Sunday, February 04, 2024

To My Suitcase

You deserve a post all your own
My companion on so many journeys unknown
Grey, fading into the background
Faithful, easy to pull around
Lightweight, carrying a punch and more
Easy going through the seasons of rain, sun and snow.
You gave up on this Mizoram-Kolkata-Raipur-Mumbai trip
Goodbye, my suitcase, Thank you for your service,
You will be missed, for sure, yes. 
But for now, take a well deserved rest.

- Written on 1 Feb 2024.
- Self-explanatory, but after being with me since 2016 on numerous trips, the last fling (literally and metaphorically) of the airlines on a trip from Mumbai-Aizawl, suitcase that I use as check-in or cabin as suits, broke. It still lasted me on the journey from Aizawl to Kolkata, from Kolkata to Raipur and Raipur to back home.




FB Post Link: https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid02czJbVTDof9WpVXn5jYh6NbdesraHBp6CWmFZWbtz6fQbXySiuu93biN8tjKgRUL5l&id=692626229&mibextid=2JQ9oc

IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/C20Ai9tJ_bB/?igsh=MWN3bHowbHFvcG9xYw== 

Monday, January 22, 2024

Reality Mirrored




Mirrors: We see ourselves, yet not
In these things that reflect light
Be it the still lake or a clear cloud or glass
We find ourselves judging our present and our past.
Yet mirrors can distort reality too
The car's rear view mirror draws objects further from you
So dangerous if we know not this perspective
It can lead to a death edict
Snow White's stepmother may have been told the truth
But mostly in mirrors we see what we want to
The most 'beautiful' person can spot a blemish or two
The 'ugly' could look beautiful too.
'Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder' 
So today even more I ponder
What does the mirror tell us
As a holiday is given for a temple constructed
Its base the ruins of a mosque
Of a line cast that had the country torn apart
In the name of God who urged peace and sacrifice
In the name of a God to whom not all ascribed
But today, God is created by us more than we by him
Hymns we sing are stories we weave to please our whims.

22 Jan holds more terror more for me than the Babri Masjid fall
With no protests, no riots, no fiery street debate wars
Then, we had fiery editorials, and more people openly appalled
That the Constitution was repelled, that divisions we spawned
Today, we keep silent wondering if to post at all
Fearing repercussions beyond hate posts or calls.
I remember us peperring our school walls against the demolition
Today, I think twice about a Facebook post expressing abhorment
I have abrogated my rights for so called safety
Economics and politics and so-called institutional duty
What the mirror tells me today, I like not
A spineless creature supposedly distraught by life fraught.

- Written on 22 Jan 2024.
- 22 Jan declared a holiday in many states and at the Central Govt level as a half day for 'Pran Pratishtan' at Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir. 

I can feel my pran slowly fading as I voice less and less of my angst and retract myself into my shell.

And yes, I know someone will take my case for wanting riots, but it is not the violence, but the of freedom of expression that I yearn for and its loss that I lament. 

There are times when I regret joining TISS full time.

Today is one of them.

I would have in the past posted my thoughts for my thoughts would not have been equated with 'my institution' and 'my institute' would not have to bear the brunt for opinions it did not endorse. At worst, I would have been disowned as 'visiting' or 'contractual' and I would have put in my papers and walked my path. 

But now I hold back. I am thinking admissions, UGC withholding pay, TISSians targetted. Somehow, my opinion being a feeder for more hate-mongering. 

And I am not able to bring myself to do anything else as somehow, viscerally, I feel incapacitated.

I am consuming more and more and more of those who are expressing some concern, some dissent and feeling more helpless, more worthless.

As I head to Mizoram, am going to retreat into my shell. Hopefully, the mountains will revive my faith in the larger play of things and in humanity and secularism and such.

For now I share this here when I would have felt better sharing on a more public platform. I feel like Alice but in Orwellian dystopia. 

https://anuthik.blogspot.com/2024/01/reality-mirrored.html

The Temple of Despair - 2024

A temple stands on ruins
Unity in diversity undermined.
A structure built worth crores
Holidays declared worth even more.
Who worships whom and what, one know not,
But these are not the values we were ever taught.
Pride in oneself, one's customs, yes, but never at other's cost.
If we care not for each other, we are the ones lost.
But temples are espoused, politics and religion forged anew,
Truth lies in shards, all contrary opinions subdued.
My country, my pride, my brethren, I cry
Every day I speak dulcetly, while demanding not my own but others' sacrifice.
Understanding they should be, I cry in sympathy,
As if that were enough, these tokenism paltry.
No action, nothing concrete, no placing my neck on the line,
No courting jail or worse, no nothing, but some futile lines written in rhyme.

- Written on 20 Jan 2024
- Ram Mandir in Ayodhya. 22 Jan declared holiday in many states and at Central Govt level half day for 'Pran Pratishtan'. 

My heart bleeds. 

Mansfield Park - Revisiting Jane Austen - 1

Dear M, 

Such a wonderful initiative. 

What I would like to revisit of Jane Austen's works? Everything!!! 

But let us go with Mansfield Park. 

In this day and age the morality bespoke
In the novel is neither some nor whole 😁😜
The ideas seem frivolous, 
The characters worthless, 
The adultery, the clergy, 
The exaggerated bucolic pastorality, 
All seem to echo 
Mansfield Park is not even worth as retro. 
Yet, something beckons, even if for just the lines
That belie age and space confines
'Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, 
For there is no hope of a cure'
More such gems in the novel lie
Reading and counter reading into Mansfield Park one can still pry :)

- Written on 7 Jan 2024
- Self-Explanatory, but let us see if I keep this up. 

Silences and Reunions

Silences resonate with memories,
Of laughter, gossip, music and savouries,
Most of all of relations rekindled
Friendships strengthened as all mingled.
But memories warm the heart too
The silences make determined to again do
The meet-ups planned and those yet unchartered
May these friendships blossom unhindered.

:)

- Written on 6 Jan 2024.
- Meeting National friends after a long time

Kochi Reunion 2023-24

Family and friends
Blissful reunions
However hot a place may be
But warmth of hearts it cannot beat.

Expensive fares, long trips, filmy scenes,
Lazy lunches, loud gossip, oodles of coffee and tea,
Chinese fishing nets, short walk in crowded alleys,
Long wait at favoured cafe's, but 'Thiruvilla' rescued us on Princess Street.
Day 01 passed making merry
On plans for day 02 and a split on day 03 we agreed.

