The Magic of Folk Tales

“The Dreamer awakes
The shadow goes by
The tale I have told you,
That tale is a lie.
But listen to me,
Bright maiden, proud youth
The tale is a lie;
What it tells is the truth.”
― Traditional folktale ending

Reading mature novels with complex plots

One after another, satisfied I was not

Though the stories were real, the characters believable

I think I was missing the simplicity of fables-

Except that fables and folk tales of all kinds

Are not written to appeal to an adult mind

So into the children’s section of the library

I went in search of village belles and fairies

A book of Celtic folk tales was my first find

As I read through the pages, it did remind

Me of the myriad  folk tales of my childhood 

Full of morals that I had only half understood..

 

I went back  to the days when my companions literary

Were counselors of kings full of wisdom extraordinary

Their wit and presence of mind made for excellent

Stories to read, narrate or enact for amusement

Each story had a lesson in living embedded

Reality of life was through a fictitious tale threaded

 

 

Many Indian folk tales featured strong women

Standing up for themselves in a society dominated by men

 

In the era before Christ were some of them penned

In today’s world, their teachings are still relevant

 

I was not by any means confined, I must tell you

To Indian folktales, I read tales from other lands too

Some of my favorites featured a fool named Ivan

Who slept above the stove, in a Russian tradition

He always had brothers, wiser in people’s eyes

Yet when there was a crisis, Ivan the fool would rise

Since he paid no heed to the norms of society

Without any fear, he would fight the mighty

And emerge with a princess and a kingdom

He was simple with a good heart, so he always won

 

Trolls, gnomes and spirits from Scandinavia

Warmed my heart, taught me some trivia

About life in the Arctic climates that I 

Had no other reference to go by

 

Tales of the Iroquois and the Tainos

Taught me about people I did not even know

Bamboo trees, dragons and other fire-spewing creatures

Were of folk tales from the Far East, prominent features.

 

I could go on and on, pouring into this verse

My fascination for folk tales, for good or for worse

Instead my six year old I shall entertain

With folk tales from a lesser known terrain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Announcement- new blog- The Circle of My Life

My precious readers and dear friends

I have expanded my blogosphere presence

Bored of writing in verse and eager to share

 

With you my life and things about which I care

I have started a new blog, and would like to invite

You all to stop by, comment or give me insight

circleofmylife.wordpress.com is the address

I shall be grateful if you visit, I confess..

 

 

 

 

Fragrant memories

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I read in medical school that olfaction

Is associated with memory and emotion

More so than the other senses four-

I have understood this fact more and more

Having left my home and moved away

Olfactory memories have been there to stay-

 

Each time I prepare spiced chai in my kitchen

My nose-brain connection creates the heaven

Of my childhood, sends me back in time instantly

To the place where an integral part of life was tea..

The act of sifting through Indian spices aromatic

Of smelling them on my hands, makes me ecstatic

The fragrance of frying in butter clarified*

Evokes emotions complex that cannot be described

Each time I try in my kitchen a traditional recipe

My limbic system goes into overdrive, you see

 

And I am suffused with the warmth of longing and love

Who knew the best memories were made around a stove?

 

 

 

 

 

All boxed up and coming to you

400x200-subscriptions-soaps

I had always known the word subscription in

Reference to a newspaper or magazine

Or a library of books and media varied

So I must admit I am surprised indeed

To see online subscriptions available nowadays

For everything you need- I am amazed

At the plethora of services to which you may subscribe-

Customized clothing to fit the lifestyle you describe

Beauty and spa products- monthly delivered

Containing products of which you had not heard

But exotic, wrapped in an alluring package

Customized for you, suitable for your age

Healthy meal deliveries to help you navigate

A busy lifestyle, useful if cooking is something you hate

If you want to cook but difficult are decisions

On what to cook daily, here’s a solution with precision-

Meal planning services are there to cater to you

You get a recipe and wrapped ingredients too

Of course it can be customized to accommodate

Your dietary preferences, your eclectic palate

If going to a gym is not your cup of tea

Fitness subscriptions can solve that problem easily

 

 

The items delivered to you periodically

Are curated and personalized carefully

Opening the box for each shipment

Is like getting each time a new present

Sellers know this, and they are also aware

Once people subscribe, they seem not to care

About the subscription, and quite rarely

Make a move to cancel immediately

Even when the service does not worthwhile appear-

This is just normal human behavior..

 

This subscription commerce is on an upward swing

Meanwhile, I shall continue to buy my own things. 

