Love And Only Love

Imagine a kingdom; a place well before any boundaries were created; no differences existed; a place where the urge to love ruled; a place governed solely under the solemn promise to protect this habitat – our Mother Earth; a place where everyone existed to support anyone or anything that has fallen; a place where each and every one only worked to be a medium for that higher power that created us; to reach out to the energies of this universe. Every thought that emanated there started from a place of love; a place that mandated us to look after this vehicle created of flesh; a place where the trees, the soil, the water, the fire and the sky reminded everyone of their places in the vast universe and how they needed to love and respect and, needless to say, save the place where they were born; a place where the creator’s voice will be heeded to first and unconditionally. And nothing but love for Mother Earth and its contents came first. Everyone realized that there is a need to respect the power that held our steps together for we understood that it bears our weight, gives and gives, provides for everything selflessly. No animals were killed unless nature required it. No trees were cut unless new ones were planted. If required, only a limited number of trees per year could be cut. There would be no currencies except for deeds of love.

That could be my utopia. But I know it can’t exist. I don’t know and hold enough to know the ups and downs of life on Earth, too many flaws and shortcomings, too many words that can be misconstrued. But I’ve had several messages that human language is flawed.

But what if this is our utopia. What if we’re told by the powers to be that this place was created to be a utopia – a place free of politics and religion. But us, with our penchant to improve things and run towards comfort, disowned the knowledge that our forefathers gained by meditating under the trees. What if the messages they received from our creator were falsified for personal benefits?

Or what if, we were told by our creator that politics and religions are the reasons why our time on Earth is actually a time for our soul to burn in hell. What if we’ve come here to learn our lessons, to live out our years on Earth that count for thousands of soul years. What if we’re told that there are chances that we’ve failed to live out our lessons most of the times and this is the reason we are heading towards our doomsday, a day when Earth will finally reset itself. What if we’re told that this is our destiny and we need to start learning our lessons urgently to finally merge with that single source of energy? What if this is our last and easiest chance to burn our karma and relieve ourselves of pain and suffering forever?

Or what if this is one those stages of evolution when we mandatorily have to go through the tough times? What if we’re told that these times are of transition and that humanity will progress to a higher dimension soon and all those who don’t learn their lessons soon enough, will be left behind? What if that is our doomsday?

No, I don’t believe in the doomsday theory as mentioned by the hilarious “2012” movie. But I do believe, we’re heading towards a time when none of the hatred we’ve created will matter and all those who’ve lived out their lives full of love and have at least tried to do it even during tough times will move on to better places with higher lessons and better chances of merging with God.

When I first started to write this post, and trust me I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, I thought this is going to be my worst post ever for I have no clue about what I’ll write. I’ve never imagined a heaven or hell. Those concepts are nugatory to me. Neither do they fill me with joy nor do they scare me. I believe this time is my time and I need to make it count. I’m carrying a lot of unbeknownst baggage and I’d like to shed it off during this birth inside this vehicle. I’ve been given an extraordinary vessel and it needs to perform as per the creators best wishes. I have no clue what my utopia is. It is possibly when I merge with my teacher beyond my sins that I know I can erase by emanating and spreading love and only love.

 

Her Song

Imagine.

A butterfly unfold,

With belligerent glittering wings,

She begins to fly,

Leaving a trail of gold.

Touching the sky at one,

For her limits are none.

Grazing the fall,

Touching the leaves,

Petting the flowers,

Wind blows it to the sea.

She leaps again,

This time, she won’t sway

For she knows her way.

While she heads for the stars,

She knows she can’t look back,

She believes in it now,

There’s no hiding any more,

When she lights the heavens on fire!

My Shadow of Doubt

I’m a 125 kg man. 6ft in height. Good enough shoulders and a pot belly. In many a countries I’m overweight and some might argue to make me book 2 tickets just for myself to fly around. Just Kidding – I’m not that fat or am I? Don’t know and don’t care.

