Happiness and Charity

There is this orphanange near my residence wherein we contribute either by way of cash or kind. Immense happiness fills our hearts in doing this deed. I have been to a few orphanages and I felt whenever I was contributing, I was doing an amazing deed. Oh how foolish I was.

This March my husband suggested that we hand over my 3 year old two wheeler to the orphanage for their regular use. Oh a wonderful deed indeed I thought The volunteers there thanked us a lot for this contribution.

Each time I call them, I am thanked profusely saying how useful the bike is for them in carrying out many of the orphanage activities. And a smile spreads across my face to hear the same. But then suddenly I was faced with this question. Am I the one who is doing something. I just gave them something, when I had a replacement for the old one. But is it not they who filled me with happiness beyond measure by giving me an opportunity of being able to do some good deed in my life. I am forever filled with gratitude to them.

Sacrifice

I noticed her in a wedding reception
beautiful she looked but filled with tension.
Yet a helping hand she offered to many
I felt, if only her, my brother could marry.

Approaching her with this proposal
saddened I felt by her refusal
Her better half she had already found
and to him only her life was bound.

A feel of gloominess engulfed me
I turned to leave but for an ailing lady
Smiling sadly she bade me to sit beside her
Saying “That girl is the sole bread winner.”

“An ailing mother and a wastrel father
education to take care for her sister and brother
So whenever the topic of marriage arise
she makes an escape with these lies.”

“Do you know her or her family?” I inquired
Seeing tears trickling, my question I regretted.
“It is not just knowing her,” came the reply
“I happen to be her mother,” so saying she bid goodbye.

Let go

A bird in hand is worth two in the bush
So goes the saying that all of us have heard
But also true is the fact that trying to possess it
Leads to disappointment and unhappiness.

Wriggling for freedom when held tightly
bearing the scar of its fight for freedom
or it gets choked and suffocated
all we are left with is its lifeless body.

So also is relationship in one's life
Assuming we are showering love
We try to possess and hold too tightly
Unaware that it creates unbearable pain.

An act of strangulation is what one feels
When being held in other's grip
So much so that they flee and seek freedom
Or the relationship undergoes painful death.

I was trying to hold steadfast to her
sort of insecure she might slip away.
I realized I was only stifling her.
I need to give her the breathing space.

Waiting for my daughter in a college campus
I had in hand three hours to kill
With a novel in my hand I proceeded
To find a comfortable place to sit.

Far away I saw few people waiting.
One particular lady is what my eye did catch
Nothing special yet intermittently I kept watching her
While reading the novel in my hand

Shifting places to avoid the sun's rays
I found one to seat myself comfortably
Within few minutes she came near me
And left her bags in my possession

Mumbling something she went away
And soon I saw her strolling around.
Wondering what it was she did
I drove my attention to the book again.

A little later she came to sit beside me
And soon opened a conversation
But what surprised me was the act
Of the security directing two puppies to her

She opened a packet of biscuit
And offered them to the puppies
She does it frequently she said
When she saw an amazed look in my face

She was here waiting for her daughter
And decided to put the time to best use
Feeding stray animals and helping them
Is what she does during her free time

Pathetic she said were the lives of stray animals
All they receive are physical abuse from human kind.
Her selfless act impressed me a lot
And instantly I was drawn to her.

How many of us would do I pondered
One man can start anything she said
You don’t need to find an NGO to start
You start then the NGO gets formed.

It is not just feeding or helping animals
Any act of kindness makes a difference to all
Her words deep in my heart now
I intend to feed at least one per day.

Litter Free Zone

Walking along the roads of our city

What greets us is the garbage strewn

It is not the garbage that strikes our mind

But the attitude of the people around.

We accuse the government of its failure

When they are unable to create a beautiful city

Who is to blame, if we really wonder?

It is we, devoid of basic cleanliness.

We have garbage bins at all nooks and corners

But we use it better to play, aim and throw

Miserably we lose in the game we play

Thereby spilling the garbage around.

Neatly written on wooden boards we find

Words that say "Litter Free Zone"

What we seem to understand by the phrase

"Here's a place where litter can freely be thrown."

Travelling on his two wheeler

He happened to come across a temple

But too hasty was he to reach his destination

To stop and pray he failed to find time.

A hand on the accelerator,

And a leg on the brake

Head turning 180 degrees

He offered a salute to the almighty.

While performing this hasty task

oblivious was he of the traffic ahead

For fast approaching towards him

Was the tanker he failed to see.

End result we are left with nothing

Life presents us to such beautiful things
In form of love, care, concern and kind too.
But greedy and craving, we often are
We leave these and search for something new.

So desperate are we in this search
Life’s gift to us, we tend to ignore
Off we proceed to obtain those things
Aware not, it is the mirage we adore.

Best things in life remain lost to us
Realization strikes us way too late
For what we left behind has vanished
Making it impossible to even locate .

End result we are left with nothing.

rat's feast - my son's shoes

Could you please ma, pleaded my son
Buy a new pair of shoes for me
The ones I have are tattered and torn
Of no use now can they be.

I looked at his pleading eyes
And knew I just could not refuse
But still asked him what had happened
To the special ones bought for his use.

Yes ma, my son replied innocently
A new pair that no longer does exist
For what could I do if the rats felt hungry
And in my shoes they were treated to a feast.

Few minutes at the window sill

Savoring each second as I stand still

The window acts as my reposeful space

When my heart some sadness doth face.

All I need is something to soothe
What better than idyllic nature so smooth
Helping me regain my composure
To greet the lovely day with pleasure.

And so I stand by my kitchen window
And feel the fresh breeze blow
My eyes treated to lush greenery
Oh Mother Nature, I truly love thee.

Biased justice

Human beings always act in haze
Biased are they in many a ways
Every act of theirs does amuse
To extremes range their views.

A mistake that causes dejection
The wrongdoer, immediately they chasten
Not listening to the excuse, penalty given is severe
Making the wrongdoer feel pierced with a spear.

The same committed by someone dear
Their thoughts becomes so unclear
And so forgiveness is what they feel
Is the very best way to heal.

Heal from what I often wonder
Their thoughts filling me with anger
We are left with no other option
But be deeply hurt by their actions.