Tippy-Tappy Rains!! - a Poem on the Joys as Well as Challenges Rains Bring

 

The first rains of this season captured on my mobile camera at Kensville Golf Resort, Ahmedabad .... Vanita Thakkar (19th June, 2022)

Rains enchant us, cool us, soothe us and elevate our spirits. But, rains are a survival challenge for the needy and homeless. Also, heavy rains and floods cause destruction, rendering hundreds of people homeless and starving …. Here are memories of rains that bring ecstasy as well as concerns ….

 

Tippy-Tappy Rains!!

Rat-tat rattling raindrops, trumpet on windowpanes,

Flutter-keys to untapped ecstasy, tippy-tappy rains !!

Showering, soothing coolness, embraces summery swirls,

Blossoming, blooming happiness within, quivers and unfurls,

On a study sleep-over, I was at a friend’s place,

Those early hurly college days of tippy-tappy rains !!

The sound of rumbling clouds or God’s chariot wheels ?

The flashes of lightning or flashes of His camera reels ?

Wonder-struck, I gazed outside at the lonely flooding lanes,

Amid silent hummings of heart and tippy-tappy rains !!

A terrifying thunder crashed and blinding lightning flashed,

And suddenly I sensed safety cloaks of shelter and realized,

The pains of those deprived souls, foodless and homeless,

Please, please be kind to them always, oh tippy-tappy rains !!

Rat-tat rattling raindrops, trumpet on windowpanes,

Flutter-keys to untapped ecstasy, tippy-tappy rains !!

Do be kind to the needy, homeless, oh tippy-tappy rains !!

 

Vanita Thakkar (15-16 July, 2022)

I wrote this poem for recital at an annual programme titled Megh Gunjan, organized by the Vadodara based literary organization Grantha Goshthhee this year on 16th July. This programme celebrates rain / rainy season and all poems presented in it are on rain / rainy season.

This year, 34 poets presented their rain(y) poems in Sanskrit, Gujarat, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu and Bengali.

Another snap of the rains at Kensville Resort, Ahmedabad .... Vanita Thakkar (19th June, 2022)

Pouring profusion .... Vanita Thakkar (19th June, 2022)

The peacocks were out to greet the arriving rains .... Vanita Thakkar (19th June, 2022)

Background ….

The poem narrates an incident which took place on a very beautiful rainy evening during my first year in college as a student of Mechanical Engineering. I was at a friend’s place on a study sleepover. Both of us were finishing up our assignments for submissions.

The atmosphere was most serene and pleasant. Suddenly, the cracking noise of heavy thunders and lightning made me realize the safety we enjoy in being indoors during challenging weather conditions. At the same time, I sensed the plight of thousands of underprivileged homeless people who may not even get proper food in such weather conditions ….

Also, heavy rains cause floods which render hundreds of people homeless and helpless, struggling for survival.

Even this year, as I wrote this poem, the television news broadcasts were flooded with the news of floods in various parts of India, including my home state Gujarat. While rains are most welcome and necessary, the destruction that occurs when they go out of control and the helplessness of the poor affected lives - human as well as all other forms - is heartrending.

There is an appeal to the rains, in the poem, to be gentle and kind - especially to the needy, homeless and helpless lives.

 

Spiritual Intelligence - Poem - With Reflections on the Challenges and the Quest for Solutions on Spiritual Path

 

Spiritual Intelligence

“You are such

That anybody

Would feel jealous

Of you ….”

She remarked,

Philosophically,

With a pensive,

Penetrating gaze ….

She was a Sadhvi,

Who wanted to

Learn Music from me,

But was finding it

Too difficult to

Stop analyzing me ….

I couldn’t doubt

Her appreciation of

My singing,

But, her inclination

To learning

Was absolutely lacking.

I have taught

And trained

Hundreds in Music,

This Sadhviji being

The most inattentive

Of all.

My silent surprise

Brooded over

Her ignorance

Or her carelessness –

Whatever be the case –

Towards

Her sympathies

With those

Feeling jealous of me,

Overshadowing

Her appreciation

Towards me ….

Behind her aspiration

To learn Music

Was some other

More intense motive,

More important concern,

That just could not

Help peeping

And prowling ….

I left,

Wondering and pondering ....

"Oh Krishna !!

What priorities

Do these

Undisclosable desperations

Of saint robed,

Seeker guised,

All knowing minds

Dictate, that

Validate such means

For desired ends,

That are

More important and

More Imperative

Than Truth and Trust ??!!"

