A wedding of two hearts, two souls-
A wish, a dream, a life-
For parents and couple;
The attendants come and go;
But the couple makes the difference.
Wedding
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Francy
When dragonflies hover
Above the pond algae,
Remembrance of one
Who reached fame in the discovery
Of the rare one of those.
Francy was effervescent,
Full of joy in meeting people,
Full of questions
About world politics to home fronts.
As a son, brother, husband,
Father, friend and colleague
He left his indelible mark
As someone whose joyful presence
Meant immortality.
Thressiamma
For six years, you trod this earth
Sprinkling love and light into our lives,
Coating in vivacity in immemmorable ways,
Our daily routines and mundane tasks.
Sometimes it was like the explosion of a weather balloon
When the sound exploded frighteningly in your deaf years
Or it was like the enjoyment of fish curry on your palate.
Your extraordinary reactions still stay indelible.
The radiant smile that reflected in your sparkling eyes;
The warmth of your glance reached with affection everyone around.
You have left us bereft for more than sixty years;
Yet, yours is the image that floats over the pages of my mind more frequently;
The dark short curls bobbed and mischief lit the eyes
I feel grateful to have lived in the time of Thressiamma.
Victims of Racism
We hear so much about racism in many aspects of life. But, we seldom walk in the foot steps of the victims of racism. Their experiences in various spheres of society must have been painful and often humiliating. When someone is denied opportunities in careers, education, social status and recognitions, the intensity of their hurts and pains are often ignored by those who did not have to suffer them. They suffer the cruelty and brutality of the thoughtless society’s apparent betrayals. It is more poignant because those who are in the periphery are so unaware of it.
I bow my head in front of all those who suffered and suffer and will suffer from racism.
Have I had a Second Life
Have I had a second life,
Would I have walked a different path?
I would have been happier
Giving out more happiness.
I would have been loved more
Giving out more love.
I would have been more learned.
If I have not wasted more hours.
I would have been kinder
If I had been more thoughtful of others.
I would have been fitter
If I had not lazed about.
I would have been a better writer
If I had put down my thoughts when they came.
In these twilight days,
I ruminate on days past
And vainly regret the errors of the past.
Tale of Elijah
Elijah was a twelve year old elf inching towards adulthood. He was an affectionate, sensitive elf who was always ready to help any one in need. What was remarkable about him was his readiness to face any situation.
When Elijah was not working in Santa’s workshop, he could be seen in solitary rambles in the nearby woods. There were no distinct paths in these wooded areas. It is easy for one to get lost in the meandering pathways. In these extensive areas, one could see small woodman’s huts provided for the wayward wanderer for shelter and provisions. Often lives were saved because of these simple forethoughts.
One day, Elijah was in one of his moods of wanderlust. There was a soft snow fall and the evergreens looked as if they were dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Footfalls were muffled in the soft, dusty snow which lay pristine because no one trekked that way after the snow.
Elijah’s walk was peaceful and he revelled in the quiet around him. Soon the evening approached and shadows lengthened. The whiteness of snow kept darkness at bay. Elijah kept going peacefully. His eyes were resting and only when he came close to it, he saw a big cloth bundle in front of him. Soon he realized that he could be looking at a living being. The face was wrapped in a green shawl and there was a dark parka under it. There was no movement. Elijah went closer and placed his forefinger below the nose that was visible. At first, he felt nothing. Then, he felt a gentle puff of air. He felt relieved to feel the breath of life. He felt the body and realized that the body warmth was discernible. He tried to uncover the face by moving the shawl. He saw the face and realized that he was looking at the pale face of Granny, the oldest resident in the village.
Elijah felt the urgency of the life or death situation. Granny appeared unconscious. He did not know what prompted her to leave the security of the village to wander into the wilderness. She was never known for her sense of direction. Elijah realized that for the only way to help her, he would have to move her to the village Infirmary.
Elijah faced a veritable problem. Granny needed immediate care. First of all, she needed shelter. She also needed immediate medical care. The nearest Infirmary was a mile away. Transportation was the immediate problem. Elijah felt handicapped. He was only twelve years old and he was limited about what he could do. But, he did not let it deter him. He realized that he had to move Granny at least a distance of a mile. She was a small woman. But an unconscious woman was a dead weight. He needed some contraption to transport Granny. As luck would have it, a peaked roof was visible through the branches and he saw one of the rudimentary shelters a some hundred yards away from the path.
