The Sparrow Nest

The sparrow flies
Gingerly holding the straw
That shines like gold
in the morning sunlight

She flies again
In search of straw
Binds them together
Into a beautiful nest

She watches over her young ones
Eyes reflecting tender care
Like a mother standing at the porch
Her baby clinging to her apron

A plethora of words
Thoughts, images and ideas
spin  timeless in my head
Experiences, insights, discoveries

Scribblings on blank paper
Musings from the soul
Create a tangled web
Of poetry and verse

© copyright skm, 23rd Jan, 2012

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Mother

In my dreams
From a world yonder
You still appear
With all the answers

Holding twilight in your hands
You wake me up
To a new dawn
Of beauty and wonder

You watched me grow
Like a ray of hope
And put me to sleep
With divine kisses

Caring eyes reflect
Sacrifice and concern
Words unspoken
Convey everything

O Mother! O Angel!
From the kingdom of love
Showering grace upon me
O Star!  in the sky

© copyright skm, 21st Jan 2012

(http://promisingpoetsparkinglot.blogspot.sg/2012/09/the-perfect-poet-award-week-72.html)

The Tree

Resolute and firm you stood your ground
As summer, winter and rain
Crossed your  path
And  autumn stripped you bare

Stolid and majestic
Your proud branches
Spread high into the sky
Seeking to embrace the clouds

As daylight breaks
You welcome the sun
With dew drops strewn like pearls
On  fresh green leaves

At noon the sun high above
Brings weary travellers to your feet
You shower a blanket of shade above
Like a mother hugs a child in her bosom

At nightfall
Moonlight shines through you
Like a bride’s silhouette
Adorned in sparkling jewels

© copyright skm, 20th Jan, 2012

New year wishes

Books and speaking
Exercise and violin
Waking up early
Setting the course for the day

Going  on short trips
The family reunion
Blogging and tweetjng
Doing my bit for charity

Of all these – my best moment
Was that feeling unexplained
As I waited for a moments glimpse
Of your pure, striking beauty

You spring sudden surprises
Turn my belief into faith
Seeing your glory unfold
Is my  best gift every year

Fireworks and lights
Herald a new year
My heartfelt prayer this year is that peace prevails
And for a world without strife and hunger

© copyright skm, January 7th, 2012

India – by rail

Indian Railways has 114,500 kilometres of total track over a route of 65,000 kilometres and 7,500 stations. The railways carry over 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tons of freight daily

Travelling by train in India is a memorable experience.  It is remarkable how people get to know each other and enjoy so much on the journey that it is great fun.  I remember travelling by train during my school  holidays when we would go to Kerala.

In Mumbai, I travelled by crowded suburban trains from Vasai to Churchgate.  Even in this crowded train there was so much of activity going on that you almost forgot you were travelling in such a crowd.  People playing card games, antakshari going on in the train, ladies cutting vegetables for dinner, people offering seats, keeping briefcases on the rack..

Recently on my India trip, we travelled from Bangalore to Alwaye by train – The Intercity Express.  It was a great experience travelling by train in India after a long long time

The intercity express crosses 3 states – Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala.  It starts at Bangalore Cantonment and passes through Carmelaram, Hosur, Dharmapuri, Salem Junction, Sankaridurg, Erode Junction, Tiruppur, Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thrissur, Alwaye and Ernakulam. (I remember when young – we would play the game of guessing the next station).  The ticket collector comes in to check our tickets.  The advantage of travelling by train is that you can stretch your legs once a while.

People were reading, playing with their iphones , ipads and laptops.  I like to stand at the door to drink in the sights and sounds of the stations that we pass.  I also get to take some pictures of the landscape (see the two pictures above).

There is just a 2-3 minute stop at the station and you have to be ready to load/unload all your luggage in this time when boarding/alighting.

Another  wonderful  joy of travelling by train is the nasal calls of the vendors – chaiiii, kapi, param-pori, vadai, veg biryani, cutlet, sambaram, tomato soup etc.  One is tempted to try out the food.

We talk to people on the journey and when it is time to alight we can make some good friends.

I am reminded of the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson – “ Life is a journey not a destination”.

Nestled among tea gardens & clouds – Munnar

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Kerala was a visit to Munnar . Munnar  is a hill station in Kerala and in southern India. Munnar is located on the Western Ghats, situated in the Idukki district.

The name Munnar is believed to be derived from Malayalam words Munu (three) and aaru (river), referring to the town’s strategic location at the confluence of the Madhurapuzha, Nallathanni and Kundaly rivers.

Some of the attractions at Munnar are: Mattupetty Lake and Dam, Rajamala, Echo Point, Eravikulam National park & Anamudi Peak, Top station, Spice garden and flower gardens

The weather is cool and it will be wise to carry winter clothing on this trip.

The ride up to Munnar offers sights of lush green tree cultivation, women working in the tea gardens, fruit-sellers ,monkeys and varities of eucalyptus trees.  We stayed at the Abad Copper Castle resort which offered a scenic birds-eye view of Munnar.  The service and food was was good.

The best part of the landscape were the clouds that you can see at Top point.  The  clouds float down from the mountain tops covering everything and appear to come to meet you.  This sight is unique and breathtakingly beautiful.

Another wonderful sight are the stretches of tea garden cultivation bordered by eucalyptus trees.

The route is lined with shops selling varities of tea like ginger, masala, kannan devan tea, corn, fruits like pineapples, oranges, passionfruits, oranges and pomegranates.

Mattupetty lake offers 30 minute pedal boat rides and row boat rides.

We also enjoyed a horse ride near the lake. The horses have names like Shah Rukh khan, Sunfire, Don Samsa & Anushka Sharma

At the Eravikulam national park you can see the endangered Nilgiri Thar.

For the two days of our stay there, I was transported to another world.  I will always cherish the memories of the cool weather, scenic landscapes of tea gardens, clouds and eucalyptus trees.