(Image source: https://www.abcfw.com/subscription-boxes-fulfillment/

 

When Santa found no chimney

dsc04307-copy-2Chimneys are a staple of folklore

Santa descends via one, does not knock on the door

The big bad wolf decided to creep down

The pigs’ chimney, in boiling water he did drown

You would expect chimneys have always been around

When references to chimneys in fables abound- 

There were no chimneys a thousand years ago, in fact

For smoke from a fire to escape a house, there was no tract

Except a hole in the roof that barely prevented folks

From suffocation, the rooms were always filled with smoke

Imagine the smoke getting in your eyes constantly

(Medieval folks must be less prone to allergies, certainly)

 

When houses became two-storeyed, it created a conundrum

For escape of smoke, chimneys developed as a solution

The humble chimney gave people some respite

From the smokiness they constantly had to fight

Fireplace came to occupy its permanent place

Against the wall in a corner, instead of the center of a space

 

 

Fireplaces and chimneys underwent major alterations

In their designs over centuries, in different nations

 

 

Knowing the history of chimneys makes me glad

That I am not in the medieval age, it would be sad

To have my home and clothes in soot soaked

I am glad they invented chimneys to drive out smoke!

 

 

 

Hygge on a snowy day

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“Hard to explain and even harder to pronounce, the Danish word ‘hygge’ (pronounced ‘hooga’) translates roughly to ‘cosiness’. It may be hard to say, but that hasn’t stopped people finding out that hygge might be a recipe for a happier life. Oxford Dictionaries even shortlisted hygge as one of their Words of the Year 2016!

In essence, hygge means creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge. Friends and family – that’s hygge too. There’s nothing more hygge than sitting round a table, discussing the big and small things in life. Perhaps hygge explains why the Danes are the happiest people in the world?”

Source: http://www.visitdenmark.com/hygge

I am not Danish; I do not live in a place

Where darkness extends for endless days-

Yet when winter displayed its brutal force

And snowstorms conspired to confine me indoors

Cabin fever threatened to prevail

Daily life appeared oppressive and stale

I stumbled upon this concept new to me

That the Danes practice extensively-

Hygge, a word I can barely pronounce

 

Spelt much differently from the way it sounds

On being introduced to this Danish  quality

Of “coziness and comfortable conviviality”

“Eureka,” I cried, this was the missing piece

To conquer seasonal affective disorder with ease

 

So I warmed to the concept in a way

Quite bourgeois, I am slightly embarrassed to say

Lighting scented candles, spreading around me

Cozy blankets, warm mugs of gourmet coffee

(You get the picture- the trappings typical

Of enjoying cold weather in magazine articles)

But  doing this, though helpful, did not eliminate

My claustrophobic and mildly depressed state

 

On yet another day when we were snowed in

Sitting near the fireplace with a blanket, sipping

Hot, aromatic ginger-cardamom tea

Watching together an uplifting movie

My son huddled close, hugging me with affection

I thought the scenario was close to perfection

And then I realized, this was hygge in its spirit true

My house now had  hyggelig vibes too..

A warm atmosphere, sharing love and laughter

With loved ones and friends, the people who matter

They can fill the longest of cold nights

With cheerfulness, optimism and pure delight

This is hygge that keeps Denmark the winner

As the happiest nation on earth despite the dark winter!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History of Literacy

” The written word endures, the spoken word disappears.”

Neil Postman

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I cannot think of a scenario somehow-

My imagination simply does not allow

Absence of  unquestionable supremacy

Of the written word, of basic literacy

Yes, I know there are people illiterate

I cannot but consider them unfortunate..

But it was interesting for me to find, 

As I read a book on history to entertain my mind

That less than a  thousand years ago 

Literacy and education were not considered so-

True, there were those learned few

Who the rest of the population looked up to 

For advice on medicine, justice or law

However, there were not many who saw

Value in learning how to write and read

It was expensive, took away precious time indeed

Away from working with their hands, toiling in fields

It was a lot of effort for very little yield

Production was simple, consumption local

Few people went far from their location focal

No records were needed, as most trasactions

Were completed to mutual satisfaction

As the society more complex grew

Keeping written records became a concept new

Promoting, in transactions, accountability

 

The written word proved its indispensability

 

So here we are, many centuries later today

Where reading and writing take up most of my day

 

 

As for many of us, who take a  literate society  for granted

It fascinates me to know this was a skill not much wanted

A thousand years ago-how we have evolved again

From working with our hands to working with our brain!

(What else can you expect from a girl for whom life exists between the pages of a book?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.google.com/#q=your name

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Let me tell you something that might sound

Quite narcissistic the first time around

How about searching for your name 

On the world wide web, are you game?

I have searched for my name just for fun

To find if my unique name is more common

Than I thought, but the kind of information

That I found was an eye-opener of sorts

Whatever it was, an ego trip it was not

Besides my professional credentials (not quite accurate)

My professional licensure for my state

Professional and blog articles meant to be shared

I found personal information of which I was unaware

Just the thought of life being displayed online

Scared me, introduced unease into my mind

Some information I changed or anonymized

So it would not be visible (at least) to every eye

Though I know that once information makes its way

To the world wide web, it is there to stay

Most of it I had no hand in placing out there

But it can be tracked by future employers, I’m aware

On a lighter note, I was quite happy to know

That the percentage of exact name matches was quite low

Which means my name is still quite unique

(At least I got one ego booster that I had set out to seek)

 

So I urge you to type in google search your name

Your perception of the web might not stay the same!

