The Garden of Bliss

Wading listlessly
thru’ the smog of suffering
weary yet restless steps
towards some unknown destination
stumbles midway
with no sky in sight
nor ground… under the feet
Destiny waiting in wings
watches anxiously
with motherly concern
my each faltering steps
sure to find their ground
some day
I could only hope
she’d be right
I could follow her
to the end of the world
Destiny’s still beckoning me…
Destiny’s still waiting for me…
gotta walk…!
another step…
yet another step!!!
day by day
thru’ the smog of suffering
to rest in the garden of bliss…
…
…

Happy New year 2011 (MMXI)

The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul.
G. K. Chesterton

Prayers & poems

Prayers

Dear Lord

Dear Lord, as I close the door on this old year,
I ponder on the things I’ve done…
on the things I’ve said and the joys I’ve had…
then I wonder, have I lost or won?

I’ve thought of the new friends I have made,
and of the old ones staunch and true…
the path of the old year was made easier Lord,
because I have walked it with You.

I think of all the many times,
when my burdens were so heavy to bear,
and how my faith slipped away from me…
but somehow You were always standing there.

Now as I open the door to this New Year,
and carefully peep inside,
I wonder what it holds for me…
but I’ll throw the door open wide

And whatever it brings to me and mine,
I’ll meet it with a heart so true…
I know that, Lord whate’er it may be
You’ll be there to carry me through.
Mrs. Merrel Thompson

A New Year’s Prayer
Another year is dawning
With the chance to start anew.
May I be kinder, wiser, Lord,
In all I say and do.

Not so caught up in selfish gain
That I would fail to see
The things in life that mean the most
Cost not a fancy fee.

The warm, kind word that I can give,
The outstretched hand to help,
The prayers I pray for those in need–
More precious these than wealth.

I know not what may lie ahead
Of laughter or of tears;
I only need to know each day
That You are walking near.

I’m thankful for this brand new year
As now I humbly pray,
My hand secure in Yours, dear Lord,
Each step along the way.

Kay Hoffman

A New Year’s Plea

Lord, let me stand in the thick of the fight,
Let me bear what I must without whining;
Grant me the wisdom to do what is right,
Though a thousand false beacons are shining.

Let me be true as the steel of a blade,
Make me bigger than skillful or clever;
Teach me to cling to my best, unafraid,
And harken to false gospels, never.

Let me be brave when the burden is great,
Faithful when wounded by sorrow;
Teach me, when troubled, with patience to wait
The better and brighter to-morrow.

Spare me from hatred and envy and shame,
Open my eyes to life’s beauty;
Let not the glitter of fortune or fame
Blind me to what is my duty.

Let me be true to myself to the end,
Let me stand to my task without whining;
Let me be right as a man, as a friend,
Though a thousand false beacons are shining.
Edgar Guest

Poems

New Year’s Morning
Only a night from old to new!
Only a night, and so much wrought!
The Old Year’s heart all weary grew,
But said: The New Year rest has brought.”
The Old Year’s hopes its heart laid down,
As in a grave; but trusting, said:
“The blossoms of the New Year’s crown
Bloom from the ashes of the dead.”
The Old Year’s heart was full of greed;
With selfishness it longed and ached,
And cried: “I have not half I need.
My thirst is bitter and unslaked.
But to the New Year’s generous hand
All gifts in plenty shall return;
True love it shall understand;
By all your failures it shall learn.
I have been reckless; it shall be
Quiet and calm and pure of life.
I was a slave; it shall go free,
And find sweet pace where I leave strife.”

Only a night from old to new!
Never a night such changes brought.
The Old Year had its work to do;
No New Year miracles are wrought.

Always a night from old to new!
Night and the healing balm of sleep!
Each morn is New Year’s morn come true,
Morn of a festival to keep.
All nights are sacred nights to make
Confession and resolve and prayer;
All days are sacred days to wake
New gladness in the sunny air.
Only a night from old to new;
Only a sleep from night to morn.
The new is but the old come true;
Each sunrise sees a new year born.

