A small café out in the suburbs, I owned
sunshine hues ushered in a happy mood
regular clientele stayed loyal
life was modest, yet I was content, until last year.
Life has never been the same since,
with the doors of my café forced shut
the pandemic’s shadow cast a gloomy spell,
lockdown came as an inexorable curse.
The affluent, whine about being confined indoors
but think not about the many like me.
I, who once served meals to so many
today, struggle to feed myself!
Once upon a time, a vivacious girl was she.
Jewels of happy times dazzled her cache of memories.
Her persona emanated a sprightly laughter,
until the pandemic struck.
Locked down within the four walls,
online, virtual space conquered her life.
With friends and family imprisoned on the screen
tentacles of loneliness clasped her breath.
Silent voices screamed within her head,
with thoughts, lost in the labyrinth of anxiety.
Her once effervescent soul, today is anemic.
The Covid-19 pandemic has forced schools, colleges and educational institutions to shut down since March last year. At an age when the primary fulfilling factor is interaction with classmates and enjoying school-life, a shutdown has wreaked havoc in the daily life of students. We have seen an alarming rise in the mental health problems faced by them. Acknowledging this issue with timely treatment can make a significant difference in helping them cope better with the situation.
Last April that awful day, when water left us high and dry
a lesson learnt the hard way, will stay with me forever.
Summer announced its arrival with the mercury soaring,
adding to the woes, the pandemic locked us indoors.
The old leaky connection pipe succumbed under pressure at night,
the next morning the taps at home went dry.
A call to the water board confirmed our worst fears,
the wait for a tanker would be an endless one.
With shutters of shops down, the repair too would be a prolonged affair
fractious moods ensued a torrent of rants and expletives,
a house full of people letting off their steam,
finally sapped of energy, the listless souls vented muffled sighs.
A kind neighbour lent us a can of water,
Rationing its use, the trailer made us realise,
we don’t want to watch the movie, “A day without water”, ever again.
Perspectives changed, importance of water redefined.
Water crisis, shortage, stressor, scarcity, you name it
will be the global vocabulary of future
mindful conservation is a mantra to be followed.
each drop is an elixir, a shout out to all “ Please Save Water”!!
The lock down cleanses the landscape
stay away humans balm the earth,
liberate it from their vile deeds,
as it breathes and rejuvenates
to a complete makeover.
Empyrean blues smile across the horizon
cumulus clouds indulge in careless whispers
the zephyr flirts with the virgin blooms
sounds of chirps serenade the world
sparkling brooks mirror a pristine image
boughs dance in gay abandon
the nadir glows a radiant gold, before
the night sky flaunts a starry spectacle
flora and fauna revel in its new found freedom
nature’s beatitude delights hearts!
Times have changed now.
I, the black insipid garbage bag lay
in the corner of the dingy utility
sloppy, with no body to care for me
I was a lonely soul, carrying the burden of
all the trash piling up on my shoulders,
unceremoniously, thrown into a huge dump.
But times have changed now.
The lock down has sure changed people.
Suddenly my mistress
seems to be interested in me.
She takes special care to dress up,
with matching accessories,
picks me up tenderly,
steps out to drop me
with a beautiful smile.
Ah….these are the best days of my life.
Times sure have changed now!!
A few days back got this image as an Whatsapp forward. Just penned down a different take on it. Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Stay safe!
The tussle between the thoughts
wreak havoc to my sanity
the positives and negatives jostle
vie, to dominate each other
mire the mind in a muddled mess.
Bound within the confines of home
the daily chores defeat the weary body
frustrations overpower the confused mind
it succumbs to a sulking mood
banging the door shut, to all .
The eventide ray from the horizon peeps in
bringing with it an enlightened reflection
merging the vestige of dark thoughts with the weaning shadows
the benign glow of the amethyst horizon
embraces the soul in a serene grace of gratitude .
Confined to home due to the lock down, my ramblings found words to vent out my frustrations. All fine, just waiting for this dark cloud to blow away without much harm.
Stay safe , Take care!
Lock down has forced people to think of different ways to keep themselves creatively occupied. Be it reading, writing, cooking, a hobby, giving their home a makeover, are all on their ” to do lists” right now. Connecting back seems to be the underlying commonality between the various interests that people are pursuing. Basically they are returning to the roots, connecting better with nature, enjoying the sounds of chirps and chimes, (thanks to the absence of the loud honks), indulging in some soul therapy, rekindling long forgotten memories and bonding with family.
Hope we continue this connect, post this testing time for us.
radhikasreflection 