Category: poetry

Posted in Family and Society, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes

Of Chances and Connections

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As a part of the routine work, one of the projects involved setting up base in a nearby town for a week. While stopping by for a quick lunch at the cafe down street, the feeling of familiarity was strong. That sense of déjà vu was quite strong. It was while leaving the cafe, I had realized that among the group of ladies seated across my table was the classmate of my school days. Those were the days, years ago and seas apart, a world different when we were residing in states far away from the present. Thus realized, there was conformation of person, exchange of present news and in consequence numbers and details. If it were not for the pause, the old connection would never have been renewed.

“For a split second they stared at each other. A fleeting, lasting moment. One person noticing another person out of a whole crowd of strangers.” Alexandra Potter

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Finding connections and meeting points, we being humans need the feeling of connectedness from time to time. In a room of strangers, we need the “pauses”, “spaces” as well as “sharing of joys and sorrows” from time to time. Though personal lines have to be drawn; occasional cross-over helps one to move through especially when in despair. Over time, one realizes that life is all the connectedness that we all weave around us. At times, to find ourselves back in he “happy place” all one needs to do is to reconnect and re-experience the best days of the yesteryear to recharge for the present.

“People are guests in our story, the same way we are guests in theirs. But we all meet each other for a reason because every person is a personal lesson waiting to be told.” Lauren Klarfeld

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Meeting Point

Time was away and somewhere else,
There were two glasses and two chairs
And two people with the one pulse
(Somebody stopped the moving stairs):
Time was away and somewhere else.

And they were neither up nor down;
The stream’s music did not stop
Flowing through heather, limpid brown,
Although they sat in a coffee shop
And they were neither up nor down.

The bell was silent in the air
Holding its inverted poise—
Between the clang and clang a flower,
A brazen calyx of no noise:
The bell was silent in the air.

The camels crossed the miles of sand
That stretched around the cups and plates;
The desert was their own, they planned
To portion out the stars and dates:
The camels crossed the miles of sand.

Time was away and somewhere else.
The waiter did not come, the clock
Forgot them and the radio waltz
Came out like water from a rock:
Time was away and somewhere else.

Her fingers flicked away the ash
That bloomed again in tropic trees:
Not caring if the markets crash
When they had forests such as these,
Her fingers flicked away the ash.

God or whatever means the Good
Be praised that time can stop like this,
That what the heart has understood
Can verify in the body’s peace
God or whatever means the Good.

Time was away and she was here
And life no longer what it was,
The bell was silent in the air
And all the room one glow because
Time was away and she was here.

By Louis MacNeice

(Source: The Collected Poems of Louis MacNeice (Oxford University Press, 1967)
Louis MacNeice, “Meeting Point” from The Collected Poems of Louis MacNeice. Copyright © 1967 by Louis MacNeice.)

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Posted in Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Reflections

The Flashes, the Pain and the Past

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Memories warm you up from the inside. But they also tear you apart.” Haruki Murakami

Waiting in the queue for a break in the traffic, the eyes had wandered over to the playground where a couple of teens were busy with their mock football match at one end. At the far end, a few were playing throw-ball. In the midst of the latter game, a heated argument followed by a flurry of fists resulting in two players walking off. Seeing these scenes triggered off the memory of the middle school wherein peer gangs were rampant and gangs were the norm. Selection for sports as well as arts revolved around the factor of being in the know or the select few. If a art geek decided to enroll for the selection in the softball team, putting the name down would be like writing in the water and similar for a football defender who liked to indulge their culinary urge. Watching my nieces and nephews as they go through their middle school, the bite of those yesteryear still sting but lessons learnt were valuable for life.

“Memories are bullets. Some whiz by and only spook you. Others tear you open and leave you in pieces.” Richard Kadrey

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All of us have our cache of “bad memories”. Some we tend to carry along through the childhood to the adult phase. While others we may bury them, only that they tend to surface intermittently especially when least expected. There are those days that no matter how hard one tries, they gray clouds linger and cast shadows in the mind. 