I can’t care less about my looks. It’s not a case of a scared and suppressed man who’s heard and hates the word ‘Mota’ (Fatso) way more than his own name during the course of his life. Even if the latter part is true, I believe no amount of ragging, nudging, pushing, or loathing can subdue the inner spirit that says nothing is impossible. This is no delusion. There are times though when I think, what it would take for me to prepare for the inevitable, that last ray of light that gets noticed in my head, the moment I realize that I’m eventually unprepared for the worst. How do you prepare for it? In this dynamic world with all sorts of things loose on the streets that can kill you any second, I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for the last light or the last night.

I may not know the answers to some questions and yet, I believe that they aren’t tough enough to figure out. I’ve seen enough competitive years to know that the times when you are stuck is nature’s way to bring forth the lessons that you may have missed while dealing with the course that nature itself designed for you. I’ve been chubby and to an extent – fat for my age. I was born heavy, lived heavy and am surviving (rather well) heavy. I hate figuring out the measures of my blood or the proteins or carbohydrates. I hate thinking that I am sick. If I ever am, trust me when I say this, the news WILL fall on deaf ears like it always does. I don’t plan to live long. It’s never at the back of my mind. I don’t like and want the funny things that come with some spectacular end. I don’t want money. As long as I survive on my own, I’m glad to have not bothered a soul with my issues. To those whom I’ve already bothered with my existence, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there when I truly needed you for without you, my boat wouldn’t have had the wind it needed to set sail.

So whats the point of this post? I know you’ve all heard this message a trillion times before. However, I’m trying. I’m trying to start believing in the figure I see when I look into the mirror. It’s an exercise some of the new souls in my life are having me do. They say acceptance is the key for me. I want to start a new, reinvigorated and stress free journey, one that fulfils my dreams and mine alone. I don’t see anyone becoming a part of this voyage, for I can’t see far. But I believe that if there is a part wherein another soul has to intervene, they will know their purpose and will only add new meaning and colors to it. Everyone has to start somewhere. I refuse to see this world in the way it comes to me. I see a lot of good happening and this shall forever be my endeavor – to see good for that’s what invigorates me. I will go beyond the damning filth that’s always presented first, to find the truth and whether it’s worthwhile to pursue. I will not stress to find what doesn’t concern me.

I will strive to find what’s right for me and will not be lazy. I aspire to create a vibration, a flow of light that truly defines my purpose (yet unknown). I invite the energies that are destined to become a part of me.

I aspire to erase this shadow of doubt that destroys the purity of my form. I’ll follow my gut.

The Dawning Of A New Day

From being an addict to a neat sober life, from being a couch potato to burning my muscles again, from losing my job to regaining one in one of the largest MNCs in India, having to plan for an overhauled life when there’s none left in my soul. I’m fighting  each day and every hour of my existence, for revival of my body and soul. I’m living better, I’m eating better. Striving to host a chapter that powers me to dream of happiness, completeness, an error free foray into being who I want to be. I’m dying to see if I’ve learnt from my mistakes. It’s history repeating itself to test me, break me, shake me, wake me up from my slumber. For the past few months, change has been the only constant.
My attitude has changed. Never once did I think of running away even while perfectly knowing the agony each phase brings with it. For the first time I’m ready to give life a chance to come to me. For the first time I’m giving myself a chance to roll with whatever life dishes out, to fly with the wind, even snowball. Never once did I say “NOW WHAT?”.
In December, they told us to start looking elsewhere for a job for the project here had ended but they’d try to absorb us in. In January they hinted they won’t absorb us for the sake of well-being of both the company and my career. I thought it was a very valid and wise move. I have way too much experience to get absorbed in a team where people of nearly half my experience would work above me only because I didn’t have hands on their technology.
To me though, it gave a chance to get out into the world and to see if I’m any better than the man who joined this company nearly 5 years ago, to test my skills, to gauge my self-worth, yet again. For some adventurous reason, I rather relished this challenge and instantly knew I had to leave for my betterment. Both, the company and I, had realized that moving on was the better option for each of us.
This is the new, aged me. The earlier, the younger me would have tried busting their balls for having sacked me, for I had way to much ego. I’m learning to think past my ego and think of all the betterment that any opportunity brings. I’m letting people stay themselves around me. In short I’m trying and giving up my inner force that made me change people around me. I’m letting them come to me. I’m letting life engulf me in its arms. I’m not afraid of leap-of-faiths anymore. I’m running full seasons, gaining new leaves while shedding the useless and old ones.
Moving to a new city offers me an opportunity to start from scratch again. Not only will it give me a chance to meet new people, it’ll also give my wife a chance to settle down at a place that she knows and loves. We’d together forget the horrors we faced in Delhi. This time we are wiser, capable of paying our bills from day one and free of all debt. Oh yeah I forgot to tell you all, I’m finally free from all debts and it is so relieving. 😀
I’m so passed my past now. While I waited for my offer from my new employer, life also threw me a chance to get even with my past. A chance to understand that I was never wrong, for all I’d done was lose a battle of love. I now know what happened, had culminated to a better today and an even better tomorrow.
This waiting period also threw me a chance to get out of this country for a while and land in a place that has forever intrigued me – United States of America. I got to witness the miracle of a new-born baby. I’m so happy for you brother! I got to see a culture far advanced than ours. A thinking not swallowed by petty religion & caste. The ability to talk to and smile at strangers. I got to see the affluent middle class that’s provided for by the government in ways Indians are still dreaming about. We are so unwilling to learn. I got to see the real order, not the one borne by chaos. I got to see a willingness to accept laws and a hesitation to break them for it may harm another human being. I got to drink better hazelnut frappes. I inhaled fresh clean air in the middle of the town, oh how much I miss it back here!
Future is about smart choices, about creating better opportunities, and working hard to bring them to fruition. It’s about learning to adapt and curb your instincts to see past your preferred options and your preparation to dive into a better realm that provides foundations for better plans and people & resources to execute them . I can finally back myself to think positive and not worry about failures for I’ll never miss a chance to learn and grow and become the man who dictates the wellbeing of his loved ones. I grow!

