Started my year with grace from the Omnipresent Light and paying forward the gratitude to the Universe and the few people in my life who have always supported and stood by me in my journey. Creative field is a tricky one where it’s so difficult to get a good foothold. Fortunately, it is times like this when our efforts are acknowledged that one feels fulfilled and reminds others that arts do have a purpose. Not everyone concedes to it though. I guess they find it hard to do so. Arts mean something (while Arts mean everything to some)!

The first mention is the OrangeFlower Awards by Women’s Web, a well-known platform for women and the other genders who have been tirelessly promoting women’s welfare issues across every segment of life. I received the prestigious “Artgram” Award 2021 from this very established platform! Except that, it had been an online event if not for Covid! It was a well-thought out and extremely well-organized occasion with some amazing speakers and discussions in between. Extremely thankful to the entire team of Women’s Web and the Orange Flower Awards. Kudos to all the powerful souls who were nominated, shortlisted and won!

"The Kali Project: Invoking the Goddess Within"

Sharing Stories, a splendid online magazine entrusted me with the job of shortlisting the poets for their upcoming Poetry Awards. It was a unique experience to go through a delightful range of subjects and an enjoyable familiarity to share the amazing poets’ experiences and journeys, thoughts and feelings. It made me wonder at the caliber and talent spread across and around us! In case you are interested, you can download the magazine HERE. You can find previous issues too.

So how is life treating you, my friends?

According to IWD website:

International Women’s Day is a way to focus on the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women and marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity.

 “The campaign theme for International Women's Day 2021 is 'Choose To Challenge'. A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change. So let's all #ChooseToChallenge.”

The first IWD gathering took place in 1911 and since then there have been innumerable occasions to mark the day and its significance. I believe it’s more about humanity than anything else. If you closely observe the society as it holds a mirror to its own actions, we shall see the disparity in all arenas of existence not just gender alone. But gender inequality is perhaps the basis of all inequality. The domination that one is exposed to from early childhood is what taken across all sections of the society. That one of them can dominate the other leaves an indelible mark. It needs a collective effort and collective conscience to challenge a change.

“We do what we see way more than what we are told,” reminds Gloria Steinem and we need to see that positive change particularly for the younger generation to embrace it.

There has always been a systematic social devaluation of female life literally affecting the balance of life in this world and Emma Watson talks about it in her conversation with Gloria Steinem quoting:

“More lives are lost through violence against women through sex-elective abortion, female infanticide, suicide, egregious maternal mortality and other linked sex causes than were lost during all of the wars and civil strife of the twentieth century.”

-Sex and World Peace(2012 - Authors: Mary Caprioli, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Chad F. Emmett, Valerie M. Hudson)

Our project is a simpler note though. As part of creating a meaningful narrative, Piya Gajbe and I decided to join hands with other art enthusiasts and veteran artists to create some personal chronicles in the name of art. The intention behind this collaboration is all about having a shared purpose, appreciation, trust and join forces to create stories of change and positivity; something hopeful.

Purple, green and white are the colors of International Women's Day. Purple signifies justice and dignity. Green symbolizes hope. White represents purity. Keeping this in mind, I had extended the limited colour palette for our works – Purple, Yellow ochre and Teal. However, artists are beings of freewill, constrain is something that cannot be dealt with by all. While some could think in terms of the colour, some indicated certain aspects of certain shades of the said palette. Ultimately, it’s all about a combined purpose and celebration in the name of art and that’s all that matters.

Being in diverse professions, some of my friends here still hold on to their passion to delve deep in splashes of colours. That somehow liberates us into a different realm. It is this passion and interest that has brought us together.

We are our own Galaxies- A Collaboration

Details - We are our own Galaxies

Our theme – “We are our own Galaxies”

Babitha Rajiv – Fort Kochi

Untitled, 91.44x91.44cm, Acrylics on canvas

Deepa Gopal - Dubai

Born in India and currently residing in Dubai, Deepa Gopal loves working with a variety of mediums. Most of her paintings are coupled with her own Haiku/micro poems as titles. She has done her Masters in English Language and Literature and is currently working as a freelance visual artist and a creative writer. She has displayed her works in several group shows in India and in the U.A.E. She has curated a couple of exhibitions, as she loves to bring many voices together. Her art blog, Hues n Shades, is one of the Top Indian Blogs.