Elijah hastened towards the hut. As he expected, the hut was filled with blankets, ropes, jackets, firewood etc. To his delight, he also found an old sled. Now he realized what he could do. He collected the sled, blankets and ropes and came back to Granny. At first he had to get her on the sled. He placed a blanket on the sled and managed to roll her on top of it. Then, he placed more blankets on top of her to keep the warmth. He used a rope to tie her safely. Granny was longer than the sled and her feet dragged. He attached two ropes to the sled for pulling.
It was an arduous task for a youngster to pull the sled with a body. But Elijah was determined to do his best. After forty-five minutes, he arrived at the Infirmary. Medical personnel rushed out to relieve him of the human burden. They took Granny to the Emergency room and started to administer immediate care. After an hour, her vital signs improved and she was brought out of danger.
Meanwhile, Elijah was checked and was given enough care to revive from exhaustion. He rested and was given hot food and liquids. Many people came to visit him and he was treated as a hero.
The story of Elijah’s adventure reached Santa’s ears. The hero was still in the Infirmary when Santa visited. Santa brought a bouquet of flowers from the greenhouse and thanked Elijah for his kindness and thoughtfulness. He pinned the Humanitarian of the Year award on a bashful Elijah’s pajama lapel. He took the hero to a recovered Granny. When Granny hugged him with grateful tears in her eyes, Elijah felt more honored than when he received the medal.
Tale of Joshua
It is hard for a teenager to find life always interesting. That was just the case with elf Joshua. Most of his time was spent in Santa’s workshop for Sports and Games. The work was interesting. But, Joshua’s mind twirled around different sports, especially soccer. He could see himself kicking, feinting, passing, heading etc. But he lacked the opportunities for practicing the games taking place in his mind.
One day, Joshua was passing by the reindeer corral. Suddenly a unique thought occurred among the whirlwinds of his mind. The idea that flashed was to organize a game between reindeer and elves.
Joshua was not late in realizing the logistical problems involved in a game between two unequal teams: two-legged against four-legged. They were unequal in weight and one team had the added appendage of obstructive antlers.
First of all, to avoid body collisions, Joshua decided to divide the field into two equal parts – Right and Left. He simply drew a line in the middle. Each team positioned on one side. Joshua also reduced the field into half length. This reduced the distance from kick to the goal. He minimized the team size to five. Now the game became more manageable.
The elves were led by Joshua who was a winger. The Goalie or goalkeeper was a much taller Luca. His reach was longer than that of his team mates. Front, midfielder and back were handled by Benjamin, Isaac and David.
The reindeer were led by Goalie, Carlos. The winger, front, midfielder and back were played by Auguste, Jan, Ram and Jasper.
A week before Christmas was the agreed upon date for the game. The time was 2 p.m. Everyone was excited and spectators gathered by the field ahead of the game. Jason was the Referee. He took out the whistle hanging on the lariat around his neck and blew three times. Everyone walked towards the field and stationed themselves to each one’s comfort. Some even sprawled around the snow-dusted grass. The two teams marched in, the elves in green and red and reindeer in yellow. Jason tossed the coin. Joshua called ‘Heads’ and Carlos called ‘Tails’. Tails it was.
Jason let the ball into play. Joshua caught the ball with his foot and maneuvered the ball for a huge kick to the reindeer goal post. The ball sailed high and rushed forward. Goalie Carlos was scrambling to follow the ball’s progress. Luck favored him and the ball hit the top bar and stopped its progress. Joshua was disappointed. Carlos kicked the ball to Auguste who passed it to Jan. Jan gave a mighty kick towards the elf goal posts. The ball sailed to the left corner. But, Luca’s reach was long and he caught it. There was an uproaring applause. The ball went back into play. The game resumed till the teams played for an hour. There was no goal from either side. The limited field and the limited number of players were restraining.