The Synagogue impressed with its handpainted tiles blue,
The story of migrants and of Palestine and India's perspective, it cast anew.
Then the long wait at Cafe Mocha
Then sightseeing at Crafters' and some shopping for 'whatnots'
Sighting the world's largest Urali
All just the first half's deeds.
Churches - Basilica and Francis inspired
The paintings on ceilings in Basilica were much admired.
The Indo-Portuguese Musuem we looked into,
But the Christmas tree outside and the peacock created more ado.
Then we split again, some for tea,
Three directly to Fort House, Kochi.
Some respite for Lata from the heat
Then bags in cars, most headed for the jetty.
A 6 rupee ride for minutes 20
Taking us through the backwaters beauty.
Then a hotel cheap and awesome,
But more preferring home wholesome 😁
Then buffet dinner too and more talking and laughing
We grouped and regrouped and re-regrouped through the day and evening.

Day 03 some 'tripped' on 'Nostalgia for Nurani'
Others found ecstacy in doing 'nothing'.
Lunches at Palaaram and Kapilavastu and purchases at Thankkam Pickles
Local shopping, temple sightseeing, 7 hours driving, each found their own moment 'blissful'.
Whether 10 seconds solving of a puzzle
Or just lying down in the hotel.

Then the highlight, 'The Birthday'
Of a girl as sweet as can be, whom we made patiently wait.
Not 1 but 2 cakes had she, and then there was the pizza party
But the highlight, the star, was the curd rice and pickles feast
Contentment oozed and no one wanted to ever leave
Antakshari went on till hours wee
Some leg pulling too choreographed by the 'wow' family 😜
Singers galore we have in this family
Bad or good, sporting all but those born on Nov 3 😝😝
But thank you speeches they made brilliantly,
At long last, we parted regretfully
The trip was short, time ran out
We wished it could be longer, but were thankful for how much we got.

We missed those who could not make it,
We planned for more future visits,
Forest trips seem to rule for now
May 2024 give us more such powwows.

Thank you All for making 2023 end and 2024 beginning so wonderful :)

- Written on 3 Jan 2024
- Family Reunion trip across Kochi, Nurani and Coimbatore from 28 Dec 2023 - 3 Jan 2024

Happy New Year - 2024 - Personal post 2

2023 you have been kind to me
Helping me reconnect with many friends and family,
Adding new experiences to my kitty,
Making me traverse the breadth of the country,
Aiding me many projects complete,
Granting me some excellent colleagues.

2023, you have been also tough on me
Health slid back and forth time a many
I felt lost and helpless with tears plenty
Unfinished projects galore,
Some completed, but at levels shallow
Feeling my teaching could have been better
Some dreams carefully woven lie tattered.

But 2023, overall I will miss you
For you made me see afresh important to-dos.
Connect with friends and family,
Travel for work but find pleasure plenty,
Take breaks, as many as you need,
Aim not for perfection, but convert words to deeds.
Goodbyes are hard, but cherish memories
Rejoice, you are blessed and reasonably healthy and happy.
Eat, dance, binge watch, make merry
And sleep, sleep, sleep.

2023, I will carry forward these lessons into 2024
In 2024, I hope I can be better, healthier, connect, improve and do more.

- Written on 1 Jan 2024.
- Self-Explanatory 

Happy New Year - 2024!

What purpose an FDP
This week had me pondering deep
How do we judge calibre and intent
To improve, to learn, to share, to implement?
What motive drives those who come?
Is it just a Mumbai Darshan?
Is TISS, its stature the main attraction?
Is it to compare oneself and find smug satisfaction?
As questions poured in on marriage, position and salary
On permanent contracts and 7th Pay Scale of UGC
Talk of collaborations, mostly meaningless, but would lend clout and credence
Condescendingly of guideship eligibility, or of anything, but the essence
Of what Practitioner Research was about and could do to bring change
How we could take this to classrooms where deep reflections would hold sway,
Of methods, of tools, but more questions on how to
Rather than selfies while writing a line or two.
Is this what we should be doing?
Lectures designed in absentia for these beings?
Straining self and health and friends and resources
To allow more space for such foolishness?
I like walking away from classrooms humbled
A thought-provoking question that had me confused
Such dialogues are what one yearns for
In academia we want ideas more
But this week has not been that kind of success
Maybe I'm kicking up a fuss, but this is what I feel, I confess.

- Idea Orginated 23 Dec 2023. Polished 31 Dec 2023.
- Written for obvious reasons :) 

Sunday, November 19, 2023

To Devika 💫

She lost her father when she was merely nine, 
She stated it matter-of-factly, never whined. 
She picked up the threads and smiled again
Her mother and her siblings gave her love and courage.
In college then she lost her mother too,
Desolate she was, but her siblings made sure she was not too shook.
Then marriage
A new, hopeful, golden age. 
China beckoned, 
Snow fights lovingly commenced.
A baby daughter, an answer to prayers
Arrived to spread sunshine and cheer.
Love was abundant, 
Cribbings were about the inconsequential. 
Then struck cancer to destroy a family
But again she fought back so very bravely. 
She had her loved ones around her always
To cherish her, to cajole her, to be her reserve brigade.
She won battles, seemed to have won the war,
But cancer was not done by far,
It struck again and again, 
All she did seemed in vain. 
Triple whammy and she finally lost
The battle and the war, seemingly a lost cause. 
But what she has done over the years, 
Smiling away through the fears and tears. 
Inspirational - her family and she as a unit, 
With their love and their grit. 
Her family is strong, they have long borne, 
The threat of her being gone was long known.
But even the strong sometimes feel to nothing faded.
So thoughts and prayers are always needed, 
Loss is loss no matter what, 
'You will be missed, Devika'.

PS. Well that is not her name per se now, but that is the name I knew her by the best. 


- Written on 16 Nov 2023 when I got the news that she had moved on to a better place. 
- Revised and posted on Facebook on 18 Nov 2023 because I felt I needed to, even if I do not tag her or mutual friends, I needed to let the world know we have a great soul gone away from us. 