Her works reflect the introspective emotional states or “mindscapes” as she likes to call them. The limitless mind in general and the inner workings of the feminine in particular captivates her the most. Most of her works are autobiographical. Myths, dreams, visions, people and their tales, the emotions and the unbridled feelings kindle her creative juices.

The current work highlights a mindscape of infinite possibilities where her dreams are guarded and she enjoys a safe space where her own universe wraps her up to heighten her realizations. 

We are our own Galaxies, 29.7x21cm , watercolour

Dr. Hawa bi Khan - Sharjah

Hawa bi khan is a creative from the sun baked state of Goa, India.Her multicultural upbringing has affirmed the idea of perspectives, authenticity is what attracts and stories matter!

Along with exploring cultures,places and people, she spends her time expanding her vision in healthcare, AI, human rights and gender equality.

Creating and managing in her profession, dentistry, she has also invested herself in the field of her primeval love... art...dabbed in everything that intrigues, from printmaking to alcohol inks, to graphic design...anything that fascinates the creative in her to explore the limitless possibilities of a perpetually exploring mind.

Printmaking and pen and ink sketches are the medium through which she finds a way to let out and heal whatever the mind dictates!

Resplendence - 32.5x22cm - Linocut

Masarratfatima Sulaimani - Sharjah

Masarratfatima Sulaimani is an experimental artist, specializing in creating the unique art of hand-cut Paper. She believes that human forms and emotions can be best depicted through this art form.

Masarratfatima explores Paper cut art with various mediums along with the interplay of light and shadows. This gives the art a different dimension. Inspired by nature, culture, emotion, and architecture, these layered papers expresses a story of a moment. Through her art, she strives to bring out the human journey of understanding the self and the world. 

She has successfully showcased her works at various venues across UAE, such as Sikka Art Fair’19, WAD etc. She is an Art Instructor at various Art Centers. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Visual Arts from the prestigious Maharaja Sayajirao University, India.

Within - 22.7x42 cm - handcut paper with watercolour

Piya Gajbe - Nagpur

Piya Gajbe is an advocate, a writer and a painter by choice. Having written several short stories, blogs and articles for various online platforms and offline magazines, she has recently published her debut novel, ‘When Fate Kicks’. Poetry is soul therapy for her and she has a published collection of poems, “Dews N Petals” to her credit.

She is currently working as the Chief Editor of Sharing Stories Magazine and Content Manager for www.sharingstories.com. A doting mother to a son and an avid reader, apart from writing she loves to engage herself in music, arts and painting.

When she is not expressing herself in words, she uses colours and paints to describe her feelings and thoughts. A self-taught artist, she finds solace in painting and sketching. She loves to bring out the extraordinary tales of ordinary people around her through her writings and artwork.

We are our own Galaxies, 54x36cm, watercolour

Rhiti Chatterjee Bose - Bhubaneswar

Rhiti Chatterjee Bose is an Artist, Writer and Counsellor based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. She is the founder of ArtIsana, an art company focused on teaching and learning of various art forms. Her work mainly focuses on Indian Folk & Tribal art, Zentangle Art, Mandalas, Acrylic paintings and Art Therapy. She has recently co-launched a program called 'RasaRanga- The Indic Utsav' to empower the rural and folk artisans. She is the co-founder of a free community library 'Kitaabshaala' in Bhubaneswar for the underprivileged youth. She was the founder of the ezine ‘Incredible Women of India’ that documents incredible stories of real life women. She also has multiple print and online publications.

She has a Master’s degree in English Literature from The University of Madras. She has a Teacher's degree from Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and is a Post Grad Diploma holder in Psychotherapy and Counselling from The School of Natural health and Sciences, London, UK. 

The cosmos and the Consciousness - 38.5x27cm - Pen and acrylic

Runa Biswas - Bangalore

Runa Biswas is an artist currently based in Bangalore. She was born and brought up in Kolkata where she completed Masters in Economics and also a five-year Diploma in Fine Art. For the last 15 years or so Runa has consciously worked towards developing a unique visual language that she can call her own and derive artistic satisfaction from.

Over the years, she has experimented with mediums, textures, tools and concepts that has helped her to achieve a technique that is a mix of watercolour wash employing layer on layer glazing, pouring, batik and brushwork. This technique has given her the freedom to use the rigidity of bold lines along with the fluidity of watercolor.

