Haikus Only : OSI & Haiku Heights ( 2)

Haiku Heights Prompt : Resurrection
OSI Prompt : Empty



Destroyed monument
Of my big ego craves for
Its resurrection

****

Deserts live on
With nature’s empty promise of
Rains tomorrow…

****

Resurrect my dead
Dreams, for I breathe hope
Moment to moment

______________________________________


Prompted by my heart:


Rainbow melts
And my winged dreams
Catch colours

BIG HEART & BIG MIND i.e Extra Ordinary..

A few friends after reading my post A HIT ON THE HEART , THANK GOD asked me why was I always thinking with my heart... here's my answer.. a long one.. but I am sure flow would be smooth.. journey would be comfortable as it has been for me..as I wrote it..hope you will enjoy..like always


Ah, God & I, My God!

Ah, my relationship with God
Who has always been by my side –
Some chemistry, God only knows
What exactly it is!
It all started much before
My coming to this planet
Sometime as per Earth’s calendar
On April 01, 1960,
I was suddenly summoned
By GOD to his chambers
Without any prelude
I was delivered the news
Of my inevitable visit to Earth
Oh! What a great delight!
I just couldn’t wait.
Had always loved earth.
So beautiful, glowing always,
Couldn’t comprehend
It could be so fragmented
God asked me to follow him
Inside a divinely decorated room
Clapped his hands and suddenly
Out of nowhere appeared
Four glass windowed closets
Each closet had a label on it
Starting from the closet
Next to the door the four labels read: SMALL MIND SMALL HEART,
BIG MIND SMALL HEART,
SMALL MIND BIG HEART,
BIG MIND BIG HEART. I was really bewildered.
God looked at me
Then said, “ Pick your choice.”
Left with no other alternative,
I immediately opened the closet
With the label BIG MIND BIG HEART Right choice, or so I felt
But I was utterly disappointed
And amazed to find it empty. I protested. God smiled and said,
“This is a rare combination for
Rare souls who are sent for some
Very specific missions by me,
Not for you my child ”.
And I remembered Gandhi,
Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King
Nelson Mandela…and a few more..
Yes, taking it in my stride,
With great reluctance, I made a
Choice of SMALL MIND BIG HEART.
While opening that closet
I looked at God who had a very
Meaningful smile with a kind
Of an expression
Difficult to explain, so I won’t.
And I don't know why I didn't
Pick up the other choice of
Big Mind Small Heart..
As the years passed by,
I found that my small mind
Had its own limitations to think
And I often landed in trouble
One fine evening when I sat
Quietly watching sunset,
My eyes shed a couple of tears
A small child touched my hand
And asked, “ What happened?
Why are you crying?”
I knew that revealing my problems
To him wouldn’t really mean much
But then I had someone to share with
So, I told him how my small mind
Was incapable of thinking beyond
I explained how
That was affecting my whole life.
After listening to me with total
Attention and concentration of
An adult that little child smiled and said,
“Then why don’t you think
From your heart?
Won’t it compensate
For the limitations of the mind?”
Just one simple sentence, that!
The words struck me
It was correct that I had a
Much bigger heart, which mostly
Remained unused due to my
Own ignorance
I looked at that child
Slowly walking away.
The smile on his face looked
Very familiar to me
But I couldn’t place it immediately
Taking the wise counsel
I started thinking from the Heart
Struggle between Heart and Mind
Continues and whenever Heart wins
I celebrate, and you know
Happily so, occasions to celebrate
Are increasing manifold
And the biggest benefit, yes,
I could write poetry…thoughts from heart
Ah, coming back to that smile of the child
It was similar to God’s who had smiled
At the time of my making the choice
Ah, God & I, My God!
There’s never a feeling of emptiness.. And I know I couldn't ever be one with
BIG HEART & BIG MIND i.e Extra Ordinary..

RS  :)

LOL: Prompt: Stumble

Elephant & Ant


Elephant stumbles
Ant behind him screams
"Hold me, stupid"

And then Ant stumbles
Elephant screams, "Should've worn
My shoes, girl!"

Monkeys sitting
On the tree adjudge them
" Best couple!".

Jealous She-Elephant
Wants to kill the Ant
But isn't well.

