Silly, Sweet Memories

Middle aged and grey haired
he went back in time for a moment
to his teen age and its silly thoughts
Smiled, recalling the silly stuff
he had written in her book, bidding farewell
on last day of college....

"I live and relive images
of your tender face on my bosom
as I gently cup your delicate shoulders
-images that give me strength
to keep going- come rain,come sun...."

Yes, silly, perhaps 'immature' as well
yet, its sweetness lingers

to be recalled once in a while
as respite to an aging, tired life...

The Worst is not Over- It is only the beginning....

Kerala, in late July 2018 went through a very traumatic and  harrowing experience, facing its worst floods in nearly a century, that  necessitated all  the 14 districts of the state being placed on high alert (Chengannur, Pandanad,Aranmula, Aluva, Chalakudy, Kuttanad and  Pandalam  being the worst hit in terms of people stranded)  More than 373 people died within a fortnight, while at least 2,80,679  persons were evacuated. More than 8.00000 people were housed in  4000 relief camps.

  Thirty-five out of the forty-two dams within the state were opened for the first time in history and all five overflow gates of the Idukki Dam, were opened at the same time after a gap of 26 years. Heavy rains in Wayanad and Idukki have caused severe landslides and left the hilly districts isolated.

373 deaths , loss of property worth crores, not to speak of the psychological trauma of some who lost dear ones; many who have lost everything they owned and have to start from the scratch- people who have lost houses that they had painstakingly built over the years. People who have lost their small business like a tea shop which was their only source of livelihood.  

The calamity brought people together and they helped each other in the hour of need.We have seen how brave fishermen left their own famillies to relentlessly engage in saving people and getting food packets for those marooned, Our defence forces as usual did a great job saving many lives. Emergency food, clothes and other materials came from all over the country and continue to pour in. The rains have now stopped but the worst is not over...   

We have seen people returning from the shelter homes to find their house filled with slush, damaged in many places, electricity and plumbing systems completely damaged. It will take months to get it back into shape. The burden is all the more for those who have now lost their livelihood because of the floods.In Kuttanad, the farmers have lost their agriculture and domestic animals and birds like cattle, goats, hens etc.  The state also has to do a lot for rebuilding the infrastructure severely damaged in the landslides.  

The actual impact of the disaster will be known only in the days to come. Whatever little in whatever way we  can donate will go a long way  to alleviate the suffering caused by the calamity. After all, as they say, little drops of water make the mighty ocean.There are many organizations including newaspapers, TV channels, banks etc who are engaged in collecting donations from their subscribers/ customers so as to give a substanial cheque to the authorities handling relief. One can also contribute directly to the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF). Infact, I saw the link attached to a picture posted by a fellow blogger Joshy Daniel on Indiblogger and had used that link to make a contribution.

As many others were urging on FB and other platforms also for donations to the cause, it had not occured to me to write a blog myself  until  Indiblogger made the appeal : Help Rehabilitate Kerala #Blog ForKerala. I salute Indiblogger for the call. Sometimes we stop short of action just for want of that little prodding/ reminding. So dear fellow citizens of our great country, let us together donate whatever we can-  show that "we care" for our brothers and sisters. Let us prove that we, as a nation can surmount any difficulty, win over any setback!

 Here is the link for contributions to CMDRF. The donations are exempt from income tax and FCRA 2010 

https://donation.cmdrf.kerala.gov.in/

In the silence of one's being...

Chirping birds, other sweet distant sounds
awakened him to a new dawn
quiet contemplation brought clarity
he no longer felt afraid and alone....

He now knew what to do
where to go,when life throws up
difficult problems, challenges
"I will never again let opportunities by
will see the challenges as opportunities
will embrace them, to keep spirits ever high
 and attain, become all that I was meant to be!"

Not Anymore...

Listened to sweet words
seemingly inspirational words
for quite some time
but not anymore....

Lies, false promises
even if eloquent, sugar coated
are at the end of the day
just lies, mere plain lies!

Not anymore.....

Love

Love, pure love, intense love, could mean
different things to different souls
yet in its highest form-
it is all encompassing, inclusive, soothing
the pure essence,beyond gender
race,other worldly divisions....

Drivers of Life

Life is driven

by the twin forces- Love and Fear

Many take action out of fear

most of the times

and out of love, some of the time...

While both the drivers ensure action

and perhaps results as well

one gives you, a sinking feeling

as you do them

the other, an elated, enhanced experience....

Choose, as the driver, love over fear

each time, every time!

and you are sure to be happy, wise

and at peace with the world... 

NB: During the Bangalore Poetry Fest, Bookstalkist took the initiative to record recitals of poets under the theme"One world Million recitals". I was happy to present this poem on the occasion