The following image and an excerpt from her mail in 2007 is how I would best like to remember Devika (Sheetal Mulchandani). 


this is at hangzou zoo.....oops i was shit scared........heeeeeee but enjoyed the moment too.
chill devika




Related info (says a lot about her family's grit) 
 
 


Saturday, October 21, 2023

Sleep: Recovery Mode

Sleep it overwhelms you even as you plan
How to do the myriad things that in the planner you scan.
The eyes close, the mind shuts down,
A pill for pain that you have ignored for long.
The noise around you, the overbright light, the food you need eat,
All ignored, forgotten, in this quest your body and mind journey.
Phone bells buzz, notifications run amok, but nothing registers
You might for all purposes be to the world dead.
Unplugged, you steadily recharge,
Though the pain stays, you can now with renewed vigor your own path chart.
Sleep, the ultimate pill for recovery.
Sleep, the best comfort in this journey.
May we never part ways for long
No matter how old I grow, may our bond stay strong.

- Written on 21 October 2023.
- I crashed after a series of long days with a rib injury and a particular long day today due to invigilation. 

Dress Codes and Functions

Dress codes for temples I care not about
Do Gods decide on blessings on what I wear or not?
Saree is good, not the salwar
Sure, and home is good, not blaring shlokas.
Yes the rhythms are good, the intentions too,
But focusing on the outside is the opposite of what is preached as right and good.
Rituals are wonderful for those who want to follow them or merely observe,
But for those forced they are just more rules that their inner desires cruelly govern.
Yet, again there are kindly ladies,willing to stand in for you
Dressed in elegant sarees, the perform rituals you were meant to.
This is divine, this is pure, a feeling to cherish, a reason to religion endure
The concern, the care, the camaraderie the social gathering brings does one lure.
The words spoken in English since they think I know no Tamil,
The concern that I feel involved and the bearing of so much good will.
It was with mixed feelings that I walked home yesterday
It is with mixed emotions that I reflect on temples and religion, even today.

- Witten on 18 October 2023.
- Appa had given for Chandi Homam in the temple during this Navratri season with the idea of women being workshipped (I was to do the worshipping).


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi 2023

Clear skies, a blue so bright,
In clouds, I see images that delight.
Childhood brought back on a lazy afternoon,
The wind sings through birds and trees dispelling all gloom.

O Vignaharta, today you come reside in homes and pandals,
O Saravsiddhanta, you remind us to follow goodness' cause.
O Varaganapati, may you help us guard,
O Sarvatman, this earth precious to all.

O Siddhipriya, may all be healthy and happy,
O Vidyaridhi, may all have wisdom and peace.

Perhaps all we need is just to look up,
Relive our childhoods, our innocence.
Perhaps all we need do is pause and reflect deep,
Perhaps that is enough for this world to intact keep and us to all good reap.

Happy Ganesh Chathurthi 2023!

- Written on 19 Sep 2023.
- Self-Explanatory 




But I also have another rhyme, written today, feels quite unrefined, but here goes: 

Vinayaka Chathurthi is here again with all its glory,
Folks rediscovering their love for pandals and blazonry,
The sounds absent for 2 years of lockdown
Now back fully despite my groans an frowns.
Yet, this industry has suffered so,
It is good to see people revive the old.
The old ways of decorations,
The idols to represent incarnations.
Yet you know me I can't help but question,
What in this madness will happen to the environment?

Vignaharta, remove all obstacles from saving earth
Sarvapriya, may all have wisdom, peace and mirth.

Saturday, September 16, 2023

May You 'Live' Your Dream

This Teacher’s Day was tough as I thought of you,
All the many lessons I never learnt as you meant me to.
All the many times you shouted I would regret,
I wish I could those moments again to live through get.
Yet I know I would not learn,
I am yours, I am stubborn :)

Today, another milestone, your birthdate past,
Know that you have made your mark.
I still have many, many who reminisce
How you would your words never mince 😏😜
How you were always there to support
When times were tough you would stand strong like a fort.
How you had a kind word for many 😳
Amma, how come I don't recall for myself any? 🧐 😂
But your reprimands all we both remember very well,
K today mimicked how you would have at me yelled 🤣
But you have left a legacy however small the circle may seem,
Just wishing you Amma, may you now at least 'live' your dream.

Be at peace. Be at ease.
Be safe, healthy, wherever you be.
Be happy, have whatever you need.
Be loved by all you meet.

-Written on 16 Sep 2023.
- Self-explanatory.



Kochi - Carefree Bliss in April 2023

Days of carefree bliss,
Filled with sunshine's kiss.
Making merry, eating plenty,
Converting folks to having tea on the balcony :)
An oasis of calmness with plants, chairs and a swing
Conversations filled with joy and warmth as the skies turned purple and pink.

A day out with another cousin
Exploring the Biennale, at artsy joints eating
Listening and learning through an interesting online meeting,
Into late late night reminiscing.
Ending with the warmth of a morning breakfast dosa
With mahani and thair and more laughs.

Then came the houseboat, words fall short,
The photo sessions, the music, the conversations, the scenery
Birds afloat or on lines, the lazy drifting on the waters of Allappey.
The afternoon snooze on waters clear, smooth and deep
The quiet joy will remain forever with me.

Then to the beach, oh, what fun,
Naysayers converted to being willingly drenched :)
Icecreams and chips and all the gorging
Ending with cleaning up and another outing!

Then the Biennale through the eyes of a child,
The questions, the observations made the fest come more alive.
Art is to be revisited to discover perspectives galore
Discovering new places and old haunts brought delight to the fore.

Relaxing, doing nothing, not cooking nor cleaning,
On evening or morning walks more talking than strolling,
On the Kochi Metro riding, a Musuem exploring,
A temple, a palace - everything so mind-blowing.

Antakshari and 20 questions and karaoke and conversations many
But most importantly the cocoon of camaraderie,
The soothing feeling of being loved and treasured
For just being you, not being judged or measured.

It has been an amazing week in Kochi,
But the memories and the joy linger lending warmth of times happy.

Thank YOU for being such wonderful hosts
But more for being not just family, but dosts :)

- Written on 24 April 2023.
- Spent an amazing week in Kochi 3-10 April. It is blis to have family as friends. :) 







Rest? Defeated Again

The galaxy's weight on one's shoulders
The chest weighed down by unknown boulders.
Memory plays hide and seek
All one wants to do is retreat.
Into the blankets, into oneself, one's shell,
No talking, no thinking, just breathing and surviving what seems like hell.
The head aches and throbs all thought and feeling away
Pain seems insignificant to describe this senseless array.
Every act of being and doing feels a feat
Yet one knows that one is only heading towards defeat.
'Rest', they say, as if one doesn't want to
But the head reels even lying down
Thoughts creep one out eerily, make in more in helplessness drown.
Even the nails ache, it is a fight everyday
To try to be normal, to on course stay.
'R.E.S.T.', they say again, I wish too,
But then I jerk awake.