Elephant and Ant
Oblivious, continue Journey
Honeymoon hut waits..

******


He stumbled, and fell
In the lap of a hideous princess
Punished with marriage..

A Hit on the Heart, Thank God!

Written for OSI Prompt : Pensive
And 3WW Prompts: Abstain, Prayer, Halo
Haiku for Haiku Heights: Festival

A Hit on the Heart, Thank God!

What a beckoning prompt
'Pensive’, reading itself
Made my heart pensive
As I began to reflect
What could I write to give
Respect to this thinking prompt
So thought to let it be something
From every day experience
It needed deep contemplation
To pick up what was it
That happened
Frequently, because of my
Habit of thinking
From the heart..
Ah, yes one thing stood out
My heart had been getting hit
Consistently, day in
And day out… everyday
Earlier the pain would
Stop me in my tracks
As I would hide in some
Dark corner to curse
My past and of course
Everyone from there
But then recently it happened
I was having my daily chat
With God while in prayer,
Most of the times
He only listens and on very
Rare occasions, responds too
So on that rare morning
When I talked with Him
About the tolerable pain
I had been suffering due to
Many a hit on my heart,
Because I always
Thought from heart,
In spite of the world around
Telling me to abstain
From this habit that provoked
Minds to hit out..
God listened to me
And gave me a Mantra,
Very profound, no wonder
Such profundity could come
Only from God
So picking up my lesson
From that morning’s miracle
Whenever my heart gets hit
I tell myself loudly enough
So as to make
My soul too listen
“A hit on the heart
Thank God, yet another
Karmic debt repaid...”
I do wonder, then
When the whole debt
Gets repaid, will the heart
Bloom or just stop
Well that will have to be
Experienced with time
For God refuses to tell
And indeed deserves to keep
The secret & some suspense
To make life more
Interesting for us humans
And one can keep wondering
Pensively or cheerfully
The way one wants to..
But one thing is certain
After using the Mantra
I am feeling a lot better
And it’s not a halo claim..

*****




Haiku for Haiku Heights

Cheerful and Joyous
Happily dancing in my heart
Thoughts in festive mood!




Do visit if you haven't my 100th post just before this!

My 100th Post...

……………..Thank you all… .lovely people..for always encouraging..
Written for OSI Prompt : Pensive

Haiku Heights : Festival

LoL Prompt : Proposal

GROWING UP WITH THE BOOKS

When I was a child, I’d often be
Curious to know what happens next
So while choosing to read I’d find
The Mystery Books among the best

Then adolescence saw me concentrating
On my behavior and the looks
Eyes would wander in search of magic
I was keen on reading Romantic Books

While crossing thro’ the last of teens
As gifts from a childhood friend, I read
Ayn Rand’s epics The Atlas Shrugged
And timeless classic The Fountainhead.

20s & the 30s saw me as a grown-up
Who was searching for happier ways to live
That’s when I found myself relishing
The books that taught me to be ‘Positive’

Into the 40s and life led me towards
Finding meaning of life itself
Bend of mind pensive and philosophical
Lo! Books on philosophy filled my shelf

Now entering 50s, I find Blogging
Bringing about some kind of revolution
Sharing thoughts with discerning minds
Resulting into my humanistic evolution

Don’t know which way it’s headed now
But I may find true meaning of ‘Living’
Constant efforts may shift my focus
From ‘Taking’ to unconditional ‘Giving’

Would love to fulfill just one longing
No, no, it’s not about money or fame
But among the myriad books in shelves
There should be some bearing my Name..

****

Haiku: for Haiku Heights

Sound of flute

Sound of flute
In the air, festive mood
Fireflies dance

For LOL : Prompt - Proposal

Pen proposed to Pencil

She blushed, but why did

Paper turn pink

Answer to why?

Pen proposed to Pencil,

Paper thought, 'twas for him

So, turned pink..

*****


A Little shift..


Pencil proposes to paper,
Who turns pink and then blue
Cos', Pen gets jealous..

