Samata - Part One

Even her shadow could pollute the water.  Samata woke everyday while the stars still sparkled over the open fields and the moon smiled over her mud hut.  She walked 30 minutes to a designated well and as she returned with arms lugging two buckets full of water, the sun usually winked at her and welcomed her to a new day.  Each day she balanced the buckets and put one determined foot in front of another, welcoming the freshness of the earth, the clarity of the sky, the golden smile of the sun while her low caste followed her limply in the shadows.

She worked in the fields tilling, toiling, sowing or harvesting shoulder to shoulder with her husband and his family.  The overseers and the landowners ordered with obscenities, pushed her frail body to its limits and insulted their low status every hour, but she trudged with her veiled head and back bent low.  Her eyes focused on the task, reminding her soul of her humanity and dreaming of a golden future.

Illiterate and scorned, she woke everyday with renewed determination.  Saving every paisa from the fieldwork or even skipping meals she insisted her children attend school.  Months evolved to years, her bent back stayed low in pain, her thick dark hair boasted white strands as her children graduated first from school, then college until securing respectable office jobs.

Landlords in the field continued to discriminate with constant reminders of her low caste but she turned a deaf ear to them.  Her simple life continued until one day, her daughter ran into the hut with tear streaked red cheeks, bruises on her body and tears in her sari.

To be continued….

CHANGE

Change is inevitable

Why?
Evolution
Seasons
Cycle of life

Change starts with a day
From sleep to awake
From night to day
From owl hoots to bird songs
 
Change starts with a life
From conception to birth
From youth to adult
From child to parent
 
Change starts with a generation
From notepads to laptops
From phones to internet
From community to self
 
Change begins with experiences
From innocence to wisdom
From student to citizen
From love to duty
 
Change begins with migration
From homeland to distant
From mixed cultures to divided nations
From submission to freedom
 
Change is inevitable
Else,
We won’t be humans
Falls won’t be colorful
Generations won’t progress
 
Transformations in our daily lives or lifetime
It’s elementary and essential.

No Title contributed by a friend

In your head to change your interpretation

To want, is it a set back for opportunity from mental freedom.

Are you really thirsty to drink the elixir that has been poured in a glass and sits peacefully at the table, while you wait

Deceived, gullible, parched

You remain, whilst under the carpet through the cracks of your broken mirrors and destroyed ties, all those perfectly placed lies, that sweat you dry

It drips

And still you sit cold restless

like a blank post card that waits to be mailed, you count minutes into shadows

Static time place thought

Everything lays soft under your feet waiting to be discovered

A HAIKU contributed by a friend

The lonely butterfly

Today, on my window wall

You see the world I see?

Heavenly Auto Ride - contributed by a friend

One moment is all it would have taken
And what was her would have to be carefully collected.
Where has that voice gone?
The radio is still on and drowning it maybe
 
And is she still clutching on to her dreams ...
Of her children finding happiness and peace
Of her home a garden of flowers, music, and togetherness
Of her love always beside her.
 
Did all her thoughts get scattered?
Like scrabble tiles waiting to be picked
L for life
S for soul
S for search
A Blank tile for what follows after...
 
The pain out there so intense and palpable
In her heart full of memories ...
Memories
Of lost loved ones
Memories never to be
Left behind with loved ones.
 
The color faded slowly
A rainbow of desires, attachments, expectations ...

And years and layers of experiences built as life

Just vanishing with the soul

Will the soul be able to carry the burden?

Or will it find a weightless peace?

And what about the auto-driver?

Wings!

She sleeps soundly,

her eyelids soft and tender
open eyes alert and knowing.
She is innocent no more!

She speaks sparingly,

her lips shapely and delicate
moving mouth smart and mature.
She is child no more!

She skips seldomly,

her legs strong and long
determined steps dogged and decided.
She is naïve no more!

She loves wholeheartedly,

her heart large and solid
clear cause noble and selfless
She is fragile no more!

She dresses tastefully,

her clothes stylish and sophisticated
elegant form formidable and classy.
She is uncertain no more!

She appreciates flavors,

her taste cultured and complex
distinguished palate distinct and decisive.
She is whiner no more!

My baby’s all grown up,

my pride and remorse torturous
desire to hold on or let go.
She is bird in her nest no more!

Ceasing

Wind whispers in my ear….whirl

a chickadee calls…sing

an ant marches…reach

a butterfly flitters…fly

I look up to the sky.

Water swishes from my stream…steer

a frog croaks…click

a grasshopper leaps …reap

a bee buzzes…seize

I gaze into the horizon.

Snowflakes pirouette with a smile …dance

a red leaf falls …live

a cricket hops …hope

a squirrel scurries…stop

I look down to the ground.

