a grasshopper surfs,
rustling the green sea of leaves—
touchdown

(selected as part of Guest Editor Bernard Gieske's choices in the July/August 2011 Sketchbook insects/bugs haiku thread)

Image courtesy of travel.mongabay.com

soft spring twilight
a lime-green leaf takes flight:
luna moth

(for the July 2011 Shiki Monthly Kukai)



rain-brushed wings
flutter in the night:
Luna moth

(selected as part of Editor John Daleiden's choice and as part of Guest Editor Bernard Gieske's choice in the July/August 2011 Sketchbook insects/bugs haiku thread)


Image courtesy of fcps.edu

It's the second week of August. Aadi maasam (as we say in Tamil) is coming to an end. This heralds the whole procession of Hindu festivals -- starting from Varalakshmi Nombu to Gokulashtami to Ganesha Chathurthi to Navarathri and then Deepavali and Pongal. Attractive traditions and colourful rituals will be on display -- beautifully drawn kolams, mango leaves adorning doorways, the smell of incense and fresh flowers ... It is wonderful to soak in the festive air. I have always loved some of these traditions for their own sake -- not necessarily in a religious context. Drawing a kolam or decorating lamps with flowers is beautiful in itself -- apart from evoking a lot of childhood memories ... and hopefully, making a few memories for my daughter ...

In my opinion, rituals and religion are often mistaken, each for the other. One should do what one wants to -- irrespective of anyone else's approval or otherwise ! I think prayer, and in general, one's relationship with God, is something that is intensely personal. Whether you believe in God, to what extent you believe in Him, how often you go to a temple, how you pray at home, whether you pray daily -- are your own business and nobody else's. I, for one, pray when I feel like it -- and don't stick to any fixed schedule -- either at home, or in a temple. Basically, what you believe in and what you do when you think noone's watching -- that's who you are -- and yes, that is your own business ...

Talking about this brings to mind a mythological story I have loved as a child -- one about Rishi Narada, who is Lord Vishnu's most renowned devotee:

Once Narada asks Lord Vishnu to name his greatest devotee, fully expecting to hear the Lord say his own name. He is taken aback when Vishnu says that it is a farmer. Narada wants to meet him and so, he and Vishnu, go to the farmer's house in disguise. He welcomes them and invites them to stay at his house. Narada notices that the farmer takes the Lord's name only twice or thrice in the course of a whole day. He asks Vishnu to explain how the farmer could be His greatest devotee -- in view of the fact that Narada ceaselessly recites "Narayana, Narayana" -- again, a well-documented fact in all ancient religious texts. Vishnu says he will clarify after Narada completes a simple task -- that of carrying a pot filled to the brim with oil on his head while going around the Lord's temple prahaaram thrice -- without spilling even a drop of oil. So, Narada sets out on this task -- and considers it a job well-done when he completes it -- without a single drop of oil spilt. Jubilant, he asks Vishnu to now rationalize his choice of greatest devotee. At which point, Lord Vishnu asks Narada how many times he took the Lord's name while he went around the temple with the oil pot -- Narada answers that he had to focus on not spilling any oil and so did not recite His name even once. Vishnu points out that the farmer takes his name a few times inspite of all that he needs to do in the course of his daily routine. It is this aspect of his devotion -- the fact that he still takes His name inspite of a rather punishing daily schedule as well as the fact that when he does take His name, he does so whole-heartedly -- that makes the farmer the greater devotee in the eyes of the Lord.

Well, that's it for now. I intend to write more about rituals and religion later -- I have an abiding interest in the theme. Happy festive season !

Underwater gardens ...

The above is an image by Diane Wassman, US and was the subject of "Picture this poem" contest in Sketchbook May/June 2011. Memories of the beautiful corals I had seen recently in the Sydney Aquarium as well as preoccupation with rainbows (see previous blog post) led to my entry for this contest:

glass-bottom boat
rainbow corals
in sun-filled water


I loved the image and it reminded me of a really lovely description of a coral reef by one of my favourite authors:

"In the multi-coloured sea gardens seen from a boat as one drifts above them, there is a tropical lushness and mystery, a throbbing sense of the pressure of life ..."

-- Rachel Carson, The Edge of the Sea

Rainbows .....

looking at the rainbow
nose against the window
... the heart still hopes

(Third place in the "rainbow" kukai, Sketchbook May-June 2011)


summer afternoon:
rainbow blur of dragonflies
reflected in the pond

sudden flash of colour --
the rainbow lorikeet
shifts to another tree

(for the "rainbow" kukai, Sketchbook May-June 2011)


summer harvest:
the salad bowl
shames the rainbow!

(selected as part of Editor John Daleiden's choices for the Sketchbook May-June 2011 "vegetable(s)" haiku thread)

approaching storm:
the toy boat bobs
on thunderheads

for the Shiki Monthly Kukai, May 2011.


the toddler protests:
but potatoes are tastier
as fries than as stew

under the watchful eye
of the toddler:
pretending to relish the spinach!

for the May/June 2011 Sketchbook Haiku Thread

nibbling at her veggies:
the five-year old checks
if she has grown any taller!

for the May/June 2011 Sketchbook Haiku Thread

(selected as part of Guest Editor Bernard Gieske's choices in the haiku thread)

The coming of summer ...

the coming of summer:
mangoes dominate
the dessert menu

for the Shiki Monthly Kukai, May 2011.


summer harvest:
the salad bowl
shames the rainbow

for the May/June 2011 Sketchbook Haiku Thread