- Written on 31 August 2023.
- Was in Pune for a workshop. Just not well. 

Happy Teacher's Day - 2023


A series of rhymes on Teacher' Day: 

Teachers are seekers who find talent
To hone them well to aid this earth challenged
No one is bereft, in each eye they see a shine,
But sometimes they too go awry and cease being fine.
They too need help and counselling and rest and resetting
This Teacher’s Day, let us reach out to heroes all for some caring and sharing.
Unwind, relax, let the day go by,
Relax first, then you can reach for the sky.

_____________________________________
Teachers are

Thoughtful
Energetic
Adaptive
Curious
Humane
Empowering
Resilient

They have to be to help the future generation create a better, greener world that includes everyone equitably.

This Teacher's Day we salute these stalwarts.

Happy Teacher's Day!

_____________________________________

The years are tough, the hours are long
The requirements are such, they weaken the strong
But somewhere, somehow, the grit remains
Every time, somehow, passion still gains
Through duties of election and census surveys,
Through resource crunches and unequal pay scales,
Through outcome testing squeezing teaching
By adapting, evolving, ever striving
To the core stay true
To one's very best give and do
Teachers inspire a generation and more
They are boat taking us to progress' shores.

- Written on 5 Sep 2023. 
- Self Explanatory. 

Friday, July 21, 2023

So tempting and its corollary

So near to tempt,
Not dark, but light intense,
Welcoming, almost healing
As one yearns, it is beckoning. 
One breath less and it will be there
Holding, comforting, leaving you no care.
No more hurting, no more burning,
Close, so close it feels, but it is soon morning. 
And one breathed enough it seems,
Still suffering, death still a relief just in dreams.
Aah! One must go on, smile, breathe,
Hurt or not, plod on, one day, some day, one will be freed.

 
 

Corollary Note

Getting well is sometimes a grim, arduous struggle.
To let go, to be unhappy or passive-regressive is not a gamble.
It lets one dive inside oneself, to get past feeble schemes. 
Breathing is both more and less challenging that it seems.
Not everything is as one in one's mind deems. 
And not everything should ever be as one dreams.
Struggles are not bad altogether,
They let you pause, reflect, your strengths realise and gather,
Your goals refine, your needs redefine,
They make you anew yourself find.

- Written (and drawn) on 20 July 2023.
- Been on a recover health journey for all of July. Damn frustrating.
- What exactly:

Well it began with rains and sinus.
Led to low BP which accompanies intense pain and meds.
Then I got a viral. That added to my misery
Then my lungs, they discovered, did not escape injury. 
So I struggle at times to breathe,
Some times are ok, some do me freak,
But am recovering worry not,
It is a familiar road I travel on.
I will take care and become better, 
It will take months, though, to properly recover.

Lose yet Stand Tall

Karm karo, phal ki iccha mat karo.
Can one really over loss not ever cry, over success not crow?
Jo hua achha hua...jo hoga accha hi hoga

I have heard this times a thousand from my appa.

But while I know, I know full well, this too shall pass
We shall work harder and get other grants,
It is tough to not think what could have been better,
Could I have worked harder, smarter, faster?

Where did I falter?
Why not this grant did we garner?
I did try hard, but was it my best?
So many people worked so hard, did I too much rest?

Even as I think this, the team stands by together
Stating the process and the learnings make us a winner.

The ones on the dais are excellent
Their pitches wonderful and very much welcome.
But we had a story to tell too,
Our need is strong too.

What next I wonder,
Even as I stand stronger, and believe it or not, taller.
Not one accusation of 'not enough'
It is humbling, touching, it chokes me up.

So thank you one and all for this specific year long journey
To have had your support, your talents, your friendship make me very lucky.

Newer paths to our goals beckon
Our time to shine brighter will arrive soon, I reckon.

- Written on 24 February 2023.
- We came third in the HCL Grant for Education and secured 25L instead of coming 1st and securing 5Cr. :(

365

365 days of you being gone,
But you still in our memories everyday live on,
So many a time as I pummel K, I turn
Expecting you egging me on to make him squirm.
Amma's room it still is,
Oh! You would have so loved to resist.
But worry not, we are not melancholy
We remember you with laughter, with glee
No more do we your shouting or beating need to flee.
Old jokes, your quips for even new incidents crop naturally
Your birthmate told me today you are watching over us
Don't Amma, you go live your new 'life' to the fullest.
We are good. We have many moments treasured
We are good, for you made sure we were for you to back us.

365 days of freedom
Hope you are enjoying your journey to the brim.

- Written on 20 April 2023.
- Self-explanatory. 





Happy Women's Day!

Happy Women's Day!

My other annual diatribe/wish/ditty follows :) 

In 2023, we still fight for equality. 
Gender and sex are still conflated constantly. 
Being a woman is celebrated, 
With praises women are validated. 
But the qualities ascribed still smack of patriarchy:
Giving, loving, multi-tasking, filial piety,... 
The list goes on with nowhere a respite
For women to take rest and not achieve a greater height.

So this my wish for this Women's Day
Be contrary as you will: be worldly, be fey. 
Rest, take care, let your soul revel and quench its thirst. 
Family, friends, colleagues - they matter, but let not your own wants burst.
Focusing on oneself is not being selfish,
Relax, kickback and the world will still revolve, promise.
We are not perfect and we need NOT be
Humans are born with frailties.

So to the Tomboy - find a tree, a mountain to climb. 
The Boss - to rip into someone may you reasons find. 
The docile - serve, if that pleases you. 
The rebel - fight, your cause becomes you. 
The soldier - become stronger and better. 
The artist - may creativity and recognition accompany forever.
The homeless - may you find comfort and safety. 
The single - may independence and solitude help you your goals achieve. 
The mother - may you find some quiet and peace. 
The Discovering-self woman - know that we are all with you in this journey. 

Whoever you are, whoever you become, 
Find peace with self for that's the essence of being human. 
Being true to yourself, not putting on a facade, 
Will make everyday a blessing for us all. 