“I have learned that if you must leave a place that you have lived in and loved and where all your yesteryears are buried deep, leave it any way except a slow way, leave it the fastest way you can. Never turn back and never believe that an hour you remember is a better hour because it is dead. Passed years seem safe ones, vanquished ones, while the future lives in a cloud, formidable from a distance.” Beryl Markham

Dealing with those harsh memories requires one to acknowledge it, accept it and make the stern choice to move on. To forget them may be really difficult, but learning to deal with them is a must. Those cliches and gangs of middle school still exist in the adult world, albeit in a more subtle manner. The choice is to learn and then move on. Getting trapped in one phase for long, results in the soul being frozen by the rampant thoughts. While one can’t do anything about the passed years, the reaction and choice of the present lies in own hands and how deals with the circumstances. As the bad moments crowd, the purpose of the present would be to make new memories suffused with warmth, joy and laughter to live the hours of now as well as tide over the future.

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Memory

Memory engulfed so much evil,
without a count or bounds.
All the time life lied and lied,
there is no more trust in life.

Maybe, there are no cities,
maybe no green gardens,
just lives instead the power of ice,
and the salted oceans.

Maybe, the world is just all snow,
and a starlit road.
Maybe the world is all taiga
in the mind of God.

Varlim Shalimov

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, poetry, Reflections

Shades we Cast

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

“Every man casts a shadow; not his body only, but his imperfectly mingled spirit. This is his grief. Let him turn which way he will, it falls opposite to the sun; short at noon, long at eve. Did you never see it?” Henry David Thoreau

On an late noon shopping trip, the modern vehicle of convenience had decided to rest impromptu. Unfortunately, it was not by own command but by it’s own choosing. The point happened o be at a lone stretch of the local road. The long trek to the main road, provided little comfort except for the shadow that accompanied me on the short trek.

“We cast a shadow on something wherever we stand, and it is no good moving from place to place to save things; because the shadow always follows. Choose a place where you won’t do harm – yes, choose a place where you won’t do very much harm, and stand in it for all you are worth, facing the sunshine.” E.M. Forster

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We all cast different shadows. Some of them long, short or just a line at times. Different times of the day, different shades or different lengths, each shadow leaves a trace of us at some point of time. Shadows always follows one. At times, they may be with us giving us comfort and peace. Other times, it may be protective as watching our shadows help us see who is behind ( especially on a lone city walk). At times, the shadows merge with the rest of the surroundings to be blurred, matching the mood of the moment. What ever way it may be, shadows are a part of us.

“This learned I from the shadow of a tree
That to and fro did sway upon a wall:
Our shadow selves, our influence may fall
Where we can never be.”
– A.E. Hamilton

Shadows are but a reflection of the reality of that moment. Whether it may be in complete or just partial, those are the prints or part of the evidence left behind. They are nothing but certain aspects of the reality. Though it mayn’t be a part of the complete picture, it may be associated with it. To quote Helen Keller, “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow” , but the shadow follows when possible, whether by choice or not.

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The important thing is it mayn’t be true projection, but an association of shades or parts of it. Those shades are what defines one to others, even they mayn’t be in entire true. Yet the harsh truth is, that is how the world see each other. Some are known by their true forms, others obscured in part or whole by the shades of the shadows that are cast.

Shadows

How much of earth’s beauty is due to its shadows!
The tree and the cliff and the far-floating cloudlet,
The uniform light intercepting and crossing,
Give manifold color and change to the landscape.

How much, too, our life is in debt to its shadows;
To griefs that refine us and cares that develope,
And wants that keep friendship and love from decaying;
With nothing to cross us we perish of ennui.

– Thomas Durfee

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Posted in Personal Musings, poetry, Random Thoughts

Quiet to Ease

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

On one of the early evenings, with all the chores done and kids put to bed early, there was plenty of time on the adult hands. With glee, the shows on Netflix were opted for and the movie run was on. Unfortunately midway, there was a power out which saw a no-show even after an hour. As the humming of the inverter increased, all additional power outlets had to be switched off, lest the power doesn’t return all night. With that in mind, it was just the quiet of the evening hours, a bit of quiet talk and plenty of starlight that gave us company during dinner. In those few hours minus any entertainment, modern gadgets or social media to keep us busy, the “quiet evening” experienced was a wonderful de-stressor for the mind and soul.

“Most of the things we need to be most fully alive never come in busyness. They grow in rest.” Mark Buchanan

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For many of us, be it during wok hours or just domestic life, staying busy has been the norm. At times, we are busy because we have to. From the daily “bread and butter” to the running of the household, the day has been organized in it’s set pace. While for a couple of weeks to months, the order is well appreciated. Eventually the known becomes mundane and tedious. The secret longing for a break comes on. Then on, the itch for a trip out of town or a change from the usual begins. On sitting down to reality, a long break seems impossible. In those moments, just being in quietness helps a lot. Deviating from the information highway and settling down to good old days of just the night or evening skies, the sounds of cricket as well as the fireplace provides solace for the soul.

