In Wrong Hands

Have you ever had a cut
Have you ever seen the blood
Have you ever let it flow
Let it mix with that of the man next door?

Bring the men all together
Cutting the barriers of religion and color
Cut each hand with a tiny tear
And let a drop of blood mix here

Now I will give you this little jar
Separate the drops will you dear?

Separate the black, white and blue
And that of the Christians and Muslims too
Separate the East and West from each
And show me the difference will you please?

Have you ever squirmed in shame?
When on God you lay your blame?
Years have passed and millions lie dead
And yet we cannot stop this dread

The world is in wrong hands I say!
For while we roam clothed and free
The ones in the forests live in perfect harmony!


***********************************************************
For Matinee Muse - In the wrong hands
Re posting for Writers Island - Controversy. This is not very controversial I agree... but I think this is something to think about and ponder on!!


(c) Preethi @ Creative Outbursts, September 2008

May I ask you a question?

May I ask you a question?
One I have never asked before?
I will promise that will be my last
But will still ask you another four!

Why did humpty dumpty sit on the wall?
Did he hurt his head on his fall?
Did the ambulance come to get him at all?
Do you know who made the 911 call?

I just want to know.. how tall trees grow?
I just want to know... what makes the rainbow?
I just want to know ... where the bird flew?
I just want to know ... the names of the neighbors too!

One moment of silence is all I ask
Just a moment to pen a thought!
One moment of no questions at all,
Just a moment to give my brain a rest!

But all I have to do is look at your innocent face,
All I have to do is look at you my curious imp
All I have to do is see your bright smile,
And I am ready to answer the questions!
Bring them on you little curious child of mine,
And let me bask in your innocence!

*********************************************************************
The story of my life.. in response to Writer's Island prompt Curiosity.

First Impressions

(Pict Courtesy: http://us.fotolia.com)

Aaw where are you taking me?
Why are you setting me free?
What is happening to my little house,
Oh give me back my peaceful cocoon!

Don't Push I say, don't you dare
Don't you push me out of here!
Ouch, the light on my eyes they glare
And the sounds around me won't cease to be!

Hey put me down right now will you,
You there in the gown so long so blue
Don't peer at me with those big eyes of yours
And don't point and prod, aw that hurts

I want to roll up and just sleep,
So tired I am can't you see?
Just leave me be and don't you coo at me!
Put me back in my home I am hungry!

Now who is this person picking me
She looks so lovely with her sweet smile
And how she warms me as she cuddles me close
Finally some milk for my parched throat

Thats so much work I have to do
My life has turned Topsy turvy too
From my peaceful life there inside,
Here I have been rudely pushed ,
to a world so large in size!

I have to work so hard just to eat
And amidst the noise try to sleep
Now I am so tired, let me snuggle up close
Keep me warm while I try to doze!

****************************************************************
What a rude shock for a new born to be born in this chaotic world. That was quite a rude awakening don't you think? In response to Writer's Island prompt Awakening!

The Extravagance called Life

I jumped and ran and frolicked about
When my mom yelled "Time to come home"
I closed my ears and hid about the lot
When my dad returned after a long long day
I hid behind the house and pretended not to see
Extravagant play you say? That was just me!

I ranted and raved and had unhappy days
On others I plotted and planned
To escape the parental gaze!
I talked all day and night on the phone
Dieted when it came to food, but ate endless chocolate
Extravagant trouble you say? A regular teen says I

I dreamed and gazed with a far away look
I pouted and waited for the phone to ring
I spent days and nights in eager anticipation
For the perfect day that I take off with my perfect knight
Extravagant dreams you say? Love says I

I showered him with kisses and toys unlimited
I stayed home and gave him the gift of time
I worried all day and stayed up at nights
I celebrated little triumphs with all my might
Extravagant love you say? Motherhood says I

I brought trinkets aplenty and spread them around
I put up paintings on every bare wall
And rich plush rugs on every bare ground!
I made expensive portraits and had them strewn around
Extravagant adornments you say? Home says I

I have always weeped too loud and cheered too hard
Be it when I was a child or considered grown!
When my parents ruled the roost or one I call my own
In this country or the next I always will be
Living life to its fullest, extravagant me!
*******************************************************************
To read more takes on extravagance go to writers island

The Journey Home

The sweltering heat, the rivulets of sweat
The humid air that hit my face
This is what greeted me first
As I walked off the airplane

The gushing crowds, the happy faces
Tired yet eager to be back home
Returning home from a distance
As the stealth of night crept around.

