Battle of the Seasons

After freezing temperatures all winter long,

There comes a hope to drive away the gloom.

A sprinkle of sunshine, a shower of rain,

perfect to bring out the pretty blooms.

The flowers have planned a grand show,

The fragrance sends a message very clear.

The birds fly with mates and insects march in a row,

Only to find a sudden change in the atmosphere.

The flowers stand exposed, as the wind blows,

The sun takes cover behind the clouds.

A sheet of white covers the ground.

"Did you think it's spring already?", the skies think aloud.

With the stubborn cold not willing to leave,

And the eager warmth determined to stay.

Are the seasons in a battle these days,

mimicking the image we humans portray?

Midweek Mood

It is the woes of a Wednesday, batteries need a little recharging, a little boredom prevails.
The day seems to drag on forever, a little laziness curtails.
Thoughts are blank, words don't seem to flow,
A lazy post is in order, before the light sets aglow.

End of the Day Prayer

When I wake up tomorrow:

Let the kids be at ease,
Between them let there be peace.

Let there only be smiles
And no paper missiles.

Let them eat their food with grace,
And scrub their own face.

Let them play with their toys,
And not make a noise.

Let them make things from scrap,
And take a long nap.

Let the two year old know silence,
And the seven year old know compliance.

At least for a day let me be Me,
And not a mommy!

P.S: Ramblings of a mom suffering from cabin fever during a week of bad weather with schools closed.

Newspaper in Education

Finding an old newspaper at my parents house this summer brought back old memories. The newspaper was dated back in September 1991, and was a new student edition of Times of India. This program was called Newspaper in Education (NIE) and it was started to encourage school kids to read the newspaper and also printed a section of articles written by students.

During the promotion of this program we had journalists from Times of India visiting us each week in school, talking about the various topics a newspaper would typically cover. It was very inspiring for us as kids. When I did a brief search online, it was heartening to see that the NIE program printing student edition of newspapers is still around.

I have not researched much about whether there are such programs in schools over here. But in the same spirit of keeping kids abreast with the latest news, A's school has a morning news show. The fifth graders who are the seniors in elementary school, run the news show each morning and this is shown live to the kids in various class rooms.

Either way in my opinion, teaching the concept of news right from an early stage opens up many windows to the world for kids.

The old newspaper I found at my parents house was special as it had a poem written by me. Reading it now brings a smile with the memories of the excitement of a school girl.

The Newspaper

Not liking the newspaper seems so strange,
For it has a very interesting range.
The bell of our mind it rings,
And of knowledgeable things it sings.

About the ruling government it tells,
Every rule and regulation it spells.
The advertisements are eye-catching, ooh!
They help us in our projects too.

The sports page can never be missed,
Every line is sure to be kissed.
Crosswords, puzzles, cartoons and jokes,
Certainly thrill the jolly folks.

But this does not form the ultimate,
There is lot more for the cheap rate.
When stale becomes the news of the paper,
It comes in handy as a book wrapper.

Still Water

The tides were high all year,

            Filled with strains and fear.

The water has paused to enjoy and explore,

            Enjoy what you have, not wanting more.

The water is suddenly still,

            This year let dreams get fulfilled.  

A small ripple, and again the water is still,

            Every strife determines your will.

Nature’s clear reflection can be seen in still water,

 

             Let your reflection make you proud hereafter.

 

My Favorite Things

I found a story/poem that I had written and would tell A when she was around 2. She was in that avid learner stage where at the end of the day her mind would race with all the adventures of the day. This was an effort to make her relax. Want to keep the memories of it alive by recording it here. Will also be something new and fresh to share with Av.

As mommy kisses me goodnight
And turns off the light,
I hug my bunny
With my eyes shut tight.

And then I think of my favorite things,
And the colors in my mind spread their wings.

I think of the blue sky,
Way up high.
Like the birds,
I want to fly, fly, fly.

I think of the green grass
With the cool dewdrops.
Like the grasshoppers,
I want to hop, hop, hop.

I think of the red flowers
With their sweet nectar.
Like the butterflies,
I want to flitter and flutter.

I think of the yellow sun
With its rays warm and fine.
Like the sunshine,
I want to shine, shine, shine!

