Rita's Ritin Challenge #65 - Voice.

To flow like water, making her way

Through obstacles that splatter her pathway

Silently she silences, others noise

As she moves to find her voice

Over that edge - Her Threshold

Her Roar, a sight to behold.

 

Tour RRC #65

Ander's 100 words - Tell Your Tale - Brain

Said  one Brain to the other

"How do you do Brother?"

The Other said

"Well, but completely Dead"

A short pause and "How are you?

Said One "I know something's askew"

They look away from the sun 

Floating in the Methanal fun

Within the Pungent liquid

Like pickled gaint squid

They stare at each other

Knowing they are together

Like Brothers in Arms

In quiet sound of Alarms

Silently they drift asleep

Nearby they hear someone weep

Eyes heavily shut

Familiar sounds cut

Their seeming unconsciousness

Said One “Such an epitome of preciousness”

Other “Sure, if they were within the cranium”

 

To Take part in Ander's 100 words to tell your tale Go through here.

Rules of the game:

1. Chose a subject.
2. Entertaining, Funny or even Weird.
3. Use a 100 words.
4. Post your story.
5. Chose a new subject for the next poster.

Post your 100-TYT in a blog entry on your page.

Add a comment with a link to your blog.

 

My Word for the next participant is  :  Invention.

Rita's Ritin Challenge #34

 

Walking thoughts

The forced walk up the path is an adventure of its own.  Shes takes a different route every other day so that it becomes less boring. She's been yo-yo-ing again with her weight.  She wasn't Obese just Overweight, that's what her doctor told her - "Your BMI is in the Overweight category".  Her weight never was a concern until her husband said "You look fat and ugly".  For a moment she was taken aback, then she felt the hurt when it dawned on her that it was his way of saying "I don't/cant love you".   No, she wasn't being dramatic or over-reacting... nor was she being Presumptuous. She just knew the lines between his lines.  She felt the tears sting, but held them back- "I wouldn't want his pity or derision" she thought. 

Walking past the Cemetery a truth slowly dawns on her "All things in nature have their beginnings and their demise, so it is with love, there is a beginning and an ending only the Time between have different ranges", she knew it was inevitable.  The beginning of love is usually when the hormones are at their peak for breeding and the end is when things slow down in the reproduction scene.  That's the observation she's made about Nature, and people are part of Nature. In the beginning, there's holding hands,  "honey, I am home" kisses and deep "tantric sex"  looks in the eye when the couple look at each other only to change over time to the weekly headaches, "I am tired",  the chores that never get done until the husband sleeps or the office work that spills into home time that brings the husband late to bed etc.. For the First Phase of the Breeding Process we give a grand name - LOVE and create all those illusions like an epic saga and when it ends we build another illusion called DUTY, she liked to call it "Learning to love without the Love".  Either way, its a wonderful Fantasy we like to create so we can measure Life's Worth.  The Truth is, Change is a constant, Love will have different definitions at different times.  Just like these tombstones, that shine today and are called Tombstones, that will gather moss as the ones who care for them pass away.  Someday in the distant future, it will just be another Rock, not a tombstone.  We all change and the ones who are happy are the ones who can roll with those changes with the least amount of damage.

She counts her steps, 450, 451.. mentally, then she loses count as she watches the squirrel scurry across the road making it to the other side just as the car whizzes past.  "bravo!".  On the other side, there was a woman jogging.  Such a skinny thing, if she were lost in a desert, she would be safe, the vultures wouldn't pick her.  It would be too much work for scraps of meat that wouldn't fill their stomachs.  Was that envy? or was that a smart alek comment? ah! never mind....oops lost count... 460, 461.. Hmm what was that she read about mindfulness.  Was it to let the mind wander but be aware that the mind is wandering or was it bring the mind to focus on what we are doing at that moment?  If its the former, that's done already, but if its the later, What was she really doing? Was she thinking as she was walking or walking as she was thinking?

Another 15 minutes and one hour quota of exercise per day will be complete.  She will also be home. What was the count again?  "I have to get a step-o-meter" she thinks.  Glad to be in the prison people call home, takes of her shoes and gets on the yoga mat to bend, flex and stretch. Oh! she forgot to be compassionate to herself.. so she consciously asks herself - "How am I doing? Where has life taken me? What am I really doing these days? Do I want an answer?"   She lets the answers slide, cause if she said out loud what her heart knows as truth, it would be "Not so good, not anywhere, not anything". The "Nots" stalks her.   After a while she gets into the foetal position to hug herself with Love, repeating the words "This too shall pass and I will survive to look back and laugh at this time".  A Love, that is just beginning and maybe, just maybe, will last far longer than those induced by hormones.

