The Warmth Within (#Haiku #Photography)

We all find ourselves at the mercy of a chilly night or an empty street at one time or another during our lives with no companion to warm our shoulders that dropped at the prospect of having to face terrible hardships alone. None, not even the ones that we believed loved us the most, cared for us the most. We often look everywhere for our missing pen while we were holding it all along in our very own hands. At every phase of our life we have someone by our side who strengthens us. But there are also these periods when we are alone and left to fight on our own. But we know we can’t make it out alive unless we get help. And that is when you seek the help of your companion you have been overlooking. It is you. It is the hope within you.

~ ~ ~

I wrote this haiku a long time back. While I was struggling with the block, I started mashing up photography and poetry to help myself out of the sluggish writer’s block. It kind of worked. To write words and tie them together seemed a mighty task. But slowly, with the help of photographs and some Photoshop skills, I started to get back on track to writing and blogging again. So now that the story behind posting this, drop your comments and share your thoughts about the haiku. Link back to your posts, I’d gladly read them. I can’t write good stuff if I don’t read good stuff!

 

Together Into Unknown Waters

we found shelter
under the same canopy
rain, start of something

~ ~ ~

Writing a haiku after almost two months. This time, I stumbled upon Haiku event at Write Tribe. I never knew haiku ‘had’ to have a reference to seasons, or technically, the presence of a ‘kigo‘. Kigo is a word or phrase associated with a particular season.  Those visiting from my entry at Write Tribe, if you love haiku, here is another Haiku portal for poets: Haiku Heights hosted by Leo. It is a lot of fun there too, and every April and November, we have a month long haiku challenge! Its good to be haiku-ing, writing and blogging again! Please do drop by and share your thoughts about the haiku.

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Black and White Heart on facebook.

Fly My Soul Like A Kite

of all symphonies reverberating in the yonder,
one magically hooked my soul and made me fly.

and as I soared,
a myriad of worlds unknown, flashed before my eyes,
each one looking so much like home,
I felt like seeking asylum in every such world,
regardless of what it had to offer,
sorrow or serendipity.

of all symphonies reverberating in the yonder,
one magically hooked my soul and made me fly.
my consciousness. my conscience.

~ ~ ~

April Haiku Month, Day 26: Waterfalls

waterfall beckons . . .

people are convinced it would cleanse them

even if they raped

~ ~ ~

Many of the believers in god blindly believe in things like these, that ‘are said to’cleanse their souls and wipe off all the sins they committed. Many ARE CONVINCED that they become good by taking a holy dip or doing a holy prayer or something. Let me tell you, these people are blind. Blinded by faith in the unknown and unseen, and blinded by lust for the material and mundane. These are the people who have no guilty conscience, or just a little may be. These people go to temples and offer huge amounts of money and gold and BELIEVE that their future is secure and that they have bribed their god enough to let them off any crimes and sins they committed. And god isn’t helping either, because they really seem to be getting away from what they deserve for everything they did. India is the biggest hypocrite on the world map. The world would be half a better place than it is now if these people started believing in undoing their wrongs, not ‘devote’ themselves t0 ‘god’ in reparation.

 

April Haiku Month, Day 20: Rosemary

a five year old girl . . .

cheeks, innocent rosemary pink,

gets raped by neighbor

~ ~ ~

A 5 year old girl was raped in Delhi, India. I don’t have the strength to talk about the incident or the details but if it troubles you, here it is: A brutal and barbarous rape of a 5 year old. But I’d try to make sense nevertheless for I am, as always, not at peace.

The place where it happened is generally not important, because the abuse, assault, exploitation takes the precedence and rightly so. But ‘Delhi’ is the capital. and India is now ‘so much into’ these things that the place of incident is important next only to the victims themselves.
We, I, keep talking about faith and love for a nation all the time, think about it a lot. These are times when it is shaken. Rememeber what I said a few days back about boston bombing? i wantedly did not complete my opinion there, because i couldn’t take it as I was considering what it all meant. But now I see I held back for no reason. It is not only the ‘groups’ who believe in an ideal which are treat to the whole mankind, its f***ing every man in his own damn way!