Helen Hunt Jackson

A New Year’s Day Poem

O Thou whose glory fills the heavens,
Whose bounty clothes the earth,
To Thee a poem of thanks we raise
For blessings from our birth.

For that untiring love Thou dost,
From day to day renew,
O may it on our hearts descend
Like heaven-distilled dew.

For mercy great, unending still,
Which gave up to the grave
Thine only Son, the Sinless One,
Our sinful souls to save.

While entering on another year
Our cares on Thee we cast,
Beseeching aid in days to come
Which cheered us through the past.

That still the freedom may be ours
To kneel down in Thy sight,
And worship Thee at shut of day,
And in the morning light.

That from temptation’s fatal paths
Thou turn our steps away;
And keep us from unholy thoughts
That lead the mind astray.

No more may lust of worldly wealth
Command thoughts that are thine;
Nor may we envy other’s lot,
Or at our own repine.

Than all the riches earth can boast
Or gems beneath the sea,
We know the pious, humble heart,
More precious is to Thee.

How needful, then, to train our thoughts,
And fan the heavenly flame
Of faith, in the believing heart,
Triumphing o’er sin and shame

And holding by the Word, thou hast
For grace and guidance given,
Pass trough this world in holy fear,
True candidates for heaven.

Charles Moi

New Years are a Chance for a Beginning
New years are a chance for a beginning
Even when there hasn’t been an end.
Wheels turn in an interminable bend,
Yet, marked in one spot, seem to wobble spinning.
Each year we hope to do a little better
Although we know that really nothing’s changed.
Reason thinks that everything’s arranged,
So we must dream if we would fate unfetter.

Harbingers of Happiness, Awake!
Harbingers of happiness, awake!
And dreams abandoned, return from restless sleep!
Past hopes, whom bitter wanderers forsake,
Promise once again what will might reap!
Years turn and turn, at each new turn reborn,
New imagined by redeemers new,
Each in turn vouchsafed a festive dawn,
Wind driven towards a sky of darker hue.
Yearning is of innocence a cause,
Embracing with delight what ought to be,
As once a year even truth takes pause,
Reflecting on what other eyes might see.

My new year wish for every one

Let the rainbows lend their hues
to your each & every dreams
illuminate them like stars
to shine amidst the darkest nights.
May joyous songs reverbrate in
your lonely chaotic hearts
May joy, peace & hope be
thy guardian angels
showering blessings
guiding thy steps
in the journey
meandering through the lifetime.

Have a joyous and blessed new year 2011.

Christmas Poems

Christmas Memories

christmas in Bethlehem. The ancient dream: a cold, clear night made brilliant by a glorious star, the smell of incense, shepherds and wise men falling to their knees in adoration of the sweet baby, the incarnation of perfect love.
Lucinda Franks

What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessings rich and eternal, and hat every path may lead to peace.”
Agnes M. Pahro

Christmas–that magic blanket that wraps itself about us, that something so intangible that it is like a fragrance. It may weave a spell of nostalgia. Christmas may be a day of feasting, or of prayer, but always it will be a day of remembrance–a day in which we think of everything we have ever loved.”
Augusta E. Rundell

Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful.
Norman Vincent Peale.

“I am not alone at all, I thought. I was never alone at all. And that, of course, is the message of Christmas. We are never aone. Not when the night is darkest, the wind coldest, the word seemingly most indifferent. For this is still the time God chooses.”
Taylor Caldwell

Christmas songs

1.
A Christmas Carol
by Christina Rossetti

In The bleak mid-winter
Frosty winds made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron,
Water like a stone
Snow had fallen, snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak mid-winter,
Long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him
Nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
When he comes to reign:
In the bleak mid-winter
A stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty Jesus Christ.