Ah! Stars Sing

This is 99th

Ah! Stars sing
Dancing Moon falls, bounces

Lo! Hangs on a tree

Don't miss my 100th post... will write for OSI Prompt Pensive

Moon Feels Helpless

Seeing Earth’s plight
Alas, Moon feels helpless
So shrugs pensively

Reflection of Her Face

Reflection of her
Pensive face, creates ripples
In torpid water

With So Much Love Scattered Around

Each day begins on a happy note
A cup of hot tea in my hands
A little chit-chat with the plants
A cute exchange of smile with the flowers
An ear to the music of chirping birds
A soft whispering touch of cool fresh air
Birth of a few virgin thoughts
Rays of hope filling my heart
A clear blue sky extending its arms
Angels gifting peace of mind
As I find unconditionally surrendering
To the charms of a beautiful universe
Ah, to begin my day in such delight
With so much love scattered around
How can I let anyone wipe my smile
Can’t permit anyone steal the glitter
Of my dreaming eyes
Gifted by first ray of the rising Sun
No, none can leave negative thoughts
Disturbing my peace of mind
Those getting connected must also feel
Cheerful and energized
Where is the choice with God gifting
Such a beginning of yet another day..
Yes, each night I would slip
Into deep slumber
With a prayer on my lips,
Seeking from God
Yet another happier and joyful day..

****

Life Pulled Me Back...

She held my hands
Looked into my eyes
And whispered conspiratorially
“Hey, let us make a new beginning”
But life pulled me back
With all the force of love…

Haiku for 3WW, Haiku Heights, OSI

Oh, HAIKUs! I have got fascinated by them in just about a week - before that we were strangers - and perhaps they with me....now they would keep on knocking to enter my mind and get spread on the page.. so spilling one here. Hope you will like ...

3WW : Phase, Stumble, Grimace Haiku Heights: Strange OSI:Beginning


Words stumbled
Beginning of a strange phase
Creativity grimaced..

Edited version to make it a true haiku hopefully... would love to know from you..

A sad new phase begins

Creativty grimaces

Strange, words stumble

Beginning & Struggle

First for OSI Prompt : Beginning
Followed by Haiku Heights Prompt: Struggle




I CRIED OUT LOUD


A loud exclamation
Followed by shouting screams,
Giggles and laughter
Expressing happiness and joy,
Punctuated with sudden sadness
It was all confused murmuring
None exactly knew, as
Elderly women came out of
The poorly lit space
Leaving the one lying
On a quilted bed
Having a mixed expression
With tears of happiness
As well as grief rolling
Down her cheeks together
Hand in hand, without distinction
And then quietly merging with
A cotton-filled old pillow
When there was a sudden
Burst of crackers
She knew-God had been kinder..
Outside the door
Stood a man in his fifties
Anxiously waiting if his prayers
Would be answered
And then with just one fleeting gesture
God appeared to have whispered
In his ears, “Congratulations!
I thought of gifting two
But taking one back home
For someone else needs him more.”

The man with folded hands
Prayed and recited ancient scriptures
Knocked on the door
Seeking permission
To enter the room
Where lied his soul mate
And wrapped in cotton
A part of their souls
Yes, he was breathing
And next to him another
Soul-less form, having lost
His breath to God’s wish
Man sat next to the woman
Holding her hands
Both of them together
Laughed, cried and then laughed again
And then arrived two girls
Dancing, cuddling, laughing
They were happy with the one
A little baby toy
To play with, devoid
Of the feeling of the loss of other..
No, I couldn’t see all this
Because my eyes were tightly shut
I narrated from what I later heard
Yet I knew I was at a new place
It appeared a little less dark
A bit insecure & unsafe,
Too much clamor & noise
I remembered having someone
Next to me for long in my cocoon

But now, I felt alone
I got scared, fear gripped me
So I did what I could have done
Under the unique circumstances
I cried out loud,
That was the beginning of my life
Despite everyone losing hope
I had survived to live my share
On this beautiful planet
Yes, I missed my twin,
Observing others
So many of them
Like Joy & Pain,
Sun & Shade
Happiness & Sadness,
Success & Failure
Highs & Lows, oh,
They always stayed around
In this journey of life
I have often wondered,
Had God gifted him too
Would I then be the same,
Or I would be someone else
If it were to be a contrast
Oh, I shudder to think…
Lo! Look at God smiling
He always does,
Whenever I write
About a portion of life
Which I would be convinced
Had been designed by him…


Haiku Heights: Struggle

Twins born to win
One reached on arrival
Won without struggle


*****

Mind struggles
To read long poems
Haiku delights


But then Heart commands while writing..A big thank you for reaching here, I can imagine the struggle..