Things Change and How!

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “The Transporter.”

A lot has changed. From the time when a tiny boom box painted the rainbow of sounds across our home, as it churned out melodies after melodies on the radio and cassette player, to today when I have my sound at my fingertips. The smell of food that filled my heart will forever remain attached to the sounds I heard then. I see my mother in the kitchen, now and then. One ever so busy mother, with a job at hand, making sure all’s in order for lunch while me and my brother freshen up and change into regular clothes.

The table cleaned, waiting for a flurry of dishes be placed on it, to embrace them, to taste the curries that filled them. The table loved us. While we dearly waited for my dad to arrive, on his scooter, “Priya”, the sound of which got everyone into action. The table, all dressed, invited the hungry ones. Hungry ones always found the way. What would normally start out as lunch with sun-filled eyes ended in a blur. Somehow I don’t remember a single thing I did after lunch, probably clean the table and sleep was all I did till my pretense of being grown up finally showed through – then I studied, had to, never knowing why.

Today, while I wait for my maid to ring my doorbell and prepare what SHE calls food, I recall those afternoons, for I took them lightly, for they may never happen again. Such sweet memories and each one has a song for it. Like a straw that flows, I’ve seen a lot along the way, things appalling and shambolic, things that make me hum tunes, from the distant past. Tunes I won’t forget. Some Things change and how and Some never can!

Here is one of those tunes that reminds me of those lunches, the siestas and the pretense I now call “Studying” –

No Pain No Gain

This is where I stalled. The best I can describe my absence with, is I’ve been on a journey for a while. A journey to self-destruction and resurrection. A journey to see my ends. A journey to know the truth and self-worth, to live a tale worth telling. And it has come at a price. I’m lost. I’ve lost.

The burden of responsibility now forbids my senses to feel again, see again, hear again, think again. I fail to see how I got here. All that I am is truth. This is all I can be and yet I fail myself and others. The pain of understanding the world and people around me has got the worse of me. It’s becoming difficult to embrace myself for who I am. Because it’s dark. I’ve seen it. Something that’ll swallow me whole. I can feel things building inside me and they are a lot of weight to carry. The days are heavier and nights are sullen. I’m a ticking time bomb and time is close when I’ll explode. An explosion that will blow up their happiness to pieces and no one, not even me, knows what that’ll do to KING “ME”.

