People n Places

2014-10-24T03:51:00.000-07:00

Granny's Babe

Waiting good tidings
Praying for ease
Ready to be teased
Grandma you've become

The bundle on bed
Asleep in warmth
Welcome son said
Babe pink and red

Father believed
Mother relieved
Gods wonder
Babe's here

The clutching fingers
Long eyelashes
Eyes do linger
Multiple sashes

About to cry
Mother's sigh
Don't ask me why
Tender a sight

Grannies around
Fussing about
Tidying around
Smiling about

Generation leaps
Passing the keep
Time to reap
Heaven's sweets

Babe awake
What lustrous eyes?
Straight in your eyes
Again I sigh

To hold you child
Tender and mild
To be by your side
A heavenly ride

May not a tear
Your ever be shed
Your enchanting smile
Call us from miles

Grow babe grow
To the whole world show
Your love and goodness
This world a test

Love you dear
Though not near
In my heart you near
My babe my dear

Daughter,Sister, Mother, Woman

2014-09-21T04:11:00.000-07:00

How many times a woman is humiliated
How many times her tears be shed
How many times her soul being tortured
Before you give a hand..soothe her ..and fight for her

No one around or around and deaf ears
Again she is abused and beaten and beaten
Again and again and again and again
Till one day she screams for help

But listen you say it has been going on for years
You must be used to the people by now
She cries in anguish and ask God for help.
He alone then clears the way he clears.

Testing he was the people around.
Respect women else fear Gods wrath
Love woman as thy self
Son, Brother, Father, Man..........

Our School - Convent of Jesus and Mary

2013-02-20T23:53:00.001-08:00

1. Convent of Jesus and Mary, New Delhi

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

Best Convent in the town
Many went, from all around

White uniforms with red buttons
Red socks and races to be won

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

2. Sacred Heart Cathedral, New Delhi

Enter Cathedral with solemn prayer
Walk in line, bowing everywhere

Rushing fast, its assembly time
Listening news and stand at ease time

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

3. Our Dear Teachers

Then to class, while music played
Shoes not polished, hope not caught

Late night party, homework not done
Mrs 'Gopalan present, now what to be done

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

Desks banging, chairs pushed
Books on table, Mam enters...shhhh

Little Women, chapter six
Please you read and words not mix

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

Break time, and sticky chips
Push harder, hear our shrieks

As the swing goes higher and high
Merry go round, goes round and round

School days those days

Flew past we parted ways

SUPW class is next
Then back home, earned our rest

Bags packed, desks banged,
Bye miss, 'afternoon Sis

School days, those days
Flew past, we parted ways

Towards the bus for a seat
To waiting cars, on the street

Now on Facebook, meet our friends
School days, those days............

In my heart you will always dwell.......

Sisters, Teachers and other Staff too

-------------------------------
Dear Friends.......

Years roll on, but memories fresh.......

Of the magical past, with smiling tears

Oh my friends, I miss you so..........

Please think of me, wherever you go

Picture source
1, 2, and 3 http://www.cjmdelhi.com

Chill Thrills

2012-12-11T06:53:00.000-08:00

1. Earth's movement around the sun

Earths movement, seems sun treks

Down under, then summer becks

Up above, winter chill creeps

The poor and weak, only weeps

Cold and rain, then shiver reigns

Logs and coal, and cold be tamed

Summer golden and winter white

Man grumbles, nothings right

Peanuts for sale, bonfires ablaze

Long nights and smaller days

Bundled folks and huddled all

From the cold, try make a wall

The morning fog and late sun shines

All the street dogs, loudly whine

Slow sales, shopkeepers complain

Today, tomorrow, all days the same

Around the corner, festival lights

Will beckon many in woolen tights

Christmas here and hopes abound

Carol singing, amid clapping sounds

Wish you all, A Happy New Year

And may this year, You shed no tear

Love You Folks.........................

PS :- My Dear Friends...................

From north, south, east and west

You are here, to take some rest

I wish you all the very best

Season's Greetings for every Guest

Picture Source:-

1. sciencythoughts.blogspot.com

Convocation Jamia Millia Islamia

2012-11-22T06:56:00.000-08:00

1. Love You Jamia

Passing years and falling tears

Smiling dears' 'n shiny wears

Here a friend and there a foe

Now all do smile with not a woe

The power of youth

And hopes abound

Hugs and pats,

Hand shakes and aches

My, you have grown

But memories sown

We wish you well

So we may tell

To fresh ones

Of how you won................

