FEEL MY HUES

A handful of students,
Seated on the floor,
A teacher by them stands,
A breeze flows through the door.

Let's learn colors,
Today is a beautiful day,
We'll go one by one,
What do you say?

The first one is "yellow",
Its the color of happiness,
What you feel when you smile,
When you taste success.

The second one is "Green",
The color of jealousy it is,
What you feel when others do well,
Its a bad feeling, this.

The third one is "blue",
Cold is what it means,
Like when you have ice cream,
Hmmm..Vanilla, caramel and praline.

The fourth one is "red",
Its the color of anger,
What you feel when someone lets you down,
You question them and you dont get an answer.

The fifth and last one is "Pink",
This color means love and caring,
The one you feel as your mother holds you,
When with others you are sharing.

That's all for today,
We'll continue tomorrow,
If there is anything to tell or ask me,
Please let me know.

They put on their black glasses and pick up their sticks,
One speaks up as others up and pack,
We do know one more color, the only color we see,
The color of darkness, that color is "black".

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda

A TOUCH FROM THE PAST

I was up all night as usual,
Its a beautiful morning,
My eyes are red,
Is cold and wet, its raining.

I look at my note and sigh,
Its all planned and set,
I am going to end my life,
Life is as bad as it can get.

My life was and is a nightmare,
"Night"mare says it all,
It happened when I was awake,
Into a corner I could crawl.

A child though I was,
I knew it was wrong,
Was it my fault?
Nights were always very long.

I could not tell my anyone,
Would they believe me?
He was the "best" uncle,
He was, was he?

I grew older,
We left town,
I went to a new school,
In studies my sorrows I did drown.

I topped my school and college,
Not a night but I could sleep,
A few friends I had,
I would just crawl up and weep.

A touch, a hug, a pat on the back,
Decent though it were,
Petrified I was of contact,
My eyes start to blur.

My body was violated,
Used and dirty I feel,
I have never trusted anyone,
I don't think I can ever heal.

I would love to live,
To marry to have kids,
But the thought of my past,
To think ahead it forbids.

Now my parents want me to get married,
How long can I run?
I am in a quandary,
With my life I am done.

As I sit by the window,
I hear the door bell chime,
I open the door to my friend from childhood,
Only one who knows the past of mine.

You have suffered enough, she says,
Come with me right now,
I reluctantly follow,
She is going to help me?, don't know how.

She takes me to a counselor,
A nice woman, with a kind smile,
Things will change, I promise, she says,
Though it may take a while.

Be strong, its not your fault,
You are not alone, I ask you try,
Live for the people who love you,
I break down and cry.

The international theme for World Suicide Prevention Day 2013 is Stigma: a barrier to suicide prevention.

Please do take a look at the following link..It is a heart wrenching suicide note from a 27 year old Bill Zeller, who comitted suicide in july 2011.  I found this in an article published in the web site of Kids At Risk Action (KARA), a non-profit advocacy network focusing on issues related to neglected and abused children. A few words from his letter: "People say suicide is selfish. I think it’s selfish to ask people to continue living painful and miserable lives, just so you possibly won’t feel sad for a week or two. Suicide may be a permanent solution to a temporary problem, but it’s also a permanent solution to a ~23 year-old problem that grows more intense and overwhelming every day"

http://www.invisiblechildren.org/2011/01/08/child-sex-abuse-the-most-powerful-suicide-note-ever/

PAGE 3 : CELEBRITY BITES

I am a reporter. I cover celebrity events and parties for my newspaper "cheesy bites". I love my job. Hang around the best parties, have great food, and write what I want. I hang around to gather gupshup, pickup titbits about every celebrity I can and write for my column 'Celebrity bites'.

Today I was to attend the birthday party of the one year old baby girl of a well known actor, director and producer, RateeshKant. I enter the premises and look around. Hmmm...this time its a mickey mouse theme party. 

Mickey mouse balloons, read and white streamers, Mickey mouse flags flying all around and a huge disney world castle built just for the party, moat, towers et al. I was stunned. The things people do with money. There is security outside the castle and I need to show them some ID to enter. I enter the castle's main entrance to see a huge stage set up with a mickey mouse backdrop. On the left I could see a row of counters with games to play, balloon sculpting and tattoos for kids.