The ingredients of goodness inside me are depleting fast. I’ve got to come out. For inside me is burning anger. Case in point are these sudden urges to beat myself up. These urges occur when I’m happy about something specific or when I’ve sated myself. It’s not uncommon for me to feel bliss in pain but earlier, these feelings had a time and place. Not now. They just take over me and then possess me for days and days.

I’m different these days – angrier, surprisingly vociferous and scornful. I’ve always been different. My interests were different. I enjoyed pain and this is something I’m particularly proud of. I intentionally venture into the darker side when I’m aware of joys in brightness. But this tendency is at it’s peak now. I’ve started keeping myself on the edge. I break into moods I’m very unaware of. Life has become a game of hide and seek. Seeking while I’m hiding, in plain sight, yet creating thunders for myself and enjoying them.

I’m trying to find the psychology behind my actions that sometimes seem downright foolish. I’m forgetting more, trying to remember less and yet my dreams play out the drama for me, every night. Libation seems fruitless. So I tried exercising, trying to burn out all my excess energy, so I can remain calmer. It worked for a while, while the pain persisted. Once that went, so did the workouts. And now I’m free again with all that unburnt energy and no pain. It’s all like Forrest Gump. I do things without knowing why I’m doing them. Like these orders were etched inside my brain to be carried out now.

The song above describes me aptly. King Me – try looking for it’s meaning and you’ll get a number of absurd and pervasive results. I have my version too and it goes something like this – It’s a state of a narcissistic mind. One that’s trying to indulge for itself. It’s keeping yourself so high and untouchable, that a connect is almost impossible. It’s destructive. It makes you see and feel things, makes you sway from your path.

Why does King Me kill me? It’s because the world functions on people. People and things are the world. And when I can’t see beyond myself, I hurt others. Only in my case, since I have no one else to hurt, and so I hurt myself. I put myself through paces that are laid on death bed. And it burns. I have the marks – deep and unforgiving. People often tell me that I need to talk more but with what I have and what I do with it, my words fail me too.

That’s for a post later. Right now – Merry Christmas!!!! I’m looking forward to a new year filled with a lot of fresh opportunities and pain, because without pain, there’s no gain!

Greys Monotony

The Greys in me, teach me to,

Start putting my happiness first,

Give life my best,

Take life as I have,

Drink coffee when I want.

The Greys on my head, remind me,

That time is luxury I don’t have,

That I still have the world to see,

That I’ve learned a lot,

And yet nothing.

The Greys in me, remind me of the,

Twinkle lost from your eyes.

Smile that once washed your face.

Joy that you sprinkled with every step.

Touch that fluttered my heart.

The Greys in me, tell me,

I’m guilty of robbing that twinkle,

I’m wiping the smile,

I’m trampling the joy,

And I’m now, missing that touch.

Weekly Writing Challenge – Kill Your Darlings

When I Die Everyday

Alarm plays.

Life calls,

Bed befalls.

Ground is cold.

Feet complain.

Groan escapes.

Swiped eyes,

Search for light,

Ache in the torso,

Reminds me of the years left.

Wish I turn back time,

To create a rhyme,

That’s all mine.

An unflustered unsung melody.

That I hum in my shower.

———-*********————

Described in fifty words above is the moment when some of me dies and some of me is born everyday.

Posted for Fifty – Word Inspiration.

Inspired by my day and Little Matters.