And as I entered the cities so merry
It seemed like there was always a fest
The colors so vibrant at every corner
The lilting music on every radio...

The sweet aroma of home cooked food
The rush of relatives far and near.
The children running between your feet
The spicy food that makes you weep.

The elephants decked up with cheer
The cows and calf's roaming near
The India of the villages so bright so dear
I lost myself in the beauty I fear

The time ran by as fast as it could
And soon I got back on the plane
To turn around and fly across miles
Back to my home away from home

Greeted by order and decorum I was
Of Subdued colors and muted voice
A contrast so vivid just miles apart
Yet there reigns a peace at heart
As the chaos kept me excited.

Glad to be back that I am
Yet it is with a heavy heart I return
From my sweet yet short vacation.

***********************************************************
I am also back from my break at Writer's Island. Its good to be back!!
This was my take on this week's prompt Return
(Pict Courtesy: www.takegreatpictures.com, www.photomediagroup.com)
************************************************************

Dear Son

(http://www.photoshopnerds.com/)

The day has come much awaited
And amidst the pain I hear your cry
Rising louder as the time goes by
And my heart fills with immeasurable joy!

Crawling along on all fours
There you are on the floor
And as the table looms near
You hold on and rise up without fear
The pride in my eyes shining through
I watch as you take the first step and two.

Oh there you are running in circles
As you talk on, I can almost hear
Your brain going whirr whirr whirr
And then in your hurry to get to me, you fall
And even as I reach out, you rise up again
Brushing off the dust in nonchalance!

No time for me I can see
You are now off chasing your destiny
To rise high up the ladder is your goal
And in this race I am but a blur

Go my boy rise up high, stand up straight
And reach new heights
And as I look on with a heart full of pride
Let me see you conquer your destiny!
*************************************************************
This week's writers island prompt is Rising and Destiny. Read other islanders and their lovely takes on the topic.

Empowered

Talk of empowered woman today?
But thats no surprise is there.
Here is a woman of yester years
Who was the true liberator

Married at 14 to the King of Jhansi
She was renamed to be known as Lakshmi Bai
The greatest revolutionary that ever was
The bravest queen that she was!

To the courts in London she ran
When her adopted son wouldn't be considered heir (to the throne)
Banned from her kingdom was the ruling
But that did not work to deter!

She assembled an army of men and women
Trained them to fight and win!
And sitting on a horse in all her valor
She led them in a rebellion battle of honor

The personification of empowered women
The start of a big revolution
And when she breathed her last still at war
The words she uttered "Jai Hind!" (Jai Hind means Long live India)

*********************************************************
This week's topic at Writer's Island was Empowered. Today empowered woman are no wonder. But this tale happened in 1857. Rani Lakshmibai as she is called and worshipped now, led the revolution of men and women to fight against the British. All she asked for was the right to rule her kingdom Jhansi! Read more at wikipedia
I know the poem is not very rhythmic as I like poems to be! I think this story is so close to my heart there is no rhyme or rhythm there just the naked truth!!

I live on...