The wind whispers in my ear…bliss

 

I close my eyes and breathe.

LOST - Final

WARNING: READS PARTS ONE, TWO AND THREE FIRST

The woman looked on as the man struggled to remove his gold band.  After a few minutes of watching him grapple, she raised a hand and dismissed him.  He stepped out onto empty streets, groping for a glimmer of light in his dark state.  His legs took him towards the tallest building as images began to appear in his head as in clips from an old movie - a scene from the beachside of two young children in the sand, with a beautiful woman with blue eyes watching over them.  Another clip from a different era, a bubbly young woman with round cheeks and laughing eyes in a gorgeous wedding dress beside him as he walked her down the aisle.

Lost in his memory flashes he did not see two policemen approach him with caution.  Before he realized, he found himself in the back of the police car.  At the station he sat on a hard bench running his hands through his thinning gray hair.  He noticed the digital clock on a desk flip over to 2am, 3am and an hour after that he was escorted to a small room.  As he sat in an uncomfortable chair behind a squeaky table, a tall officer began his barrage of questions.   But he had no answers to give.  Sweat ran down his temples in the tiny stuffy room intermingling with his desperate tears.  His left knee shook uncontrollably while he tried to steady himself by setting his elbows on the table.  He shook his head and repeatedly asked for his wife until his head collapsed down into his hands.

After a few silent moments with just the rustle of papers the officer leafed through, he asked the man to remove the gold band from his finger.  The man looked up confused , then threw his hand in the air and stood up.  He tried to oblige but, just as before, the ring refused to slip out.  Several minutes passed as the policeman left the room and returned with a bottle of petroleum jelly.  With greasy hands, the ring slipped out easily and the officer examined it, finding the initials of the man reported missing.

As a new day began with the radiant sunlight bathing the city with its warmth, the man stepped out into the light.  He stood on top of the stairs and watched a woman with blue eyes climb up with speed.  He opened his arms and she fell into them as his head buried in her white hair.  With muffled cries he exclaimed, “Lost no more”.

The End

LOST - Part Three

WARNING: PLEASE READ PARTS ONE AND TWO FIRST

The farmer came up behind his wife and extended his hand in welcome.  He offered the man lodgings and food in exchange of some arduous task of stacking hay.  The man agreed and followed the couple indoors for a meal of eggs, bacon and freshly baked bread, and finally a clean bed.  Several days of rest, work and healthy wholesome meals later, the farmer offered to give the man a ride into town he was heading to for his weekly visit.  The man agreed and hopped into the passenger side of the rusty red pickup.

The drive was pleasant with a cool breeze blowing through the opened windows.  He observed rolling fields as if covered with vibrant green wall to wall carpeting with an occasional island of muddy brown, silos and farmhouses.  Specks of chocolate brown roamed in the greens, alternating between tall, magnificent horses and stout, stubby cows.  Wild flowers lined the road on both sides smiling their violet, lavender purples or sunny yellows.

In the town, the man went to sit in a deli while the farmer took care of business.  A young, girl with flushing, chubby cheeks and a face that appeared to be always jubilant appeared before him to take his order.  He smiled at her, accepted the coffee she poured and instantly disappeared into thought.  A familiar feeling rose within him but he could not recognize it.  That face, that smile, those bubbly eyes triggered something in him and he felt restless.  Suddenly, a name popped in his head, Heather but that was not his servers name either.  He retreated deeper within and tried to recall Heather repeating it over and over in his head.

Frustrated, he walked out of the deli, slamming the only bill he had in his pocket on the counter, his coffee left untouched.  He walked the main street and soon found himself in front of a shop window that displayed bridal gowns.  An image of a woman with white hair and smiling blue eyes, surrounded by exquisite gowns appeared in front of him.  First time since his predicament, tears started to well up around his eyes.  Above the shop he imagined he saw towers, lots of them looming over in the horizon.  A whiff of ocean air reached him even though he was hundreds of miles inland.

Seeing a bus depot, he got on a bus heading east.  Nobody noticed him and he found a comfortable seat in the back by the window.  The motion lulled him into a troubled slumber as the setting sun behind him began to gradually wrap the fields into a shawl of darkness.  His bleary eyes opened to the bright lights of a rumbling city where he got off the bus and walked aimlessly.  The rumble in his stomach became louder so he walked into a 24-hour restaurant.  An omelet and several cups of coffee later, he proceeded to walk out but was stopped at the door by a woman with a name tag on her dress.  The man looked down in embarrassment, at a loss of how to pay for the meal and proceeded to offer the only thing he had on him of value.

To be continued…….