What I was looking for was on the right. The food!! Aaah..tables and tables of different varieties of food. oodles and oodles of goodies I was waiting to sink my teeth into.

Mmmmm...Where to I start? Soups, starters, fruit juices, multiple choices of main course or...dessert? I was very much a dessert person. The dessert counter was laden with cakes, ice creams, chocolates, pudding, souffle and jelly of several flavors. There was a chocolate fountain and fruit salad too...

I decided to start with my favourite. Hot brownies with chocolate sauce, nuts, ice cream, and lots of wipped cream on top. mmm..just placing my order made my mouth water. I picked up my dish and found a place to sit down. A place where I can enjoy my food and over hear bits of conversation from adjoining tables.

I closed my eyes and bit into a spoonful of my brownie. I enjoy the soft texture of the brownie with the crunchy nuts and ice cream. hmmm...delicious :)

As I open my eyes to take another mouthful of the sinfully tasteful dessert, I realize something has changed. A little perplexed I look around. I see all the people are missing and instead see lots of rats and mice!!! What was happening and why?

I heard a ticking sound. I look down and see a small clock, giggling
'tick tock time is short,
Find what you have to find,
If you want to get back,
use your mind.'

What is even more weird is that they are all neatly dressed as though they were attending a party. huh?

Mickey mouse and Minnie mouse were receiving guests on the stage. The huge tables of food were now laden with different types of cheese...parmesan, gouda, cheddar, mozarella, feta and several others. There were chunks, rolls, cubes and slices of cheese. The chocolate fountain was now a 3 layered cheese cake. The cheese is being served by Remy the rat!! the great French chef from Ratatouille?

I have got to stop thinking about food. How do I get back?

There were so many rats running around I stopped to look around. There were several from the movie "the secret of the NIMH" and "An American tail". These were not just mice. They were celebrity mice!!

The little clock laughs again:
tick tock you forgot,
Did you start looking,
If you did not, do it fast,
Time is ticking.

I ignore its warning as i see a crowd at the entrance. A limo comes to a halt and out gets "stuart little"!! the security rushes to push back the crowd. They are lead by Barnard and Bianca from "the rescuers". wow!! this is turning out to be a great party after all.

I think it is high time I find a way out of here. I look around me. Who can I ask for help? hmmm.. then I spot Basil, "the great mouse detective" and I think...perfect, he is the only one who can help me.

"Excuse me, sir" I say. "Can you please help me, I have a problem." and I go on to explain what happened. He does not say a word...

the clock talks again:
tick tock its getting late,
you have but a little time,
do what you can right now,
Before again i chime.

I get panicky...I ask Basil what to do? Basil says,"You have wasted yours prying into other people's lives, writing what you want, not minding about their feelings or the outcome of your writing. You need to respect your profession and other's privacy and not make a mockery of what you do and others too. What you need to find is within you. you need to find remorse. you need to feel for others."

"Find minnie mouse's shoes, wear them, click your heels thrice, clear your mind, clean your heart, think of your destination and you will get there"

I rush and request minnie mouse for her shoes, wear them, click my heels, and pray, "Please get me back home, I realise my mistake, I am sorry and will never do it again". I close my eyes and hope it works.

I feel no change. I sigh and open my eyes. I find myself sitting at the table with my brownie, right where I was before, as if nothing happened.

I have never felt so relieved in my life. I realize, everyone is entitled to their own life, their privacy. To use such news to gain popularity, entertain nosy people and make money is no good. I get back to eating my brownie, relishing the taste much more than ever before.

This post is a part of the game ‘Nibble Promptly’ in the birthday party at A Rat’s Nibble.

TROUBLE IN TIMBUKTU

There is trouble in Timbuktu,That's a far off place,
Nothing can happen to us, We are always safe.

It may be an earthquake,
A bombing or a war,
A storm or a Tsunami,'
Its always somewhere far.

A strike, a strife,
A murder or a rape,
A medical negligence or accident,
A robbery or red tape.