My Fifty Word post – Story Of My Life

Here are the current entries for this week’d writing challenge –

  1. ALIEN AURA’S BLOG: IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND!Inspiration – and stimulation!
  2. Under the Monkey TreeInspiration from the Past
  3. In my worldIn the beginning there were Fifty words
  4. BumblepuppiesThe Letter G Insults My Intelligence
  5. shivansh chaudharyIn no time, time flies by!
  6. gillybirdsInspiration
  7. The Finicky CynicFifty-Word Inspiration (#JuneJour Challenge, Day 15)
  8. The Things I Yell at My Television…Fifty
  9. PSEUDOMONAZNow That You Are Gone
  10. Chasing A Dream“Fifty”:”Unexpected”
  11. Following My JoyYou Left
  12. eternal DomnationSush
  13. theempathyqueenThe Teenage Years in Fifty Words
  14. jscottiblogNicky and the Girl in the Yellow Sundress
  15. If Crazy Fits Wear ItFifty Word Inspiration – Disappointment
  16. I’ve Got A StoryWallflower
  17. Reject RealityThe Kiss
  18. The Uncustomary HousewifeThe Bipolar Mind: In Fifty Words
  19. The Uncustomary HousewifeA Fifty Word Recipe to Saving the World, Almost.
  20. bodhisattvaintrainingdaily post writing challenge
  21. Scattered ThoughtsWP Writing Challenge : 50 Words Fiction
  22. lifespinkyHe Didn’t Leave … Me
  23. Meaningful Mommy“Unexpected…becoming a mother”.
  24. The Seminary of Praying MantisTold destiny continues
  25. Mad Meandering MeWeekly Writing Challenge: Fifty Words Inspiration
  26. Dance With MadnessDrifting
  27. Short…but not always so sweetStretching the Dollar (50 words)
  28. stepin2purposeThe Will to Move
  29. tnkerr-Writing Prompts and PracticeDid I Say That Right?
  30. Musings of a Random Mindlove isn’t forever
  31. wandering story tellerLove at first sight
  32. The Persian FlawRemnants Of A Lake
  33. helen meikle’s scribblefestWeekly challenge: It’s all as inspiring as a cracked bell
  34. tuckedintoacornerFifty Words
  35. Project MomentarilyHope in the dark
  36. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationYesterday’s Hero
  37. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationA Life to treasure
  38. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationA better life
  39. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationYOU ARE A WINNER!
  40. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationThe Wild Ones
  41. Love Happy Notes – Daily Fun and InspirationDoggie stompin’ on Fear
  42. Joie De VivreElliot
  43. theimaginariumofkitti’s BlogButterflies
  44. Chronicles of an Anglo SwissWeekly Writing Challenge – The Death of a Jabberwock

A Voice Unheard is a Voice Lost!

Ah the beauty of the songs! The rappers, they exist to let our voice out. Our voice, a common man’s voice with not enough sound and words.

How many of us partners in a relationship find ourselves in two different worlds with a sudden urge to improve our lives, fulfil our dreams, live our fantasies, only that we are the only hinderance in their plans? The thought that sticks out is, ‘I can do so much more and give us so much more, just that I’m in love with you and I can’t leave you’. Such crossroads seldom come but when they do, they are a real test of patience, trust, and responsibility towards each other. The path of my life that I once swore by, stands divided. My phase has arrived. I face 2 routes now –

1. To go ahead and give way to freedom of thoughts and actions. A path I’ll choose for every living being on this planet at any moment of my life. They all have the right to live their own life, do what they want to and experience life on their terms. Why do I give this freedom? Because this is one luxury I don’t give myself. I’ll forever feel responsible – to stay away from trouble as much as I can, to keep my partner away from one, and pavé way for them when they are stuck in their life, to steer them clear from any possible danger. I’ll never let go no matter how easy someone makes it for me. People have tried but this hard assed brain just can’t make peace with responsibility.

2. The other option is to stop this infighting inside my brain, pause life around me and say NO. No! Whatever we do, we do it together and never leave each other even if it means killing a thousand seeds of dreams and some dreams themselves. How cruel will that be?

Also when I say NO, don’t I go against a nature – Mine! How will I ever console myself if there was an opportunity to be had and I let it go or made others let it go? What if an idea never turned true only for my selfishness? Aren’t I the devil then?

A thing I’ve had plenty of is failure – lots of them, some of them even career threatening and the only thing I gave myself then were chances in abundance. Chances to perform, to stand up straight and adore myself once in a while gleaming with pride in the face of a mirror. And it’s these chances that everyone deserves and must yearn for. An indomitable spirit, in more cases than not, paves way towards your aim. Be positive and it in turn creates positive waves around you that affect everyone and fills them with positivity too, something they may have forgotten to imbibe within themselves.

All you’ve got to do then is – Shout it out, as loud as possible! And things are ticked into motion just to fulfil your destiny, your wish. It’s not hope, it’s a belief and I live by it. For until your words don’t leave your brain, they’ll forever remain unheard and unacted upon.

