A touching poem by Sally Meyer.
27 Sep 2007 10 Comments
in And miles to go before I sleep, Uncategorized
A POEM TO A CHILD FROM THE MOTHER
TO MY CHILD
Just for this morning, I am going to
Smile when I see your face and laugh
When I feel like crying.
Just for this morning, I will let you
Choose what you want to wear,
And smile and say how perfect it is.
Just for this morning, I am going to step
Over the laundry and pick you up and take you to
The park to play.
Just for this morning,
I will leave the
Dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put
That puzzle of yours together.
Just for this afternoon, I will unplug
The telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with
You in the backyard and blow bubbles.
Just for this afternoon,
I will not yell once,
Not even a tiny grumble when you scream and
Whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one
If he comes by.
Just for this afternoon,
I won’t worry
About what you are going to be when you grow up, or
Second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.
Just for this afternoon, I will let you
Help me bake cookies, and I won’t stand over you
Trying to fix them.
Just for this afternoon, I will take us
To McDonald’s and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can
Have both toys.
Just for this evening, I will hold you in
My arms and tell you a story about how you were
Born and how much I love you.
Just for this evening, I will let you
Splash in the tub and not get angry.
Just for this evening, I will let you
Stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.
Just for this evening, I will snuggle
Beside you for hours, and miss my favourite TV shows.
Just for this evening when I run my
Finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be
Grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.
I will think about the mothers and
Fathers who are searching for their missing children,
the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children’s
Graves instead of their bedrooms.
The mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms
Watching their children suffer senselessly
and screaming inside that little body
And when I kiss you goodnight I will hold
You a little tighter, a little longer.
It is then,
That I will thank God for you, and ask him for
Nothing, except one more day………….
———– ——– ———- ———– ——-
I don’t know the name of the poet.
Gauri..
26 Sep 2007 2 Comments
Gauri – my maanasa putri.
Gauri – the very word conjures up colourful images of a lovable brat in my mind.The talented, good looking, highly intelligent, friendly, open-minded typical teenage daughter of my friend S is all this and much more.As a young kid she was my student for four years and now she is a friend for life. As a baby she was an artist’s perfect model for Sri Krishna- – dark curly hair, lovely large eyes, bud-like mouth and PRANKSTER written all over her face. Full of mischief –she grew up to be the neighbourhood Princess Naughtiness. She has always been game to meeting new people and makes friends easily. She started school and we never heard of any starting trouble . Her area of influence had just got enlarged and she was happier there. The arrival of a sibling kept her in good spirits as she now had a handy comrade !She joined our school after two years of study in a kindergarten. By now she had two thick , long plaits and her features now resembled that of an image of Goddess Lakshmi. Her talent in singing and drawing surfaced and she won many contests in and out of the school. Her drawings had her special brand written all over it…as if they were watermarked –Gauri… I remember she once made a market scene and embellished it with images of a torn market bag with veggies falling out, an adamant kid throwing a tantrum; filth of old vegetables….She was just 7 or 8 then.She sang Marathi abhangs and patriotic songs well and had a wonderful handwriting. She now sings pop ! She started taking Indian dance and music lessons. She took part in many co-curricular competitions. She was always a part of the school choir and dance team .
When asked in tests to make sentences she made humourous ones.I would wait to read her creative paragraphs and letters.She writes with a dash of humour and sees all situations with a tangential view. I mean her way of looking at things is slightly off beat–but in rhythm ! If the majority of her classmates viewed a particular teacher as a bore or as ineffectual, she would come up with legitimate ,positive things of those very same personalities and she would always highlight their virtues. Even in the midst of a mob she never lost her identity. This doesn’t mean she stood out like asore thumb and became boring.On-the contrary she was popular with her peers but remained true to what she believed in.She made her own rules-be it in studies or in dress and behaviour.(Though this gave my friend sleepless nights and restless days…)She did well in her + 2 exams and in AIEEE and has joined an institute of repute.
. She can endear herself to anyone from a kid to a senior citizen. She is a great friend of V-though elder to him by five years .They are so alike that strangers often ask if they are siblings .It is more a resemblance of spirit than physical similarities.
May God bless her and keep her happy.
Some cards.
23 Sep 2007 1 Comment
in At school, learning while teaching
Shardul gave a card on T day.It said the usual things. Inside he had solved a multiplication problem. Below it he wrote : ma’am,if this is correct ,call out my name in the class and smile at me .
He had ensured that I saw the card AND a rsvp sort of acknowledgement.
Sweta gave a huge card.It said :”If you like this card hug me. If you don’t like it ..I won’t mind . “
Some cards!
23 Sep 2007 2 Comments
in At school, learning while teaching
the edited version is above.
A pan Indian pooja
18 Sep 2007 6 Comments
Last Sunday I attended a Satyanarayan pooja in my neighbourhood.It was celebrated on a grand scale though the ‘yajmaan ‘ had planned it to be a small affair initially.