There is trouble in Timbuktu, That's the other place,
What can we do?, Its not our space.

Petrol prices, auto fares,
Traffic jams and drainage blocks,
Street lights not working,
Bad roads and dug up rocks.

Garbage on roads,
Mosquitoes in stagnated water,
No security at night,
Thieves and robbers wander.

There is trouble in Timbuktu, We may stay there,
I did complain to the authorities, But they don't care!!

Women abused,
Children molested,
Lost or abandoned,
How horrible!!, abducted.

Drunken husbands,
Beaten up wives,
Sexual harassment,
All just thrives.

There is trouble in Timbuktu, I live around the corner,
I have to safeguard my family, cant worry about the former.

Visually, physically and the mentally challenged,
AIDS, STD's, Cancer and such,
Drug addiction, female infanticide,
And there is still so much.

Save the environment, stop pollution,
Save animals, become vegetarian,
Recycle waste, don't use plastic,
Discrimination based on color and religion.

There is trouble in Timbuktu, My children's future is at stake,
Tell me what to do, and I will part take.

Let's not be indifferent,
Let's do our bit,
Let's not be aloof,
Let's not ignore it.

Create an awareness,
Take a step, small it may be,
Make a donation,
Do service for free.

I am an Indian, its citizen I'm proud to be,
What happens to India, happens to me!!

Speak up, speak out,
Represent the needy,
Seek help, use the law,
Pull up the greedy.

Every action, every step counts,
Be a gaurdian angel to some,
Never underestimate,
The power of "one".

WHAT TEACHING TAUGHT ME

I was a freelance soft skills trainer. During that time I had the privilage of training II year graduation students of a leading Women's college in Chennai. This experience that lasted a year and a half was one of the best times of my life. Of it I learned:

1. That one works hard as a student, one works harder as a teacher.

2. That 40 minutes is a very very long time :) Not in a negative sense, when we are in charge, time seems to creep and crawl. Though I can empathize with the students who feel the same.

3. That one can never assume to know enough. There is always more to learn.

4. That learning and interaction are amazing partners.

5. That one needs to concentrate more than the students on what we say, every word matters.

6. That Students can ask the darnedest of questions!! :) Be prepared.

7. That respect follows trust. One needs to believe in our own capabilities in order to be convincing and gain their trust.

8. That its a teacher who decides a student's favourite subject.

9. That the power of encouragement is much more than that of advice.

10. That the responsibility of a teacher is not restricted only to subject matter but also in encouraging and instilling self confidence in the student.

Last but not the least...That my teachers are the best!!

DREAM, DISCOVER, DEDUCE, DO

I was born with the proverbial "silver spoon". My father was in the top 10 list of tax payers in the country. Hardly anything to complain about. huh?

I had everything before I even knew I wanted it. I had the best of toys. I went to the best of schools. I went to the best shopping malls and had the best of vacations.

Simply put. I had everything. Is that so?

Everything but my individuality.

Expectations set on an only child of a high achieving father needs to be experienced to be understood. I was to attend business school. To be a successful business woman. Dressed smartly in designer business suits. Fly around the world in private jets to attend meetings and parties of the affluent.

But I wanted to write. To be a writer. I devoured books ever since I knew how to read. The library was my sanctum. I had written countless stories and was working on my own book.

I constanly complained to my mother. All she told me was, "look past your needs, and you will find what you are looking for. Look at what you have, and what others lack. Look into your heart, and then think with your brain."

I hardly saw my father, but met his reputation often. Where ever I went his reputation preceded me. And the result was that I never got an honest opinion about my writing.

Here I was, sitting in the waiting room of a publisher, waiting to hear the verdict on my work. I had lied about my name this time, hoping to get an actual opinion. As I waited, I looked outside the window, where, outside on the pavement sat a man without legs, mending shoes!! He could not wear shoes himself, but had the knowledge to mend shoes, and was helping people who needed shoes and making a living.