Happy Women's Day, today and everyday!

A Happy Day to Everyone, for no one gender or sex should really walk alone.

- Written on 8 March 2023.
- Self-explanatory. 

Saturday, December 31, 2022

Happy New Year! - Aah 2022! Hey 2023!


Happy 2023, everyone!

Warning: Anusha's Annual Purging lies ahead. Scroll down at your own peril. 🤣
Aah, 2022! 🫣 Hey, 2023!
I do not know what I can recap of the year past.
Bidding adieu to 2022 is both easy and hard
I began the year with a melody of sadness
I began the last day with gratitude and gladness
One beginning harkening parting
Another beginning of unstinting support reminding.
The world ushered in so much change too,
It opened up but again threatens to tighten the closure screw.
Much ado about the Indian origin British PM
Less so of the first tribal woman as India's President.
Trophies lifted by women and the disabled,
So much to rejoice, so many a fable.
So many memories and emotions let loose,
So many crowning moments to choose.
Yet the Ukraine war and the aftermath of the Taliban coup
Warn us that there is so much more to do.
The world is still shrouded in ignorance and misery
We are so far away from equal rights and true democracy.
Climate change fiasco looms larger than ever
While peace and education seem nebulous and health care scarier.
But onward we march with the brave,
That persistent efforts make a difference we celebrate.
Successes from seeming failures are carved,
Argentina, in FIFA, showed us how.
2022 is not about one person, one story, one smile,
Nor just about protests and votes or a defiant tribe.
It is about coming to grips with reality biting,
About checks and balances and quiet quitting.
About reassessing priorities,
And ushering in new practices and philosophies.
In other news, the Queens died.
And Trevor Noah from The Daily Show retired.
Federer and Williams bid the tennis courts adieu,
And many are confused about and by EdTech and Byju's.
There is much more, so much more, that I am omitting.
2022 has been for us all mostly harrowing:
Paradoxically, simultaneously, threatening and rewarding.
The year is gone. We are still trying to find our place.
2023 may you give us all wisdom and solace.
Happy 2023, one and all!
*India's Queen of Melodies and England's Queen Elizabeth 😜

- Written and posted on FB and IG on 31 December 2022. - Self-Explanatory.

Describing 2022

On a personal note:

How do I describe 2022? 
Harrowing, reconnecting, saddening, welcoming, 
Limiting, uplifting, conflicting, awakening,
Weakening, bolstering, endlessly pausing, regardless charging. 
Loss of folks personally and professionally, 
Some gone forever, some by distance relatively. 
Yet there are connections new, and old ones renewed. 

I am yet to come to grips with 2022. 
I feel helpless, grateful, determined, confused. 
I began the year on a melody harkening sadness. 
I began the last day with gratitude and gladness. 
Hopefully 2023 can help me process
The lessons 2022 introduced but let me not focus.

- Written on 31 December 2022. 
- Self-Explanatory 

Processing 2022

Processing 2022 is hard
I am glad the year is past.
Two years of being at home
Vistas opened and I was travel-prone.
I missed some moments crucial
While I regret not, it still packed a punch brutal.
Moments of remembering
Memories worth treasuring
Trying to NOT mention 'someone' 
When so much of me is moulded by Mom
Yet, life moves on, as she would be the first to say,
So I will try to recollect other D-Days.

- Written on 24 December 2022. 
- Self-Explanatory as I tried imagining writing a New Year poem. This year, I was not sure, I could. 

Shamadaan 2022

The First Invite (26 November 2022)

Welcome One, Welcome All
We will gather in the Old Conference Hall.
At 9:00 PM sharp on Sunday night
To listen as folks reveal the pen's might. 

The Poetry Reading session 
Is to be inclusive and fun
Languages, forms, no bar on them
All we ask for is imagination and patience.

Your voice, your choice
This Sunday night we rejoice.
Ek shyam shaayari ke naam
Chalo de den iss weekend ko ek khubsurat anjam. 

Let us know if you are interested in reading poetry. 
Please DM Shreyasi for details.

The Second Invite (27 November 2022) 

We will gaze at stars tonight
See Saturn and Jupiter and their moons satellite.
We will also read poetry in darkness
Share away your thoughts deepest.
In English or Hindi or Tamil or Assamese
Your own writing or some poet's piece.

At 9:00 PM sharp, today, we will gather
On CETE's terrace stars and poems we bring together.

Come one, come all,
Art is science and science art :)

A Recap of the Night 




Thoughts and emotions merged
Some budding poets emerged
Some performed for the first time
Some had published many a rhyme. 

Malyalees wrote in English and Hindi
For shuruat toh karna hai kahin and kabhi
We also heard Malwi, Bengali, Marathi and some Urdu and Punjabi. 
And met through some, members of their family. 
Grandmothers speaking of importance of teachers,
Fathers almost belatedly wishing mothers, 
Some recited poems by their friends and professors, 
Yet others gave life to borrowed lines as performers. 
Some poems sang, while some recited songs
Elvis Presley to Kabir to Faiz Ahmed we heard them all. 

Romance was in the air, so was activism
What inspires is that all were made so very welcome. 

Thank you all for an evening/night of poetry
For opening/entering portals of linguistic wizardry.

- Written on 26 and 27 November 2022. 
- Shamadaan was poetry reading and star gazing night combined on the terrace of the CETE office organised for Rachana Winter School fellows on 27 November 2022. 




Circa 1997 and 2022

Circa 2022:
Today I dreamt again of some conversations long past
But the impact they have had on me will life long last.

Circa 1997: 
I came back home after a walk
Friends of mine had gone to Carter Road for a repast.
Amma asked if I'd noticed how my friend protected me
Walking on the road side with a hand at the back guiding me
I was careless as I talked
Would not notice vehicles or people who would my path block
He gently nudged me hither-thither
I noticed not till Amma made me ponder.

Then every walk was a treasure
Of finding moments of care that let me not blunder
I learnt to appreciate better the friendship so generously offered
Irreverent as he was, to us friends his alert care he always proffered.

I learnt from him to notice and act
For other friends to be on the roadside track
I learnt that gifts of these moments are treasures rare
For caring is a gift, if just one could dare.
Less self-centred, more selfless
Eases burdens, adds to life's preciousness.

But it was Amma who helped me notice
The many acts of love that I took for granted as due service
The noticing made me strive to improve 
To be worthy of being a friend when I did nothing much you could approve.

