Hello, hope you are having a grand week. This week in my usual mid-week posting, i present to you, two of my published tanka.
white flowers of the Rangoon creeper turn red how was i so blind to the warning signs
Mohua Maulik haikuKATHA issue 38 December 2024
this winter only dusty leaves remain on the amaltas where have all the flowers and laughter gone
Mohua Maulik haikuKATHA issue 38 December 2024
Thank you for visiting. Do let me know which one resonated with you, if at all. Have a wonderful day ahead. And if you would like to browse the other poems in this genre, click here.
Marigolds from my mom’s garden 🙂 Marigold are believed to symbolize purity, divinity, and the connection between life and death. Marigold is the most commonly offered flower in several religious ceremonies. But did you know that it’s Lord Ganesha’s favorite flower? Well I didnt. Apparently this is an edible plant with medicinal properties. I remember once as a child I had cut myself and it was pouring blood (in my memory at least) and mom just crushed some marigold leaves and instantly it stopped bleeding.
That’s it from me, for now. Wishing everyone a Happy Dhanteras!
Hello, hello ready for some fun with sticks and stones? The virtual kind are the best and thanks to Cee I never thought I would ever be fearlessly playing this game. This week the topic is either Sticks and Stones. As usual Cee gives wings to sticks and stones as well and we are allowed to be creative and have fun with this challenge. How could I resist eh? 😉
Off we go…
Some serious contemplation of sticks. Perhaps they too have a challenge that they need to participate in 😉
When sticks stick to the ground…
Sticks and stones – big ones. 😉
This one evokes envy – one can only dream of the peace and contentment in his life 😀
No pebbles here but it’s made of stone – a contemplative stone 😀
I used to love reading books in this pose, once upon a time – do you/did you?
Time for a break on a sticky stand 🙂 Love the bilingual message 😀 We all do deserve one break at least!
Here’s the break time complete with stick spoons 🙂 Yes it was delicious
One of my favorite notices that I found at a hotel in Goa and so apt for the times we live in. It was on a stick type frame, just in case you were wondering.
Thank you for dropping by and do leave me a note – they make my day! Cheers
Posting this for Bushboy’s photo challenge. Post the last photo on your SD card or last photo on your phone for the 30th October or whenever your last photo was taken. No explanations are needed just the photo will do. Despite good intentions I couldnt resist jabbering and attempted a haiku as well. Something to kickstart November. This is also for Cee’s FOTD challenge.
bee sips
from the orange hibiscus
does it sting?
If you are here, do say a word or two – just a hello will do 🙂
PS: For those who may have visited my earlier post – CMMC: Photos with a P please note that this is a different hibiscus 🙂 She is blooming gorgeous blooms. Touch wood!!!!
Hello hope this week has been treating you well. It’s time for Eugi’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompt challenge. The prompt is Either Or. It can be any variation of the prompt or the image (below).
Once Upon a Time
A world of trees Green, brown and orange Reaching up to wave at blue Skies smudged with white Tall grasses twinkle With drops of dew Shielding centipedes, mites, Leeches, frogs to name a few
Already dark and time for The football match Up on the roof The rats and squirrels Having a field day While in the kitchen Mom plays hockey with a rat or is it a shrew?
Dad practiced duelling snakes while Mom had her dessert under the Watchful eye of a King cobra Bees and wasps swirled bestowing the gift of a plump arm or a misshapen face just like rashes from insects and cacti
Exams denounced Packed off to picnics Streams swirled around our legs All through the night Those dratted parrots pecked at mangoes and summer vacations with afternoon shifts to shoo parrots
Swinging high and higher Climbing guava trees taking home Red bites that turned yellow and black Bleeding gashes wrapped in Crushed marigold leaves For a stye in the eye Seven strokes of mango leaf stem Did the trick
The nearest town of one shop A couple of miles away Never did we ever cross a street Nor venture to shop or crave to eat No TV, no phone no internet All I missed were books Other than those I had Read a gazillion times
Would I go back? Why when the path is ahead Cocooned in the warm clasp of Unfearful memories Bouncing through Life’s myriad adventures Much like the fools that rush in But that is another story…
The photo reminded me of my childhood home (except it wasnt that orange!) and couldn’t help penning a few lines – not quite sure if you can call it a poem. But if you managed to come this far thank you for sticking it out till the end of what is quite a faithful account of my idyllic childhood.