The referee wanted some resolution. He opted for a shootout. He decided that three from each team would kick the ball towards the goal. The team with higher goals would win. Both the reindeer and elves kicked to score goals. Both goalies were excellent. Until the last shooter, no goal was scored. Finally, it was Joshua’s turn. He took aim and kicked straight at the goalie. Carlos was ready to move to the left or right. He did not expect one coming straight at him. “Goal”, everyone shouted and and the first ever Reindeer vs Elves came to a close. The elves carried Joshua on their shoulders.
Santa Claus came to present medals to the winners and runners up. Joshua received a special medal for the only scorer.
The best of this unique game was the hilarity produced by the unmatched teams. The reindeer had a hard time with the antlers because often the ball was caught in them when heading. Four legs were not suited for soccer especially playing against a nimble two-legged elves team. The number of tumbles and tangles were numerous to be recorded. Often the impact of the reindeer kick on the smaller elves often gave a pause. Frequently, the game appeared clownish. Altogether, this history-creating game became a laughter-creating game.
Mud Baby
Fancy to find a mud baby
Rising out of the lotus pond;
His shorts and ‘tee’ stuck to his body,
His face, arms, hands, legs and feet
Were covered in dark, oozing mud!
Why there was a mud baby
In the miniature lotus pond,
I do not know!
He looked sad and listless;
Nothing could energize him.
Then a white fairy flew in
And held the muddy hands.
She carried him far away
To a land where no one ridiculed.
He was cleaned till his skin shone bright
And he wore white garments like the fairy
When he came back to his own land,
He shone above everyone.
The people were amazed
And they whispered,
”Is this the ugly mud baby?”
”I am the same mud baby.
Now I am loved and cared for.
All the filth of ridicule was washed away
By the white fairy of love and her people.
Tale of Eliana
Eliana was a very gentle, fifteen year old elf. She was mild mannered and one could almost say that she was shy. She was not at all aggressive.
If there is one thing that was a shortcoming in Eliana was that she was always “late”. Nobody was surprised if she was not present when anything started. Somehow, Eliana was not aware of the limits of time. Often she was known as the Latecomer.
Eliana worked in the book workshop. One day, there was a special announcement on the PA system. It was an invitation for entries for a story contest. When Eliana ran into Santa in one of her late mornings, he suggested that she enter the contest since he was aware of her penchant for reading fiction. Eliana agreed readily because she was burdened with a feeling of guilt owing to her late arrival.
Writing a story needed some preparatory thought as Eliana realized. She pondered over what kind of story she should tell. It could be a fluffy tale or a human interest story. She let ideas float through her mind.
One day, Eliana set out from home with time to spare. She had enough time to look around the Main Street. Suddenly, an advertisement placed next to the Children’s Clothes Store caught her attention. It was a humanitarian request, unlike a business sufferer
In block letters, it said, “LOVE LOCKS”. It was request for the donation of twelve inches or more hair to create wigs for children who suffered hair loss from cancer treatments. The radiation and chemotherapy often caused hair loss. Eliana’s gentle heart strings were touched. She had long, dark curly hair. Losing a large amount of hair would appear as a sacrifice at her age. Then, she thought about how fast the hair could grow. In her young mind, a thought started to form. She started to feel for the sufferings of the young cancer patients. Her temporary loss of hair appeared irrelevant. She had found her story. Resolutely, she opened the door of the store where the ad was pointing.
Eliana went to the workshop wearing her green hoodie. Nobody gave much thought to her change of attire. Days went by and Christmas was approaching. The elves were working diligently.
It was time for the festive dinner before Santa had to load up his sleigh and leave to distribute the gifts for children. Everyone was chatting and eating and there was warmth and camaraderie around. When the dessert was being served, Santa rang a hand bell. “Attention! Attention! I have an exciting announcement to make,” Santa said in a loud voice. Suddenly, all chatter ended. Everyone turned to Santa with anticipation. No one had a clue of what was coming. Then, some continued their chitchat unconcerned.
Santa rang the handbell again and all the chatter ended. All the faces turned to Santa and gave him full attention. Santa spoke in clear tones, “This is a special occasion. I am proud to declare the winner of this year’s Story contest. Eliana from our book workshop is the winner. Her story of warmth and sacrifice won the judges’ hearts. Eliana, please pull down your hood. Let everyone see what you gave up”.