That's when I heard the sniggering and the subtle laughter. It was coming from behind where I was seated, from the cabin in which my manuscript was being read. Amidst the laughter I finally heard what I needed to hear for a long time coming. I was not good. I had no makings of a writer. Evidently my story lacked structure and was not going in any particular direction. The characters were sketchy. Essentially a big let down.

I sighed and looked around me. My eyes fell upon a guy who I have seen several times at several waiting rooms of publishers. His manuscript was all wrinkly from reading several times.

I suddenly knew what to do. I felt such a relief wash over me. I stepped out of the office and into the street, smiling to myself. As the wind blew on my face, I turned and looked at the lame cobbler. I never was meant to be a writer. I was going to be a publisher.

This post is for a prompt in the following link :

http://manjulikapramod.com/2013/08/28/contest-author-in-the-making-keep-your-fears-at-bay/#comment-6526

THE ANDROID DIARIES

I am an android phone. Just bought, currently charging, all apps installed and set to go.

I blink and open my eyes to a squinting teenager, or so it seems. He configures his facebook, gmail, whats app and twitter and I get his name..."stefan salvator". I immediately use my resources that include google, true caller and what? I have an IMDB app? hmmm...and was quite taken aback on what I found!

This guy was a VAMPIRE!! well, i might as well get used to it, am not going anywhere.

Me : Hello there, Stefan.

Stefan : Whoa...do androids talk?

Me : HA...do vampires exist?

S: Fair enough.

Me: so, how long have you been around?

S : 163 years, was born in 1846, turned vampire in 1864, been 17 every since... :)

Me: And that makes you a teenager? HA..the first of my ancestors(the telephone) were patented in 1876. you are much older than that!!

s:Can we drop the age topic please?

Me: sure..do you have a dog?

s: no

Me: Maybe we can get you a blood hound...ha ha ha

S: hmmm...

Me: What's your favourite animal...a giraffe? lol

s: will you stop googling for bad vampire jokes!! I will cut off your wifi..

Me: Go ahead..you should have thought about that when you subscribed for a unlimited 3G data plan..he he

S: you talk too much..you need a good scare.
*shows his really scary vampire look with blood shot eyes and fangs et al*

Me: *flashes on screen some screen shots of exorcist, evil dead, friday the 13th and nightmare on elm street*

S:*grows pale and sighs* I give up!!

Me:LOOK BEHIND YOU..THE SUN IS RISING!!!ITS ALMOST DAWN!!

S:*cringes with fear, looks alarmed and then at his watch* WHAT!! its twilight...

Me:Configure the time in my clock will ya!! rofl...you vampires are easy to fool..you are born suckers!! :P

Me: btw...what's with the IMDB app?

S: why not..vampires can't watch movies? What can vampires do? Watch world wars and attend speeches of great world leaders throughout my life?

Me:oh..

S:Oh no...my brother is here..

Me: why the "oh no"?

S: he is not a nice guy like me..

Me:Well...intro please

S: Damon..this is my new android. my dear talkative android...this is my brother Damon Salvatore.

Me *speechless and stunned, my lights burn dim and then brighter again*

Damon: *eyebrows raised* I thought you said this android could talk..

S: *Smirking* So what's new...!!

Me: *still stunned and not even blinking now*

D: hey, can I borrow your android for the evening..am going out for dinner?

S: Am not sure...I just got it..

Me: Pssssst...*in a whisper* what's your problem? just let me go...or will show him your facebook friends list!!

S: *alarmed*...fine fine..

Me: *clicks a quick picture for my permanent memory*

It rains as we drive and pick up a girl on the way. I silently curse. We keep driving and reach the mountain side and a dark forest. What?

I then hear a shuffle, a push and then a blood curdling scream. Running and more running...then suddenly as it all began all grew quiet. The sight I then saw was one I was never going to forget till someone did a factory reset of my settings. Lying in a pool of blood, was the girl...dead!!

I started trembling. Damon noticed this, raised an eyebrow and asked me, "are you scared?"
I said, "No..I am on vibrate mode..you are getting a call."


P.S : The characters used in my post is based on the books and tv series "The vampire diaries", http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vampire_Diaries.

This post is a part of Write Over the Weekend, an initiative for Indian Bloggers by BlogAdda