I talk about faith, trust and love all the time. And these things stand to be important for every citizen of a country. Well, right now, all of that is shaken. It has never been ‘constant’ I must admit. I just tell myself, ‘maybe tomorrow’. But no, maybe I’d die being a fool who kept believing in change that never came.

click it for a better view, the text on the cards is blurred at this resolution.

With what people did after Nirbhaya incident, the protests and the calls for DEATH of the criminals, we have been seeing such things with little or no change in numbers. And consider the fact that all actual incidents of women exploitation don’t come to light, not get the media attention. Consider the suffering that we cannot see, that we cannot relate to because those stories are don’t come up.

India has always been a nation with great prospects for itself. Maybe we will end up only at that much, and never see a nation which changed itself into a true haven for humans. Of course, the world is no safe haven either. But with what India boasts about, we are a let down to ourselves. We are our own demise.

I don’t want people telling me not to lose hope, because you are not in my head and have not seen the world with my f***ing eyes. You only care when things happen.
“People need dramatic examples to shake them out of apathy” – I quote Batman again. If we are going to need ‘examples’ to make us think in the right way, at the current rate of our progress, the number of examples needed for men to change is equal to the total no. of women in this country, the newborns included.

April Haiku Month, Day 17: Owl #BostonMartyrs

ALREADY SLEEPLESS

---

no owl hoot needed

to wake me up, already sleepless.

Boston still on mind . . .

~ ~ ~

Terrible and tragic. Boston bombings are another reminder of the dangers humans, who form groups believing in an ideal, pose to themselves. Rest in peace, the martyrs. They were standing up to the oldest marathon in the world, one that survived WWI and WWII. Heartbreaking in the least. And half way across the globe, an earthquake devastates parts of Pakistan and Iran. Not a good day. Not a good day at all.

These are times when you have to tell others, and mutely to yourself, ‘it is going to be alright’ even though the logical part of your brain knows full well it can only get worse. If not for you, for the world in general. At times like these, I wish I had someone to talk to and cry my heart out. But when I think of all those who actually are the victims of such terrible attacks, I endure in silence for I know my pain is far less than what they are going through. I guess, sitting some hundreds and thousands of miles away, all you can do to support them to keep going is spend some time thinking about them. That indeed might transform into strength for them.

It is easy to get depressed in times like these, when the air is instilled with gloom caused by the absence of  lost ones. Yet, we must make the effort to not fall into the abyss that our mind tends to jump into. It is so hard and exhausting.

Take a few minutes and see these pictures of the Boston bombing: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/16/us/boston-marathon-explosions/index.html

And read this article about how people are trying to help the victims, it is endearing and so encouraging: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/16/us/boston-marathon-support/index.html?hpt=us_t2

May this world end with a mighty blow from the space, for if things don’t change, the suffering would only increase and those who make others suffer would have nothing to stop at. And until that time, the good must take responsibility and stand against any evil that takes birth from among them. For no man shall find peace in a world that is terrorized by his very fellow men, no matter where the horror is.

I hope for the end of the world not because I am a coward, but because I believe in retribution. And in a world that is bound by laws which cannot hang a criminal who raped or killed a fellow human, but all along, one can simply take it into his hands to murder someone and get away, there is no hope for true justice and true retribution. Cowards are those who hurt others, those who wound others. Not those who seek peace, not those who stand against the evil.  Cowards are not those who are weak but those who are arrogantly strong.

~ ~ ~

April Haiku Month, Day 12: Koi Pond

HOW MERMAIDS CAME TO BE

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a weary angel . . .

tired wings turn into  fins

dance in a koi pond

~ ~ ~

dance in a koi pond . . .

the koi rejoice her new form

mermaids are no myth

~ ~ ~

angels and mermaids . . .

we heard a legend or two

who knew they were true

~ ~ ~

This post is submitted at Haiku Heights for Day 12 prompt – Koi Pond. This post is also a part of my NaPoWriMo 2013 journey, my first.

April Haiku Month, Day 10: Incense

VAIN ENERGY

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I have never really ventured into writing romance before. I did, but only as parts of a larger poem with a different theme. And now I try. Although I have to say, when I write, romance will never stand alone. It will have a touch(or more) of heartbreak, and more importantly, hope. Hope of impossible magnitude. 