Her subjects are mostly figurative, inspired by dreams, folklores, stories and moments, and deep symbolism drawn from life, of other people she knows or came across, and even her own life. Of missed moments, or the ones that has happened already, yet are so beautiful that those can be re-lived once again.

She wants her paintings to touch hearts, yet speak to the minds of people, making them think, evoking curiosity, discovering the layers and making them happy every time they look at the works.

In Search of  Paradise - 25.4x25.4 cm - mixed media on archival paper

Sowmya Muralidhar - Bangalore

As the saying goes, Passion has a calling, Sowmya Muralidhar is an engineer by profession but her interest has always been her childhood passion, painting. 

Her journey from a novice learner to where she is today is through several inspiring workshops and the learnings under the guidance of senior artists. She loves working with varied mediums like oil, acrylic, pastels & charcoal. She is quite versatile in capturing the brilliance of nature along with conceptual, contemporary, and figurative arts.

She dedicates this art journey to the very first artist in her life - Her Mother

She has had great opportunities to share her journey in the form of online exhibitions and art shows in and outside Bangalore where her artworks have found a place and purpose. She also enjoys teaching art to all age groups. She also enjoys penning down the story behind each of her artworks. To sum up, her eyes are always looking for a subject that talks to her, enthusing her palette of colours to create works which leave an impact.

Seek within - 24x24 cm - Acrylic on canvas

Vani N M - Palakkad

Born in Malappuram district, Kerala in 1984, Vani completed her BFA in Painting from the Govt. College of Fine Arts in Thiruvananthapuram in 2006 and then went onto receive her MFA in the same discipline from S. N. School of Arts, Central University of Hyderabad, in 2010. She has been part of many exhibitions, workshops, art camps etc. including the works on Travancore Titanium Art Wall Thiruvananthapuram 2021, ‘Nirakeralam’ Online Art camp by Kerala Lalitkala Academy in 2020, ‘Niracharthu’ a national painting camp at Wadakkanchery-Kerala in 2019, ‘Biophilia’ group exhibition curated by Manesh Dev Sharma in 2017 and online slide presentation of her works in Ni-Talks in  2020. She lives and works in Palakkad, Kerala.

Speaking about her paintings, her early works portrayed the duality of ‘Black’ and ‘White’ and the existential crisis. She attempted to visualize the fight within her to decide the parameters of right and wrong. When she started to experience - the flow beyond the dualities - ‘Advaita’, she tried to represent this beauty through her paintings. As we know, we human beings are not so virtuous to others’ habitat and that realization led her to watch and depict the lives of nature too.

The Flow- Shakti, 40x50cm, Oil on canvas

Yamini Mohan - Kannur

Yamini Mohan was born into a family of acclaimed artists based in Kannur - the land of looms and lores by the Arabian Sea in the northern part of Kerala. She soon emerged from the shadows of her illustrious family, shaping her own distinctive style. After completing her Graduation in Painting from the University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram in 2008, she soon swapped the palm-lined beaches of her homeland for the bustling megapolis of Dubai, where she is now based.

With a self-confessed obsession for the dark and bold stokes of Charcoal, she is currently delving deeper into her favourite medium, ceaselessly exploring, evolving and expressing herself.

Yamini has been part of several national and international group exhibitions and Art Camps. She has three Solo Shows to her credit. She has been part of “Promising Artist” by Akaas Visual Arts, Dubai and “Women in art” show conducted by Gallery Arabesque & Centre Park towers in Dubai, “Images in-side out” conducted in Delhi Triveni Art Gallery is her notable Duo exhibition. She is a regular at Kerala Lalitha Kala Academy’s State exhibitions and Cochin Art fair.  For her work named “Iconography”, she was conferred with the Academi’s State Award (special mention) in 2007.

Wind-91.4x76.2 cm, Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

Hope you liked this exclusive feature post. Do share your thoughts and comments in the comment section. You can also send your feedback to mail.huesnshades@gmail.com.

So I am trying A to Z Challenge and NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month) yes...trying...since I am not really sure whether I will be able to complete the 26 and 30-days challenge respectively. But I don't want to pass it either. So I shall try my level best to keep it going until the end of this month. This is my first attempt at both the challenges though.