And May God Bless Each One

2. And Delhi, My Home

Time and tide wait for none

Is what we have heard from everyone

So please do wait and tarry for a while

For this too shall soon pass in a while

Ps:- The key to success lies in you book
Turn every page to have a look

Pictorial sources:-

1. and 2. Picasa Web Albums People n Places

By the Grace of God......................Toufel

2012-05-17T05:26:00.004-07:00

1 JNU, New Delhi

Ten whole months he took to be born
And eyes wide open when he was born

The biggest pram we bought for him
But that too was very much small for him

An early riser, morning walks he took
For which his old grandpa eagerly took

Spent his childhood with horses and guards
Romped on the grass in the campus which they guard

Centre for Russian Studies* was its name
Where he played, with siblings, many a game

Then to Mahanadi** we had to shift
The view from there was a perfect gift

Getting lost in a maze of green
In the hostel only married couples to be seen

For kindergarden he went to KV***
Well dressed he was all could see

2 Bluebells School, New Delhi

Then to Bluebells for further study
Scholar he was and not a penny paid we

Darling of the Principal, pet of the Teachers
For competitions he went with Sir's

After middle he went to 'Doon
To Grace Academy, but not to Doon

3 Grace Academy, Dehradun

There too he excelled in all that he did
Soon a scholar due to the hard work he did

Then back to Delhi for higher secondary
There too studies was not one bit secondary

4 St. Stephen's College, New Delhi

Then marched to Stephens's full of pride
Soon he became Stephen's pride

Then to Shirala as a manager**** he went
Where I too went to get him a home on rent

5 UPSC, New Delhi

4rth May, 2012, a day for the family to remember
Toufel***** cleared UPSC and God to be remembered

Note:-

* In Jawaharlal Nehru University ( JNU), New Delhi
** married students hostel in JNU
*** Kendriya Vidyalaya School
**** In Union Bank, Maharashtra
***** In Arabic Toufel means 'By the Grace of God"

Pictorial sources:-
1 article.wn.com JNU
2 bluebellsinternational.com
3 graceacademyindia.com
4 ase.tufts.edu
5 upsc.gov.in

Titanic

2012-04-16T03:53:00.005-07:00

1. Titanic that day 100 years ago

It moved me to tears to read that day
What happened to Titanic while on its way

I huddled in a corner and cried and cried
What has besotten you my mom did sigh

2. Passengers strolling on the top
deck of the Titanic ( 1912)

3. The Promenade Deck of the Titanic,
located underneath the top deck (1912)

With two thousand plus passengers both rich and poor
Titanic of Belfast shipyard was lowered

From Southampton to New York it was to sail
But iceberg struck and all around mournful wails

A record of speed and size it was,
But a record of biggest disaster it was

Musicians on board played "Nearer my God to thee"
And then truly nearer were they to "Thee"

Millionaires Widener and Harris put their wives in boats
And Straus and wife perished than be split

What a gory night it was, when the ship was doomed
Though near the moon, but still no moon

I huddled in a corner and cried and cried
What has besotten you my mom did sigh

Then years later the movie made
On screen then Titanic we all did gaze

4. Movie "Titanic"

1912 alive again, the rushing, the hugging, the touching Adieu's
And costumes of the period we all did view

Now Balmoral enroute again
On 14th and 15th in Delhi it rained

5. Passengers are photographed in the
MS Balmoral Titanic
Memorial cruise ship, prior to the gala dinner
in the Atlantic Ocean, Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Seemed nature too was giving homage
A century gone, but I read the page**

With tears in my eyes and a heavy heart
Resolve to begin with a Holy New Start

Love, Peace and Joy I will give to all
Then only can I live and stand up tall

Note:-
* Captain Smith
** Newspaper Report in "The Hindu", Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Pictorial sources:-
1. www.wikipedia.org
2 and 3. www.history.com/
4. telegraph. co.uk
5. www.huffingtonpost.com

Africans, Americans, Asians, Polynesians,........ Yonder they traveled and still we meet

2012-04-01T19:34:00.007-07:00

1. Location of Bostwana in Africa

Africans, Americans, Asians, Polynesians
Yonder they traveled and still we meet

2. Map of Guatemala

Google and Blogger I thank you a lot
Spread world over wide, but still make the dots

Each new visitor and each recent dot
Inspires me to write, forever a lot

But with chores to be done
Innumerable races to be won

Steal a few minutes, to meet my friends
To know where they are from and where all they went

The theme of this post, is to thank you my friends
Who have come from far and made me their friend

Botswana, Tunisia, African Babes
Welcome to this site of innumerable babes

Antigua of Guatemala, a picturesque site
Whose beauty you see, in its colonial might

3. Calle del Arco in city of Antigua

Kazakhis of Asia are the toughest ones
For chill they bear, tremendously I swear

4. Bab Souika in Tunis c. 1899

5. Inside a Kazakh yurt*

French Polynesia in South Atlantic
The choicest of races here have been mixed

My Father a French, My mom a Chinese
Is only one such I've heard, I do not tease

6. French Polynesia**

7. Tahitian girls, 1860-1879

Adieu, Adieu, Till we meet again
Please remember me, whether hail or rain

Pictorial Sources:-
1. www.cia.gov
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 en.wikipedia.org

Notes:-

* A yurt is a portable, bent wood-framed dwelling structure
traditionally used by Turkic nomads in the steppes of Central Asia

** French Ploynesia is made up of six groups of islands. The largest and most
populated island is Tahiti, in the Society Islands.