*****

2.
A Christmas Carol poem
by G.K.Chesterton

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s lap,
His hair was like a light.
(O weary, weary were the world,
But here is all aright.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s breast
His hair was like a star.
(O stern and cunning are the kings,
But here the true hearts are.)

The Christ-child lay on Mary’s heart,
His hair was like a fire.
(O weary, weary is the world,
But here the world’s desire.)

The Christ-child stood on Mary’s knee,
His hair was like a crown,
And all the flowers looked up at Him,
And all the stars looked down

*****

3.
Nativity a Christmas Poem
by John Donne

Immensity cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves His well-belov’d imprisonment,
There He hath made Himself to His intent
Weak enough, now into the world to come;
But O, for thee, for Him, hath the inn no room?
Yet lay Him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars and wise men will travel to prevent
The effect of Herod’s jealous general doom.
Seest thou, my soul, with thy faith’s eyes, how He
Which fills all place, yet none holds Him, doth lie?
Was not His pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss Him, and with Him into Egypt go,
With His kind mother, who partakes thy woe.

*****

4.
The Three Kings a Christmas poem
by Longfellow

Three Kings came riding from far away,
Melchior and Gaspar and Baltasar;
Three Wise Men out of the East were they,
And they travelled by night and they slept by day,
For their guide was a beautiful, wonderful star.

The star was so beautiful, large and clear,
That all the other stars of the sky
Became a white mist in the atmosphere,
And by this they knew that the coming was near
Of the Prince foretold in the prophecy.

Three caskets they bore on their saddle-bows,
Three caskets of gold with golden keys;
Their robes were of crimson silk with rows
Of bells and pomegranates and furbelows,
Their turbans like blossoming almond-trees.

And so the Three Kings rode into the West,
Through the dusk of the night, over hill and dell,
And sometimes they nodded with beard on breast,
And sometimes talked, as they paused to rest,
With the people they met at some wayside well.

“Of the child that is born,” said Baltasar,
“Good people, I pray you, tell us the news;
For we in the East have seen his star,
And have ridden fast, and have ridden far,
To find and worship the King of the Jews.”

And the people answered, “You ask in vain;
We know of no King but Herod the Great!”
They thought the Wise Men were men insane,
As they spurred their horses across the plain,
Like riders in haste, who cannot wait.

And when they came to Jerusalem,
Herod the Great, who had heard this thing,
Sent for the Wise Men and questioned them;
And said, “Go down unto Bethlehem,
And bring me tidings of this new king.”

So they rode away; and the star stood still,
The only one in the grey of morn;
Yes, it stopped –it stood still of its own free will,
Right over Bethlehem on the hill,
The city of David, where Christ was born.

And the Three Kings rode through the gate and the guard,
Through the silent street, till their horses turned
And neighed as they entered the great inn-yard;
But the windows were closed, and the doors were barred,
And only a light in the stable burned.

And cradled there in the scented hay,
In the air made sweet by the breath of kine,
The little child in the manger lay,
The child, that would be king one day
Of a kingdom not human, but divine.

His mother Mary of Nazareth
Sat watching beside his place of rest,
Watching the even flow of his breath,
For the joy of life and the terror of death
Were mingled together in her breast.

They laid their offerings at his feet:
The gold was their tribute to a King,
The frankincense, with its odor sweet,
Was for the Priest, the Paraclete,
The myrrh for the body’s burying.

And the mother wondered and bowed her head,
And sat as still as a statue of stone,
Her heart was troubled yet comforted,
Remembering what the Angel had said
Of an endless reign and of David’s throne.

Then the Kings rode out of the city gate,
With a clatter of hoofs in proud array;
But they went not back to Herod the Great,
For they knew his malice and feared his hate,
And returned to their homes by another way.

*****

5.
Christmas Past
by Carice Williams

Each Christmas I remember
The ones of long ago;
I see our mantelpiece adorned
With stockings in a row.

Each Christmas finds me dreaming
Of days that used to be,
When we hid presents here and there,
For all the family.