My friends taught me what was being loving and giving
By constantly helping me, in return nothing asking
Even my company had so many restrictions
They accepted them all as a part of me, not afflictions.

Circa 2022
Blessed am I for friends like these,
And for a mother who got me to these see.

- Written on 20 November 2022. 
- A close friend from college who knows who he is. A journey of 25 years and going strong. 

Birthdays Without you

And dawns the first birthday without you
Missing the scoldings and warnings that irrespective rang through. 
No we do not celebrate birthdays or such, 
But even without ado, at least one fav dish was there to munch.

Through all the scoldings, one activity to please (more tease) the birthday boy
Memories of those moments will never die.

You are missed, but also know
We are stronger as days unfold
The best gift you gave us was strength
Through trials and tribulations to not break but mend.

To remember that a paratha can be as good as cake
That candles can be blown any day
That people are special not events or days
That support is best that trusts you to any situation face.

So this day is just another day
To remember that you cared not shine or rain
Scoldings were a must, egos needed to bite the dust, 
So in quiet moments we smile gleefully, your scoldings we do not lust 😂

- Written on 13 November 2022. 
- Self-Explanatory: K's Birthday. Amma not there. 

Happy Diwali 2022

Deepavali, the festivity of lights
Shining on us grace and delight. 
Sweets and crackers make us beam
Snacks and sparklers fill us with glee.
Groan we might of weight gained after, 
But meeting loved ones are moments treasured.

But spare a thought to the needy folks
Dresses and books and food they need more. 
Gifting culture is a part of Diwali, 
But make it not a mere business deed. 
Let us give of ourselves and ours
Not just today, but all waking hours. 
To make this world a better place
To strive for equity, not privilege. 

Be it Ram's return or Krishna's victory,
All celebrate freedom from ignorance and slavery.
The demon is not Ravan nor Narkasura
It is the lust for more: be it wealth or power.
Fighting for others underlies most mythology.
The triumph over greed is the story of Diwali.

Light our way out of ignorance. 
Light our way out of petulance. 
Light our way to perseverance. 
Light our way to excellence. 
Light our way to tolerance.
Light our way to benevolence.

Happy Diwali 2022!

- Written on 24 October 2022. 
- Self-Explanatory. 

A wish I got for this Diwali that I would like to cherish from Tigi

Hope your future is brighter and healthier then your past. Pray your future has love, respect and acceptance than you do deserve. May you smile the way you would have loved to. Cheers.

Story of Maharashtra school libraries' a-telling.

A rich tapestry of ideas and a united perspective
'What is a library? What books in our childhood did we read?
What use of books and space? 
With what tools do we all these trace?
Who might give answers to what?
FGD, Interviews, to survey or not?
Peripheral and the centre intertwined such
The study became larger and yet retained focus.
Busy folks, ill ones, all joined forces, 
Shared ideas and promises of more resources
Another meeting suggested
In-person interaction requested
This was such a wonderful beginning
Of the story of Maharashtra school libraries' a-telling. 

- Written on 27 Sep 2022. 
- We had just begun a new research study on the status of libraries in Government elementary schools in Maharasthra. 

The Need for Sleep

A thought revolves each day
Hovers, tempts, berates

Thookam thevaiya?
Jhopechi garaj aahe ka?
Ki ninda di lora hai?
Kya sona zaroori hai? 
Urrakkam avasayamene?
Le sommeil est-il nécessaire?

No matter how it is asked or the times-a-many
My body responds, 'Yes, indeed!'
It shuts down with my laptop on
And refuses to wake up as alarms gong.

It walks slow, thinks slow,
Stays on in sleep zone.
It is a hungry beast
At least 8 hours of rest it feeds. 

- Written on 21 September 2022. 
- Overheard a conversation between students at TISS and came up with this later on. 

Twin Power (Adi Adu)

- win power rocks this land
With hugs and smiles they play their hand.
Winning hearts, they slay battles,
Parting from them, the heart rattles.
They talk, they read, they puzzles solve,
They sing, they dance, they unite all. 
They write comics dark yet with sunny bees, 
They write prophesies of grit and peace. 
They love Gobi Manchurian and mangoes
They are adorable even in midst of mosquito woes. 
It feels too soon to say goodbye, 
Adi and Adu to meet you again soon I will try. 

Stay well, stay safe, stay happy

- Written on 18 July 2022. 
- Was saying farewell to Adi-Adu in Chennai. 

Being Alive

Being alive. What does it mean?
Shallow breaths and head splitting?
Ache and dizziness with every movement? 
Nausea that even water elicits?

Sounds, sights, smells make no impression. 
To register anything feels an achievement. 
Is that being alive, immersed in yourself, 
Floating somewhere in cotton world?

Ah! Bliss. Scored finally. 
Meds obliterate thoughts, focus, personality. 
What pain? Nothing can penetrate
Guilt, worry, deadlines. Everything fades.

 And then you wake up, drenched, drained.
The head throbs as an unmatchable refrain.
Which is better? Which is being alive?
Would you choose suffering or rather die?

It is a choice I have had to make often times
I forego meds that rob me of my mind
What use comfort if there is nothing of you
In that body on the bed, just a shell that is called you?

- Written on 11 August 2022. 
- Had been unwell for sometime and was in a bad shape with a new training to go to in Assam on 15 August. Was worried. 

CLIx Growing

Propped up by meds, I enter the training
A new state for CLIx, we are growing.
I wonder if I will have energy to sustain
There is no one but me for this phase.
Then we begin to converse, building rapport
Concerns are the same in education wherever you go.
Students do not talk in English, they are shy
Afraid of failing, loss of face, they do not try.
They lack vocabulary and grammar know-how. 

- Written on 20 August 2022
- Went to Assam on 15 August for 2 weeks of training. Had been a harrowing month with illness and tiredness and meds. How I managed, I dunno. 

(Happy) Ganesh Chathurthi 2022

This year has been a tad difficult. 
I want to remember, yet not, 
So many challenges, the tiredness, the near rot
The many helping hands and hugs, the will to move on. 

O Obstacle Slayer, to pray to you, I first learnt. 
Your stories I heard galore,
You seemed too good to be true, I deplored :)
With your brother I sympathised, though you no ill-will I bore.

Today, no one is around to remind me of your birthday. 
Not that I celebrated, but there is an ache. 
So from them to you, Ganesha, revel away,
Have plenty, make merry, this is your day, have your say.