PS: I was unable to format the poem into paragraphs and hence I took the help of colors. Apologies if it is looking weird.
PPS: It was looking even more weird with the alternating colors so used this format (Pullquote). At least the paragraphs are clearly demarcated. Do let me know if you have any suggestions for formats to use. Thank you.
Hello! Here’s another tanka for Colleen’s #TankaTuesday challenge where the rules are to to write in any of the 24 syllabic forms of Japanese poetry using a kigo or season word as an inspiration. While there are 24 seasons in Japan, we are allowed to use season words as per our region.
First the tanka and then the explanatory note. Perhaps, some of you may not need the note 🙂
freshly showered
leaves wave to the blue skies
-Durga Puja celebrations
jeans don’t button up
even upon lying down
I have used Durga Puja as the kigo word. Like I mentioned in my earlier post, Navratri (or nine nights) festival in honor of Goddess Durga is being celebrated this year from 15th to 24 October. During this period, Hindu devotees worship Goddess Durga but the manner of celebration is diverse and unique in different parts of the country. This includes, but is not restricted, to dandiya, kanyapujan (little girls are worshipped as the Goddess) and Durga Puja. Durga Puja is a socio-religious celebrations that is mostly undertaken as a community but may also be done individually. It is associated with not only religious activities but also a platform for showcasing art, culture, and new clothes, cars, TVs and what have you while gorging on a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, including those served free. You may read more about Durga Puja here.
Perhaps, even ‘freshly showered’ could be considered the kigo word. Unlike the West, here in India, this is not the fall season. In fact, this is a time that is right after the monsoons which is a boon to the trees wilting in the scorching summer heat. They are now at their cleanest, greenest and happiest. With the monsoons withdrawing, the skies are blue (for once – Touch wood!!!) the breeze cool, and a palpable sense of excitement in the air. Even Mother Nature is celebrating the imminent arrival of the Mother Goddess (Durga Puja) in her inimitable way.
Did this work? Did you need the explanatory note? Looking forward to reading your reactions. Have a super day.
Hello and welcome to Dawn’s Festival of Leaves challenge. Anything to do with trees, as you perhaps may know by now, I simply cannot resist 🙂
Let’s see what I can find, this week:
This was in the cacti section. I had never seen leaves of this color before. Have you?
“They tell you to turn into a new leaf and then complain about your faded colour.” – Nitya Prakash
I would have never thought a combination of pink and green would look good but they gel well don’t they?
“Let your life lightly dance on the edges of time like dew on the tip of a leaf.” – Rabindranath Tagore
There are even brown leaves – who would have thought!
“Art is the flower. Life the green leaf.”- Charles Rennie MacKintosh
with red stems! These are really eye-catching aren’t they. Not quite sure what they are called. Do you know?
“Open the bloom of your heart and become a gift of beauty to the world.”– Bryant McGill
Monstrous leaves, aren’t they? Dont miss the bright yellow stems, almost as if they are mocking the traditional plants 😀
“Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank
Don’t they look like flowers? The purple leaves were actually bluish in color, when seen with the naked eye. Their shape is also so unique.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”– Frances Hodgson Burnett
Brown pink and green! I can’t help but wonder how they manage photosynthesis and why the need for such colorful leaves. I did a little bit of research, and as I remembered (ahem) only the green part can do photosynthesis. The tiny green porton is enough for its sustenance. But what about the other leaves and the bare trees? Apparently sunlight penetrates the thin outer bark it can be enough for photosynthesis. You can read more here. I am not very convinced, but perhaps you can tell me more 🙂
“Life is a party; dress like it, dance like it, and make every moment count.” Audrey Hepburn
I found these leaves to be very interesting. It wasnt very clear if it was a creeper or part of the tree
“Why not show off if you’ve got something to show?” J Jones
Well, what do you think? Can you make out?
“It is better to aim high and miss than to aim low and hit.” Les Brown
And this is the showstopper. I couldn’t take a pic initially, then I waited to click it on the return journey. Isn’t it precious? Just like life.