Each Christmas I remember
The fragrance in the air,
Of roasting turkey and mince pies
And cookies everywhere.

Each Christmas finds me longing
For Christmases now past,
And I am back in childhood
As long as memories last.

*****

6.
A Carol For The Children
by Ogden Nash

God rest you merry, Innocents,
Let nothing you dismay,
Let nothing wound an eager heart
Upon this Christmas day.

Yours be the genial holly wreaths,
The stockings and the tree;
An aged world to you bequeths
Its own forgotten glee.

Soon, soon enough come cureller gifts,
The anger and the tears;
Between you now there sparsely drifts
A handful yet of years.

Oh, dimly, dimly glows the star
Through the electric throng;
The bidding in temple and bazaar
Drowns out the silver song.

The ancient altars smoke afresh,
The ancient idols stir;
Faint in the reek of burning flesh
Sink frankincense and myrrh.

Gaspar, Balthazar, Melchior!
Where are your offerings now?
What greetings to the Prince of War,
His darkly branded brow?

Two ultimate laws alone we know,
The ledger and the sword —
So far away, so long ago,
We lost the infant Lord.

Only the children clasp His hand;
His voice speaks low to them,
And still for them the shining band
Wings over Bethlehem.

God rest you merry, Innocents,
While innocence endures,
A sweeter Christmas than we to ours
May you bequeath to yours.

*****

7.
The Christmas Night
by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Wrapped was the world in slumber deep,
By seaward valley and cedarn steep,
And bright and blest were the dreams of its sleep;
All the hours of that wonderful night-tide through
The stars outblossomed in fields of blue,
A heavenly chaplet, to diadem
The King in the manger of Bethlehem.

Out on the hills the shepherds lay,
Wakeful, that never a lamb might stray,
Humble and clean of heart were they;
Thus it was given them to hear
Marvellous harpings strange and clear,
Thus it was given them to see
The heralds of the nativity.

In the dim-lit stable the mother mild
Looked with holy eyes on her child,
Cradled him close to her heart and smiled;
Kingly purple nor crown had he,
Never a trapping of royalty;
But Mary saw that the baby’s head
With a slender nimbus was garlanded.

Speechless her joy as she watched him there,
Forgetful of pain and grief and care,
And every thought in her soul was a prayer;
While under the dome of the desert sky
The Kings of the East from afar drew nigh,
And the great white star that was guide to them
Kept ward o’er the manger of Bethlehem.

*****

Merry Christmas! May God shower us more with His blessings. May we find lifes true meaning as we further reflect on this blessed season. More love, happiness, success and good health!

***
*****
***

Monologues 2

2

I can understand what you are going through as I too have trodden the same path eons ago it now seems as if in my earlier lifetime. Now I feel so removed with the experience that I can view it as if it happened to someone else. It can happen to you also. Only thing you have to ensure is that you don’t lose your sanity in this nightmarish journey you’ve called upon to undertake at this stage of your life. Don’t lose heart and just push along the way and somewhere along the way you will find that nothing matters too much; to fritter away such a precious gift of life by being a prisoner of negative emotions which play havoc with our lives.

I know it seems quite impossible to think straight at times like this and if you think that it contains even an iota of truth then I would like you or even encourage you to explore and understand the whole gamut of relationships as it is quite a relative term, only we tend to absolutise everything and we find ourselves trapped at times. Generally it is a tool for our growth and transformation, only we tend to shy away as the whole process seems to be quite painful. But believe me it only leads us to know ourselves better and become a better human being as we grow into a more mature, understanding, considerate and caring individual who instead of dreading them, is open to the processes of life and trust them as the stepping stones for his or her growth.