When I reached the house where it was being performed,the little drawing room was transformed into a wonderful pandal.Coconut and mango leaves had worked wonders.Colurful lights and streamers added to the beauty.The photo of Sri Satyanarayan was surrounded by idols of other gods.Mats of various hues were spread for us to sit on.I just peeped into the kitchen to say ‘hello’ to the lady of the house..I was surprised to see all her neighbours busy chopping veggies/ mixing the dough/ stirring huge pans full of curry….
The bhatji- as the aachar is called here arrived from Sanquelim which is a good 50 kms away from my place.He conducted the pooja in a dignified manner.His instructions were in Hindi for the benefit of the Yajmaan,in Konkani for the Y’s wife and in Marathi for the lady who was helping them.Added to this he conversed in Kannada with my husband in between to clarify his methods!
The pooja was done to the satisfaction of the Konkani family who brought him down, to the satisfaction of the Telugu family which performed it and to the satisfaction of all of us who had gathered there.
The story was narrated in Samskrit and the meaning told in a mixture of Konkani, Marathi, Hindi and English!
We were then given gifts.(Yeah,I too was surprised.)Then the hosts started the preparations for serving a traditional lunch.Banana leaves and disposable tumblers arrived.
The vegetable curries, then the pulao, the plain rice the dal and ghee over it,the kesari bhaat,the prasaada….
Why I called it the pan S pooja is this great variety in food items, the languages used, the cooks who prepared the food…
The Tamilian neighbour had prepared the pulao, The Marathi speaking neighbour had prepared the K. bhaat, one curry was Andhra style the other was typical Goan saraswat style!The style and order of serving the dishes were also truly Indian!!The Malayaali neighbour made the poories .
There was an air of inclusiveness(?) and acceptance apart from the bonhomie and liveliness of a sarvajanik utsav.
I came home feeling elevated mentally and I am sure it was not just because of the pooja.
twenty20– plenty plenty.
12 Sep 2007 10 Comments
in Sportive??
The inaugural match was truly exciting.
It was great fun from the start.
I sat through the entire WI innings-though it was a working day today.Hats off to C. Gayle.There was never a dull moment.Paisa Vasool!!He richly deserved the Man of the match award. He made the match memorable. I will remember this effort for the remaining years of my life .He is going to be praised by the laymen ,armchair - critics , aficionados …
But very few will praise the cheerleaders who were gyrating throughout the match.They didn’t have a break at all.I wonder if they used Mirakul oil /painkillers at the end of the match.
You won’t believe this…
05 Sep 2007 5 Comments
Today’s Navhind Times carries a special supplement on Teachers’ Day.
Actually one should be strictly saying that this supplement is to supplement the paper’s earnings…
Or we can say that it is a special supplement to tuition givers syndicate.They have advertised en masse.
Amidst all these ads a prominent ad is :
Special offer.
Buy 2 and get 1 drink free.
Buy 5 and get 3 drinks free.
By Hotel Sea Coin,Colva.
Which is incidently open 24×7,365 days.
I can’t understand why they choose this paavan parv of T’s day to advertise ?
Also is the paper so eager to supplement its income that it accepts ads from bars for its T day special?
I am stumped.
All the other articles read :”make spirituality an inherent part of curriculum” ,
“Teachers are lamps that shatter darkness” ,
“trust the teacher for best results”…
I guess the owner of Hotel Sea Coin also trusts the teachers only for best results..
hiccup, hiccup, hurray.
N.B The post began in anger and ended in intoxication…
Viva Goa.
The wonderful digestive ability of lopishitians
02 Sep 2007 8 Comments
Go Goa 365.
It is that wonderful haven on earth where you can meet many Ex-meef chinisters in each constituency!Thet are all busy inaugurating shoe shops, eateries, beauty parlours..They even love to do the ceremonial Kick-off in the inter street penalty shoot-outs.After all they themselves keep rolling from party to party like a football.
Honestly it surprises me how the piecekar and the meef chinisters behave in such a reckless manner.
They keep giving statements and they eat those very words on the next day.One day they disown their cabinet colleagues , disqualify them from voting in the House ,mummifying their Legislative rights and the very next week publicly hug them back into the fold.
Newspaper columns spend reams of newsprint highlighting “what they said yesterday and today” .This is never read by these versatile chameleons.They are blind to such blatant forms of reality.
They live in a world of self aggrandisement andself promotion.They are busy in property harvesting melas and planning for their great grandson’s retirement.
Politics is the refuge of scoundrels only .
Rafi kahaan ho tum…
01 Sep 2007 5 Comments
in myself
The whole of yesterday the great news channels of India kept ‘breaking news’ about Diana.What has she done for India or Indians ? Nothing much.
But Mohammed Rafi has brought solace to millions of Indians.He has given voice to a myraid emotions and regaled us over the years.
He was the singer par excellence.
A person who even after decades of his death continues to inspire would be singers and accomplished singers like SPB.
His songs have been bringing joy to kids who were not even born when he died.
Yaad na jaaye…
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