We roamed the world where mammoths tread
The ice age left us undeterred!
We flew around where dinosaurs loomed
And to buzz around their ears we knew no fear!
We went along to the unicorn land,
And as they flew we flew beside...
When Dumbo flew with his big floppy ears
We were there buzzing sing song in the air
We went to the land of the terrible tigers
In the marshy plains of the Sunder bans
And to the land of desert storms
Amidst the tall camels.
We hopped along with the Kangaroos
And did a dance on the elephant backs
We flew across the river Nile
And beyond the Rockies we passed.
Far along the forests of the Amazon
And the colors of Hong Kong
To the land of the ancestors
In the ancient Greek land.
Wonder who I am don't you?
I am your house guest cockroach,
Who torments you every day!
And today I have come here to say...
I have traveled far and beyond,
To places man never tread on!
And as we flew through the ages
Time has traveled on!

**************************************************************
This is in response to Writer's Island prompt Time Travel!
There are more than 4000 species of roaches in the world and it has lived on for the past 320 Million years... They have seen the world like none of us ever have and they live on without evolving .. they are perfect as they are!
{Edited to add.. I feel like I have to apologize for the final let down... many have commented on how after all the beauty comes the revelation of the disgusting cockroach... sorry about that.. but thats the fun of it.. and the twist in the tale!!}

The Treasure

Not so long ago, On a warm and sunny day
My father took me aside and told me a tale
What a tale it was, of a long lost treasure
Listening to it made me tingle with pleasure

He said: In the depth of the forests
Beyond the bushes and the tall trees
Covered in sand, beneath the Pipal (Bodhi) Tree,
Is a treasure chest as shiny as can be
And when the sun sets it shines through the leaves
On the ground where the chest lies beneath.

With a bit of fear and lot of thrill, I set to venture
On a journey to uncover the coveted treasure
I walked beneath bushes and bore the scar(s)
The reptiles lurked but did not (me) deter

I searched far and near, I searched high and low ,
Beneath each rock and below every bough..
Rivulets ran down my face and spine
My back did ache but never did I whine

As dusk set in, I saw the gleam so near
And tripped and fell as I rushed to the clear (ing)
And there I beheld the Giant Pipal Tree
Beneath which the promised treasure would be

I dug with the shovel and with my arms bare
My eyes lighting up at the sight of the chest so dear
I opened in a hurry and was surprised to see
A palm leaf scroll with words wise as can be!

" Things not your own will yield no good, however you guard with pain;
Your own, however you scatter them abroad, will yours remain."
-Thirukural (Chapter 38, Verse 376) (Source - Wikipedia)

*******************************************************
The last couple of lines are that of the famous tamil poet Saint Thiruvaluvar. Tirukural was written 2200 years ago and consists of 1330 couplets divided into 133 chapters. They teach you the philosophy of life.. an attempt at translation has been made on Wikipedia The tamil kurals can be found at Tamilzone
In those days , in India the scribes were recorded on the readily available medium of smoke-treated palm leaves (olai in tamil)
The reference to the Bodhi/Pipal tree is intentional. Buddha got his enlightenment under a Bodhi tree.
This poem (cum short story) is in response to the prompt from Writers Island this week, I had fun writing it... hope you enjoyed reading it!!
*********************************************************

Over the horizon

(Pict Courtesy: http://venturemedias.com/blog/?p=20)

Over the horizon, the promise of light
New beginnings dawn, a whole new life
To live and conquer a bright new day
The very first for the rest of my life

As I walk my walk I ask myself
Will I reach whole new heights?
Will I conquer the world in my stride?
Will I acquire success oh so elusive?

I trip, I fall, I hurt as I walk...
I get up and walk a little too fast
The light blurs and the horizon seems so far...
The sun is setting on my day...
But I still have a long long way!

I stop to think and I find...
I have been there all the time!
The bliss and peace has always been mine..
Oh if only I had stopped before

And then I look up only to see
Over the horizon, the promise of light
New beginnings dawn, a whole new life
To live and conquer a bright new day
The very first for the rest of my life

**********************************************************
Writers Island prompt - Over the horizon.
Here's wishing all the writers a wonderful "rest of your life". I think of Scarlet from "Gone with the wind" standing at the stoop of Tara... looking over the horizon and declaring "Tomorrow is a new day"...
Oh yes it is and like the saying goes.. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of your life!
*********************************************************

Season of Joy

Picture Courtesy: Smart Canucks

Tis the season to cheer

Oh look winter is here

The blanket of white just outside

Lures me and fills me with yuletide

Tis the season to be jolly

Bring out the mistletoe and the holly

Light up the christmas tree

And watch the little faces fill with glee

The jolly old man riding his sleigh

Arrives on the eve of the big day!