I hug my bunny with
My eyes shut tight.
As I think of my favorite things,
The colors in my mind turn into sweet dreams.

Lines from the past

As I was sorting out old books in my study, I found a sheet of paper with 8 lines of verse. It was not any work of art, or my deepest feelings or any lost treasure. But with it came back memories of my life as a graduate student. It is some silly lines written during a 7:30 am class on a cold winter day when I had dragged myself out of bed to class. I remember the scene and how distracted I was and how hard it was to even sit there that morning leave alone concentrate. I read the lines, laughed at it and put it in the recycle pile. Then I found it again fallen out of the bin and I read and laughed again. Then I put it with the shredder pile and again found it fallen down after 2 days. When I read it again I found all the memories come back again. So I decided I will post it here for myself to take me back to those days every time I read it.

I try not to think of You,
I make my eyes look at the other hues.

I strain to hear sounds other than yours,
I try not to feel the waves inside me roar.

I try my best but away from you I cannot go,
My eyes are blinded and thoughts refuse to flow.

I am obsessed by you, and feel like a looser,
I am lost in your control, dreaded hunger.

Without You

When You are not here,
It seems like the sun has not risen.
When You are not here,
It seems like the wind has lost direction.
When You are not here,
It seems like there will be no rains,
When You are not here,
It seems like the world is filled with pains.
When You are not here,
It seems like my eyes are not seeing.
When You are not here,
It seems like my skin is not feeling.
When You are not here,
It seems like my head is not thinking.
When You are not here,
It seems like I am not living.

Words...in passing

Nothing happens as planned over here,

we are once here and the next minute there.

Playing with the energy of three year olds,

To match yours I have to exert two folds.

I wake up with the hopes of achieving a lot,

But time drifts and all I can hope for is to stay afloat.

But I have not felt lighter, mentally I mean,

You are showing me places for days that I have not seen.

P.S - Okay I had planned to write much more...but not with a book on CD reading children poems right into my ears and A asking questions about the pictures in the book. I think I will retire satisfied today that I wrote all this in less than 10 minutes.

Some like this and some like that

Some are like starved men fighting for the last slice of bread.

Some are like bold words that sound best when unsaid.

Some are like seeds that can’t fight the cold to germinate.

Some are like pests that you have to terminate.

Some are like flickers of a dragon fly.

Some are like a touch me not, too shy.

Some are like a volcano ready to explode.

Some are like orphans all on their own.

These are the kinds of thoughts in my head,

In the name of writer’s block they are put to bed.

Thoughts at Thirty

At ten I thought I could conquer the world,
At twenty I thought dreams are meant to come true.
At thirty I think I know what reality means,
I can now smile at my dreams and work hard at my goals.

At ten I could not wait to be all grown up,
At twenty I thought youth is there to last forever.
At thirty I know the value of time and stop to enjoy the moment,
With inspiration from yesterday and eagerness about tomorrow.

At ten I tried to follow every word I was told,
At twenty I differed to almost everything I heard.
At thirty I am happy when I agree and proud when I disagree,
And I know how to balance my happiness with my pride.

At ten I thought good education will take me far,
At twenty I thought that a great career will take me farther.
At thirty I think patience will take me the furthest,
With patience on my side, everything else will follow.

At ten I took things for granted,
At twenty I wished things got granted.
At thirty I know I cannot take anything for granted,
And also know that I should not grant everything.

At ten I was happy with life,
At twenty I was excited about life.
At thirty I am looking forward to life,
To enjoy what I have and experience what is to come.

40 weeks of you

These weeks were some of the best in my life,
With the feeling of housing a tiny life,
With the joy of meeting a part of me,
With all the excitement of a mother-to-be.

You gave me energy that I never had,
Nothing ever seemed too bad.
I was absolutely in love with life,
It felt like walking in someone else’s shoe.

I sang and my listener moved,
I danced and my partner kicked,
I ate and my buddy did a somersault,
I was never alone, and that gave me a confidence like never before.

My tastes were different as can be,
My reactions were strangers to me.
I could carry myself in anything,
I could make myself not worry about a single thing.

I have often wondered if I was being you,
Is that how you are going to grow up to be?
Whatever it is I can tell you so,
I totally enjoyed the 40 weeks of you.