The island groups are:

1. Marquesas Islands

2. Society Islands

3. Tuamotu Archipelago

4. Gambier Islands

5. Austral Islands

6. Bass Islands

( en.wikipedia.org )

City Life

2012-03-28T20:23:00.004-07:00

1. My Delhi.............Love You

An Indian male in the city

Wants a wife who is all so pretty
Pretty though, but dumb at home
One who works and does not roam

City life is now so dear
Each one seen up in gear
So we see both men and women
Striving to achieve side by side

2. Men and Women on the Move

Now this man with his pretty working wife
Is at loss at what he has got
No longer a Godly Image
Literates of the city say

Can he maintain in this world
Forefathers of whom shot the gun
When birth of a baby boy
Had called for a lot of joy

3. G D Paulraj - Delhi Street Scene

Pictorial Sources:-
1. anarindiansummer.blogspot.in
2. michael-balter.blogspot.in
3. indian-influences.blogspot.in

Background Image of Delhi from mary's archive

Traveling From Delhi to Pink City By Bus

2012-03-09T19:31:00.002-08:00

We are on the move once again
Onward to Jaipur together again

In life I tell you there is much to be gained
And from Heaven above blessings do rain

Manesar road we took, with 20's and teens
Nature not much, all around man to be seen

Dumpers and tankers along the route
Soon we all were covered with soot

Taxes and tolls, mustard fields all around
Blue bus with blue curtains to Pink City bound

Raman Munjal Vidhya Mandir
Then Raman Munjan Memorial Hospital

Villages Dharu Haida, Neemrana and Kotputli we crossed
Harley Davidson Motor Company too we crossed

Majestic buildings in blue and white
Ayur Herbals too we then did sight

Fed up with demolition and construction drives
We longed to be in RTDC hive

Aravallis all around
To Jaipur we are bound

Where elephants and camels abound
And all around hear traditional sounds

Yes this is the welcome we soon did get
The Hotel Manager then whom we met

We not even knew
How three days just flew

We would love to visit Pink City again
Its really worth a visit all over again

_______________________________

A Fleeting Thought for one and all

Time flew, yet happiness grew

Nothing new, Yet all anew

What a view, when Almighty sew

Time flew and memories grew.

Warm in our heart,

Till we do part........

How Much I Missed Each One Of You

2012-03-07T02:49:00.014-08:00

Too busy I was, but here I am

To chat and talk and be with you......

When the sun shines or clouds do reign

I am part of nature just as each of you

I missed you friends, I missed you dears
Now back with you, my face smile wears
Work, work I really must say
Took its toll, day by day

With hubby here from trip abroad
Many gathered from all around
I smile at them and feed them too
But by evening I swear I just can't move

Creep into bed with the feel of a queen
For blissful I am with eight hours with me
Morning awake, think of chores to be done
Maid on leave, now what can be done

Beds to be made, and tables to be laid
Wipe my brow, and do as each one bades
Oh! Heaven above when will I bathe
Time has flown, and to class, I am late

Enter the gate with not a wish to the guard
Who smiles and nods, but my mind engrossed
What to teach and then rush to the next
Tired I am, still have to deliver my best

I love them I do, just as I love you
But with a busy life, not much in their view
As I rush, they come from behind
Do tell us this and do guide us on that

I missed my spare time, my free life
With too much of work, I missed my rhymes
Like the:-

The sun with no warmth
Clouds bereft of rain

Fireflies sans light
When we who do nothing right

Scents without spell
A deep empty well

Desert without sands
No music from city bands

Where are the rainbows
Not a jam packed show

No winter chill
No children's drill

Sea without waves
Palm without sway

A bare garden
No monthly rents

No glow in fireplace
Brides with no lace

An empty jug
No grandma's hug

No stern grandpa
No call from ma

Bird less skies
Never bid me bye

Oh God! How much I MISSED YOU ALL

Now that I am back
My brain I will rack
Rolling in laughter I want you to do
Keep fingers crossed, and see what I will do............

A verse in Hindi not exactly a sher I say
Please do bear and hear what I say

Gussa karay man vyakul
Aur aayu kam karay gum

Seemith hai seema sabki
Fir kaahay ko dukhi hum

Jaana hai us paar jahanse
Naav na lotey is jahan

Seemith hai seema sabki
Fir kaahay ko dukhi hum

Love You Folks.................