Take a Tour of Rita's Sandbox.

Saakshi's Saakshi (Witness's Witness)

Saakshi sat at her computer, staring at the screen, waiting for his typed words. Feeling him through the distance, knowing he is there sitting at the computer but quiet. Not saying anything, always staying, just out of her reach. Why she wonders, do some people take a place in the heart, especially when she doesn't want them to?

She has much to say, but is hesitant and untrusting of her self. She sees him pick up clues about her in the various conversations. It made her laugh and be scared at the same time. Was that what excitement felt like? Its been a long while since she felt any. She wanted to know more about him, but sensed his reticence, especially with anything that matters to him. Most days she gets a "I have been busy" message. Really? Busy doing what? she wants to ask but she knows that the answer will be.."With work". She half wanted to pierce the facade, the fortress that he puts up. Wanting to yet not wanting, scared of what she will reveal yet trusting him to see that she could be trusted and accept her for what she is. Her invisible twin watched the yin-yang play within her and smiles in derision.

7 years ago, she was introduced to chatting by her cousin and friend. It was a blessing to be able to talk to cousins back home without having to make that expensive phone call. Things have changed since then. From just her family and friends back home, her buddy list grew steadily with the random people she met via the various discussion forums on the internet. She knew the deal- keep the talk impersonal, don't ask questions, don't answer if their questions are personal, don't expect anything. Once their need is fulfilled they will stop chatting. They all had reasons for chatting with her. Most of these random people usually stop chatting/contacting her after a while. She never knew the reasons for either. She cherished their conversations, the time they spent chatting with her and wished them well where ever they are.

The first time she received his mail, she thought it wouldn't be any different than those others before him. A few conversations about their shared interests and then it will be done. Yes, they had similar interests, he was well read, very orderly too about his reading, loved any music, a typical English Gentleman, philosophical yet practical and witty. He didn't stop with just a couple of conversations. There were many more and over those conversations she felt differently about him. Never understood what it was, but she trusted her instinct about him. She wanted to reach out to him, but she felt like the river feeling its way through a craggy mountain. Never knowing where the cliff is, hoping that he wouldn't fall off of the cliff and disappear from her life. She wanted him to stay, in whatever form he chooses to stay. So she kept her distance, a very safe distance. She wonders if that is pathetic. At least thats what her best friend would tell her.

From what little she knows of him, she knows that he would have wished her on her birthday, cause he did for the two years she knew him. She wonders if he is alive and well. She wishes she had the right to yell at him for not leaving a message, for not giving her an alternative means to contact him, for making her concerned and worried. Her brain sneers "Yeah, you wish don't you? And what would you offer him? A box of Nothing?"

She hears a little voice say "Good morning, Mom". She gives herself a mental shake, logs out, smiles at her daughter rubbing her sleepy eyes, picks her up and walks away from the computer, throwing a "Goodmorning" at her now awake husband. She sets about her chores while sending a silent prayer to the heavens above -- Please keep him well, where ever he is.

This is my entry for Carol's random writing challenge.. have fun visiting her blog for more stories

The weight of the wait

This is my entry for Vinod's writing challenge "Story from a painting" .

She stood there adjusting her teeka, centering it at the forehead. She gives herself a look in the Mirror "Not bad for a loser",  she thought to herself. She strides out the door towards the garden, to wait for her man. Life never seems to change for some of us. She asks herself- Why should I let him go? I could make things difficult for him? She sighs, a deep sigh of a decision made, this would be their last meeting. She would give him up. What else could she do?

She reminisces another time in the chapter of her life, when she was waiting. It was a different place and time, a different kind waiting. She was dressed more resplendently than she was now. Sitting atop a bed decorated with garlands of Jasmine. In the bridal chamber she had waited with a Kichdi(a dish made of rice, moong and different veggies) of emotions- anxious, shy, curious and excited at the same time. She blushes and smiles remembering her first time. How naive she was to think that Life would always be so blissful.

She had learned to love and be loved by this wonderful Man, her husband. She knew she occupied every chamber and crevice of his heart as he had hers, at least for a time. Two years into their marriage, they had no kids. After a visit to the midwife, her Mother in law decided it was time for action. Her son would bring in a second wife. Although the air is cool in the garden, she feels heat emanate from her body in anger- how could she do that? Wasn't a woman supposed to be more compassionate towards the plight of other women? Her husband resisted the decision for more than a year and finally crumbled to his mother's emotional blackmail, with the statement "Fine, I will remarry if I have Tabu's consent"

She was numb with the implications of that statement. Is this all he can endure for our love? Does he love me at all? How could he pass on such a responsibility to me? This was something her Self-respect could not digest. She told him he could have her consent if he would give her a divorce. She told him not to ask to meet her until he decides to give her a divorce or disagree to his mother's wishes. She moved out of the bedroom that night.