- Written on 31 August 2022. 
- Self-Explanatory. 

Happy Teacher's Day! 2022

The last two years showed your grit,
As challenges you overcame with wit.
While schools have reopened,
The learning loss persists.
We have yet miles to go
Before our dreams in reality exist.
We know you will, as you always have,
Strive, persevere, make a difference in students lives.
We take this moment to celebrate you,
To commend, applaud all that you relentlessly do.

- Written on 4 Sep 2022. - Self-Explanatory.

Monday, July 11, 2022

P. E. N. D. I. N. G.

P. E. N. D. I. N. G.

So many tasks unending. 

The road so long, the skies grim, 

Work chokes, eyes brim. 

Even as one sits to write

The mind summons points trite. 

And even that gets not typed

As calls come in with matters hyped.


L. A. S. H. I. N. G.

It seems every moment one takes a beating. 

The world seems against one

As events unravel, things get undone.


P. E. N. D. I. N. G.

That word keeps looming.

Threatening. Sleep depriving.

The word keep taunting.

It is difficult to keep breathing.

Panic is onsetting.


P. E. N. D. I. N. G.

Life is on hold: A thing of past this living.

Joy in work: A thing of past anything fulfilling. 

Pride in professionalism: a gone case.

Quality: A dream so nebulous, no longer need to chase.


P. E. N. D. I. N....




- Written on 4 July 2022.

- Self-explanatory. I do not even want to list all that is due. I seem to be doing something all the while and accomplishing / finishing nothing. Some feat. 

Saturday, June 11, 2022

The Best Place

Home is a feeling not just a place, 
The feeling of comfort and love and being safe.
It is the sheer acceptance of loved ones,
The readjusting of schedules in silence. 
Acceding to a different palate, different tastes. 
Late night talks despite a hectic work pace. 
Thoughtful planning to take precious offs,
Sharing, probing, caring through interactions all.
Letting be, letting in the other into one's personal space.
A place to belong, people warm: a home, when you find it, is the best place.

Thank you for sharing your home with me.
It has become mine too in my memories. :)

- Began on 7 June. (1st 4 lines). Completed on 11 June 2022 the rest.

- I had something else in mind, but some turbulence in the plane took my mind away. 

- This is inspired by my primary hosts in the City of Joy. 

The True Gifts

Memories are made in moments
Silly, mundane, and the fun ones
Through late night conversations,
Groans at bad, very bad, puns.
Noonish jaunts to shops
And buying sprees that hunger halts
Ice creams and kulfis
And late night soirees.
Trips to old haunts,
Bits of a recaptured past.
Co-opting members unwilling or not
Even silences speak a lot. 
Singing sessions (and screeching ones too)
A short stay, so much to do. 
Through all the grumblings, moanings and teasings
One realises afresh one's blessings
So many people to love and cherish
These precious moments: the true gifts.

- Written on 5 June 2022.
- Post a family dinner out with 05 cousins and their families at Barbeque Nation, Acropolis, Kolkata.
The trip 2-7 June has been awesome despite not being well and doped on meds. 

A New Angel in Heaven

A smile on her face and greeted us at the door. 
I looked away blinking furiously at the floor. 

I could still not believe 
We had come to grieve
The death of one so young, sweet sixteen. 
The garland around the photo frame needed to be seen.

She hugged me tight, I hugged her tight too.
I had lost someone recently, but this loss should be taboo.
How does one lose a child and cope?
Yet, as I knew she would, she showed.

With grace, with tears, with smiles and memories
Of cakes baked, videos shared and dogs and puppies.
At the door she sent us off, recommending bird watching. 
I remembered that flamingoes in Aztec tradition represent healing. 

I prayed the family may together find peace
Also a note to an angel above to lovingly guide the new one be at ease.

- Written on 21 May 2022.
- A friend, an ex-colleague, lost her daughter in a freak accident. We went to visit her. 

Mizoram - May 2022

It was misty, it rained, it was windy
But people trudged on willingly. 
Helping, up the hill scrambling
Clicking, posing, admiring, chattering.

The beauty of Mizoram is to be seen in person
The cold winds and warm people is a wonderful combination
Today as we climbed down I thought
This camaraderie can never with the same set again be got

As I mulled, I became sad
The views then soothed me glad
I have said this before
Memories stay, even if people go.

'Till we meet again' sang Team Mizoram
'I hope soon' sang my heart in response.

Will miss you MZ and MZ Team (old and new)
Oh! I so hate to bid adieu.

- Written on  14 May 2022.
- Work trip that was filled with so much pleasure. 

#Mizoram #CLIx #nature #beauty #ReikTlang #Aizawl #TeamBuilding

Posted on FB first
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158175266861230&id=692626229

Sunday, May 08, 2022

Mother's Day 2022

Mother's Day!

She taught me to ponder, to question, to fight. 
She taught me to speak up and not compromise. 
She taught me to revel even in small glories of life
She taught me to see the inconsistencies, the humour in strife. 

Death or Life is what one makes of it. 
The beginning is an end and the end a beginning.

She taught me to respect myself before others.
She taught me self worth was the best among all treasures. 
She taught me to improve, she criticised like hell.
Oh the times we had when at each other we yelled!
The next minute was tea time and we were at peace.
She taught me to compartmentalise thus with ease. 

"She is gone, you must miss her," people say.
But I can still hear her tell me that I am turning her hair more grey 😂
She has left a legacy that I cannot live up to
But then I am only making her words come true. 😜

"Potential wasted", "Head up in clouds" 
Her voice still resounds. 

But I know I can go onward for she gave me hope and faith. 
She taught me there was nothing that could stand in my will's way. 
She taught me that we never really fail. 
She taught me to chart my own path as I set sail. 

I can never be as good as her. 
I also did not learn all from this teacher. 
But we had loads of fun along the way. 
And people may go, but memories stay.

So thank you, Amma, for so many gifts
Treasured moments, togetherness even admist rifts. 😁

For teaching, persevering, challenging, 
For befriending, supporting, understanding. 

May you be free (in all senses) now
Wherever you are, take a bow 😜

For this too a scolding; I can construct the litany. 
But hey, it is a free world, and you taught me to push boundaries. 😜😂

- Written through 7 night -8 morning May 2022.
- Self-explanatory. 

