COLONIZATION

Trees are poems that earth writes for the sky; we fell them down and turn them into paper, that we may record our emptiness. –Kahlil Gibran

There it was

in the neighbour’s compound

leaning against my backyard wall

the curious tree

peeking into many homes

with its unruly branches

whose strange fruit

invited the parrots

the sparrows and the noisy crows

the chew-chew-chew squirrels

running up and down

its coarse roads

the chatter that filled

many uneasy silences

and kept the kids and pets amused

the thick leaves like gossiping ladies

whispered and murmured

a thousand secrets

and then at dusk huddled

their green heads together

to sway with the temple bells

the breeze it sent forth

never claiming its due

in making hot afternoons bearable

the breeze inspiring songs

in these lifeless urban homes

now there is a stump

of memories, breeze, green joys

and so many little nooks

which were homes

The tree was guilty

of being uncivilized

of giving without asking

so now they have

asked for its life!

GRANNY (NAANI)

The stream running through
the apple orchard
the slate roof
through which
wafted her love
in the smoke
of mountain delicacies
she cooked for us

the cows grazing free
the stacks of dried grass
the no phone
no TV evenings
listening to her tales
of Sahabs and memsahabs
of the Raj

The tin roof has killed the smoke
and the recipe
they now have LPG
the stream channeled
to be a concrete drain
what was the pasture
is now the parking
grandchildren glued to
some electronic fantasy

no tales, no mystery
when my granny died
she took the
charm of the hills
from me !

A few LITTLE LESSONS FROM MY LITTLE ONE

As my little one completes almost her first year at a montessori school, I am sure there is plenty she has absorbed from the school environment ,from teachers and friends. I can imagine how fascinating the world of the written word may seem to her now and simultaneously how complicated the nuances of language and signs and symbols are every where.
I think she now understands:

• there is school most of the days and then there is holiday !
• books have words which have meaning
• numbers are used to count 
• pretty dresses don't make friends ,friendly gestures do
• washing hands kills the germs
• laptops are not people

Another student who has learned some valuable lesons in this journey is me and what I learnt from her during this is :

• The vessel has to be empty if it wants to be filled and so UNLEARN TO LEARN.
• Ants repeat,bees repeat, babies repeat,only grown ups get bored.PRACTICE MAKES US PERFECT.
• SMALL JOYS.Big joys happen now and then small joys happen everyday cherish them.
• The easiest thing is to give up,label be prejudiced.DON'T JUDGE.
• FORGIVE AND MOVE ON.Things will break,moments will be lost,people will hurt or just look the other way.Don't carry the hurt.
• LOVE,DON'T EXPECT.When you give a hug it might not be returned always,so what ,you give it anyway.
• RESPECT IS ALSO A KIND OF LOVE. Often we can't give gifts or write poetry but by just listening we show that we love and care.