Philo

2012-01-28T03:26:00.001-08:00

Mother's Love*

Philo my sis, came last night
With her baby too, on her right
Left shoulder hung with a bag
I took the baby, may she not sag

Bob and bun, the youngest ones
Welcomed baby with a run
Baby wondered, why so much noise?
But bored it all with a poise

The baby's talk was music for all
The baby's walk was movie for all
All left their work and play
For the baby really made their day

Early morning they got dressed
Back to home, they then said
Bade we them, a very good bye
"Home empty now" we all did sigh
____________________________________________

A Loving thought or an afterthought - What is Love?

Not the cost of the gifts, would I count in my heart

But the love that you send along with, I would not part

_______________________________________________________
This was written way back in 2003 0r maybe 2004.
The baby mentioned here is now a big boy of around 9 or 10 years old.
The kid's birthday is on Valentine Day - 14th February ( I was reminded
of this poem since Feb is just around the corner ).
How time flies!
* maureenmullarkey.com

Travelling from Delhi to Jaipur ( via Punahana and Alwar )*

2012-01-11T03:55:00.001-08:00

1. Oh! Where is Punahana ?

Delhi to Punahana, what a ride
In a yellow bus, with two superb guides**
High speed vehicles, with strange gadgets and tools
And village driver grappled hard with traffic rules

Stopped at dhaba, what was it called***
Please do tell me, and then Rocket Sir called
Enough of eating, sun setting fast
For cloudy sky, pleasant weather will not last

Only 120 kms, yet all sourly done
At last in Punahana, a race with the sun
With 26 kids, for ten whole days
What a racket they will make, my mind does say

Survey begun with Chandanki
Sorry state of village, all did see
Third of Jan to Choka bus rushed
Then climb to Mazar, for our souls be touched

Fourth of Jan, onwards to Rawalki
Where Yasin Sir's family, served us tea
Evening trek, back with pack
Through village lanes, where I wished ducks quaked

Punahana to Alwar on 5th the bus took
Singing and eating halwa, as bus badly shook
Watching Aravallis, in dusty environs
But yellow flowers and buffaloes a dozen

2. Mustard fields near Aravallis

Then spent the night, at Oswal School
For tired we were, like a pack of mules
Sixth all excited, for train to catch
From Alwar city, at dawn break

Train was late due to rain and fog
And waiting room, shared with poor stray dogs
An angel descended, to help us out
Took us all, to his cozy hideout

With cups of tea, and snacks within
The cold crept out, and all did grin
Back to station, for its almost time
But where is the train, all did mime

By evening we were, in Jaipur Town
What a city, decked, from top to down
Buildings lighted and rangolis drawn
To welcome NRI's, the locals too adorned

In ethnic colours with sparkles and drums
All who saw, were truly struck dumb!
Seventh alas, I was badly sick
Cold and travel, had made me sink

To Kundu we went on eight morn
Where bangles aplenty, then wrists adorned
Next to Ameer and again to Ameer
First to village, and then to Fort Near

The pride of Jaipur, atop a hill
How they made it, with strain and will
Queens quarters, beckoned us
So we rushed, from the city bus

The intricate workmanship, please do come and see
I would like to tell, who all I see
Coffee within, and trinkets bought
To Hawa Mahal, our hearts now sought

The market place, what a heavenly gaze!
Riot of colors, on that Sunday we gazed
Shopping we did, as fast as we could
No time for a drink, howsoever good

3. Shopping in Jaipur

So happy we were, with plenty of gifts
Ten days gone by, all in a swift
Ninth morning, packing and rushing
Not to miss train, all were wishing

From the train, a glorious sight!
All in bliss, with luggage beside
With suits and chunnis, rajas and ranis
With sweets and cholis, radiant sarees****

Befriended we, Stacy and Kirsten
And Rachel from, Down Melbourne
What fun we had, with sips and gossips
With train vendors and giving tips

Delhi now beckons, to teach and learn
For life is always, back U-Turn

An Afterthought Please..........

The potter's wheel, touched me so

Bangle maker, filled me with woe

What hardly they had, yet they knew

Soon, we all have to pack, to go.........

Many a times the words just flow

There's nothing I can do, I hope you know

__________________________________

Notes:-
* Educational trip of Ma/MSc students from the Department of Geography,
Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
** Jungsher from Bisru village and Shamim from Punhana.
*** I was reminded that it was called Milan by one of my dear student while I was
writing this poem in the train from Jaipur back to Delhi.
**** Suits, chunnis, cholis and sarees are traditional Indian wear for
females and rajas and ranis here stand for puppet kings and queens.