Eliana stood up and pulled down her hood. There was a loud gasp in unison from all those present at the dinner. Instead of her hair at hip length, they saw her hair reaching up to her neck only. Nobody had questioned the change, but now all the faces looked the question, “How?”
Santa smiled and answered the unasked question, “Eliana donated her hair to LOVE LOCKS to make wigs for children who suffer hair loss after treatments. She didn’t want to advertise this because it was her personal choice. It came from the heart and she wanted her choice to stay within her heart. But, she was rewarded in a different way. Her story for the contest was the heart warming tale of her sacrifice. The judges were captivated. Come forward Eliana and receive your trophy”. Unhooded, she went up and accepted the silver trophy and certificate. The dining hall reverberated with the sound of the heartfelt applause. Overnight Eliana became the Story Teller instead of the Latecomer.
Tale of Aliyah
Aliyah was a thirteen year old elf. Her days were spent working in the doll workshop because girls were supposedly suited for making dolls although she was more mechanically inclined. She was a good natured elf and did not believe in whining.
One day, Santa stopped by in one of his morning strolls. He walked up to Aliyah and addressed her, “ Aliyah, I have a special request in one of the letters to Santa. It is a request for a ballerina music box for a girl in wheelchair. I know that you like mechanical objects and ballet. Please take care of this wish.”
Aliyah was delighted and she was eager to reply, “Yes, Santa. I’d like to make the ballerina music box”. Right away, Santa transferred her to the mechanical toy workshop.
Aliyah entered the unfamiliar workshop. The workshop leader took her to her worktable and pointed to the cupboards with all kinds of parts she might need. Right away she decided to collect all she would require for constructing the music box.
Aliyah took a basket and went to the cupboards. She picked up a white box with four legs and a curved lid. Then she added pink satin, glue, scissors, paints and brush, music mechanism, key, turntable, oval mirror and a ballerina figure in lavender tutu.
At first, Aliyah took the interior measurements of the box. Then she cut a circular whole at the bottom of the box to insert the musical mechanism. Using the measurements, she cut the pink satin for the lining of the interior of the box. She left an oval space in the center of the lid’s inside. She painted rose flowers on top of the lid. Then she glued the satin lining inside the box. She attached the mirror in the space left in the center.
Now she had to take care of the mechanical part. Aliyah inserted the music mechanism through the hole in the bottom. She inserted the key and played Tchaikovsky’s “SwanLake” and saw that the key worked. She placed the turntable on top of the mechanism. Above that, she attached the ballerina and turned the key. The ballerina moved gracefully in time with the strains of music. It was satisfying to see the mirror reflect the graceful movements of the ballerina. When the music ended, she closed the lid and made sure the ballerina figure folded neatly.
Aliyah was pleased with her work. But she wanted to make it presentable. She chose a red box and lined it with tissue paper. Then she placed the ballerina music box on the tissue. She closed the lid and tied a gold ribbon around the box. As a final touch, she added a golden bow. She took the gift box to Santa and returned for a well earned rest.
On Christmas morning, Santa came to see Aliyah. “Aliyah, come with me to the library.” They walked to the library and entered. Santa went to the big antique desk on which there was a huge globe. On the desk, there was a scope pointing to the globe. Santa turned globe in such a way that the scope was pointing to Clinton, New York. He explained to Aliyah, “ It is the Santa Scope and you can see anywhere in the world through it.”
Aliyah went up to the desk and looked through the eyepiece. She was looking through the window of a dark grey house with white shutters. She realized that she was looking at a living room with a ceiling high Christmas tree in all its glory. Then she saw a girl of her age wheeling in. Aliyah saw the girl picking up a red gift box with gold ribbon and bow. The girl untied the ribbon and opened the box. She made an “O” with her mouth. In the box was the music box with roses. Simultaneously Aliyah also said, “O” because itt was the music box she created. The girl opened the box and turned the key. The ballerina pirouetted to the strains of music and the girl’s joy was undeniable. Aliyah was elated and she turned to Santa and said impulsively, “ Thank you, Santa. This is the best Christmas gift for me. It was wonderful that I could see the great smile on that girl’s face and to know that I gave her that joy. Merry Christmas!”
RosyView 