Shadows and Echoes

Do also visit
Shadow Shot Sunday
and
Scenic Sunday
and
One Single Impression
for more on its prompt: Echoes
~~~

Manali, Himachal Pradesh

Traversing long stretches
Along snake like roads
I discover Manali
And its imposing
Brown peaks
Glaciers tucked in
Pristine waters flowing
Peaceful and serene
Abundance of
Natural beauty
Spectrum of
Himalayan landscape
Clouds in motion
Bring change in scenery
Moving over
Mountain tops
Casting shadows
On the green valleys

Seated at Echo Point
Soaking in the beauty
Of the distant mountains
I bellow out a word
Then wait expectantly
For the echo
To reverberate
From the distance
Faithfully!

OSI: Shift in Time

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing poetic forms. Every week OSI offers a new prompt to inspire writing. Thanks to OSI for this week's prompt: Shift in Time.

Autumn
Enchanting season
Colourful array
Visual evolution
A sensory deluge

Lingers momentarily
Then falling leaves
Branches going bare
Apparently dying
Inspire to let go

It's offering
Of endings
And new beginnings
Evokes possibility
Of a change in scene

Autumn
A transitional phase
From ebullience of summer
Into truculent winter
A shift in time!

~~~

Photograph made in South Deerfield, Massachusetts
27 October 2009

OSI: Descent

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing Haiku and other poetic forms. The prompt for this week is "Descent" and here is my verse:

When I was small
I loved balloons
The little dainty ones from which
Sunlight would pass through

I still love balloons
But of a different kind
Those which float high above
So can gaze at rising sun while there

Perfect setting, cool winds
Smooth sailing in the sky
I watch the golden orb rise
Radiating precious rays

My balloon wanders here and there

It glides near River Nile

Over spectacular rural scenery

Besides white desert sands too

Lost for a while, I am on a high

Heavenly is the feeling

But with the descent of the balloon

Alas, I have come down to earth!

~~~

Hot Air Balloon Ride - February 2009

All images shot by me in Luxor, Egypt

The silver streak of line at the bottom in the second picture is the River Nile

Some of my other OSI posts:

• OSI: Inner Voice
  
• OSI: Thinking
  
• OSI: Movement
  
• OSI: Slowly
• OSI: Paradox
• OSI: Rest
• OSI: Doorway

OSI: Inner Voice

Auli mountains at dawn - July 2008

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing haiku and other poetic forms. The prompt for this week is "Inner Voice."

What do I want?
What should I do?
What’s the right choice for me?

My inner voice whispers:

Believe in yourself
And the choices you make
Have profound faith
Give no heed to critics

Trust in your intuition
Have lucid thoughts
Be passionate of life
Live in peace and joy

Seek inspiration, inspire others
Live every moment
Tread the right path
Expand your wisdom

Fill your heart with gratitude
Resolve inner conflicts
Tune in to the magnificence
Of silent power from within.

Some of my other OSI posts:

• OSI: Thinking
  
• OSI: Movement
  
• OSI: Slowly
• OSI: Paradox
• OSI: Rest
• OSI: Doorway

OSI: Thinking

These pictures have earlier been published in my post titled Perspective.

Do you like poetry?
If you do, One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing Haiku and other poetic forms every week. Here is my contribution to the prompt of this week: Thinking.

1.
Today, I sit in my room thinking...

Why so many conflicts, disease and pain?
Grieving and suffering, who is to gain?
Why so much hate, killing and warfare?
How long can we bear, without a prayer?

Freedom, why only some enjoy its beauty?
And the rest live in fear, while in captivity,
So many children hungry and dying, not fair,
There's no peace in this world, does anyone care?

2.
Stepping outdoors, I am thinking…

How lovely is the flitting butterfly!
The transitory clouds and the blue sky,
Beautiful flowers I find in full bloom,
Greeting me with their sweet perfume!

On the mountains I see glistening snow,
Enthralling are the colors of the rainbow,
How wonderful is this brand new day!
All’s perfect, and I run to join my friends to play!!

Some of my other OSI posts:

• OSI: Movement
  
• OSI: Slowly
• OSI: Paradox
• OSI: Rest
• OSI: Doorway

OSI: Movement

Movement is the prompt provided for this week by One Single Impression, a community of poets online writing and sharing Haiku and other poetic forms.

My free verse this week is inspired by these photographs that I shot while in Nainital in February 2008.

Quivering waters
Like emotions
Stirred from within
Creating trembles
On that foggy day
I stood watching
And wondering
What ripples will I make
As I swim
In the sometimes calm
Other times turbulent
Waters of this life

Will I leave behind
A bequest of loving friends
And family
Would I succeed
Making my way
Into their hearts with love
That would belike
Make me whole
Or will I be just another one
Fading into oblivion
Like the ripples
Waning at the lake’s shore

Interaction of water with wind
Blowing from yonder
Like a tryst
Between time and space
Beams of light breaking
On the surface
Into million reflections
I stood there pondering
Gazing at the gleaming waters
Play of light and shadow
And movement…
Of the shimmering ripples