Pictorial sources:-
1. news4u.co.in

2. ecotippingpoints.org

3. jaydevvy.livejournal.com

What Ails Poor Greece* Can Trail Us Too...........

2011-12-30T07:04:00.000-08:00

Trojan Prince Hector in the Movie , Troy
Actor - Eric Bana**

Greece dear, is in pain I hear
History of whose, all have heard

Of great statesmen, of brave warriors
Of past glory, of Trojan Prince Hector

Though over time, we all in a race
Yet we failed, to keep up the pace

Sorrow of one, is the wound of all
If not, we all are sure to fall

Sad is the day, when kids do stray
Sadder it is, when it's parents way

Think of the peace and of the joy
When homes are filled with boys and toys

Think of the wretchedness
When homes are in a mess

But for few, who shared their wealth
Many can sleep now, in their beds

Time is now, for us to awake
Time not now, to hunt for cake

Time to give and time to share
Time to remember, that '12*** can tear

Make peace with all, on this earth
Nothing else, is of much worth

Greece we love you, really we do
Soon you will be, decked anew

This too will pass, we all have heard
I stop here now, with these few words

* "Poverty forces Greek parents to give up children" by Helena Smith in
The Hindu - India's National Newspaper Since 1878
Dated 30-12-2011
** Pictorial source - imdb.com
*** 2012

An after thought.............for you I've got

Adieu, Adieu

Time flew, but memories grew

Moments spent, though soul repents

Heart still aches, and mind not wakes

Life a dream, got to wake up 'morrow....................

Thank You Dear Friends For Sharing My Pain.......

2011-12-21T04:44:00.001-08:00

1. Saint Lucia you reminded me of
Maria Dear

I thought now of no more tears

For the passing away of Maria dear
How can I forget date 13 December!
But all effort lead to further tears

2. Lucy before the Judge

Saint Lucia* a country, a new entrant to my blog
I wanted to welcome with a smile & sweet talk
But just when I thought to check its origin..........
What I unearthed, made me shed tears again

3. Granada the 4rth largest city of
Nicaragua has Architecture that
dates back to the 16th century

Now tears aside I welcome my friends.........

Nicaragua, Venezuela and Bolivia dears
American tag you all proudly wear
Managua, Caracas or be it La Paz**
Please do rest whenever through here you pass

I welcome you, to this humble site
Where tears and laughter are your right

4. Dusk falls on the streets of Vilnius,
Capital of Lithuania
and the city's Athens-inspired Cathedral.

Lithuania, Nigeria, I welcome you too
Please take a seat, I pray you do
Though a European & other an African
Care not we for all God's own

I try my best to be at my best
With a warm smile and arms outstretched
But wonder of wonders
I speak of pain that lead to tears

Now tears aside I welcome my friends.........

Jordan, Azerbaijan although small
Millions mourn at the Wailing Wall
Gone through a lot both have been
Wars and plague both must have seen

5. Bibi Heybat Mosque, Baku
Azerbaijan

I try my best to give my best
But 'morrow she*** will be laid to rest
Thoughts of pain racks my brain
Sorrow speaks as tears do reign

Now tears aside I welcome my friends.........

Iraq will surely forgive me I know
Who lost kith n kin and filled with woe
Congo too has had its share
Of gunshots and of wear and tear

6. Jame’ Asr Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque,
Kampong Kiarong, Brunei

Mauritius and Brunei maritime babes

Sing together as water babes
I welcome you both to my humble site
Where tears and laughter both are right

7. Map of the territory of Philip II of Macedon
Father of Alexander the Great

Macedonia**** always will be in our hearts
Though it be of one to other country's part
Over the years, for politic's day
But history will always have its say

From breezy north to sunny south
East and west who are revered both
I thank my friends for coming my way
For deep in sorrow I am today

Notes:-

** Capitals of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Bolivia respectively

*** My Darling Aunt Nimini passed away on 20th December, 2011.
Only on 10th December 2011 I had thanked Lord for the long life of my aunt ( You can check out "
Holiday Time " posted on 10th December, 2011 )
Patha nahi mary nazar tho nahi laghi. ( Dear God how will I interpret this ..............)