Be your own gramophone! 😀

The Perfect Thing

Oh man! It’s been so long when I last wrote, I can’t remember these settings too! Truthfully, there are multiple rivers flowing above my head and the crazy part is I don’t yet feel like drowning. Eyes shut tight, breathless as I am, I’m ready to wait forever to let the water ebb. The rivers aren’t disturbing me. They are deafening me – a sensation I’ve yearned for, for far too long.

As I pick up my keyboard, I feel a sudden rush of adrenaline and tingle running up and down my spine. I’m at the top of my senses. I see better with my eyes closed tight shut. I feel deprived. And there’s certain fun in chasing things that make you weak. A pleasure in guilt. But then there’s so much I want and I am confused. Which one first? Not that I have all means to get everything I’ve ever wanted, so being patient is my best option. See how things pan out and be ready for all that life has to offer me.

This is where I wake up, see things, feel stifled, and curl back into my bed. This is when life sucks when I’m brought back to my reality, a harsh harsh world. But I have my keyboard still firm in my hand and I feel relieved, for my escape to extraordinaire persists. A door remains. This is my setting for that illusionary perfect write-up.

Good Morning Everyone!

Crotchety Chump

Don’t we all want happy faces around us all the time? We are all selfish and in turn want to share the communicable cheerfulness to brighten our own days. Grumpy looking people often make for a bad viewing and… company. Happy people share jokes, make us laugh, spread positive energy with their infectious smiles, and even make some unhappy ones seriously jealous. But have you ever thought why some of us are permanently grumpy? Don’t you think that they too want to flex their cheek muscles at least once every day and smile for a change?

Yes, I am grumpy. I’m told by people that there are, at max, 4 expressions that they’ve seen me wearing. I haven’t practiced them in the mirror. I just look that way. It’s, in all practicality, impossible for me to stay happy and smile all the time, for from time to time, the realities of life keep dawning upon me. Earlier my problem was I wanted to keep everyone else happy. I failed! Then someone, a few years back, told me to start thinking about myself and now my problem is I want to keep myself happy. I’m not fairing any better here as well. My sofa needs cleaning. I need new mattresses. I need a new seating arrangement for my PC at home, new chair and table, more ergonomic. I need to get the engine on my bike repaired and blah blah! I know you don’t want to hear it but that’s precisely how grumpy people talk, BEAR IT!

So what exactly does grumpy mean?

– Bad-tempered and sulky.

– Crabbed; annoyed and irritable.

Synonym – Crotchety!

Just like the way happy and cheerful people have days when they are sad and depressed, we, the grumpy ones; have days when we are Happy and Cheerful for once. It’s difficult for us to leave our comfort zone. Deep down we love the way people hate us, despise us, want to hurt our face so bad, that we look even grumpier. But that’s where we WIN every day. For no one hits us. No one can do a shit about the way we look or behave. All that they can do is look away which is precisely what we want – no attention! It serves me better that I’m introvert as well.

There are several emotions, aren’t they? We sift through plethora of them every day – from happy to sad or angry or empathetic in matter of seconds. It’s these emotions that often drive our moods. These emotions change the way we perceive our world, see its colours, and hear its sound – basically change the way we feel it.

What I find most interesting though is how some emotions bring out the best in you while some doom you to obscurity. These emotions impact our will to achieve like no other person ever can. They impact our state of mind and the vibes coming from us in general. These emotions are quite distractingly very visible and are quite in-your-face.

My mother has one such emotion – anger. She cooks her best food when she is angry. Me and dad used to secretly wish for her to get upset and then cook (psst psst we still wish so). It used to start with an argument between them that I’ll never understand. They never made sense to me. They were so – worldly. Dealing with day-to-day issues that anyone of them could resolve in the blink of an eye. Anyways – food and anger! Yes, this is one complaint my mother always has when she is angry – she keeps saying she hates cooking. That how she hates every moment spent in the kitchen and yet, when she sees dad set the first foot across the threshold of its entrance to cook himself, she’ll jump in and prepare some of the tastiest drool-worthy delicacies, a human will ever taste – all in a fit of rage and knowledge that dad will ruin everything inside the kitchen. The chances of her screwing up the food then drastically reduce to zero. I think most women will relate to this feeling!

