One Eclipse Day

Anxious wait For Juicy bits

Watching the birds fly in a formation eager to reach home before it is completely dark was a thought provoking scene as they were in hurry to reach their nest and it was not night yet. It was just that dark clouds had gathered in the sky and everything seemed gloomy and dark.

The earth was slowly shadowing the mighty sun and the light became lesser and lesser. Were the birds experiencing some confusion? They had suddenly stopped midway of collecting worms and grains and were returning home empty stomach. Worry writ large on their sad eyes, Oh! God how could we miscalculate? How and what are we going to feed out little ones?

The flock reached home, went to their nests and the hungry mouth opened in every corner of the nest. The little ones started flapping their tiny wings and cooing with expectation of soft juicy worm. Then finding none they started making strange noise. What a sad sound it was. The birds started spreading their large wings over the little birdies and all was quiet.

The silence between the babies and mother bird was deafening and to me they seemed to be communicating silently. What were they saying to their little ones? Baby we played and frolicked for so long that we could not collect the food? They made a painful sight with drooping neck, loose wings and sad eyes. 

I spread some grains outside wishing that the birds will come and take them for their little ones. But then how can they leave their nest when it is dark? With dinner to be cooked all was forgotten till I went out to watch the spectacular sight of total solar eclipse. 

The sun getting completely covered by the shadow of earth and the diamond shining in full glow was a view for all of us to enjoy and marvel at the life time experience. None had the time to dwell on the plight of the birds, flapping their wings in despair, babies in the nest looking at parents with hope and hunger. 

Children in the house started clapping, startling the birds and the birds started making noise in utter confusion. Why is such a noise being made by these human? At least let us sleep, with hunger in our belly sleepless night seems longer. Please let our babies sleep else they will crave for food which we did not bring. Please stop making noise when night has fallen and it is dark. Let our babies sleep.

 Then the sun slowly emerged from the grip of earth and the brightness spread everywhere.

Oh! How can it be?  Why our body clock has gone so bad why is it that we are being punished? We were not harming Gods creature, just picking soft worms for our babies. They are small and require soft food. Oh God forgive we will not pick more than what our babies require. Thus with the babies welfare in their heart they flew again to gather food.

Such simple, harmless creature these avian are. They are nature, a part of nature. Do not harm them. They in their own way contribute to preserving the bounty of God. They live in harmony with their surroundings.

Save them by saving their habitats. Save the nature for yourself and for the coming generations.

Sun And Moon

This is not a perfect poem but expression of my feeling for my Grandson born on 3rd December 2012

My Darling Grandson Vir Sinha

Sun And Moon

I was listening quietly to the conversation between, 
Moon and earth,

For I was trying to make,

My restless Sweetie sleep. 

The mighty earth, 

worried thinking loudly,

Oh why why, 

The Sun seemed paler in the day,

The moon red in the night,

I wondered Oh! Why is it so,

Are there clouds,

Or it is my imagination?

The sun looked red in the morn and eve,

The setting sun looked ready to bleed,

Why is it so,

I wondered.

Earth asked the Sun, 

Oh dear our light giver, Our savior,

Why are you so red when you are coming and going,

And so pale when you are passing by?

The sun in the west got more and more red,

Red with Anger, listening to my words, 

Reason it did not know.

Then earth asked the Moon,

Oh dear what’s wrong,

Why Sun looks so pale and you so red,
When you both pass by me,

Please tell me why Sun is angry,

As he would not talk to me.

Oh Moon you are so calm and quiet,

Why you started looking so red,

What have I done Oh! Please tell me,

Do not be angry with me.

I pleaded and pleaded.

Moon said how can I get angry with you?

Oh earth mightier than me.

I go round and round you just to please you,

Oh! Earth I am grateful,

To you for taking me with you.

But how can you do this to sun?

He gives you light and heat,

Without Sun you would be dead meat.

Earth was scared!

What happened it knew nothing,

How can I displease the Mighty Sun?

Please tell what happened,

I pleaded and pleaded.

The moon took pity, 

This is what he said to earth. 

You ignored him for a child,

He who looks brighter than him,

His face glows more than him, 

People look at him and say,

His face radiated brighter than Sun,

People around this Son forget the Sun ,

He who is life of all thee?

If the Sun gets angrier and stops shining,

What will I do?

I will die of hunger and cold too,

I get my food from him, 
The thought makes me go red.

Oh! Now I knew, 

Why my baby was'nt sleeping,

The sun and moon were jealous of him,

Their red faces was troubling him.

So I shooed away the sun and moon,

Forbade them from being jealous of him,

He is my Moon he is my Sun. 

I pleased them by words,

Who can forget you two so soon !

Let him take rest and sleep,

Your jealousy is making him cry,

Let him have his sleep,
Do not envy him, 

I pleaded and pleaded with them.

They smiled at earth and said,

Be not afraid,

We are not going to vanish away,

Thus they bade fare well, 

Till the next day.

My baby slept,

Smiled in the sleep,

The most beautiful and naughtiest smile, 
I have ever seen.

I did'nt have to sing lullaby again,

The sun and moon, 

had blessed him.


To Dear Vir with love from Naani. 

Life Is Beautiful

Life is beautiful,

Live it to the fullest.

Life is beautiful,

Enjoy it till you can.

Life is beautiful,

Make it beautiful for others.

Well I know life is beautiful,

I had my flock with me,

Green pastures and cozy enclosure,

Now when I am hanging upside down,

Staring at the big bulging abdomen,

I say to myself,

Is life beautiful?