“There is virtue in work and there is virtue in rest. Use both and overlook neither.” Alan Cohen

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As the days ends, unwinding oneself for a couple of minutes is a must, at least once in a while. While for some of us, it may mean a trip out of the town; for the others their own backyard is enough. Either way, knowing when it is time to call it a day and welcome the peace of night is both necessary and important. The beauty of rest is something when fully experienced, will be well appreciated over the years.

In the Evening

I
In the evening, love returns,
Like a wand’rer ’cross the sea;
In the evening, love returns
With a violet for me;
In the evening, life’s a song,
And the fields are full of green;
All the stars are golden crowns,
And the eye of God is keen.

II
In the evening, sorrow dies
With the setting of the sun;
In the evening, joy begins,
When the course of mirth is done;
In the evening, kisses sweet
Droop upon the passion vine;
In the evening comes your voice:
“I am yours, and you are mine.”

Fenton Johnson (1888-1958)

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Posted in Family and Society, Life, Personal Musings, poetry

Beyond the Logic

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Drawing up plans for constructing a new house, my maternal cousins had asked for an appointment for the leading architect in the city to draw up their plans. Imagine their surprise post-consultation, that there was a common element of family connections. As they had dropped in for dinner with their plans, in the due course of discussion, their architect was one of my distant paternal cousins who had decided to break from the family business to follow his dream. Recalling the earlier days, we both had attended the same high school and his passion for art and drawing was simply amazing. On choosing the main subjects for college, it took plenty of inner strength and courage to go away from the regular choices and plan a new path.

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” Roy T. Bennett

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Each of us may have seen similar episodes or events in our lives. From the days of high school to the present day, there will those among us who decide to pursue their dream. Each of us, too may had similar dreams but were held back by the voices either in our head, or echoing around us. Those who go against those voices may reach their dream eventually, either now or later. As for the others, there may be a sense of regrets that may follow. And worse of all, the guilt of “not trying” and “missed chances” makes things difficult all round.

“There will be a few times in your life when all your instincts will tell you to do something, something that defies logic, upsets your plans, and may seem crazy to others. When that happens, you do it. Listen to your instincts and ignore everything else. Ignore logic, ignore the odds, ignore the complications, and just go for it.” Judith McNaught

Unless one tries, one will never know. While the odds mayn’t be in own favour the first time round, keep the drive and inner will. For one day, we will reach the skies in the dreams that we hold true to ourselves. The choice to follow the inner dream lies within. Barring aside the logic, possibilities or probabilities, the most important and main factor is the choice to try. On looking back, that alone makes the biggest difference in all.

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Rise Above The Crowd
by Anonymous
The world is full of people,
content to be what they are
Who never know the joy of success;
they lack the will to go that far.

Yet in this world there is a need,
for some to lead the rest
To rise above the average life,
by giving of their best.

Are you the one who dares,
to try when challenged by the task
To rise to heights you’ve never dreamed,
Or is that too much to ask?

This can be your year,
for great purpose to achieve
If you accept the challenge,
and in yourself believe.

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Posted in Christian, Life, Personal Musings, poetry, Reflections

Around the Light

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

Watching the insects of the night flit around the porch lights had kept the toddlers occupied in the late evening. With a sudden power outage their curiosity grew as they watched the same happen with the candle. The run towards the light and the backing away once when one gets too close to the source. The constant movement keeps the interest of the keen observers alive. What resonates through the mind while being an avid spectator of the scene is the similarity with John Bunyan’s “The fly at the Candle”. Are we like the fly that gets burned by the glory of the World or is the light source that akin to the Words of the Gospel.

“Long is the way and hard, that out of Hell leads up to light.” John Milton (in Paradise Lost)

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As one runs over the pages, the light can always be of the good kind or the bad type. Like the porch lights that offer the attraction of the light but cause no injury to the little insects as they land on them, the light doesn’t harm but offer light through the darkness. While the candle, if one gets too close can burn when directions and steadiness is at fault. While Bunyan had focused on the candle as the Gospel had brought shame to those who lived far from His Words, what resonates through the thoughts is that “light” is always of many types.