Giving a brief about the two challenges, A to Z challenge happens every April and one has to blog through the alphabets; Monday to Saturday with the Sunday off. NaPoWriMo expects one to write 30 poems through the month with a poem a day. Both have official prompts but are not rigid that it needs to be followed, you are at liberty to chose your own themes. The links to their sites are listed below at the end of the post.

I am trying an empowering alliteration (loosely) of words with a fluid inked images. I would like to think of it like a photo essay but with just one phrase/statement and an image. At the end of it however I will have 30 images and 30 empowering alliterations! In case, I get to access some more time I shall try the prompts of the NaPoWriMo as well, but that's just in case.

Fragment of a Queen's Face - ca. 1353–1336 B.C.

New Kingdom, Amarna Period

My attempt on conversing with this fabulous fragment of a sculpture is jotted below:

faceless warriors abound around me

i see them everyday

faceless, i say                 but they do have one

that many can’t see

it’s not their fault

              it’s us

we are unable to see through the veil that wraps our vision

reminding me

the now Faceless Queen of Amarna

the voluptuous lips now sealed and puckered

of a once                         royal indeterminate Queen

but       

Queen nonetheless

the time-scarred bruises on her face

(a skillful hand that poured his life out

another ingenious hand that slayed through)

a fragment giving a sense of whole

                                           surviving eras of execution

                                           of war and corrosion

                                           death and decay

                                           finally, here to remind she once lived

                                           tall and graceful

reminding time and again

it’s not about what’s missing

but about what we still have.

#AtoZChallenge - http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

#AtoZChallenge

there are times—

i wonder

when is the right time for to evolve?

when is the right time to dance and twirl?

when can i read  and write?

when can i travel and speak my mind?

when can i show i am worthy and able?

when can i stop enabling your dreams and desires?

when can i see, actually see, the world within without conflicts?

when i can i do the thousands things from my bucket list?

when is the right time?

when is the time to find the signature of all things? 

#AtoZChallenge

looking at the map before me

--like a curious child playing within the labyrinth--

i criss-crossed through the lanes

tempted to try one after the other

life being bound by time          people around, push—

i squeezed my eyes, snapped my fingers

put my fears to rest                   and jumped (they pushed) oblong

the road led to losing myself—

silent and alone,                         i travelled through the tangled

veins of the landscape

marching through the mirage

of knotted lies and reality

a kaleidoscopic fantasy—

where truth is stranger than fiction.

the map            is not a map of choices

strung and starved                     the veins take a lease of life—

a life of its own

the path has taken its course

guiding you across the plains—

home is not a place but a state of mind

my wandr’ing feet and the map lay before me.

PS : This post is posted as part of BlogchatterA2Z 2021 challenge.
Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021

at the back of the ruins

lay the debris of unaccounted tales

of life spent in serious discussions

and mirthful wines

the sunken eyes betray 

a world of never-haves

a sigh, a sob, a grunt, a fall

now she sits on the debris

on a lonesome chair

like on a throne

a magpie, a sweet outbound song

crumbled cement, half-a-dozen-dead saplings

the gasp of air within the macabre stare

and the glint of a silver coin

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

PS : Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021 You can click on the Napowrimo tag to look at my earlier posts.

 Day 4 of AtoZ challenge - Today's alliterative affirmation:

AtoZChallenge

I am not following the official prompt today. This is a poem I had written sometime back, reworked on it today. It's a poem I was inspired to write this poem on watching the song Ude khule aasmano mein parinday (movie - Zindagi na Milegi Dobara) where Kalki's scarf flaps in the wind while she's travelling in the car. That one glimpse was the starting point for this poem.

 Day 5 #AtoZchallenge

#AtoZChallenge

Day 6 #Napowrimo

when you and i meander in our journey

i wish we’d be together

yes, we are there side by side

but i can see that you are not present

shoulder to shoulder we lie

i check the moon and you the phone

i wait for the hand and you slide

into sleep

the concrete around consumes my dreams

between the metal and glass, dreams vanish

i feel a forest grow thick around, time ticks

and drifts, we burrow inside

i’d wish to wander through you

well enough to traverse through.

the city burns in neon glow, the lamp post

sings a sign - kul shay’ ealaa ma yuram*

* Arabic - all is well

Go to a book you love. Find a short line that strikes you. Make that line the title of your poem. Write a poem inspired by the line. Then, after you’ve finished, change the title completely.

This prompt, which comes from Holly Lyn Walrath, is pretty simple as she explains it here.

