चंद दिनों की दोस्ती नहीं...

…चंद दिनों की दोस्ती नहीं

कई वर्षो की तपस्या है दोस्त…

…मेरी पहचान तुझसे है

जो तु न मिलता

तो डेबिट-क्रेडिट कौन सिखाता

सिस्टम में कॅश की एंट्री कौन बताता

कई घंटो तक

बिना संतुलन खोये

काम करते रहना

तुने ही सिखाया…

..भूख-प्यास भूल कर

नींद को पराजित कर

वक्त पर काम पूरा करना

तुझसे ही तो सीखा हमने…

…गाली-गलोच के साथ-साथ चुटकुले कुछ ख़ास थे

हंसी-मजाक के पल आज भी दिल के करीब है...

…एक थाली में भोजन करने का

रस चखाया तुने

पापड के टुकड़े चार

एक चाय प्याली में

एक घुट तु, एक घुट मैं

बीत गए साल दो-चार…

…आज तुझे मिलकर

लगता नहीं दोस्ती हमारी

है बीस साल पुरानी

पर साथी है हम

युगो पुराने…

…चंद दिनों की दोस्ती नहीं

कई वर्षो की तपस्या है दोस्त

मेरी पहचान तुझसे है…

अनिरुद्ध सास्तीकर - ८/११/२०१९ 

…मेघश्याम रंग चढ़ा कर

मिले प्रभु के दास

हरयाली की छाँव मे…

Thirsty Lake

 

I apologize to my fans and followers for the long absence. A lot of things have happened in the past 3-4 years. The good thing, nothing negative, everything is positive and life is going smooth. 

Even during these testing times of Covid, I am my family is safe, healthy, and far from trouble. I hope you and your families are safe and healthy. I pray the world heals and normalcy returns soon. 

Sharing a picture I captured in the summer of 2015. I and my family have had visited a 500-year-old mosque & tomb in the city of Ahmedabad. The official name of the mosque is Dargah Hazrat Shaikh Ahmed Khattu Ganj Bakhs RA

Sultan Mahmud Begada built this lake. The place is known as Sarkhej Roza and is located in Makarba Village. The lake fills to the brim during monsoon, but dries-up in summer. This year too, rainfall has disappointed the city. The wait for the first rains is getting longer. By the way, the mosque and tomb are surrounded by peace, in and out. We saw people from nearby villages; washing clothes at the lake. This place is worth a visit. If you ever happen to visit Ahmedabad, do visit Sarkhej Roza to experience tranquility. 

Of wristwatches and personality

The wristwatch in the picture was gifted by my Dad when I passed grade 12, 25 years ago. The make is TITAN.

TITAN is a leading and well-known wristwatch brand. A brand jointly created by TATA and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO).

The watch without any problems has ticked time for me for all these years. I am proud to wear it day after day after day. It is a part of me. Not very stylish, but simple and elegant.

Since I could not express my pleasure in long paragraphs, I just wrote a poem dedicated to this masterpiece.

...wounded or unwound
good at manning hands
seconds to dates
you shameless timekeeper
I love you more and more
from the day you entered my skin...

How would you react on seeing misspelled words?

Misspelled words are a big NO for most of us, but for writers and readers, it can be a terrible experience. 

Even a single letter here or there can miscommunicate or script out a meaningless sentence. 

By profession, I am a content writer with a private company, and I take extreme care with spellings while writing blogs, copy, or writing emails. And by passion, I am a poet, so, I can't afford to misspell a single word. 

I have come across many signboards or store names, which are blatantly misspelled. Like the one in the picture below. The picture is of an apartment building close to my home. 

Personally, I hate to see spelling mistakes. They make me angry. 

How can anyone take the liberty to spoil a language? Why can't they seek professional help or at least refer a dictionary? 

In this widespread virtual world, where 9 out 10 people are on their smartphone try to impress the world by inventing new words and slang words. But they forget they are spoiling their own image as well the language.

I would award "Hilarious Murderer of English" title to the one who wrote the apartment numbers in the picture.