LOST - Part Two

WARNING: PLEASE READ PART ONE FIRST

As the sun rose to the sky radiating its brilliance on the vast land, the man spotted a narrow path on the side of the road.  Tired, hungry and confused, he chose to take the dirt path.  Within a mile, hidden behind an aged oak, he found a humble farmhouse.  Climbing up to its porch he knocked on the door, but received no response.  Peeking through the dusty windows he saw dishes in the kitchen sink, a jug of milk on the table and a chair pushed back.  He walked to the sides and back of the house, past the cackling chicken coop, following the stench of a pig sty, stepping into something wet and soppy where he was surprised to hear a profanity escape his lips.

Before he could figure out how to get the stinky slush off his shoe, a dog bark reached his ears.  He looked up towards the sound and saw a big, hairy mutt come his way.  Unsure whether to run or hide, he stood frozen in his mucky shoes.  The dog stopped in front of him and proceeded to sniff him up and down, his long, matted hair covering his eyes completely while his tail sat limp, unsure whether to wag or rise up in assault mode.

A woman soon appeared carrying a basket on her arm.  Her dark blond hair was tightly pulled back into a bun showing off her wide, stern forehead.  He noticed an ample bosom hidden under a homemade dress with tiny white flowers and something dark that he wasn’t sure if it was a design or dirt.  At first, she stepped forward with caution and then a wide smile lit up her round face like the moon.

For a moment they stood staring until the dog began to bark again.  He looked down at the creature and then at her, slowly taking a step back.  He began with apologies, rambling about hunger and fatigue, the long road and the narrow path, darkness and light, fuzziness and clarity until finally he blurted, “I don’t know who I am.”

To be continued….

LOST - Part One

A sliver of light split the earth from the sky gradually expanding its brilliance.  Darkness around it receded, allowing colors to seep in.  A man in a ditch by the side of the lonely road opened one eye.  Surrounded by faded darkness he touched the earth around him feeling the wet sticky mud cool his fingers or sharp blades of grass poking his tender skin.    As he tried to stand, his hand brushed against something soft and in the soft glow, a bright yellow weed glared at him.

He brushed his pants and sleeves and climbed up to the side of the road.  His silver hair shone in the emerging light while a salt and pepper shadow appeared on his face.  He raised his left arm and scratched his head turning it from one side of the long road to the other.  He looked back down into the ditch and tried to recall how he had landed in it.  His head felt light and foggy at the same time, the past and future missing from its memory zone.

Crossing the road he felt the movement of his body comfortable, feeling fit and hungry.  He sat on the side watching for a vehicle.  In just a few moments he saw two small headlights heading his way coming away from the breaking horizon.  He stood up on the roadside and waved his long arms over his head, around his body, all over slicing through the cool air.  The car closed in on him, began to slow and just before approaching his spot, swerved away from him, sped up and was gone.  He stood in the middle of the road watching one tiny red light flicker in its tail before disappearing into darkness.

 The man stared after the vanished car, frozen in his big feet.   His arms hung helplessly on his sides as he switched his weight from one leg to another.  Running his fingers through his receded hairline, he paced back and forth.  His forefingers probed his temples pressing harder to recall everything, anything.  At long last he raised his head, looked up towards the gradual illumination that had started to radiate through the sky and the earth.  He looked towards the light and began to walk towards it.

To be continued……..

Openings - Final

WARNING: PLEASE READ PARTS ONE, TWO AND THREE FIRST.

One of Sira’s teachers noticed the change in this strong-minded little girl.  Her two dresses had seams beginning to open and her frail body disappeared in the clothes.  The twinkle in her eyes whenever she learned something new was beginning to fade.  The teacher consulted with the school counselor and together they found resources to help in various ways.  A social worker visited their home and finding the father sober, brought to light how their situation was affecting their daughter.  The social worker acquainted him with the concept of workers compensation, food assistance, rehabilitation, and various other programs available to hardworking families like them.

Under the watchful eye of her teacher, Sira’s twinkle slowly began to return and she absorbed all that was around her with renewed determination.  Familiarizing herself with the new systems, memorizing facts, developing awareness of her place in the world, developing friendships with like-minded peers, she became motivated to seek opportunities.  Her determination to build a life that would be unlike her parents’, a life where she will outshine once again, Sira persevered.

Scoring a goal in the dusty soccer field of her home country, outperforming the boys of her neighborhood had just been the beginning of what Sira was capable of accomplishing.  Circumstances or changes never held her back, in fact propelled her ahead with even more determination.  Walking down the aisle to receive her college degree many years later, she looked around her peers and stood tall among them.  From the stage she looked out towards her proud parents, who had shown her the way to opportunities and perseverance and thanked the teachers and counselors who had guided her towards the path of independence.

 

THE END

EDUCATION, THE ROAD TO FREEDOM!