I just finished reading (yesterday evening) "Strangers" by Nazik Al-Malaika, an Iraqi poet and the the line “Our silence is the echo of a frightening warning” caught my attention. Since this was fresh in my mind, I took that as my prompt and starting point. The Arabic is not from the poem though, I first wrote "all is well" and then thought to add the translation.

 Day 6 #AtoZChallenge

#AtoZchallenge

Day 7 #AtoZChallenge

Art and affirmative alliteration of Day 7. I hadn't talked much about this section of my challenge. The intention was to reach out to young girls and everyone who needed to hear some positive and empowering affirmations each day. Just a humble alliterative effort. I wish we could all inspire each other everyday, place a helping hand, a shoulder to rest for a while, embrace to overcome the each other's pain, ease with laughter and a extend a bit of company to one another. In short, empower one another.

#AtoZchallenge

All my art works of AtoZ challenge have been done in acrylic inks and coffee wash. Yes, you got that right. Coffee wash. The brown there is coffee.

Day 8 #Napowrimo

Do let me know your views. Thank you to everyone who helped me with their feedback on the font. 

You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 8 #AtoZChallenge

Art and affirmative alliteration of Day 8. I hadn't talked much about this section of my challenge. The intention was to reach out to young girls and everyone who needed to hear some positive and empowering affirmations each day. Just a humble alliterative effort. I wish we could all inspire each other everyday, place a helping hand, a shoulder to rest for a while, embrace to overcome the each other's pain, ease with laughter and a extend a bit of company to one another. In short, empower one another.

#AtoZchallenge

All my art works of AtoZ challenge have been done in acrylic inks and coffee wash. 

Day 9 #Napowrimo

to do list of an inane self

to live a life of a toad

to adapt on both lands

to fly high to bellow

to sink down and be mellow

to run miles a free bird

be the songbird and follow the stars

to creak open the secret doors

to silently witness myriad miracles

to whimper like a child mid ice-cream

to ponder like a saint on carnal bliss

to invent a universe of sunshine vale

to wipe tears off my bosom souls

to stitch a cross-section of organic lands

and weave with invincible skies

bringing it all under one parasol

of blues, greens and turquoise realms

back again on the infinite sky

watch an aerial view

philosophize on our existence/ speck of a life

to gather dreams of altered souls

reigning them into the moon’s chariot

unbridled they run wild

no remorse, no affectations

they cast a path for the young to follow

to surpass barriers of human borders

to not kill for sport or bully the mild

‘uncreate’ the distinctions of human forms

follow nature and its native calls

to be one of the inhabitants and not be the lord

share an existence and not own it

to conjoin a freedom song

that murmurs in all hearts

a free spirit without borders drawn

a world where smiles reside and sorrows gone.

Napowrimo prompt:

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 9 AtoZ Challenge

Art and affirmative alliteration for Day 9. 

#AtoZchallenge

Day 10 Napowrimo

Speak to my core - wet and soft - like little waves forming

The blue silence spreads – your breath, your heartbeat—

Solitude surrounds and wraps like a moulding clay—

A hand at work with a paintbrush or the kneaded eraser-

Neither here nor up there, the melody resides within

Only you — believe in my existence — only you

Just that phrase repeats within — not confronting my lips

Colourful and messy, disparate and abstract

My voice keeps demanding for words — You know—

I know — You and me — our feelings have no sound—

like fragrance it spreads — it can not hide behind walls or lines—

Shadow of pain may spread long and sometimes wide

Fear may clutch the lonely heart — dense silence may surround

But do not give in nor cry — we all have our sunshine days

The rhythm of life may sometimes be wild and rugged—

Pace it fast or pace it slow — pace it horizontal or perpendicular

Welcome life with open arms — welcome with child-like curiosity

Let your eyes go wide — bookmark your life.

Napowrimo prompt:

our daily prompt (optional, of course!). It’s called “Junk Drawer Song,” and comes to us from the poet Hoa Nguyen.

• First, find a song with which you are familiar – it could be a favorite song of yours, or one that just evokes memories of your past. Listen to the song and take notes as you do, without overthinking it or worrying about your notes making sense.
• Next, rifle through the objects in your junk drawer – or wherever you keep loose odds and ends that don’t have a place otherwise. (Mine contains picture-hanging wire, stamps, rubber bands, and two unfinished wooden spoons I started whittling four years ago after taking a spoon-making class). On a separate page from your song-notes page, write about the objects in the drawer, for as long as you care to.
• Now, bring your two pages of notes together and write a poem that weaves together your ideas and observations from both pages.