Happy Writing!

Your inner strength...

#positivity #postivevibes #selfconfidence #guts #strength #might #freshness #hope #mountainrange #lonavala #photography #tearytrip #livetothefullest

Soothing shadows...

...can never imagine
anyone else could ever spread -
soothing peace of mind and
cool shadows for the soul
the way you do...

Why so pensive...?

As a child, I would love to hear the word "pensive" from others but wasn't knowing the exact meaning then. My father trained me and my elder brother to refer the dictionary every time you hear a new word or you may just go through it and increase your vocabulary.

I liked the idea and followed his advice. 

I used to read more of dictionary and less of other books. It was here my father corrected me. He said - "If you do not read, your stock of words is of no use. They will pile-up in your brain and rot. So, put them to good use. Think on a good topic; write on it and let the words flow freely."
Thinking and writing were new to my senses, but I worked on it. 

I failed on many occasions. 

But I forced my mind to think deeply. Thinking deeply made me realize the correct meaning of "pensive" - the word I always loved to hear. 

Years went by and I penned whatever thoughts came to my mind. Wrote them on paper. Destroyed them few days later because I wasn't able to relate thoughts poured on paper with thoughts running in the mind. 

But something appealed me. It was observing people in thoughtful mood while on a walk or visiting a garden. Those who appeared to be staring at something, but they actually weren't. 

They might be having millions of thoughts running in their mind. I tried to gauge or understand or assume what was running in their inside and expressed them in the form of poetry. 

I wrote hundreds of free form poems on various topics and leads. And I still do write. 

But can poetry ever answer this simple yet complex question - "Is it time for us elders to introspect ourselves, when little ones go deeply pensive?"

I am unable to find a convincing answer. Please do share your thoughts.

Sharing with this post - photo of my daughter - Chinmayee, captured during her Uncle's wedding.

Love vs Bullets

Was playing around with a toy gun this evening, which I bought long ago. 
I know, many of us hate noise and air pollution during ‪#‎Diwali, but there's little we can do. 

In #India, every year; there's a lot of blah-blah-blah on crackers, but who cares. 

Nonetheless, all I could imagine & create is, only this...















Come, let us all shoot ‪Love for World Peace.

On Idols & Gods...

It was last year, I was returning home after dropping my daughter at her school, and I was passing through an area, where local artists make 'Ganesha' idols. These artists have been making idols for a long time, and city of Ahmadabad happens to be the largest supplier of idols.

Demand for idols of Ganesha & Devi Amba and Durga Maa increase during Ganesha Chaturthi and Navratri or Durga Puja. However, unsold or unused idols lay in open & dirty spaces for the entire year.

I captured one such idol, which was lying totally unattended, and only after an year, I could write this micro poem.    

...and then

like used and abused humans

your idols too

shall be deprived

of

affection 

love and

praise.

Universe and beyond...

It was holiday today; so, I thought of exploring my painting skill on my designing software, and the first thing that struck me to draw was our Universe. It really is beautiful. 

I've tried to put it right. 

Pardon me, if it is different than what you think. 

Thank you. 

Happy weekend to you.

The Watchful Lens

Its been days; sorry, months I shared any captures. 

Life - at its own speed; takes time and toll of us humans. Isn't it? Smiling out loud.

Not that I wasn't clicking pictures, I was; it is only that, I was lazy, busy, tad busy, and easily tired with many battles to win. Again smiling out loud.  

On #WorldPhotographyDay I wish to share a photo of flooring at my home, which I captured couple of weeks ago; while moving in a circular motion, and later filtered to make it appear as a camera lens. 

Sorry, the picture is saved on another computer. Here is a link to the picture. 

Click to see The Watchful Lens

Hope, you enjoy. I invite you friends to add your comments. 

Long Live Photography! Add Voice! Let Them Speak! 