****Republic of Macedonia became independent from Yugoslavia in the year 1991. It is also called as FYROM an abbreviation for Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. (wikipedia)

*Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. One of the Windward Islands, it was named after Saint Lucy of Syracuse, Sicily by the French, the first European colonizers. The Windward Islands are called such because they were more windward to sailing ships arriving in the New World than the Leeward Islands, given that the prevailing trade winds in the West Indies blow east to west. (wikipedia)

Saint Lucy (283–304), also known as Saint Lucia or Santa Lucia, was a wealthy young Christian martyr who is venerated as a saint by Roman Catholic Church, Anglican, Lutheran, and Orthodox Christians. Her feast day in the West is 13 December. (wikipedia)

8. Windward Islands

9. Leeward Islands

Pictorial sources:-

1. thecommonwealth.org
2. wikipedia

3. eiu.edu

4. travel.nationalgeographic.com
5. starturist.hr
6. britannica.com

7, 8and 9 wikipedia

Part 2 - Countdown Begun.......13-12-11*

2011-12-13T19:19:00.000-08:00

( If interested you can also check out Part 1 of this post given on 13 - 11 - 11,

and then read this one )

galacticroundtable.com

This post is a bit scary, but I do have to share
We all have to go, where warriors too not dare

It is so easy to do what one is being told
What lovely it is, to wear silk and gold

Think of a child, a babe yet not five
Her talks, her jokes, her mother's pride

Falls prey to a monster, what else to call cancer
For 2 years she carried with continuous blabber

To doctors and nurses, priests and sisters,
Neighbours and friends, all listened to her chatter

She braved it all, with an undaunted spirit
Sat through it** all, though each did hit

Her cells, her tissues, her muscles, her bones
With best of the medicines, could she be toned

I asked her mother, what message she gave
Her life was her message, poor mother did say

What is the reason for pain, me thought
Last Message is what, I wondered a lot

Then it struck like the monsoon lightning
Countdown is here and soon all will take wing

Time for us, to all go on our knees
And prepare ourselves, so life after be eased

Thank You Maria, Thank You My Dear
For showing the way for all one and dear

Adieu! Adieu! May Gates of Heaven Open Wide
And through it our Dear Maria, will boldly stride

Maria, Maria, my darling niece
May you always, Rest In Peace

( For my very dear friends from school and colleges
who offered their sympathies and their prayers )

Thx dear friends, she was such a dear.
And the crowd that gathered were all in tears

During the end she asked only for prayers,
Gave up all medicines and pain she did bear

__________________________________________________

* Date of entry into Heavenly Abode
** Radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgeries and the rest

Holiday Time

2011-12-10T02:37:00.001-08:00

1. Journey Begun Down Memory Lane

Our uncle came to pick us up
From grandpa's house at sun-up
All in glee we dressed so fast
What could be better for a start

For holidays at our aunts house
There early morning we are roused
Follow our cousins to the pool
Where they dive and hunt for tool

Back we come from morning stroll
To have a bath and breakfast too
Lovingly made by our aunt so dear
Yet not a tiring face she ever did wear

For cooking for a hungry lot
Bent deep in cauldrons all so hot
Then to serve us from the pots
Spirit of service, all she got

Innumerable moments trapped in my heart
Although we do have to part
Now to go back memory lane
Not so easy and a lot of pain

( All this happened in late 60's n 70's, then around 2000
that same aunt fell seriously ill and I again went to meet her,
but my heart with so much of pain wrote the following.... )

Awaiting Immortality

The embers die yet the fire glows
Body weak yet the sailor rows
The plaster crumbles yet the curtains drawn

Death is near yet hope not gone
Pain does increase yet smile deepens
Heart does weep, yet teeth do show

How long now Lord, can I keep on the show
Take my body as spirit yearns to go

(At that time 3 valves of her heart were completely blocked and the 4rth 80%.
The doctors said that surgery is not advisable. When I met her
then she was all smiles and did not show that she was in pain.
But we knew that she will not live long and I was extremely upset
and wrote the following verse.............)

Aunt Very Sick

Body carries on in the house of rent
Farewells and goodbyes, and waiting to be sent
Soon with cries of sorrow the air will now be rent

But just see the beauty of Life.
She still lives on......................and it is 10-12-11

Praise be to The Lord Almighty

2. Chavakkad Beach Near Aunt's House.
Click on this pic to see the earth's curvature.

Pictorial Sources:-

1. and 2. from mary's archive

Gratitude To The Lord and A Mother's* Wish ( Come, see an Indian Bride )

2011-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Gratitude To The Lord

With a senior like Masood and a junior like Madan
What else can I ask for and Jamia is like Heaven

More than two decades I have spent in its loving fold
God, Thank You so much for your magnificent hold

The love that you had showered me with, at every corner
For a person like me who is basically a loner

.................................more to follow

_______________________________________________

A Mother's* Wish

1. An Indian Bride

Pretty face and lips so red
Velvet skin and a prince to wed
Slender hands and feet so trim
A perfect figure not a whim

High tide in the heart
Indian bride about to part
From childlike innocence
To heightened senses

Farewell child, farewell to thee
Please never come back to me
Tis from there you must leave
For eternal life back to eve

2. A well groomed groom or simply a groom?

Turn back not, my child
Moving forward out out into the wild
The world full of sin and din
No peace one has from within