My junk drawer poem is based on Imran's *shayari from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (Hindi movie) and my junk draw items that included a pretty big list some of which were pencils, brushes, kneaded eraser, paints, hairband, paperclips, metallic pens, clay, craftwood, bookmark etc. I jotted down the words from the shayari that I 'grabbed' with my eyes closed as I was listening to the shayari while my hands jotted down the words and abstract sensations finally conjoining the two. 

This was a fun prompt and maybe I shall try this more.

*shayari is a poem in Urdu

Do let me know your views. You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

PS : This post is posted as part of BlogchatterA2Z 2021 challenge.

Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 11 Napowrimo

Image - India Post (Wikipedia)

Do let me know your views. You can click on the Napowrimo tag to look at my earlier posts.

PS: Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 10 AtoZ Challenge

Art and affirmative alliteration for Day 10. 

#AtoZchallenge

Day 12 Napowrimo

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

 Day 11 AtoZ Challenge

Art and affirmative alliteration for Day 11. 

#AtoZchallenge

All my art works of AtoZ challenge have been done in acrylic inks and coffee wash.

Day 13 Napowrimo

Dubai 2023 will see driverless taxis on the road

Every man, woman and children can have the safest transport

Conveyed the Newspaper

While none seemed to take it in

One man got all disturbed

He voiced some unyielding statements

The newspaper set aside a space to his contentment—

The report read—

The news of driverless taxis hit the land

A concerned citizen expressed his stand

Disapprove did he and wanted to protest

Take to the streets, walk around 6 and half miles

Anonymous he wanted to remain

Concerns he wanted to proclaim

Authorities are expected to rise

Pertinent questions does he raise—

“What if a nut or bolt goes out of place?

What if water spills and a wire sparks?

What if the AI fails at human language—

When help is sought?

What if it doesn’t allow me to get down—

Anywhere besides the first entered destination?

What if the door locks unexpectedly

Fail to work and I am trapped inside?

What if I’d like to have a small talk?

There’s no driver to respond!

What about the drivers who’d lose their job?

Chiefly the ones who come from far off

Lands to feed their families driving taxis.

I am concerned for the lives of the people

Who walk on the street and the ones who travel in it.

There are so many ‘what ifs’.

But cutting it short for now.

As a protest in solidarity for the drivers

I am going to walk, through the pavement,

For 10 km since I have a heart condition.

(that’s the maximum I can walk).”

The concerned citizen will be taking

To the streets tomorrow at 8am

The route is yet to be confirmed,

Our sources said.

Team ETR/ 21-12-2021

Napowrimo Prompt:

Today’s prompt comes from the Instagram account of Sundress Publications, which posts a writing prompt every day, all year long. This one is short and sweet: write a poem in the form of a news article you wish would come out tomorrow.

Do let me know your views. You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 12 AtoZ Challenge

Art and affirmative alliteration for Day 12. 

#AtoZchallenge

All my art works of AtoZ challenge have been done in acrylic inks and coffee wash.

Day 14 Napowrimo

There is no home without me

If there is, they long for my presence

A place of worship abounds with me

It pervades sanctity, an offering to God

I always win in the eternal war over darkness

I am a child’s glee and lovers’ delight

Every heart needs me, their hope to ward off evil

Meant to remove ignorance, am held in various forms

Traditional to contemporary—pedestal,

Suspended from ceiling or held in hand

Metal, glass or wood, contain me as they could

I gain a new name with association

Unlike water, I am a fiery brand

I can start small and gain an avatar

Auspicious ceremonies always begins with me

People gather to see me brightly adorn the Lord

Watching meglow is auspicious to the core

I am summoned at every festival

Lighting the ten-headed *Ravana

Marks the culmination of *Dussehra

I am the offspring of the powerful element

With the ability to vanquish and build

I am Sanskrit for Light,

A tiny drop to see through the darkness.

As human as I am, I have no prowess—

The skills the word bestow me.

*Deepa means Light.

*Ravana - the ten-headed Demon-King of Lanka. He was a great scholar and master of multiple skills but the 10 emotions (/ten heads - anger, greed, lust, envy, pride, ego etc.) that ruled him led him to his ultimate defeat and death.

