perhaps you might like this?

Growing Old Together!

Spectrum

Do you colour feelings?
Or do you let your
Feelings colour you?

Took me a while,
As a young young girl
To know the world
Wasn't just black and white!

Monochrome they call it.
My peculiar vision.

Ah! But back then
Little did I know
I'd feel them, instead!
Colours, you know?

She taught me that
An empathetic teacher
Who sensed that seething
Mass of frustration, that
Was me, in Art Class!

So she told me
How she heard sounds
That colours made!
Rain falling, in a shade of blue
Angry brakes screeching in
Violent red.
A gurgle of a baby's laughter
In white, and sometimes Pastel Pink!

What joy that brought!
But hearing wasn't enough.
Defiant, I knew that
To master the shades of myself
I had to feel, with it.

And so began that journey
Of a fecund soul
Feeling the blue s of a sad moment
The passion and warmth of orange and red
In the light of a bright sun
Richness, abundance of green
In fields, meadows, grass!

And I touched purple passion
With him - when my
Emotional skyscape
Burst into the glorious
Pandemonium of love!

Cocooned and warm - a fuzzy
Yellow, I've come to feel
Into the whiteness of a
Seamless endless limitless bond-

I know, I've felt the spectrum
With a palette of hues, in my heart-
More clearly felt, perhaps
Than you could?




8 September, 2008

Will You Listen?

You look at me so strangely!
Is it so difficult to comprehend?
I think, I dream, I know!

I am not a sack to be filled
Even if it be goodies, you dish out!

I think of touching feelings;
I dream of seeing sounds;
I know the sounds, colours make!

I try to tell you this,
but no, you'll have me sit,
Straight back, hands on the desk,
Pencil in hand, eyes on my book!

You'll have me shut out the goblins
Elves and fairies, perched upon my shoulder,
You'll have me utter nonsensical sounds
(You call them words!)
You'll have me blur my colours
Into black pencil strokes, on white paper...

And, Oh horrors!

You'll have me leave my Rainbow
Hanging in the rain rinsed sky-

And the pot of gold, lost forever!



27 August, 2008

First Day - Std. I - (Lessons for the Teacher!)

A new year, and fifty
bright, sunny faces-
washed squeaky clean.
Looking in askance.

I smile, as I walk in.
The sun dims a little,
patches of clouds building up-
a thunder storm in the making.

Knowing I’m the demi-god
(read demon!)
who made it happen-
I know I need to switch roles..

Cross the divide
(The Teacher’s Table)
And be one with the Dew Drops-
with them this precious moment.

Be not the wind,
but the water – adapt, carry and flow!

For it is in the child’s laughter
That the lessons of life are best learnt!

Usha, 30 May, '07

For a Daughter I Wish I'd Had!!!

Audacious smiles

laughter ringing clear-
warm hugs and
little sudden pecks on my cheeks!

A whirlwind of a girl;
now here, gone in a flash!
endearing entreaties-
unquestioning love!

Long long hours of girlish talk-
boys, books, heroes and men!
Life, love, trust and THAT!

Confiding giggles-
while ogling the boys...;)
summing them up, then
walking by in disdain!!

Cheering her up
when sadness strikes-
being there for her...
just in case, she asks!

Holding her hand-
without her knowing..
as only moms can do;
though she, being mine,
would know it too...!!!

Sharing myself with her-
my fears, my joys
my secrets, and my ploys-

Ending the day in warmth
so wonderful
so fierce and filling..

Wishing each mother had
a daughter..
so like mine!!


19 June, '07

Dreams

Have you ever had a dream?
Felt it grow within-
In your heart…
Have you cherished it?
Nurtured it, and felt
its tangibility?
Have you believed so much
So very much in it….
That you let it take shape?

Nebulous, misty, gossamer…
Slowly defining itself
And you.

And when you reach
for that dream-come-true….
Is there any that compares
with that deep feeling
of emotion?
Overwhelmingly elated
With a sense of perfect completion!

Dream, reach, believe…
Only you can do it.
All it takes is faith!

Usha, 2003