- Vanita Thakkar (09^th November, 2019)

Reflections ....

Minds driven by mundane, materialistic compulsions suffer from deviations that are most unfortunate and sad to encounter.

The incident narrated here shows that even those who have dedicated their lives to eternal quest can loose track of the very fundamentals ....

It reminds of the dialogue from a very acclaimed Hindi movie titled Baavarchi - "It is so simple to be happy, but it is so difficult to be simple !!"

This incident, which took place in 2005, is also indicative of the fact that the abnormalities related to administrative malpractices prevalent in organizations are widespread. We may not come across exceptions even in religious and social work organizations. This is also true for domains of relationships and interactions in the society.

The role of the leader or the person whose priorities dictate a given situation as well as the individual strengths of those who support him and rely on him - both are extremely important in creating an overall atmosphere of progress, justice, love, harmony, peace and well-being.

Individuals have to be aware of their roles in the collective strength of groups, whether as a part of an organization or as a unit of human society. Truth is the path as well as the destination.

“When the lamp of truth is lit, darkness vanishes by itself. Stand up men and women, dare to believe in the truth, dare to practice the truth!”

– Swami Vivekananda

One more array of observations and incidents / experiences, where difficulties in discerning social and religious aspects of spirituality came forth, is narrated in another poem, written in October, 2021.

We come across many a narrations / experiences or news regarding difficulties / discrepancies in religious and social work organizations. Labels may be different.

As commoners, we have to be careful. Everything is not wrong everywhere. Right decisions regarding priorities are necessary.

May the Grace of Almighty bestow faith in goodness and love among all !! May Peace, Harmony and Well-being prevail everywhere !!

The Monk Who Lost His Way ....

A renounced man,

A revered man ….

Overall,

Affectionate and caring ….

Yet, so illogical,

So unreasonable,

In expressions

And expectations !! ….

Messing up on –

Excellence and Expertise,

Dedication and Devotion,

Professionalism and Volunteering,

Womanhood and Versatility,

Sponsorships and Grants ....

Complaining ….

Provoking complains ….

Unanswered concerns,

Unreplied queries

About what

Is troubling ….

What is it ??!!

The same old

Morbid mis-firings

Of ideals ??!!

Another (inadvertent ??!!)

Representative of

Blame gaming guilt-mongers

Weaving snares of

Identities and loyalties,

Inclusivities and exclusivities ??!!

Why ??!! ….

Perhaps,

A wrong turn of

Convictions ….

Misdirected administrations ….

From giving to extracting ….

Misled him

And he lost his way ….

So said Bharthrihari,

The essence of Sevaa,

Which means service,

Is deep and inscrutable,

The path, elusive ….

Very rare and blessed

Are those, who can

Discern it

And live up to it …. !!

Almighty !!

May the surge of Faith within

And the light of Hope in it

Be strong enough

To dispel the heavy gloom

Of piercing sore possibilities

Such facts bring along !!

May the bounty of

Your unfailing Grace

Steer the course of happenings

To the enlightened path

Of Realization and Integration !!

- Vanita Thakkar (October, 2021)

“The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth. Discard the untruth and take the truth. Even those engaged in worldly activities, such as office work or business, should hold on to the truth. Truthfulness alone is the spiritual discipline in the Kaliyuga. Dwell in the truth and you will certainly realize God.”

– Sri Ramakrishna

Remembering Oliver Twist - A Poem

 

Oliver Twist is a symbol of waning strength finding its way out to strive, to live on. Any attempt to emerge from such suppressions / compulsions reminds of his attempts to speak up, as one explores the right words / expressions that would create humane, compassionate, joyful and welcoming surroundings to be in ....

Vanita Thakkar (05-03-2021)

 

Remembering Oliver Twist

Old and bold,

Fit and set,

Fagin lives on

With his whip

Of punishment

Ready to strike

Anyone,

Who asks for more.

The roots of his reign

Stretch deep and wide

Across colonies of

Developed or developing

Civilized Jungles,

Where misused freedom

Tip-ties tongues

And overgrown independence

Asphyxiates;

And thronging webs of

Silence and sins

Flourish and stink ….

And amidst miseries

Of lonely crowds,

Poor Oliver’s

Dumb-found plight

Struggles for strength and might

To speak right for Right.

- Vanita Thakkar.

(05.05.2011, 10/07/2011)

Fagin .... from Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)

From HubPages .... Published on 05th March, 2021