Blood is rushing in my head,

And they are saying,

Life is beautiful.

I am waiting with baited breath,

They circle me inspecting,

I think indeed life is beautiful,

Oh My! Yes life is beautiful,

They are going to cut the rope and set me free,

I promise myself to thank almighty,

When I am back,

In my pasture with my parents.

Oh! They are calling me,

Come home baby it is dusk,

Come home before it is dark,

Oh mama you are there for me,

Life  indeed is beautiful.

Then he came,

With that shiny thing and now I know,

I am staring at my death,

I call out to them,

What wrong have I done?

They all laugh,

As if they understand what I say.

For them it is mere bleating.

Stop Oh stop do not say again,

Life is beautiful.

Then a voice from somewhere calls me and says,

Life indeed is beautiful,

Have you forgotten the green pastures?

The independence,

The love of parents,

The luxury of being alive,

It is death you are finding painful.

Death and life are nothing but illusions,

We either enjoy or suffer,

As we perceive,

So do not fear, be bold.

When they slit your throat,

Say today it is your day,

I will have mine.

All you men answer truthfully,

Can you face your death as bravely as me?

No, I know you can’t,

Because you are human and I am sheep.

My Heart Aches For You

Association of 5 years with you and you became an extension of my family. I could not even phantom being with any other person than you during the time of need. You had given me which all other had refused to even consider, my first child.

While I was unable to hold my first child and had a very difficult pregnancy the second one seemed to feel too cozy in the air-conditioned room which he did not have to share with anybody else. Yes I am speaking of womb which he simply did not want to leave. 

Pregnancy got extended by 15 days curtsey the unwillingness of my baby to venture into new world. Doctors were eager to get the baby out in our world from his protected cocoon. But then what luck! You had to attend a religious function the night they decided to force my baby to see the world outside. I, who was liked by the doctors as a wonderful patient, became adamant and said no to be as much as touched by any other doctor than you. 

What a pain in the neck you are you said in mock anger. If I die just now you will not deliver the baby? 

The answer was an emphatic no. No not in your absence and that also when my baby also says so, I said with a grin. 

You always had patient’s welfare in heart. For you, your profession was your religion, patients God and their welfare worship. Rest of the doctors suggested caesarian delivery but you did not agree and instead of injecting me with hormones for initiating the pains you sat quietly next to me saying your prayers and mockingly cursing me for making you miss the function. 

0200hrs. pain started and 0230hrs. I delivered a healthy son. All credit goes to your prayers, dedication and patience. 

You laughed and said ‘Thank God I was sitting here, else the Son would not have risen, because this stupid mother would have forced him to remain in darkness for God knows how long’.

You are God mother of my both Kids.

You were old but energetic.Your smile was infectious. Like a fresh breeze of air you would enter into patient’s room and put your magic wand (hand) on them. You were God’s incarnation for them.

Your death came as a blow to me. I could not bear to be in the same hospital without you, so changed my hospital. God bless your soul.

 I have an equally dedicated, loving and expert gynecologist Dr. Anuradha Wakankar. But nobody can take your place in my heart. 

You brought joy in my life and I know where ever you are now you must be doing the same for people around you.

I salute you Dr. (Mrs.) Mehta and miss you a lot.

The Night I became Young Again

What would have I not given to turn the wheel of time by 30 years, amend the mistake of sacrificing my career, so that I would have been me, not daughter, wife, mother of so and so. Time has changed me so much that from being a jovial friendly person I had turned to a loner and recluse. What I used to see in the mirror was not what had visualized for myself when I was young.

My daughters and son were the pillars of my strength, but it was my daughter in-law who pushed me, cajoled me, tutored me and believe me scolded me (The youngsters of now a days , some would say), so that I do not retract to my dark lonely shell and brood over that what I cannot change. It was this time that I took to blogging.

It did bring great change in my attitude. From time pass, blogging became a full time job for me. People started recognizing me as Jyotsna. To some extent I regained my lost identity. I had my own group of fans and followers and friends. Change had set in my lonely world, yet for me things were not the same. So when my daughter in-law told me her friends were my blog fans and wanted to come home, I became jittery and had apprehension; I was totally out of touch of outside world.

Somehow I did make food which I presumed they would love and waited with baited breath. Will they like being with me? Will they like my appearance? Will they like to be with an old lady of fifty eight years? I had already started feeling eighty five rather than fifty eight.

One by one they trooped in, some alone some in pairs. A broad smile on their face, chocolate and flowers in their hands they were coming straight from their work place. The flowers were as bright and beautiful as they themselves. They spoke a language that was respectful yet very friendly and by the time I realized we were busy chatting. They had become my friends. My daughter in-law was left to do the look after my friends.

People say oh! the youngsters of now a days! They are brash, disrespectful, selfish and what not. I say we require understanding them and changing our outlook with time. Stagnation is breeds moss making the ground slippery.

 My friends were a group of bubbly, intelligent, knowledgeable nature enthusiast. Time passed so quickly that I did not realize that my daughter in-law had already laid the table.

Colorful food on the table had made the table look very inviting. Our friends did full justice to the love and hard work whit which I had cooked the food. The surprise and appreciation in their eyes was the reward. Photography done they had their fill, joked and laughed with us. I regained my lost self that night. I became young jovial self in their company. They had polished off thirty years from the age of a grandmother of two months old grandson. For me that was the best New year gift of 2013.

Thanks a lot my young friends for the lovely gift you all had given me. Thanks for reminding me that monuments are also worth visiting as ruined and weather beaten they may be.