2013 has been really hectic -- but I did manage to send entries to my favourite Shiki haiku kukai. I am posting all of those entries here. Also, the ones I sent for the newly started Indian kukai.



twilight chaos:
silently
a star swims into view

for the Jan 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "First Calm"


winter night:
the withered tree
festooned with stars

for the Feb 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Withered plants"


at peace
in the sweltering heat:
a buffalo covered in mud !

for the Feb 2013 Shiki free format kukai "Cover"


barefoot --
the warmth
of the sun-kissed steps

for the Jun 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Barefoot"


thunderclap --
the snail
retreats into its shell

for the Jun 2013 Shiki free format kukai "Shell"


first kiss --
sunset clouds
blush crimson

for the Jul 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Evening Glow"


afternoon tea --
... memories scented
with orange peel

for the Sep 2013 Shiki free format kukai "Orange / Tangerine"


a frog jumps
into the night sky:
the Milky Way quivers ...

for the Sep 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Milky Way"


open window:
memories enter
on the wings of an old song

for the Sep 2013 Indian Kukai "Music"


slicing through darkness --
the express train
zips past ...

for the Nov 2013 Indian Kukai "Light"


morning chill ...
once again late
for the school bus

for the Nov 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Morning Chill"


steady downpour:
a raindrop hops
from puddle to puddle

for the Nov 2013 Shiki free format "Puddle"


Christmas eve:
a new star rises
in the river of Heaven

for the Dec 2013 Shiki Kigo kukai "Holidays or celebrations in December"

cityscape at night:
glistening crosswords
of shadows and light

for the "Windows" theme free format Shiki Monthly Kukai, January 2013.

First of all, a very Happy New Year ! I haven't been posting regularly for sometime now. I have been busy trying to get back to the joys and pressures of a full-time job. I will try to be more regular.

Just thought I should write about what haiku means to me. For a professional who chose to stay at home till her child was old enough for full-time school, haiku gave me an outlet to actually try my hand at something new. I have always loved to read English literature and poetry. I love reading haiku and am amazed at how vivid a picture can be painted in just a few syllables. I have tried to participate in the Shiki Monthly Kukai and Sketchbook Haiku kukai whenever I can. The Editors of these kukai have always been encouraging with their occasional comments – these make me continue to try writing haiku.


first daffodil:
decisively ends
winter drought of colours

for the Sept 2012 Shiki monthly kukai kigo topic : “Drought”


on our backs
watching clouds:
camel swallows dragon !

for the Sept 2012 Shiki monthly kukai free format topic : “cloud shapes”


winter solstice:
a flock of sparrows
huddle in the cold

for the Dec 2012 shiki monthly kukai kigo topic : “winter solstice”


Recently, one of the Shiki Kukai Editors, Robert Bauer, passed away and I wrote this haiku in his memory as part of the December 2012 Shiki Monthly Kukai (free format topic : “departing”) :


wilted roses:
... the room
still fragrant !


Perhaps the Editors of these kukai do not realize how much joy these haiku kukai bring to the participants. I, for one, wanted to acknowledge this – and hence, this blog.

billowing clouds:
the sunflower still
looks for the sun

Third place tie in the "clouds" kukai, May/June 2012 issue of Sketchbook Haiku

billowing clouds:
a buttlerfly flits
from one patch of sun to another


Also submitted for the "clouds" kukai, May/June 2012 issue of Sketchbook Haiku

Image from willowhousechronicles.files.wordpress.com

Longing...

the lone tree
wonders about the mysteries
of other shores ...

the weary ship
wonders what it would be like
to be still ...


First place in the May / June 30, 2012 Poem This Picture Contest in Sketchbook Haiku

day moon --
she wonders if it will be
a girl or boy ...

for the Shiki Monthly Kukai, June 2012, Free format topic: "Day moon"


Image: from fanpop.com

pink, purple and blue arches
with splashes of glitter:
toddler's rainbow


her tears dry up
rainbows sparkle in her eyes:
new box of crayons

for the International Kukai June 2012, Topic: rainbow

Rainbow drawing by my 6-yr old daughter -- my inspiration for the haiku ...

Marriage of equals .....

Before I start off, I have to say that although I am not a big fan of reading newspapers of any kind, I look forward to Saturday mornings -- to savour the articles in Mint Lounge. I have always liked articles by Aakar Patel. He does not shy off sticky issues and presents a really
articulate and logical analysis of whatever topic he chooses to deal with.

Recently, there was an article by Aakar Patel in Mint Lounge on the vows of marriage in different cultures. In his opinion, the husband and wife are equals in a Hindu marriage, whereas in other cultures the husband is decidedly superior, going by the actual words of the marriage vows.

Thinking about it, I keep coming back to the differences in whatever is put down in letters and the actual reality. In theory, perhaps, we are equal partners in the matrimonial adventure, but does that translate to what really happens ? Other than for a negligible minority, I am certain this does not hold.It is something I feel strongly about and that is why I decided to air my views on it.

Even if there is "progress" in terms of education and employment -- in the Indian home, there isn't much equality in what you do for the home. The ancient roles of the husband as bread winner and the wife as the home maker dominate the way of thinking about marriage. So, what can a well-qualified and well-employed professional female look forward to after marriage ? To begin with, she has her hands full with cooking, cleaning and doing the laundry, apart from grocery shopping, vegetable shopping and bill payments. She is educated and is, therefore, labelled good enough to get some amount of bank work done as well as to supervise miscellaneous repair jobs. She is expected to do all this and her regular job without any major assistance -- a maid in most cases to do the housework. Still, as she needs to go behind the maid and supervise her in great detail, this does not give her any respite in terms of the time spent in this. Most families do not have a cook -- in any case, it is difficult to find one to suit one's particular tastes and/or timings and so on. It is simply easier for the Indian wife to cook on her own. At the end of the day, she needs to answer questions and respond to demands for freshly laundered clothes, new recipes (to have some variety for one's palate) -- the husband acquires a trained housekeeper, the wife becomes one. It only gets worse after the couple has a child (or children). Now, in most cases, the wife gives up her job to care for the child -- she has new duties thrust upon her -- and once the child reaches school-going age,
she needs to drop her at school, pick her up from school, get her fed, bathed, take her to the park to play with her friends, go to birthday parties, organize a few, deal with schoolwork and studies -- the list just grows. Meanwhile, what gives about her career -- what career ?? Getting a part-time job is no cakewalk; if she does manage to get one, she still has to do everything else on top of that. So, to come back to our theme, when an Indian male gets married, he acquires a housekeeper, cook, child-care-giver all rolled into one and thinks he has yelling rights over her. He gets to eat homecooked food, come back to a clean home and to spoil the kids. The well-read, professional Indian female can at best become a frustrated, sleep-deprived multi-tasking supermom. Frankly, I do not think men think about, let alone talk of, balancing their families and careers after marriage. Fair or not -- one needs the wisdom of Solomon to sort this one out.


Image taken from blog.mahindrahomestays.com