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an incensed candle . . .

her eyes rested upon mine

melodies we sang

~ ~ ~

melodies we sang . . .

as the sepia light dimmed

our own hearts grew warm

~ ~ ~

the wick is all spent . . .

so is my vain energy,

reliving memories

~ ~ ~

This post is submitted at Haiku Heights for Day 10 prompt – Incense. This post is also a part of my NaPoWriMo 2013 journey, my first. I am also trying to take up the A-to-Z Blogging challenge which requires bloggers to write a post everyday during all April. I will try to write separate posts for NaPoWriMo and A-to-Z Blogging Challenge IF possible. I sure want to.

I am going to share your everyday Haiku on my Facebook Page. Keep tabs on it too.

Thank you all for reading my haiku. I’ll be reading yours too, and I enjoy each one of your haiku. Your comments always help me improve and motivate myself to keep going.

Thank you and keep writing! 

Tweet me at @WeOweWomen.

April Haiku Month, Day 9: Hunter

WHEN THE HUNTER BECOMES THE HUNTED

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a vast dense jungle . . .

lion scouts for the weakest deer

silent paws turn fierce

~ ~ ~

a skilled hunter fool . . .

silences jungle king’s roar

his own dark pride roared

~ ~ ~

not a moment later . . .

king’s pride dawned upon hunter

tat! pride preyed on pride

~ ~ ~

a man is weakest 

when he is self-conscious

of his own darned pride

~ ~ ~

April Haiku Month, Day 6: Fire (MY FURY)

I AM WARNING YOU, I WAS POSSESSED WHEN I WROTE ALL THESE HAIKU. I WAS POSSESSED BY A FIRE, A FIRE I TRY TO HIDE. A FIRE YOU WILL BUT FEAR UNLESS YOU PICK MY SIDE.

I must warn, this is a highly inefficient post from me. Written with shaking senses and trembling fingers. Pardon my naivety.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

(firstly, my feminist fire)

exploited women . . .
their fire will consume any man
if they choose it

~ ~ ~

(Secondly, my usual trivial madness)

(Long long ago)

a dark cave in woods . . .
woman frustrated at husband
hurls rock at wall. spark!

~ ~ ~

(Ancient times in the east)

a forgotten myth . . .
legendary golden dragon
breathes fire, gives wishes

~ ~ ~

(Again, my feminist madness)

(Ancient times in southern middle-east)

one sita devi . . .
passes agnipareeksha
yet exiled, her pain!

. . .

mahapurushotham . . .
his unforgivable mistake
cost him his true love

(I don’t want to move on from my pain and tears for Sita Devi. But I must. I must say, “After such a righteous life, WHY RAMA! WHY???”)

~ ~ ~

(The so called civilized times. Today.)

MY FURY!!!

. . .

he set her ablaze
she couldn’t bring him money
he set her ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
she did not love him back
he set her ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
she gave birth to a girl
he set her ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
he was driven mad with lust
he set her ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
his dominance was threatened
he set he ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
it was pure malevolence
he set her ablaze

. . .

he set her ablaze
his arrogance ……

~ ~ ~

I cannot continue. ‘he set her ablaze’ is actually happening in India. And there are other forms of ‘setting women ablaze’ like trafficking, female foeticide, domestic violence, marital rapes, eve-teasing, sexual innuendo aimed at women in public places, in movies and in countless other ways.

I am sorry, but I am possessed with anger, with sorrow. Unless I channelize my anger, I fear I might be consumed by it. Such is the rage I am in. This post might be disturbing emotionally, but I don’t know if I could live without writing this tonight. Every day I see or hear about atrocities against women, I am driven mad by them. Literally mad. What can you and I do about it? Make the women we know in our lives stronger? Tell them to be more careful? Or to dress appropriately? YES AND NO!! Since WE MEN aren’t going to stop this any soon, WOMEN have to be on guard. And one day…………………….

And so.

exploited women . . .
their fire will consume any man
if they choose it

~ ~ ~

I deliberately let the syllable count stay wrong. I can’t look for errors in metrics and format while the theme of the text has an overwhelming effect on the mind and heart. This is an inefficient post. An inefficient attempt at venting my emotions. But I cannot do better at this moment. I do not have the sufficient strength to follow through my anger nor do I have the people who stand by my side without being scared. But I am only bidding my time. I shall master my anger.