The Almond Tree

 

Picture in the background of the poetry above is of an almond tree, which my friend (who used to live on streets) and I planted almost 30 years ago. I am happy that my friend rose from streets to become a assistant police inspector this day. Although, he meets me seldom, but keeps messaging "Do let me know, if you have any sort of trouble." ha ha!

There are numerous inspiring people around us, whose lives go unnoticed. To make them noticed and feel honored; all we need to do is identify their skills and bring them on paper. I have tried my bit. I sincerely hope, you will like the picture and poem as well. 

Halloween

…in came

it’s crooked arms

a charmed witch

with rings

one on ring finger

and the other

like a skull

on middle of right

over my shoulders

giggles loud

and

a hissing whispers in me

rocking brittle bones

leaving hairy head tossed

starts unveiling my heart and soul

from behind

for a sumptuous delight…

Chomp! Chomp! Chomp!

“Argh!

you

yours taste so rotten

haven’t you had pumpkins lately…”

“…am going to be back

to tear you full

you better gulp some full-size cattle feed…”

“wake-up you unnatural dumb

you getting late for work…”

“…are you dreaming of normal again?

Haiku

This is the place, where the 'Munia' Family resides. The nest is just above the air-conditioner's outer unit mounted in the balcony of my home. I could not resist clicking a picture of their nest and write a Haiku. 

To relate with this Haiku you may visit http://aniruddhasastikar.blogspot.in/2014/07/promised-wings.html

On Winged Friend

It was yesterday evening, when I saw a picture of a Green Pigeon posted on Facebook profile and Artist Page; clicked by lovely friend and amazing artist- +Sakina Shikari, during her visit to Thailand recently. I could not resist the urge of writing a poem on the photo.

So, here it goes...

…pluck few berries
for me
O winged red eyed friend
I know not
if they are edible
but
if you do
do fly down
or
fly me up
and
we could have tete-a-tete
perch up on bo tree…

I very well aware, that the piece is real crap & dumb compared to great writes from greatest poets; I have read as of date, but I feel I could express the picture in my plain voice.

Photo Credits to - Sakina Minhaj Shikari. Many thanks for allowing to use the picture, Miss.

Weighty Burdens

I have had written 'Weighty Burdens' almost two years ago. I wonder, how complex and contrast poem did I write at that time. Nevertheless, I now realize, there are people, who judge others/poets/writers as negative personality; just by reading their words/faces and prefer to cut relations. 

What a saddening and disgusting attitude!

But am happy, after two years, I have come to a conclusion with this quotation, I wrote yesterday and that helps me keep sane.

"Complex and or dark writing does not mean; the writer is dark and negatively complicated. Maybe he is trying to give voice to unsaid or untold thoughts of others."

Haiku.

Firstly, I wish to seek apologies for one of the poorest form of photography; since, I am not a professional photographer and or a trained artist to correct them. I am a dull human and a frugal poet compared to others and every poet on earth, who tries to find something worth writing in or at every moment.

Scene in this picture is of a railway station in my city - Ahmedabad, where I was waiting to receive a close relative last month. Since, the train was delayed, I clicked the train chugging in, on platform opposite to me, using my cell-phone.

I have had been thinking and thinking, what is it that I could write on this picture for all these days. Finally, my muse kicked me to write a Haiku, which tells about never ending travel trails of us humans.

Haiku

I clicked this one, while returning home, day before. 

I was stunned to see buildings and more buildings, where pleasant winds used to flow, on vast terrains, earlier. The fact that families going nuclear is more saddening than the rest. 
 
Apologies for a sadder one, Friends.

For Children

School.

I chanced to visit my school, I attended 20 years ago, yesterday; since, Chins was going for a day's trip. I couldn't resist capturing the grand building, I ascended and descended for a decade of my life, which made me, what I am today. I know, I was dumb then and even today, but it is this place, which made me humble, which I think, I am. I may be wrong.

The quotation on picture was an instant after clicking. I've been in and out of board & conference rooms for 12 long years. Thank God, now I don't.

All I can say is, they stink with abuse, envy, cursing, and what not. Although, I agree; outcome from such rooms are okay, at times.