(Image source: http://www.personalbrandingblog.com)

 

Red Hot Poker (Kniphofia)

“Kniphofia /nɪpˈhoʊfiə/, also called  red hot poker, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794. It is native to Africa.  All plants produce spikes of upright, brightly colored flowers well above the foliage, in shades of red, orange and yellow, often bicoloured.“- Wikipedia

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As I strolled through the stretches one day

Of a botanical garden, I found suddenly on my way

That unique flower with its orange and red

Spiked flowers almost towering over my head

And I was reminded of how years ago

We had seen these flowers in a horticulture show

You were in second grade, if my memory serves me right

Fascinated more by the name than the sight

“Red hot poker” was a beautiful flower, you proclaimed

We snapped a photograph, and of course you named

It your favorite flower, and wrote its name meticulously

For your homework; you spelt out “Kniphofia” carefully 

You were so excited, but even then I was apprehensive

I wished you had liked a more conventional alternative

I hate to remember maternal instinct was on target

You returned from school next day, quite upset

For writing something strange you were derided

No one could understand why you had decided

To name a flower that hardly looked like one

To be your favorite, they did not know, my son

Of this plant, in ignorance, they made fun

Of you- over the years, you displayed

Non-conformity to tradition in many different ways

Despite my misgivings, I tried to encourage you

To follow your heart, knowing that was the right thing to do..

**

Now you live far away and meet me

To my great chagrin, only infrequently

You are wildly successful in your profession

That is unconventional- you followed your passion

Seeing the red hot poker today sent me down memory lane

To that first instance when you had suffered pain

For being different in a society that conformity values

That gives you few options from which to choose

I am proud of who you are, and of course

With the flower for a picture I pose

And send it to you instantly, subtexting “Remember?”

You promptly reply, exclaiming “Red Hot Poker!”

And then, “It’s still my favorite, and I know, yours too”

I smile to myself, yes, that is true

If not for this flower I might not have realized

My son’s true potential, I might not have advised

Him to stick to his ideas that were different

This flower made me a better parent..

Quest for the perfect gift

DSC06077.JPGThis is that anxiety-provoking time of the year

When people shell out money and continue to fear

Whether the cash they’ve doled out is well-spent

On gifts they have selected for each recipient

There is an element of uncertainty inherent 

When you shop for that supposedly perfect present

That appeals to the recipient and to your pocket is kind

Hope their needs match what you have for them in your mind

 

You worry about your gift screaming of frugality

Or wonder if they would ever figure out the reality

That what you have gifted them had been, in a corner

Languishing, it was received as a gift last year-

Yet another generic gift you could find no use for somehow

You had to recycle it, your finance-savvy conscience would not allow

Any gift to go waste, repackaging is a viable option

You save some dollars, it is a win-win situation

 

Then there are those impulsively bought knickknacks

During travels abroad, gifting them is a neat hack

But..your friends might not share your eclectic taste

What you loved might be for them a complete waste.

Sometimes you want to give a handcrafted present

You crave some recognition for your talent

But your hopes are dashed when  a lukewarm reception

Is all you get for your painstaking effort and selection

 

Of all the choices that I make in a year

Holiday-gifting is the one I always fear

Once the ordeal is over, I decide I would do

A better job next year, by looking out for clues

That indicate the likes and dislikes of my friends

Some things I remember, but much is forgotten

By the time the next season rolls around-

I still hope some wisdom in gifting I’ve found!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Travel theme: Shimmer

Linking to :https://wheresmybackpack.com/2016/12/17/travel-theme-shimmer/

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The Shimmer of the Oslo Fjord, Oslo, Norway

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The Shimmering Chinese Lanterns, Longwood Gardens, PA

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The shimmer of white marble in the sun- Sheikh Zayed mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE

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Shimmering drops of a water fountain, Longwood Gardens, PADSC06330.JPG

The Shimmer of Gold- Emirates Palace Hostel, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Walking down the memory lane on a snowy day

11111111snow-dayOn a cold snowy day I sat inside

Watching the world being painted white

With time on my hands and nothing else to do

I decided to take a trip down a memory lane or two

So out came the albums, the collections of memories

Made over the years, I arranged them in series

I watched my old images with a new eye

Starting with pictures of an adolescent, awkward and shy

To a newly wed with a twinkle and a dazzling smile

Brimming with hope, starting the journey of a thousand miles

To a new mother transformed by love profound-

As I looked at them all, something within me unwound

And a silent tear escaped the corner of my eye

As I reminisced over the time that had passed me by

Moments of joy captured perfectly in still frames

Reminding me of things that had changed, those that were the same..

In taking a walk down the proverbial memory lane

I relived the good, the bad and the ugly once again

 

I was broken out of my deep reverie

By my child who came and sat next to me

We went through the albums again, together

As my husband snapped our pictures to capture forever

These precious moments of sharing old stories

Of our past, while creating new memories..

 

Since then we have made it a sort of family tradition

To celebrate indoors the first snow of the season

By sorting through old photographs and retelling

Our notable stories from the past, always marveling

At how far we’ve come, how many more blessings we’ve acquired

To accomplish more as a family, we feel newly inspired.