The night spent sleepless in anticipation

Unwrapping the bright boxes as dawn seeps in

And soon it will be a brand new year

Forget the falls, the triumphs may you hold dear

Bidding farewell to the year past,

fresh beginnings may you usher

Newer boundaries may you conquer

Just around the bend ahead is Pongal

The traditional Indian Harvest Festival

In the dance of pure joy, clapping hands, tapping feet

Women whirl around in circles to the village beat!

Oh my there is so much color

It is indeed the season to cheer.

Remember the real celebration is to show you care

To hug, kiss and cherish all that you hold dear!

So heres wishing you every brightness and glitter

And hoping that happiness may fill the air!

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

Pongal is a festival celebrated in South India. This festival is aimed at thanking the gods for a plentiful harvest.

A sweet concoction called chakara pongal is made from rice and brown sugar in a traditional earthern pot. As the pot boils over, the entire family gathers around to join in the refrain "Pongal O Pongal". Traditionally girls dance around the bon fire, singing songs in praise of the gods, the spring and the harvest. A traditional south Indian dance form called kummi (where women clap their hands and tap their feet in rhythm with the folk song with or without music) is performed. Wearing new clothes people visit temples and worship god. Another tradition is to offer Sugar Cane to God and then distribute it and eat it!

I celebrate pongal by just making the sweet - chakara pongal in a pressure cooker (european cooker). It usually occurs mid Jan.

The harvest festival in rest of India is called Shankranthi, Baisakhi (in the North - Thanks for letting us know Rayshma)

Picture Courtesy : Google Images

Read others at Writers Island

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

Countless Blessings

A baby's first laugh

An infant's toothless grin

A toddlers giggles filled with mirth

Can you tell me how much they are worth?

A little boy running home with daily tales

Spinning big fantasies in his active mind

A little girl dreams of castles and princes

Of fairies and enchanted places.

The first time he takes his dads car for a spin

Or the first night out with friends at the mall

The first pay check which fills the face with a grin

Or the first sky dive, first free fall

A lovers gentle caress and tender words

The promise to buy the whole wide world

The endless phone calls and little notes

The days and nights of dreams galore

The much awaited wedding day

Filled with so much splendour and Joy

Mixed emotions at starting a new walk.

The first house oh so dear

The first things bought together...

Finding out that you are to add to the house...

The pride that swells as the tummy grows!

The loving hunt for the perfect name,

The perfect nursery put together in haste.

The wee one lets out the first cry

And friends and family fill with joy!

That is the miracle of life,

A full full circle.

A countless blessings,

Thank God for it.

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

Again for Writer's Island - The Moment. Life is a tapestry of precious moments. We live and relive the memories as we grow. It is in us to choose to relive the sad or the joyful memories. And although I can never erase the sadness from my heart - (read my previous post - Final Adieu), I thank God for the countless blessings he has awarded me.

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

The Final Adieu!

The phone ring jars the peaceful night
A shiver runs down the spine in fright..
Who could be calling at this wee hour!
To pick up the phone She dreads, she fears.

The man picks up the phone to hear...
His face contorts in sheer despair.
She doesnt want to listen to the confirmation..
of the dread that has been growing in her abdomen!

She rushes across the seas to reach...
The devastation left behind the cortege.
Amidst muted tears she can only behold
A mass of people, an unwanted crowd.

No more smiling lips or open arms
No more endless questions, patient ears
No more warmth or welcome at the threshold!
No more life, just an eerie silence!

She is in a hurry to reach,
the two pairs of tearful eyes..
To hold them in their grief,
and join them to say goodbye!
*************************************************
Prompt from Writers Island - The Moment
*************************************************