I know it all seems so boring as the benumbed mind refuses to think since the mind has left everything unto the autopilot to cope up with the with the routine of life and has gone into the hiding as it is afraid of bringing its fears on the surface. One tends to think like that because everyone around is busy in his or her own world with neither time nor inclination to help or share problems with others, but one can’t really blame them as they too are caught in their problems of their own. But I feel the true relationship means caring and sharing unconditionally. The problems start only when we starts placing restrictions and conditions on the relations which choke and strangle the joy, affection and faith or trust inherent in any relation and it becomes a living death sentence for both the parties. And it happens in every relation be it in family or amongst friends. So the key is perhaps unconditional love and trust.

Rainbow forest 1

Labyrinth

1

Hidden in Different time zones

the holes in the fabric of time

a perfect hideaway for the sleeping

mysteries and myths

waiting to reborn…

2

 the urge to peek and wonder

beyond the pale of time

stirring the dying embers

of forgotten magical times

an escape from the harsh light lines

into the inky tunnels

of past and future unknown…

3

 the tranquil mask of time

hiding the turbulent ripples

of unknown uncertainties

calmly gazes into eternity

awaiting the revelations of

the secret divine designs

4

  to wait and seek the future

or to dive headlong in past

forsaking the moments here and now

in search of eternity

5

 Is this a mirage or an oasis

in the endless desert of time

an enchanted island lost or locked

in the battle with fate

……..

Monologues

1.

I know that the troubled and tortured soul who has been dealt with a cruel blow at the hands of the fate just wants to fade away from all knowing, prying and accusing eyes and it needs a great amount of courage and conviction to come into the open and acknowledge that everything is just not all right. Maybe this is also a part of a long string of replies you might have received recently. And of course I am also not going to say anything, which you yourself never knew maybe subconsciously or even unconsciously, but then a veil of forgetfulness would have hidden away the truth, which assails all of us every now and then. The quest embarked upon by you is the quintessential question every sensitive soul is grappling with since time immemorial.

Every one of us has torn bits of the same picture whose lost parts have to be found for viewing the complete picture. This is how we ought to perceive the reality since we all are the different parts of a single whole. Nothing or no one can function in isolation or in a vacuum. Don’t lose heart and just push along the way and somewhere along the way you will find that nothing matters too much; to fritter away such a precious gift of life by being a prisoner of negative emotions, which play havoc with our lives. I know it seems quite impossible to think straight at times like this and if you think that it contains even an iota of truth then I would like you or even encourage you to explore and come to an understanding of the whole gamut of relationships as it is quite a relative term, only we tend to absolutise everything and we find ourselves trapped at times.

Solitudes Sagas……

Loneliness….

It is also true that no one likes to be left alone, abandoned by the society, an outcast, a pariah forced to live in grim solitary cell of loneliness, a condemned man to live and die alone as decreed by the anonymous and faceless society of mankind rushing into the whirlwind called life which may take them to places they have never been to, or might leave them stranded them at some deserted island or sink them at the high seas. Still the risks involved seem to be of no consequence as compared to being left alone, abandoned and cast away by everyone.

And loneliness or solitude seems to be too big a price to for being unable to accept or tolerate few inconvenient moments arising out of the disdain, hatred, scorn, indifference or apathy reflected in others eyes. The interplay of these and other emotions remain a harmless pastime till the moment they persuade or force one to act or go against ourselves or others. Since it doesn’t matter much, whether we go against others or ourselves as everyone involved is affected and suffers in the long run. No one can claim to remain undisturbed or untouched by the consequences set in motion by the acts or choices made in the past.

The rippling effect or the consequences sooner or later catches us all, enmeshing in the vicious web of the dangerous undercurrents formed by the interplay of the huge waves of emotions threatening to go out of hands, bent on wreaking havoc and destruction and sometimes threaten to drown our sanity, belief systems, and values like hope, love, kindness and understanding, the main edifice or foundations upon which the entire mankind has built and woven the complex networks of relationships a safety net to avoid falling down or getting hurt. In the absence of any kind of support system one would not be able to survive for long, if left alone at the mercy of elements or nature or even life.