Haiku for Haiku Heights : Field

My First Haiku

Colourful fields
Flowers chase butterflies
Trees around laugh


And the second one:

In dreamy fields

Shingles turn into stars

under moonlight

********

"Words fly like colourful kites on Haiku Heights "

"One single Impression.. I feel emboldened to give my thoughts expression"

"Three Words Wednesday.. lets the poet in me, with words, play"

New entry for OSI and 3WW and Haiku Heights

First an attempt for Haiku for Haiku Heights.. (Prompt: Field)
(Thanks to Leo for guidance.. Edited what I had put earlier for Haiku)

Thanks! Leo
Well, here's my new take for Haiku:


Colourful fields
Flowers chase butterflies
Trees around laugh

********

And now here's an attempt to write on combined prompts of OSI and 3WW
Connoisseur, Coccon, joke, remedy, leverage, predict, Drink, Feeble..



Birth of a New Star

How could he be refused
Even if the painting appeared
A big joke on the sensibilities of art
There was no remedy
Had to be exhibited in the Gallery
Among the contemporaries
For the artist had the leverage
Being son of a famous connoisseur
And who could predict
The painting may fetch good reward
Oh, don’t tell me that
You would be surprised seeing
The headline on the relevant page
Screaming,"Birth of a New Star"
Isn't it how the world moves
And drunk with success,
Swollen heads make
Feeble claims of the authenticity
Ah! Why did I come out of my Cocoon?
And I know the answer
In spite of all this
World is so very beautiful..

******

Hi friends, if you haven't visited, please scroll down and
do look at the immediate last post "Power of the Prayer"
Thanks!

The Power of Prayer - 3WW

Very intersting prompts from 3WW - Joke, Remedy & Leverage.. what could one write.. Well, here's my take.. Before the main poem an attempt on Haiku.. here..

Give me leverage
And my jokes would kill
Without remedy..


The Power of Prayer

A carnivorous Lion
Suddenly found a Zebra
In front of him
Wow, what a colourful
Herbivore feast!
Lion was ecstatic
Fear gripped Zebra
Nowhere to go
With feet stuck
He looked for some remedy
In the difficult situation
Nothing..with thick shrubs
On both sides
Knew won’t be able to
Beat the lion
Even if chose to run
Finding life in absolute danger
Prayed to God for some leverage
“What a joke!”, lion laughed
So arrogant and haughty
Had to be, for
He was king of the Jungle
That’s when a bullet
Pierced through
The middle of his shining eyes
And then another, and another
Ah! Couldn’t ever understand
The power of prayer
That’s how the weak
Survive and keep going…

OSI : Connoisseur (2)

How he wanted to be a famous painter
But the contemporaries killed the competition
He was asked to judge , made connoisseur...

( If you haven't , do visit the earlier post for this prompt.)

OSI Prompt : connoisseur

Painting of My Life

Oh, it took me
Thousands of hours to
Make a painting
Of my life
Splashing black and white
On the canvass
Redoing, rehashing
And finally getting tired
Leaving it to its fate
I hung it on the wall
Of my inner space, a wall
Prepared with
Priceless gifts of bricks & bats
Thrown at me, by adversaries
And decorated with smiling
Bouquets & flowers
Received on the way from
Friends, allies & aliens alike
She came, she stood
She saw, she wondered
She contemplated
She thought
And finally, she exclaimed
“Wow, this is fantastic!”
She had spotted bright days
In the black and
An occasional scary night
Here and there in the white
Ah, a real connoisseur of art, she!
No she didn’t bother about
The wall that exuded
Mysterious unease;
Over many years now
She has been adding colours, and
Improving the painting
Of my life and I don’t intervene
Because I keep myself
Busy collecting bricks and bats
And myriad ornamental decorations
Because wall too needs
Constant touch & renovation..

Arriving Stronger..

My immediate last post mainly on 3ww prompt raised a querry by a friend..How does one exercise control.. I have tried to answer here using again the prompts given by 3WW.. I have tried to put what I think..