~ ~ ~

This post is submitted at Haiku Heights for the prompt fire.

April Haiku Month, Day 5: Eggshells

(I thought of giving a pass for this prompt. I usually write about stuff like nature, women, life, love, etc and after yesterday’s attempt, I am a bit fatigued; this prompt is so trivial, I felt I can’t write a good enough haiku for this, that I am not good enough for it. But I am excited about reading your haiku, I’ll get to learn from your haiku, I always do. So, I’ll try. If I want to be a good writer, I’ll have to take up challenges.)

(I am unable to think of anything beyond this)

a lone young writer . . .

his abilities questioned

‘eggshells’, the challenger

~ ~ ~

‘eggshells’, the challenger . . .

he turns challenge on its head

he is determined

~ ~ ~

I enjoyed the challenge, eggshells! Thank you. I want to express my sincere thanks to everyone who has been reading my haiku everyday and even more so, letting me know how you felt. Its been only 4 days and I have already had so much fun writing and reading. This April journey won’t be the same without you people. Every writer wants to be read and commented, praised and even criticized. Cheers for writing! Cheers for haiku!

~ ~ ~

This post is submitted at Haiku Heights for Day 5 prompt – Eggshells. This post is also a part of my NaPoWriMo 2013 journey, my first. I am also trying to take up the A-to-Z Blogging challenge which requires bloggers to write a post everyday during all April. I will try to write separate posts for NaPoWriMo and A-to-Z Blogging Challenge IF possible. I sure want to.

I am going to share your everyday Haiku on my Facebook Page. Keep tabs on it too.

Thank you all for reading my haiku. I’ll be reading yours too, and I enjoy each one of your haiku. Your comments always help me improve and motivate myself to keep going.

Thank you and keep writing! 

Tweet me at @WeOweWomen.

King, Dove, Friend And Peace – Haiku #33

.

.

~ ~ ~

Scene I

~ ~ ~

A Dove flying in some mysterious but beautiful place ( First Person – Dove )

~ ~ ~

O’ mother, thank you,

soothing plains, blissful green woods,

wonderful is world.

~ ~ ~

pristine, agile winds,

lift mine spirits to heavens,

wings hardly matter (for spirit).

~ ~ ~

angelic white, mine

plumage, how many hearts changed,

chose peace over battle?

~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~

Scene II

~ ~ ~

A cruel king came for hunting Stag ( First Person – King )

~ ~ ~

( Addresses the Stag )

mine aim wavers not,

arrow tip bellows thy end,

royal dish, thine flesh!

~ ~ ~

( Suddenly he sees the dove above )

~ ~ ~

elegant beauty,

she’s mine, on royal platter,

arrow aims high now,

~ ~ ~

( Addresses the Dove now )

~ ~ ~

O’ dove, thee is mine,

die proud as regal king’s food,

death be upon thee!

~ ~ ~

( He leaves the Stag and loosens the arrow at the dove and she is hit )

~ ~ ~

Ha Ha! King I am,

no being eludes arrows,

Dove slayer king, me.

~ ~ ~

Scene III – Act I

~ ~ ~

A man sees the dove being hit by the arrow and runs to the fallen bird ( First Person – Man )

~ ~ ~

O’ mine friend, tell who

hath brought this upon thee –

my sword rages in anger.

~ ~ ~

O’ mine friend, beauty,

leave this world not, breathe please, love,

god needn’t have you.

~ ~ ~

don’t shut eyes;

O’ blind god, why her;

love, love, friend!

~ ~ ~

The Dove speaks to the man  and at the same time,the cruel king reaches a point where he can hear her speak, he stops and listens ( First Person – Dove )

~ ~ ~

O’ kind friend of mine,

thy love for nature pleases

it is time i rest.

~ ~ ~

promise, little one,

that thy sword tastes no blood, to

avenge mine that spilled,

~ ~ ~

shed blood never, Friend,

keep peace, alive or dead; world

needs peace, give it and……………………………

~ ~ ~

( Dove breathes no more )

( King  comes out of the bushes, the friend of Dove speaks )

~ ~ ~

My King,  great hunter,

none can match your skills, no one

in your whole kingdom!

