Day 6: Picture

Day 6 challenge was way beyond my league. Hence, I am posting my first English poem instead. At least, it has the word - "picture" in it.

When the night is dark enough...

The path may be dreary
Your goal not near by
But the target should be clear
And don’t let your dreams die.

Strive for what you want to achieve
Don’t fear from the slope
You can conquer the mountains
Just start with a hope.

Win over your misfortunes
No-matter-what comes your way
Keep making the picture,
Your eyes will see it real some day.

Relish even the gloomy moments
Smiles can conceal the tear
And when the night is dark enough,
Remember –
“THE DAWN IS NEAR !!”

Ankush Agarwal
Copyright ©2006 

Day5: Twenty little poetry projects

Okay, so Day 5 challenge looks to be most difficult and most fun. While you can read the details on the NaPoWriMo blogs, here is quick summary of what I need to do:

1. Begin the poem with a metaphor.
2. Say something specific but utterly preposterous.
3. Use at least one image for each of the five senses, either in succession or scattered randomly throughout the poem.
4. Use one example of synesthesia (mixing the senses).
5. Use the proper name of a person and the proper name of a place.
6. Contradict something you said earlier in the poem.
7. Change direction or digress from the last thing you said.
8. Use a word (slang?) you’ve never seen in a poem.
9. Use an example of false cause-effect logic.
10. Use a piece of talk you’ve actually heard (preferably in dialect and/or which you don’t understand).
11. Create a metaphor using the following construction: “The (adjective) (concrete noun) of (abstract noun) . . .”
12. Use an image in such a way as to reverse its usual associative qualities.
13. Make the persona or character in the poem do something he or she could not do in “real life.”
14. Refer to yourself by nickname and in the third person.
15. Write in the future tense, such that part of the poem seems to be a prediction.
16. Modify a noun with an unlikely adjective.
17. Make a declarative assertion that sounds convincing but that finally makes no sense.
18. Use a phrase from a language other than English.
19. Make a non-human object say or do something human (personification).
20. Close the poem with a vivid image that makes no statement, but that “echoes” an image from earlier in the poem.

So, let me see, if I can meet the challenge:

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Note: For ease of reading and avoid clutter of quotation marks:
Blue text is spoken by the humming bird
Green text is spoken by Lily, the lily flower
and Black is by Yours Truly.

A Humming Bird and a Lily

1. Silence is golden, but talk is cheap

2. The humming bird was telling this to lily

3.a. Your fragrance is in a beauty sleep

3.b. See, your skin is now glowing really

3.c.  Shivering with pleasure, for her lover's first touch

3.d.  Sweetness of that maiden kiss
3.e.  Your leaves will jingle just so much
4.     Music will be, a touch of bliss

5. Am I, asked Lily, "in the Garden of Eden?

6.  I am not your  newly bride                          

7. & 8.  you gotta gimme, a good reason        
I would like this clarified:                        
    
    

 9. My petals blush, whenever you dance  
10. How you doin' ?, tell me your moves   
11. The melodic strings of romance            
12. strumming the ripened tunes of youth

  

      Knowing now, that the moment was right

13. Humming bird just got down on a knee

14. Anks and all were so happy at this sight

The heavens proclaimed this decree:

15. "The Earth shall shower blessings,

16. 'n' there shall be an awesome blossom

17. Bridesmaids to wear fancy dressings

18. crooning in the breeze: "Ye raatein, ye mausam..."

19. The bird kissed lily on her petal

20. and rhythm of jingles were heard around

I saw the flower shiver so gentle

when she saw, the sun go down.

© Ankush Agarwal

05-Apr-2020

Day 4: Dreams

How do I write about the dream?

I'm sure, I had many.

'coz that's the world I see,

when I close the eyes,

my unknown fantasy.

Do I see another reality,

or a realm mundane?

it's a world with anything possible,

and void of any pain.

I've been to places

with unparalleled scenery

Those glorious white peaks

dancing with greenery

I've laughed many laughs

killing time with utmost glee

so close to my loved ones

whom I don't meet in reality

I've won many a battles

and achieved the impossible

Done those things with ease

which in life are impractical

The world there, is a happy place

such dreams have been many

then why is it so, that

I don't remember any?

Then there were dreams

Too embarrassing to share

these are the ones recurring

but I'd keep them a private affair

All the nightmares since childhood

I somehow distinctly remember

and they still manage to scare me

and I can't help, but surrender

The happy ones make my body glow

even the weird ones are fair

I just wish the nightmares

never do re-occur.

© Ankush Agarwal

05 Apr 2020

Day3: Random Rhymes

Day3 challenge was quite different in nature. I generated 10 random words using an online random word generator and then selected 4 rhyming/related words for each of them from Rhymezone -- giving me a word bank of 50 words. 

As my 9 year old son is also participating in the challenge, we decided to have more fun and attempt a different sort of poem using the same word bank. Here is what he wrote. And below is my attempt (Italicized words are from the word bank):

For Jim always is

a happy brown clown, 

Living in a tilting building 

in downtown

He loves to put, bright

 makeup on his face

always dresses in polka dots

and an orange colored lace

He goes by the name

 of A Delirious Idiot, 

The crowd finds it funny

and his acts are hilarious

Tales of his deeds, are

always sought after

My friends always tell me, 

with roaring laughter

My kids also love him

more than fairies

As he carries not books,

but berries in libraries

One day, when I met him

I asked him a question,

"Can I please give you

a genuine suggestion?"