Arriving Stronger

Drink from the cup of vanity
And you would have a feeble conscientious
Not so difficult, then to predict
What lies at the end of the road…
But you can say - who is bothered
Life is here and in the now...
And I would find
My foundations shaken again
Yes, doubt is indeed a powerful force
Pushing one to make a retreat
But then a questioning soul
Puts one back on the track
Life goes on, on and on
Yet the track never appears
To be reaching a concrete destination…
And one’s soul too doesn’t tire
Itself from questioning
Thus keeping one strong on one’s feet
Reaching may take a bit longer
But thanks to an untiring soul
And with the blessing of God
One may , in the end, arrive stronger…

To get a feel of this.. do visit " In spite of nocturnal temptations.." written for 3ww.

In Spite of Nocturnal Temptations

Well friends.. this comes as my reponse to the prompts Cocoon at OSI and Drink, Feeble and Predict at 3WW.. Hope you will like it.. I share what is likely to be the fate of anyone who tries to be 'a Little More Than Ordinary' in Intellectual and Spiritual dimensions of life.. I am sure many of us have similar experiences.. my journey may be similar to yours too..

In Spite of Nocturnal Temptations

Liquor flowed as a natural consequence
Of a predictable victory
Power was celebrating more power,
Yes, a lot more power
Glasses glittered in the glittering environment
I stood on a side watching the frenzied mood
When a light tap on my shoulder made me turn
And he stood smiling.. the host..
A face that exuded control
“Hey, why don’t you drink man, tell Me,
Pick one and make it bottoms-up,”
He wanted to know as a matter of right.
“ Well for the same reason for which you do”
I was quite honest in my response
He didn’t understand
And his attempts to persuade continued
As the evening slowly turned into night
In spite of nocturnal temptations
I firmly stood my ground
Watching many find it slipping
Under their feeble feet
But by next morning none remembered
Anything about abrasions,
Insinuations and provocations
Except me, as I was left to carry the burden
Of undesirable memories created
By being amidst socially desirable people
Yes, price had to be paid
For having stayed awake in the safety
Of the cocoon built by me
Over the years where my values
Had remained untouched
Strong enough to be my guideposts
In the tumultuous waters of life
Ah! I could always reach back safe…

OSI Prompt : Cocoon II

COCOON II

Created an impenetrable Cocoon
To keep happiness safe and protected
And lo! Forgotten to put myself inside..

Don't forget to see earlier post: Much Ego About Nothing..

Much ‘Ego’ About Nothing : OSI Prompt 127

Thanks to Tammie Lee for such a challenging prompt: Cocoon, but then it gave one an opportunityto pour out all that's hidden.. here's the truth..my truth as perceived by me..
Welcome.. A very happy and enjoyble Friendship Day to you!



Much ‘Ego’ About Nothing
How could I face a world
So different
Than the world revolving in my mind
Around the Sun of my own ego
Burning dreams, blowing hot winds
Of my own aggression..
Destroying delicate threads
With which relationships are woven
I needed protection from my own self
So I created a Cocoon
Of my own assumptions and beliefs
And quietly hid inside, lest someone
Would find and try to break
My myths about myself
And how could I have taken the risk
Of crawling out of a fissure created by the
Constant knockings from the beams of vanity
I stayed hidden, because
Finally I realized, that
It was by staying hidden
That I was able to make myself
So highly visible in the eyes
Of those, who always preferred to look
Beyond me, having fulfilled their needs
And I don’t find myself
Even a bit uncomfortable
When I find their eyes wandering
Around every corner
Of their glittering ostentatious spaces
Seeking their favorite prey,
By throwing a bait of false appreciation
Who, earlier, by taking the bait
Would get whirled into frenzy
To feed his own misunderstood ego..
But not anymore, yes no more
For I have thrown my Ego
Too long, far ahead
Won’t mind picking it up again
But it would be so very difficult to
Go to those lengths, anyway
For the truth is that
Journey has just begun,
I am a lot happier, too
As I appear to have slowly
Begun crawling out of the Cocoon
Through a crevice that appears
Harmless, as it got created
By the shining beams of hope
Which pierced through what otherwise
Appeared impenetrable crust
And today I know that it had been
Much ‘Ego’ about nothing..


RS