Hello, here’s my attempt at XingfuMama’s Pull Up a Seat Photo Challenge. This challenge is about a seat, a place to perch. This might be a chair, a bench, a wall, a pew…maybe even a log or a rock. These spots can be artfully designed, quirky or very plain, sometimes they have a view, sometimes you meet someone else who needs a rest.
So, without any further ado, if you are comfortably seated, off we go:
The chairs, I presume were once upon a time a bright orange to match the flowers but under the scorching sun faded to a pale pink. Or perhaps, they turned pale with envy…
The envious man grows lean at the success of his neighbor. Horace
Recently I had the opportunity to watch a live Kathakali performance. This is a traditional dance form originating probably in Kerala in Southern India. It is a “story game” genre of art, usually drawn from folk stories, religious texts and Hindu epics. It is characterised by the elaborately colourful make-up and costumes and performed traditionally only by males. You can read more about it here.
I was seated in the front row and the ‘lady’ on the left performed a sequence (while seated on the stool) wherein ‘she’ put a baby to sleep. Once, the imaginary baby was asleep, ‘she’ tiptoed away only to stop and request me, with only ‘her’ eyes expressions, and gestures to keep an eye on the baby. I played along and raised a hand to ‘assure’ her but ‘she’ instantly stopped and ‘asked’ 4 kids! I shook my head, and raised one finger. She then proceed to ask if they were married, or studying or working. It was amazing!
At the Kochi harbor, while on a morning walk, we spotted these birds, perched at a vantage point waiting for breakfast to be delivered.
This one is in a hurry, probably late for work 😀 This was taken while on a boat ride on the river Periyaar.
This picture was taken by the kind boatman as we weren’t allowed to move about on the boat. They don’t seem to be in any hurry. In fact, they seem ready for bed after a satisfying meal 😀
We were waiting for the boat, I wonder what they were waiting for – breakfast in someone’s pocket perhaps?
That’s it from me. I hope I didnt break any rules. Which one did you like the best?
Good day! Another attempt to write tanka while participating in Colleen’s #TankaTuesday challenge where the rules are to to write in any of the 24 syllabic forms of Japanese poetry using a kigo or season word as an inspiration. While there are 24 seasons in Japan, we are allowed to use season words as per our region.
I am trying out a tanka and have used ‘Dandiya’ as the kigo word here. Dandiya Raas is a folk dance of western India mostly in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. This popular socio-religious dance is performed during the Navaratri (literally – Nine Nights) festival in honor of Goddess Durga who is believed to visit her home on Earth along with her children and their unique animal companions, (but that’s another story for another day, perhaps). This festival usually occurs in the period of late September to late October with the actual dates varying from year to year. Dandiya is performed in memory of Goddess Durga’s victory over Mahishasura (literally – buffalo demon) and the colorful sticks (called dandia) used in the dance represent her sword.
I took this image from this site just to give you a better idea. I hope the kigo word is acceptable?
And the tanka is
trees
swaying in the breeze
dandiya practice
he joins up unaware
of her fracture
Initially I thought of going for just the haiku (the first 3 lines) then felt it could be a tanka as well. Also the explanation seemed a bit disproportionate to the kigo description. Still is actually 😀
That’s it folks. Do let me know your thoughts, comments and tips. Have a great day and thank you Colleen for the challenge.
Hello to you 🙂 Venturing into the domain of photography I am participating in XingfuMama’s photo challenge. The challenge is simple: take one photo and get creative with it by processing it three different ways.
Here goes:
This is the original. This was taken last month at Kochi harbor in Kerala, India. It was a cloudy cool morning and it was such a treat to watch her grow bigger and bigger as she floated back home. I took it on my Samsung Z fold 2 phone camera. No particular setting.
Err, I can’t help but also post a haiku, or attempt at one, inspired by this image. Haiku, as you may know, captures one or two moments by using clear and vivid images. A haiku, consisting of a phrase and a fragment, is an unfinished poem – the readers interpret what it means by putting the images together. Do share your thoughts and interpretations 🙂
she returns
after a long journey
sigh
This is the Pen and Wash style availabe in the phone itself.
This is the Watercolor style. Earlier we used to attempt watercolors (not that I ever could!) based on photos and now its the reverse. Fascinating stuff.
For this one, instead of the Styles function, I tried to play around with contrast, exposure, shadow, sharpness etc.
On second thoughts, the version one and two look quite similar, don’t they?
Stories and more 