He told me, "I'm willing to,

give you my attention

As long as you promise to

not give me any tension."

I told Jim, that, I'm not so sure

With so many problems around, with no known cure

a silly laugh, in these times, is not an allure

and that he needs to act, like a man matured.

He told me:

 "Watson, this is elementary,

So, don't be pedantic.

Treat life as a poetry

and die a romantic"

"Look at me dear,

I've got a hole in my heart

and before my breaths are over

I want to play my part."

"I am left with, only a year or two

To solve world's problems, I got no clue."

I noticed, he wanted to do something, 

before his chances blew

So, that's why he's in a rush, 

he knew time flew.

He couldn't laugh himself, 

so he made the country smile,

Hiding his sorrows behind the mask

The eye-shadow was his guile.

The bright makeup on his face 

hid his pain very well

The lace covered his sufferings,

so no one could tell.

The polka dots he used to

camouflage something more

He wanted his audience to laugh

and not cringe on sight so gore.

His makeup wasn't funny, but hideous

He really was a delirious idiot.

But I made him a secret promise

and I will never let him down...

for Jim always was

a happy brown clown.

© Ankush Agarwal

04 Apr 2020

Day 2: That place

That terrace,

from my house, was visible.

It was only a stone's throw away;

witnesses are those miserable pebbles,

whom I had launched with full strength and vigor

those were not stones, but jewels

vaguely remembered, like first crush in schools

Some of those gems are still in flight,

above that terrace, where we played day and night.

That terrace which has a rusty door

is now a portal to times before

Will there be Holi colors still on that wood?

Or that chalk dust from childhood?

Our Antakshari songs still echoing

in those walls, now decaying

Is someone still waiting

 in that narrow staircase?

with ink scribbled on paper, 

but message written on her face

That discarded ring, would yet be hidden

in that out-of-bound corner, still forbidden

I can't reach that terrace now,

some strangers now go and lock it.

 But it doesn't appear far to me, when

I find some pebbles in my pocket.

© Ankush Agarwal

02-Apr-2020

Day 1: Introduction

I am ...

I am

A wandering thought !

Visiting places unseen

or relived in a forgotten dream.

I disappear; ere I exhaust.

I am

A tender embrace !

Friendly, reassuring touch

not too fast, not too much.

I'm a memory, time can't erase.

I am

A wish unfulfilled !

Desires, hopes, ambitions scattered

flawless mirror with reflections shattered

I'm confined in walls, yet to be built.

I am

A simple smile !

Choked heart with unfettered laugh

happy face in a decaying photograph

I'm Always Khush - not once in a while.

© Ankush Agarwal

01-Apr-2020

10 years with Udaan

26^th Jan, 2010: Thinking that I should celebrate the republic day in its true spirit, I had volunteered for a CSR initiative with Udaan. This republic day, the association became 10 years strong and some of the episodes are still fresh in my otherwise frail memory.

We started with reading stories in English for the young minds in a small room designated as the Udaan Library. Within a few days, we graduated to playing board games as an additional activity to help build their confidence and make the students think strategically. I remember teaching chess to a few students and a game with Bharat is still very close to my heart. Bharat was a bright student and had taken a liking to chess from the very first game. It took only a few games before I ended up on the losing side. Admittedly, I am not a very good chess player, but I prefer to remember that game as an example of being a good coach. J

In Udaan, we are called Bhaiya/Didi and not Sir/Madam and that’s just one of the reason behind the bonding we share with the students. We are not just mentors and coaches but also their friends and in many cases feel as responsible as their elder brother/sister. That small room did not stand the test of time and Mumbai’s fast changing landscape, but the relationship I had developed with my first batch of students is still strong and resilient.

Teaching and Computers have been my passion and hobby; and hence when came the opportunity to Teach-Computers to Udaan students, I quickly grabbed it. That’s where I had first met Vinay, one of my favourite students and Nancy, who had infinite love and good wishes for her students in her heart.

The lab used to be in a dark basement of the erstwhile Transocean building, but was very well maintained from inside. Looking back, it sorts of had a poetic symbolism as most of the underprivileged students were being brought up in a tough dark environment but by providing good education to them, Udaan had lit up a spark inside.

The Saturday Club was another memorable association, which also was great fun for ourselves. Making fun presentations for “Around the world” with Ginny and launching an imaginary aeroplane at the start of each class are now stuff of the legend. I also taught Science weekday classes for a little while, which were hugely popular amongst the students. Many students asked me to take all their science and maths classes and it was heart-breaking not to accept it, owing to my work commitments. However, I can only aspire to be as good as Rajeev, my friend and fellow volunteer. Rajeev used to take Science-experiments class in the Saturday club and had such an enthralling style that even teachers used to line up outside his class to witness his magic.

During the culmination of the club each year, we used to make final presentations in the form of exhibitions and models, songs, dance and often we did go whole nine-yards. Both figuratively and literally.

Tulsi’s performance as the little brown mouse in the Gruffalo story still makes me smile.

During Udaan’s annual sports day event, I used to hone my photography skills and it made me proud whenever my click found its way to Udaan’s newsletter, boards, etc. However, the real pride was seen in the shining eyes of the winners of the race and the winners of the annual trophy. The entire day is an amazing experience which could not, and should not, be put to inert words for the sake of doing justice to the real experience.

I remember the decade gone by with joy and humbleness at the same time. It has been a highly enriching and educating experience for myself. I have learned various key skills in undertaking these projects, made great friends and lifelong associations, collected beautiful memories and continue to strive to spread happiness.