One is surrounded by the bright lifts, dim ones, gray ones and coloured ones. Each of them have their own view changing points and features. Each light has their own appeal, aura and wonders around it. Discernment is what brings one to focus in the right kind of light. Add to it, own perception, conscience and innate principles; the beauty of the light can be experienced at the best. Light indeed dispels the darkness. But the point is to see that this light benefits one to live the gift of the life as per His Will, the right principles and own contentment as well as happiness; for that is where the difference between the darkness around or within is dealt by the light.

“Happiness is always there. You just have to choose to see it. There’s no point dwelling in the dark and ignoring the light of the stars.” Carrie Hope Fletcher

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The Fly at the Candle

What ails this fly thus desperately to enter
A combat with the candle? Will she venture
To clash at light? Away, thou silly fly;
Thus doing thou wilt burn thy wings and die.
But ’tis a folly her advice to give,
She’ll kill the candle, or she will not live.
Slap, says she, at it; then she makes retreat,
So wheels about, and doth her blows repeat.
Nor doth the candle let her quite escape,
But gives some little check unto the ape:
Throws up her heels it doth, so down she falls,
Where she lies sprawling, and for succour calls.
When she recovers, up she gets again,
And at the candle comes with might and main,
But now behold, the candle takes the fly,
And holds her, till she doth by burning die.

Comparison.

This candle is an emblem of that light
Our gospel gives in this our darksome night.
The fly a lively picture is of those
That hate and do this gospel light oppose.
At last the gospel doth become their snare,
Doth them with burning hands in pieces tear.

– John Bunyan

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Posted in Daily, Family and Society, Personal Musings, poetry, Quotes, Reflections, Work

Strain of the Indisposition

Posted on by Sugar and Spice..... Among Other Things

On the days when the work schedule drags, the events then on tend to go on in a discordant manner. Eventually on reaching home, with the usual things not done like dinner late, homework hours not supervised and the like; the entire mood sours down and the evenings end on an unhappy or dissatisfied note. While journalling such days and reading them later on, at times it’s how one learns to behave when things go beyond the expectation (especially when in a negative manner) that makes the biggest difference in the long run.

“The greatest joys of life are happy memories. Your job is to create as many of them as possible.” Brian Tracy

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Emotional infection is a deadly thing. A chain effect triggered by it can have far reaching consequences; avoidable, unnecessary with a significant negative impact, spoiling relationships and makes the daily hours unpleasant, of discontent as well as unhappy. As the scales of the balance go awry, the urge to initiate the “blame game” and point fingers start soon, as compared to making efforts to try and reschedule to get back on track. Guarantee for everything or anything never exists in reality. There is always a chance of a miss or an error present even in the best laid plans, schedules or goals. When one lets their emotions fly unchecked, the consequences can go deadly and far reaching, be it on the professional, personal or domestic front. To keep the inner peace best within, learning how to handle the unexpected is necessary skill. Though this may take time and plenty of effort, they are all worth when the impact is taken into account. For words and memories have a far lasting effect, than targets or achievements as scored on paper.

“I am convinced that the greatest legacy we can leave our children are happy memories: those precious moments so much like pebbles on the beach that are plucked from the white sand and placed in tiny boxes that lay undisturbed on tall shelves until one day they spill out and time repeats itself, with joy and sweet sadness, in the child now an adult.” Og Mandino

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No matter how many precautionary measures one may take; when things go haywire, take a quick breathe and continue on. The art of learning to manage any curve-ball lies in the way we behave to these sudden turns. Instead of fretting and getting dejected on the “why me, why now” aspect, settling and finding effective be it temporary or permanent solutions may help make the days (or evenings) end better. More than achievements, goals or occasions, what stays etched in the mind are “feelings”. The feeling of calm and happiness in the children as their parents return from work, the approach that another person feels or learns as the crisis period is sorted and the cumulative efforts taken to settle any environment are just few of the better emotional memories that linger and stay on as the years pass through.

“I’d like the memory of me
to be a happy one.
I’d like to leave an afterglow
of smiles when life is done.
I’d like to leave an echo
whispering softly down the ways,
Of happy times and laughing times
and bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve,
to dry before the sun
of happy memories
that I leave when life is done.”
Helen Lowrie Marshall

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