~~~

Some other OSI posts:

• OSI: Slowly
• OSI: Paradox
• OSI: Rest
• OSI: Doorway

One Single Impression: Slowly

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing Haiku and other poetic forms.

Slowly is the prompt provided for this week by One Single Impression. My Haiku here is inspired by this photograph that I shot in Pattaya, Thailand.

Joy is within reach
As sand fills gaps between toes
Slowly, steadily

Also life's slow pace
Joyously embrace time's beat
Grasp or hasten, not

Eternal feeling
On this slow and drawling day
As soothing waves lap

With a tranquil heart
Slowly watch the light fade dim
Cool breeze softly blows

Giggling children glide
Slowly into the waters
Wet their tiny feet

With much love and care
From slow swaying canopy
Their mom keeps a watch

Slowly tree did wilt
Then shed its leaves, and life too
Ends up as dead trunk

Sun descends slowly
Radiating gold on waves
Spreads beauty around

Time, tide waits for none
Slowly, surely the sun sets
Another day ends.

~~~

Related posts:

• OSI: Paradox
• OSI: Rest
• OSI: Doorway
• OSI: Melody
  
• Transcience or Permanence

One Single Impression: Paradox

One Single Impression is a community of poets writing and sharing Haiku and other poetic forms. Each week a new prompt is provided to inspire writing.

Here's my contribution for this week's prompt: Paradox.

Jam yesterday, jam tomorrow,
But never jam today,
Hello, we all do agnize
Yesterday's tomorrow is today!

You can't get a job,
Without experience,
But you can't get experience,
Without a job: Sigh!

Every swan I've seen is white,
So I reckon all swans are white;
Dishonesty of honesty tests;
It's like a matter of true lies!

Oscar Wilde said bollocks,
And refused to be involved;
The chicken or the egg first,
Also Aristotle struggled to know!

Exceptions to rules is overblown,
Fallacy in logic isn't rare;
Do my thoughts think for me,
Or is it I? Dualism exists!

Skepticism and ambiguity,
Evasiveness and equivocations;
All of it, in little measure or big,
Is a contradictory part of me!

A paradox I am, you ask for proof,
For you refuse to believe;
Intransigent and prevaricated,
I decline to demonstrate!

For I know am a paradox,
And if to prove I proceed;
I know then I'd cease to be one,
And the exercise would be in vain!

I'm a pointless paradox,
Yes, indeed I am one;
But then do you realize, so are you,
And likewise is this world!

One Single Impression: Rest

The Humayun's Tomb is located in Nizamuddin East, Delhi. Humayun was the second of the so called six great Mughal emperors, and was the father of Akbar.

At Nizamuddin
Hamida Banu Begum
Ordered construction

A repository
For her beloved husband
And Akbar's father

Splendid edifice
On banks of Yamuna, with
Char bagh style gardens

The Emperor's tomb
With Mughal architecture
World Heritage Site

Humayun's Tomb is
Beautiful mausoleum
Where he's put to rest.

The prompt for this week at One Single Impression is Rest. More poetry can be found at One Single Impression.