Weary steps, broken legs
Shattered dreams on a deck
Of a ship in waters so spate
Even then my child, reach that gate

* A typical Indian mother

1. punjabigraphics.com
2. flickr.com

Back to Nature ( Bhatta Fall, Mussoorie )

2011-11-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

Bhatta beckons one and all
To see its enchanting waterfall
Short mountain path leads us down
Or the winding road takes quite a round

Eating berries along the way
Picking flowers in the month of May
A thorny bush in the path
Move across or be caught

Further down, deafening sounds
Make us cautious of other hounds
For all is peaceful with not a soul
Bhatta Fall for us alone

Walk had made us pant for breath
Dive in water for our health
Although hot, but water cold
Make me come out for a hold

Warmed by sun and back in water
Made me long for children's laughter
Life of old age has to pass
In this world so very vast

With hubby dear along my side
Fun filled will be the ride of life
For heaven is here when all is bliss
My children then, I will not miss

Back to nature I want to go
Leave this city with all its woe
Dreamt of future as said above
Please make it true, heart says, as I bow

________________________________________
Notes:-
1) The background image is that of Mussoorie from mary's archive
and yonder is the Bhatta Fall.
2) Bhatta is a small village around 6km before reaching Mussoorie.
It boasts of a tourist place-namely the Bhatta Fall, which is obviously
more famous now, but not then when the poem was written.
3) This poem was written somewhere around the year 2000 when
the kids were all less than 13. And now the youngest one is 13+.
Thanks be to God for Everything

Part 1 - Hounded by Cancer, Blinded with Pain*...............Yet, Your Will be Done on Earth we Pray

2011-11-13T11:04:00.000-08:00

Let us Pray **
I need help Lord, and in You alone I seek my refuge.
I ask You for help in times of trouble, small or huge

A grieving heart
A heart wrenching thought
A painful sight
A mournful voice

A babe in pain
All effort in vain
A helpless father
Well wisher's gathered

With sorrow, mother's heart laden
Destiny written with what a pen
No more dancing, n singing no more
No further chatting, n laughing no more

Pain is what now Maria has
Though she longs to be a lass
We ask for mercy from the Lord
Do take away the sorrow, God

Please make the child healthy again
Let the parents now smile again
And laughter fill the home of love
Golden girl, a harmless dove

Your will be done on earth we pray.............
Yet still we plead for sunny days
May life live and death be stalled
I sincerely pray, do listen to my call

On the eve of Children's Day***
We ask you Lord to show us the way

With Kids Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru****

Now on our knees and head held high
We cry to you Lord that let not it be a bye

But still now with bowed heads
We fear for what lays just ahead
We know You are our only help
And so we pray together again

"Your Kingdom come
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven"

From the Lord's Prayer

Note:- If you want to know more about Maria, check out Part 2 of this post dated
exactly one month after...........That is 13 - 12 - 11

* My darling niece Maria struggling with cancer
** telling-secrets.blogspot.com (pictorial source)
*** Children's Day is celebrated on 14th November in the loving memory of
Our own Dear Chacha Nehru (Chacha in Hindi means Uncle) and Nehru is
of course the famous Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru the first Prime Minister of
Independent India who had immense love for children from all over the world.
**** dipity.com (pictorial source)

Years will pass n changes a plenty....

Yet we will love our dear friends.......

No matter the wrinkles ...........

And no matter the stumbling gait.....

Aces and Races, People's of Places, Camps been Set Up, Loosen Your Laces

2011-11-04T11:02:00.000-07:00

1. Aces and Races, People's of Places

Many an ace have come to see

What a race, they clap in glee!

Here we find all together in arms

Read together for see no harm

An Asian, three Africans n Americans eight

Three Europeans too, have entered the Gate

Guyana, Libya, Namibia bold

Costa Rica, Jamaica with sunshine gold

2. Listen to Harry Belafonte
Singing
"Down the way, where the nights are gay......."

Alpine baby, Austria dear

Carpathian kid, Slovakia near

Thanks to each, each one of you

Here's a tilak* for each of you

3. Puerto Rico

In Spanish, Rich port, is Puerto Rico,

If not for Spaniards many lands not known

I Salute to Indians of Trinidad Tobago

To all these places we surely must go

4. Bedouin Caravan Riding Through
The Sahara Desert,
Near Merzouga, Morocco

Bedouins of Morocco, what a race

Belly dancers, we love to gaze

Yonder Portugal, whose men did sail

World over wide, they surely trailed

5. Cyprus Countryside - A Picture of
Environmental Preservation

Cyprus isle, Mediterranean babe

Caribbean hugs as Honduras shrugs

Although Paraguay not a coastal home

Yet it surely has a way of its own

I thank you all from north and south

For stopping a while at Mary's blog

Please do rest and read a while

For life will stretch from a mile to miles.............