It has been three months now since the ball has been in his court. He respected her wishes. Today he has sent word that he would like to talk to her. So she waits anxiously- hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Here's Part 2

Random story writing challenge

I have accepted Carol's Random Writing Challenge. Anyone who loves to write can join! You don't have to 'know someone' or be in a clique to join the challenge. Any individual who sees the challenge and wants to write can do so.

Here is my entry -

Hearts Boxes.

 

 

We stayed together when most said we wouldn't. We walked together through our financial difficulties, the death of our new born, our family's opposition and our period of separation due to our jobs. Our love was true and pure, this I believed. We believed we could stand any test of time. Where did we go wrong?

 

We cared a lot; we still do, though now the distance seems like an abyss. We still look upon our kids with love. We couldn't possibly love our kids, when we know they have a part of them that is not MINE, if we didn't love each other?

 

Sixteen years can make quite a difference in a person's thinking and personality. We had to be reminded that things will change, for in life, the only constant, is Change. Time, is a mean taskmaster. It can take the sweetest ideals of youth and make them bitterer than a bitter melon. We love each other but were no more IN Love. Passion, like every energy form, transforms and takes on other forms. His work became his passion, while waiting for him became mine. Each day with me made him more self-sufficient, while it eroded my worth. Each day he aimed higher while I couldnt get through my day. My unheard calls for togetherness, became a seed for resentment.

 

I remember the times we walked hand in hand, the warmth that spilled into cold nights, the long talks at the dinner table and the shoulders we leaned on. A sigh escapes me. He is right, it's better to leave before we begin to hate each other. Anger brings words that can't be taken back once it is out. This way, we will be able to find Passion for ourselves, while still being there for our kids and family. Maybe I will find myself, who I unwittingly lost.

 

I walk out the door with my packed bags, taking with me what I can touch, see and belongs exclusively to me. I lug an unseen sack tied at my chest. I could'nt find a box, big enough to fit my memories.

For "Selling Democracy" (360 repost)

This is in response to Christophers "devil' advocate festival".   I like the idea of Democracy and Freedom, I dont think it would work everywhere  for every country or peoples in the world.  I think each country and its people need to decide what form of governance works for them. I dont think any other country  has any right or say in what kind of a government should be elsewhere. So I am against the US imposing a democratic form of government elsewhere in the world. That being said.. here goes my rant on FOR "Selling Democracy".

I feel weird when Americans say they are ashamed of the democracy they have. We should be proud of being Americans, after all we are probably the only democratic country in the world without a history of sectarian voilence. Have you ever heard of suicide bombings in the US or killing someone based on religion? or other discriminations?  Democracy builds an educated and sensible citizenry with mature sensibilities. We need to make sure that Democracy takes roots elsewhere in the world.. after all it works well for us and God did say we should share what we know and have with the others so they may redeem themselves from sin of not having what we have.. so it is a good thing to evangelize the rest of the world for democracy. This is the way  we can have world Peace, ONE world order, Free trade pacts and sell ice to the eskimos. .Being democratic ensures us  freedom of speech which is lacking in the asian, middle eastern and african nations. We might sometimes have a loose cannon for a mouth or step on another country's toes but its freedom of speech all the same. Freedom allows us freedom to make blunders too.  We seem arrogant because the others dont understand Individualism that is part and parcel of being a democratic society.  We also have a secular government cause being democratic we know how to separate church and state. We never allow our religion to dictate moral codes via laws, or interfere in the workings of the government or any of the amenities that use the tax that our people pay to run them. So I am all for democracy in the Middle east even if it doesnt work for them.

I wish more people could walk in our shoes, its big and its a perfect fit for any people, anywhere, after all where else can you have so much freedom- Freedom to eat as much as we want, use as much energy and water we want, freedom to extradite anyone from any country without that country's approval, freedom to refuse extradition from our country to any other country, freedom to tap people's phones and emails on a mere suspicion, freedom to invade another country even when that country did not attack our borders, freedom to criticize another country's way of life, religion or governance, freedom to assasinate those leaders around the world who do not agree with us and install puppet governments, freedom to be who we are, and all that we can be, freedom to make sure that there are "no fly zones" in another country.  Ah, I would sell this kind of freedom anytime, anyplace.   I Love  our Democracy and everyone else should too.