Sunday Trees

“Perfection”

Every oak will lose a leaf to the wind.
Every star-thistle has a thorn.
Every flower has a blemish.
Every wave washes back upon itself.
Every ocean embraces a storm.
Every raindrop falls with precision.
Every slithering snail leaves its silver trail.
Every butterfly flies until its wings are torn.
Every tree-frog is obligated to sing.
Every sound has an echo in the canyon.
Every pine drops its needles to the forest floor.
Creation’s whispered breath at dusk comes
with a frost and leaves within dawn’s faint mist,
for all of existence remains perfect, adorned,
with a dead sparrow on the ground.

Poet – R.H. Peat

Inspired by Becca’s Sunday Trees

Macro Monday: Party time

“Place a beehive on my grave
And let the honey soak through.
When I’m dead and gone,
That’s what I want from you.
The streets of heaven are gold and sunny,
But I’ll stick with my plot and a pot of honey.
Place a beehive on my grave
And let the honey soak through.”
― Sue Monk Kidd, The Secret Life of Bees

Friday Fun Foto: Clouds 2 images

The clouds.

The clouds,

reveal my story clearly.

The denseness,

the heaviness,

the structure,

the diffuse blurred edges,

the simple curves,

the fluffy patterns.

They know me so well.

The rationale I applaud them.

I hope you like the entry Kate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floral Friday

Daffodowndilly

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbor:
“Winter is dead.”

A.A. Milne [from When We Were Very Young]

क्या मैं वाक़ई में अलग हूँ?

क्या मैं वाक़ई में अलग हूँ?

क्या मैं वाक़ई में अलग हूँ,

आपसे, या उनसे या फिर उनसे,

तो फिर क्यों उठती है ये दीवार बार बार,

कभी इधर से कभी उधर से।

क्यों नहीं मैं  हटा पाती,

इन उलझनों को,

इस कोहरे को,

जो मेरे और आपके, या फिर मेरे और उनके दरम्यान है।

ऐसा क्या है “जो”

हमारी नजरों पर,

हमारे ख्यालों पर,

और हमारे दिमाग पर बार बार,

हावी रहता है।

चलिए मिल कर सोचते हैं।

– रुपाली

Nurturing Thursday: Pause

Practice the Pause!

When in doubt, pause.  When angry, pause. When tired, pause. When stressed, pause. And when you pause…pray ~Unknown to me.

On Thursday a very sad and unexpected news reached us. I decided to take pause. I feel sad for the family and pray for them.

For Nurturing Thursday would like to share this wonderful poem by Max Ehrmann

Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,                                                                                          and remember what peace there may be in silence.                                                                  As far as possible without surrender                                                                                             be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;                                                                                          and listen to others,                                                                                                                       even the dull and the ignorant;                                                                                                  they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann, Desiderata, Copyright 1952.

 

TO THE FOURTH OF JULY : Poem by Swami Vivekananda

It is well known that Swami Vivekananda’s death (or resurrection, as some of us would prefer to call it!) took place on the 4th of July, 1902. On the 4th of July, 1898, he was travelling with some American disciples in Kashmir, and as part of a domestic conspiracy for the celebration of the day — the anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence — he prepared the following poem, to be read aloud at the early breakfast. The poem itself fell to the keeping of Dhirâ Mâtâ.

Behold, the dark clouds melt away, 
That gathered thick at night, and hung 
So like a gloomy pall above the earth! 
Before thy magic touch, the world 
Awakes. The birds in chorus sing. 
The flowers raise their star-like crowns — 
Dew-set, and wave thee welcome fair. 
The lakes are opening wide in love 
Their hundred thousand lotus-eyes 
To welcome thee, with all their depth. 
All hail to thee, thou Lord of Light! 
A welcome new to thee, today, 
O Sun! Today thou sheddest Liberty! 

Bethink thee how the world did wait, 
And search for thee, through time and clime. 
Some gave up home and love of friends, 
And went in quest of thee, self-banished, 
Through dreary oceans, through primeval forests, 
Each step a struggle for their life or death; 
Then came the day when work bore fruit, 
And worship, love, and sacrifice, 
Fulfilled, accepted, and complete. 
Then thou, propitious, rose to shed 
The light of Freedom on mankind. 

Move on, O Lord, in thy resistless path! 
Till thy high noon o’erspreads the world. 
Till every land reflects thy light, 
Till men and women, with uplifted head, 
Behold their shackles broken, and 
Know, in springing joy, their life renewed!

Resource: http://media.belurmath.org/to-the-fourth-of-july-poem-by-vivekananda-76#

Stages of Dandelion!

Since we talked much about the beauty of Dandelion flower at various stages of life cycle.  I decided to collect and present photos from my collection.

Change isn’t just one thing,

just one time,

just one big revelation.

Change occurs in stages,

and phases,

which each add depth,

color,

character, and

create a multidimensional,

multifaceted you.

~Doe Zantamata

The name: “Dandelion” is an English corruption of the French name for this plant: “dent de lion” meaning “lion’s tooth”, a reference to the tooth-like serrations on the plant’s leaves. (via uncle Google)

The photographs are from my wordpress archive.

आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे…

आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे,
सोबत कुणी नसलं तरी,
एकट्यानेच ते फुलवत रहा,
वादळात सगळं वाहून गेल,
म्हणुन रडत बसू नका,
वेगळ अस काही, माझ्यात खास नाही असं म्हणून उदास होऊ नका
मृगाकडे कस्तुरी आहे,
फुलात गंध आहे,
सागराकडे अथांगता आहे,
माझ्याकडे काय आहे, असं म्हणून रडू नका,
अंधाराला जाळणरा एक सूर्य तुमच्यातही लपला आहे.
आव्हाहन करा त्या सूर्याला !
मग उगवेल तो तुमच्या आयुष्यात नवीन क्षितिज घेऊन.
अंधारामय रात्र संपवून सोनेरी किरणांनी सजून
मग रोजच उगवेल एक नवी सकाळ,
उत्साह ध्येयाने भारुन म्हणून म्हणते………
आयुष्य खूप सुंदर आहे,
सोबत कुणी नसल तरी
एकट्यानेच ते फुलवत रहा……
***
– कुसुमाग्रज

शोर

पास बैठे मैं दिल की कहती रही,

अचानक उन्होंने पूछा ये शोर कैसा है।

-रुपाली