Soul Connections

Friendship is a very unique and complex set of inter-relationships between two or more individual having diverse backgrounds, clearly falling outside the usual set of relationships, the kinsfolk or relatives or clan or caste-subsystems when we talk of our subcontinent. It is a circle of light/radiance illuminating the inner recesses of our soul where a friend enters unbidden at times of joy or sorrows where other abandons or deserts us in our greatest hour of need. A true friendship can withstand the tests of time and knows no boundaries or restrictions or limitations as is the case with other sets of relationships which is the most prominent leitmotif intricately woven across the tapestry of human life. All our faults and flaws mirrored in the eyes of a friend does not make them despise or desert us but a loving and compassionate friendship based on the values of unconditional acceptance and non-judgmental attitude.

Pebble’s Street

Mind the eternal wanderer, ever so elusive, always on the run, not content in staying at one place or rebels at the mere thought of being tied down or confined within boundaries or closed spaces. But the question remains, if it is forever on run, and then is it a fugitive of what or whom one may never know.

Is it trying to escape from the time space continuum and trying to break free from the barriers or the constraints imposed by the three dimensional reality or illusions thereof or from being a non entity or in a state of non-being falling down into the abyss of nothingness, a big black hole, an alternate reality where everything is in reverse mode, not the one we are used to.

So it becomes very difficult for the mind to accept these things, as we are unable to handle reversals in life which involves a lot of back stepping or looking back if only to gain a new perspective of the problem or obstacles lying in wait for us to trip and fall down.

Circle of radiance 1

Magic Lantern

 

Honestly I have no other word to explain it, so I would rather make use of it and hopefully get away with it. Since I can not explain it in any other way, so I am convinced that perhaps this is the little secret every moment hides from us all. Well, I have come to believe that every moment comes into our lives with its special melody or symphony as well as its unique light to illuminate the path we are heading at that precise moment. But sadly, we remain oblivious of its inner fire which glows to illuminate the dark expanse of our innerscape, perhaps to make us privy to or impart some semblance of order to the chaotic universe inhabiting in our inner beings unknown to us.

 

The epiphany which silently fills our entire being with a sense of wonder whose radiance in turn illuminates our entire universe in which several of the puzzles and riddles which are tormenting and torturing us since long for its rightful solutions gets solved or cleared in a jiffy, leaving us filled with a sense of exuberance, joy and wonder. It envelops our soul in a warm embrace so as to reassure us its presence in our lives when we are given to doubting, that in the rush to move ahead in the life perhaps we had lost it for good. And at that particular moment everything falls into its place and becomes crystal clear for everyone to see, only if we are inclined to trust our heart and go with the flow instead of obstructing the flow of life with our preconceived notions and prejudices. Then there is no conflict or any cause to be scared if we place our trust wholeheartedly in our mysterious and magical journey called life since whatever happens is nothing but stepping stones for us to tread and follow to reach the final destination come what may.

 

Every situation or circumstance howsoever uglier it may seem at that moment is a magical mirror for us to see and respond to, if we are scared then the mirror would turn ugly to scare us even more but if we patiently explore the mirror placed in our way to reveal its true significance then it may show us or reflect the truth or the quest as the matter may be. Like, when we are troubled by the way people behave then perhaps it was the time for us to stop and listen to the silence which hides the truth into its veil. Only then we would be able to see that if we had enough love and peace and understanding then everything would and could be forgiven and forgotten since love conquers all odds and obstacles, in fact everything.

 

And love is more than sufficient for all of us to live and be, the trouble starts when there is not enough love amongst ourselves and  we are unable to love unconditionally as the love ought to be. Very often it becomes a tool or weapon to punish or reward others. We start to with hold it from those who are in great need for the same and bestow it on others who are unworthy of honors. Even then, in the last analysis it is not something to be used so badly. Rather it is life incarnate, nothing else. And nothing matters anymore when love is present in our lives. It is a patient teacher and guide which holds our hands and lovingly guides us through different intersections of life.