Celebrate: This is not a loss.

'How do you feel?' 
'Be not strong, let go', say people
But the legacy left me is courage
To try, to smile, even when afraid.
To accept gracefully
Fate's decree. 
To not lament one's lack. 
To focus on blessings had. 
To strive to be better. 
To not let limitations deter.

Some who know me, know
How I have had to 'go with the flow':
To struggle to even walk,
To hold a pencil or to even talk. 
Through dark times and the times of happiness
Mom was a powerhouse relentless. 

Do I miss her? I know not.
I can still hear her at me scoff. :)
Maybe when memory fades
When of her voice, her face, there is just a faint trace.
Then I will mourn the distance. 

For now she is painfree. 
Charting her new path and as usual making merry. 
For now I am glad she won her toss. 
On her terms came death: Celebrate. This is not a loss.




- Written through 23-28 April 2022.
- Self-explanatory. 

Amma — Kamala Ramanathan



Sometimes words fail
For emotions are complex, thoughts frail.

A flat line can say a lot,
Gone. Breathed her last.

A relief from all the pain for her. 
For newer, better pastures, checked out of earth.

As people recount their favourite memories
I realise afresh her rich legacy:
A life well lived
With amazing grace and grit.

She was fading anyway
She to a shell was changed.

So, this is release.
May she be at peace,
Long lost, hard won. 
Cheers to my friend, my teacher number one.

Amma - Kamala Ramanathan
16 Sep 1951 - 20 April 2022: Earth journey marked done.

- Written on 20 April 2022 
- Self-explanatory. 

May whoever gets her eyes and skin stay blessed.

The End of an Era

The end of an era,
The end of Lata
The beloved voice of India
Irreplaceable, revered, multi-talented womaniya.

From the tumri to the ghazal,
From pop to classical
Her voice mesmerized
She sang and we rejoiced.

She could bring us a tear
She could emote pity and fear
She could make us laugh
She could inspire us to strive hard.

Itni shakti hume dena daata was an assembly prayer
For greatness, to better oneself she made us care. 
She took us on a journey of Ajeeb dastaan
Never wanted it to end, this beautiful samaa.
Romance was defined by the voice of this spinster
Tragedy to comedy she added to all intricate layers.
 
Her awaaz is her pehchaan
Ti gaati kiti chaan, ti hasti mahaan. 
With 50,000 songs in 14 languages
She has won the world through all ages. 

Bharat Ratna to Padma Bhushan
Awards could not catch up with this talent.
Death too cannot win, for she is legend.
Lata Mangeshkar, you will live on in the songs we listen.

- aWritten on 6 Feb 2022.
- Self-explanatory. 

Sunday, January 02, 2022

Happy New Year - 2022

Happy 2022 Everyone!

_________________________________

For my annual diatribe read ahead. I really have not much to recap this year, though. There are more personal or local memories than global / national  ones currently. 

2021 - Goodbye time is at last here
You gave us hope and so much fear
You carried the 2020 legacy
You built on the pandemic driving us crazy
As more vaccines arrive in the market
More variants continue the lockdown effect.
Each time we thought the wave was done
You gave us a grander, newish one.

You have changed forever some of our industries
Not that it helped address climate change activities. 
Ripples will be felt for many a generation
As school children seem to socialise and learn have forgotten. 
Resilience is a word that we learnt to live
We again saw medics give and give. 
Essential workers have been our heroes
Sanitation workers, teachers, couriers - each the world so much owes. 

As families were locked in, neighbours stepped in
A new society, new ways perhaps has set in
Our world has both contracted and expanded
Home and work can they ever be now be separated? 

Protests work proved farmers as they fought steadily
The Left is still the choice of the Keralite and the Bengali
Sports is still dominated by news of Kohli
21 years later Ms Universe is from India happily.
Taliban rule in Afghanistan - a blow to democracy
The attempted coup in America - more evidence of fragility. 

2021 you have not been kind, 
There is so much to tell, but no words I find
As cases rise, we are never free
Of the vaccines and boosters' unending story
Events galore and yet just one lore
Covid-19 is still at the fore
Omicron, RTPCR, lockdown, section 144, isolation
These words have become a part of everyday conversation.
We are so weary as we ring you out
We so very much want to the pandemic rout.

2022, may you bring us cheer
May we see in-person our near and dear
May the world be healthy and safe
May education never ever again await
May peace and prosperity reach all
May happiness be your clarion call.

- Written on 31 December 2021.
- Self-explanatory. I am so very tired. I had a million events (it seemed) to record and I lost the thread as Omicron cases kept rising. 

Thursday, November 04, 2021

Happy Diwali 2021! Post 02 of 02

Post 2 on Diwali.
Have a fantabulous day, weekend and year, everyone. 

Caution: Rhyme 2 of the day ahead.

Clean up the mess created
Of environment, of the world, of our lives interrupted.

Throw out the old ways and convictions
Of fossil fuels, of material consumption. 

Usher in new beliefs, new systems
Of equality, of inclusion, of perseverance.

Discard over work and tiredness as the mantra
For progress, success, find a new abracadabra.

Adopt a new wholesome policy
Of defining worth by being happy.

Find treasures buried deep in mind:
Aspirations and talent, in the rat race, left behind.

Polish them lovingly, carve out time
They will give joy and is that not prime?

Display your passions, your aspirations, 
Boldly walk towards their realisation. 

Burst your insecurities, your trepidations, 
Let them sparkle towards extinction. 

Celebrate the world as one
This Diwali, 2021.

- Written on 04 November 2021.
-Self-explanatory

Happy Diwali 2021! Post 01 of 02

Wishing you and yours a Happy and Safe Diwali 2021. 

Caution: My rhyme ahead, :) 

Lights! We need them so
In darkness we are tired, afraid, alone. 
Locked in, locked up, locked down
Our world has shrunk, thoughts tightly bound.

Now the world is opening up
Stay safe. Stay alert. Let not Covid reerupt. 
Diwali reminds that on the darkest of nights
If we persevere, we will triumph.

This festival is about victory
Of truth, of knowledge, of good, of plenty, 
Of sharing, of caring, of ensuring
That those around us are also thriving.

This festive season let us see light, 
The one within our hearts glowing bright
Of kindness, of sensibility, of the thirst to improve
Guiding us as towards prosperity and joy we move.

- Written on 04 November 2021.
- Self-explanatory.