___________________________________

6. Applying tilak* (red vermillion mark)
On the forehead of Guests

Pictorial Sources:-

1. quotesbank.org

2 .whoisgsx.com

"Down the way where the nights are gay,
And the sun shines daily from the mountain tops,
I took a trip on a sailing ship,
And when I reached Jamaica I made a stop".
( Dear Friends, please do not forget the golden days gone by........)

3. destination360.com
4. allposters.com
5. cyprusq.com
6. inimitableindia.blogspot.com

What is Weather and Waking up in Mussoorie and Winter Scene's in Delhi

2011-10-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

Weather Today*

Historical dates learn from a book
Scan the newspaper for a political look

Drill in maths through the master's scale**
Strain your ears that French be hailed

But weather today to be only felt
By one and all, whether child or adult

1...its cold

* This poem was written for the Preface of the book Climatology (Jawahar Publishers)
authored by my husband, Dr. Tahir Hussain and myself, Mary Tahir.
** When your teacher hits you with a rod, cane or scale or even by scolding so as you learn.
--------------------------

Waking Up ( in Mussoorie )

Sun rays fall on my window sill
Makes me wake up with a will

Morning walk on the dew
Garden filled with nature's hue

Till a steady calm foretells storm
Then back to cottage is the norm

2. Yonder is our cottage in Mussoorie

-------------------------

Winter in Delhi

Morning Scene
Foggy skies in the morning
Cuckoo birds I hear singing
White washed houses with dew drenched lawns
A heavenly hue the earth adorns

Health in T shirts and wealth in AC's
Move around in quick paces
Some to work and some for walk
And some for shopping in the town

Evening Scene
Red light, at every corner
Reaching home how, is what I wonder
Empty buses and cars uncountable
This teeming traffic on the double.................

Pictorial sources:-
1. myloupe.com.
2. mary's archive

Delhi: Then and Now

2011-10-20T12:25:00.000-07:00

1. My Delhi

Empty roads, sleepy markets
Plentiful parks and open spaces
Sound so sweet, a hoot, a horn, the zooming jet
Counting stars and kites, the slow paces

Those barefoot walks
On mud so soft
Earthen vessels, a drink so pleasant
Summer nights on the terrace

2. Those were the days my friend
We thought they will never end*

Delhi was thus, a place unbelievable
In late 60's and early 70's
Delhi now a place unbearable (am sorry to say)
With the turn of the century and even from 90's

Innumerable cars and other vehicles
What a noise they do make
Not an inch of walking space
Do I get in the market place

3. Now these are the days my friend
Our poor souls we have to tend

Is this what we call modernization?
Is this what we call westernization?
I rather prefer my childhood days
I care not for the worldly ways

Back to nature we must go
To live till ninety or even more
With strong legs and a mind so sharp
Listening to music on a harp

Oh! For the days bygone
Wait for me, take me along
My place is not this
For my mind is not here
Take me there
From whence, there is no return
60's and 70's
I long for thee

4. Metro- What a Show!

Hey presto! here comes the metro
To make us sing and smile again
Delhi we love you so
You do carry on in adversity

5. Mary Hopkins

*" Those Were The Days" Mary Hopkins, what a song you sung for us.
I thank you, I do.

Pictorial sources:-
1. 123yatra.com
2. apnieastindiacompany.blogspot.com
3. blog.travelpod.com
4. buynoidaproperty.wordpress.com
5. lyrics.as

What is Life?

2011-10-16T03:57:00.000-07:00

1. Sailing Boat

Life is simply a sailing boat
Is what I had always been told
Each day, dad drilled in a number of quotes
To be followed so as soul not sold

No more young and dad beside
When in trouble to whom can I go
For life is an ocean with high and low tide
Sailing boat then rocks me so

2. Caught in a storm

How in life I can smoothly live
Ask my creator up above
I plead for wisdom, please do give
Teach me Lord, teach me now

Life is sailing in Heaven he meant
Woes of earth will soon do pass
Then time for joy for sorrows went
Only quotes to be followed and told to mass

Yeah! Life is simply then a sailing boat

Pictorial sources:-
1. yachtpals.com
2. godsoutreachministryint.org

Waiting and Waiting...........*

2011-10-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

1. Wellington, New Zealand

Where is the silver lining of my cloud
I do look with a lot of frown
But all do say, you make no sound
God will speak and thou shall hear

Mind of mine knows no peace
Till attained what is wished for
What happened to your plans, all do tease
Some news to be taken from the door

2. New Zealand Maori Culture

* We were supposed to emigrate to New Zealand, but
problems cropped up. Sorrow speaks in the above two verses

Pictorial sources:-
1. globenotes.com
2. nzonline.org.nz