~ ~ ~

My King, what justice,

do you serve, your cruelty

is the crown you wear!

~ ~ ~

Hadst she not asked peace,

(i) shan’t think twice, i’l behead thee,

my foot on thy crown!

~ ~ ~

( The king speaks )

~ ~ ~

O’ grieving friend of  Dove,

i lay down my crown and sword,

i repent mine wrongs

~ ~ ~

O’ trustful friend of Dove,

ascend mine throne, give peace then

kingdom needs her, peace.

~ ~ ~

O’ true friend of Dove,

forgive ,  i will show myself

to no eyes again.

~ ~ ~

( The king goes into the wilderness in repentance and to keep the kingdom running, Dove’s friend ascends the throne.

He speaks : )

~ ~ ~

every battle now,

that we shall be part, be for

peace, not blood or pride .

~ ~ ~

every battalion,

shall bear white flag, symbol peace,

remembering dove.

~ ~ ~

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Tweet me at @sankarajayanth

I don’t know why, when i saw the prompt the first thing to come to mind was “alive or dead, peace.”.
maybe due the ever eluding peace, for which runs a daily quest for me and that my tired mind and soul longs for a piece of it.
And peace = dove, as many things i relate to nature. And i thought of presenting it this way.

And later when i was half way through, i remembered a childhood story : hunter kills a pigeon but the pigeon’s wife gives shelter to hunter,
to satisfy and do justice to the dharma of comforting the guests, she jumps into flames to become the food for the guest.
My story, i think, was almost the same. So, i thank that childhood story and whoever wrote it.

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Suggestions and corrections are most welcome, I’m still learning Haiku.

This post is an entry in Haiku Challenge for April 2012 at Haiku Heights. The prompt being ‘alive’.

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Arms Of Forgiveness – Haiku #20

you are in for a long set of haiku ( abberated ones ), have patience if you can manage. 🙂

.

.

O’ Love, in thy arms,

of forgiveness, is written

mine exile,  hidden

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, in thy arms,

of forgiveness, a thriving man,

who hurt thee in past

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, in thy arms,

of forgiveness, a broken man,

who hurt thee, never

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, thine virtue 

hath me breathing hard, why blind,

what sin i doth thus?

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, thine virtue,

forgiveness, hadst me exiled,

someone else got closer.

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, speak ‘least now,

i question not in arrogance,

what sin i doth thus?

~ ~ ~

if to -try to ebb

thine pains served by life- is to

sin, then i did sin.

~ ~ ~

if to -hide my name,

in humility- is to

sin, then i did sin.

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, what hadst i

done, that hath me pushed into

this vile emptiness.

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, in angst, i,

ask thee to see, difference,

in love and true love.

~ ~ ~

O’ Love, in thy arms,

of forgiveness, is written

mine exile,  hidden.

~ ~ ~

archaic (old English) words :

hath = has

hast = have

hadst = had

thy / thine = your

thou / thee = you

doth = do / does

~ ~ ~

i started writing it as a haiku,

but the inner feelings caught me in a grip and dictated me to write this, even if there were abberations from the rules of haiku

~ ~ ~

one thing i want to tell not in haiku :

forgiveness is a great virtue,

a very great one indeed,

but in excess of it,

shall, many a time,

sinners thrive,

while all along, good ones get the woeful plate of plight.

how strange.

how harsh.

how forgiving ( yes, sarcastic in deed ).

~ ~ ~

This post is an entry in Haiku Challenge for April 2012 at Haiku Heights. The prompt being “forgive”.

Hurt Her Not – Haiku #18

forgive : i feel it is a tough word in general and a tough word for a haiku too.

so here’s my try :

” thou hast my lady,

hurt her not, forgive she may,

as lost love, i won’t “

~ ~ ~

i donno if people can get what i tried to tell, i would just say that this haiku’s fictional context is

” my love is with an other man, her only man (she never was mine, in fact), but i still love her, for eternity.

and i warn ( not in grudge, but in a concerned urge, for my lady) him, as she chose him, above me,

i warn him not to disappoint her or hurt her because i wouldn’t if i was him.

O’ love,

lost love.”

~ ~ ~

This post is an entry in Haiku Challenge for April 2012 at Haiku Heights. The prompt being “forgive”.