*Dussehra - also known as Vijayadashami is a major Hindu festival celebrated at the end of Navaratri every year. It involves the burning of effigy of the Demon-King, Ravana to mark the victory of Lord Rama; the victory of good over the evil, light over darkness.

Napowrimo prompt:

Today, I’d like to challenge you to write a poem that delves into the meaning of your first or last name. Looking for inspiration? Take a look at this poem by Mark Wunderlich, appropriately titled “Wunderlich.”

I am not sure about how this has turned out. It was hard explaining my name - to many associations popped up and I had to sieve through. Do let me know your views. 

You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

ps: do check out my works on Instagram.

Day 13 AtoZ Challenge

#AtoZchallenge

All my art works of AtoZ challenge have been done in acrylic inks and coffee wash. Edited digitally.

Day 15 Napowrimo

Day 14 AtoZ Challenge

#AtoZchallenge

Day 16 Napowrimo

night fell silently

across the whole expanse, stealthily

eyes wide open, i ran violently

until sweat streamed profusely

like i stood under a shower

had no control or any power

the once shone grass at the golden hour

now blades of fire to devour

eyes open, room fills with blue

blue waves along the edges of you

life in parallels and due review

screw. true. knew. flew. pursue.

Napowrimo prompt:

Because it’s Friday, today I’d like you to relax with the rather silly form called Skeltonic, or tumbling, verse. In this form, there’s no specific number of syllables per line, but each line should be short, and should aim to have two or three stressed syllables. And the lines should rhyme. You just rhyme the same sound until you get tired of it, and then move on to another sound. 

Skeltonic verse is a fun way to get some words on the page without racking your brains for deep meaning. It’s a form that lends itself particularly well to poems for children, satirical verse, and just plain nonsense.

This prompt was a bit easy on me this time. I actually came up with three short poems and finally decided to go with this one. Love the choices and variety of these everyday prompts.

Here, I would like to mention some blogs I have been following. There are some more which I shall share soon. We have reached mid-way of Napowrimo and though I find it difficult to visit all the blogs, I would like to name a few:

Namratha Varadharajan - http://namysaysso.com/

Ira Mishra -http://livelife2dfullest.blogspot.com/

Feby Joseph - https://silvercowcreamer.wordpress.com/

Smitha V - https://smithavishwanathsblog.com/

Selma Martin - https://selmamartin.com/blog/

Kim Russel - https://writinginnorthnorfolk.com/

Paula Aamli - https://soundcloud.com/paula-aamli

Vandana Bhasin - https://feelings161.wordpress.com/

Graham Parker - https://grahamparkerpoetry.com/

Alana - https://apowrimo.home.blog/

Merril Smith - https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/

Maria L Berg - https://experiencewriting.com/

(I need to get some more awesome links, shall add in my later posts)

Do let me know your views. You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

PS : This post is posted as part of BlogchatterA2Z 2021 challenge.

Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021

Day 15 AtoZ Challenge

AtoZchallenge

still, you embrace one and all
for you still live with the hope of a new-found
land where dreams blossom—
in the smiles of sleeping children,
strewn across the indigo sky—
where flowers and saplings grow in secret spaces
waiting for the eminent rays enriched by your dews.

Napowrimo prompt:

Our (optional) prompt. I’ve seen some fairly funny twitter conversations lately among poets who are coming to terms with the fact that they keep writing poems about the moon. For better or worse, the moon seems to exert a powerful hold on poets, as this large collection of moon-themed poems suggests. Today, I’d like to challenge you to stop fighting the moon. Lean in. Accept the moon. The moon just wants what’s best for you and your poems. So yes – write a poem that is about, or that involves, the moon.

This poem of mine was originally written in 2018 a couple of days after the Super Blue Blood moon. I am a Luna-lover and I have photos of the moon in my collection and I have attempted a couple of poems earlier as well. So this seemed a perfect chance to edit the 2018 one, polish and refine it a bit. I fine-tuned it after reading the prompt today.

Do let me know your views. You can click on the AtoZChallenge/ Napowrimo tags to look at my earlier posts.

In case you are interested to see some nocturne paintings of mine, click HERE.

PS : This post is posted as part of BlogchatterA2Z 2021 challenge.

Poem posted as part of the 30 day poetry challenge for the month of April NaPoWriMo2021