And that brings me to my question – what’s the emotion that brings out the best in you?

Mine is anger and I guess this is something my mother has unknowingly rubbed onto me. I think clearer when I’m angry. I say better when I’m angry. My focus dramatically increases even when I’m venting out my anger on something completely unrelated to the real problem. I invariably end up doing all the right things when my hands are shivering with angst. The only problem is – that’s also the only time I’m thinking just for myself and in those on-the-thread moments, I end up hurting a few people.

Okay, then what’s the emotion that brings out the worst from you?

Mine is happiness. Yes, that’s the reason I’m grumpy. Happiness brings out my concern for others which in today’s world, is quite unappreciated. People start to think that I’m interfering with their lives when in the first place they are the ones sitting in my home, sipping beers, and sharing the sorry state of their sorry ass world with me – the most unconcerned person on this planet. People for some reason don’t understand genuine sympathy or empathy now. They fail to acknowledge an unselfish concern for their well-being but who can blame them. We all get ditched so many times and in so many ways, we can’t even rely upon ourselves to trust others and find their true motives, rest aside the chances of us believing anyone else for our good.

I guess I’m searching for unadulterated love, for my love even for myself isn’t enough pure!

Riding the Tides

You know, there are things that we do over and over again for a considerable period of our life and then, someday we stop doing them, for whatever reasons. We never know if they were for good or bad, for they in their time never held any meaning. Then one day we stop doing them. All  they give us are memories, some cherishable and some not so.

The one thing I’m doing ever since I learnt to control handles and balance, is ride. Ride, to and fro, carrying people at my back.

The 2-wheelers that I’ve used are –

1. BSA SLR – Bicycle.

BSA SLR Image

2. Kinetic Luna Super Star – A bicycle with an engine, a clutch and accelerator.

luna

3. Hero Puch Shakti 3G – A mini demon. The smallest geared bikes with the smallest of engines – a mere 65CC.

Hero Puch Shakti 3g

4. You’ve all already met my 4th companion, Bajaj Pulsar 180CC – One of the oldest and proudest giants in the history of Bajaj sporting bikes in India. Without it, I’m lost.

My Ride

During my schooling and engineering, my brother rode as my pillion. They were fun times. Nothing except the rides changed over the years. From bicycle to Luna to Shakti, that part of our life is one the longest case of the association between brothers and their rides. We rode for long hours and I don’t remember him, even once, asking me to let him ride. He was happy and content, at the back, watching the world and giving all sorts of running commentary, describing the surroundings. Watching girls, eateries, escaping seniors, riding in the rain – through love and through fight, those days will forever remain fresh.

There was one instance when while returning from our school, it was raining really hard. I decided to have some fun and starting riding through puddles of rainwater, which soaked all of his shoes from the inside. I kept doing it, when in a fit, he opened his water bottle and emptied it straight into my shoes, and all this 60 kmph. We laughed all the way to our home. One of the happiest memories I have with him.

We’ve had our share of accidents as well, when in all the occasions, he jumped off well before the fate hit us. He is thankfully smart in those situations when I’m not. Twice in those accidents, I hair-cracked my left shoulder. But they never deterred me

Then my ride changed to Pulsar and the speed at which I normally rode changed. I remember once, when he was in Bangalore, spending time on bench in his company, I used to drop him to his office. We used to take the ‘Nice’ road. It was one clean and zero traffic road, 16 kms in length. We reached 120 kmph one day. He simply closed his eyes and felt the speed while I just enjoyed the fastest that I had ever ridden, things passing by me in time smaller than the blink of an eye. I miss those moments.

Then came my wife, and so changed my speed. All she ever has said about my riding is – “You are the only one with whom I don’t try to balance the bike”. I clearly am her favorite!

Riding is also the time, I think about my life the most. I contemplate all serious issues, when I’m seated on my bike. I have my commentary running for all that while. “Government must ban all women and old drivers”, “Why the fuck does everyone change their lines at the last moments”, “What happened to them indicators” yada yada.

And then there’s my favorite song by Joe Satriani – “Ride” – that defines some philosophies of my life –

This clearly is my favorite daily ritual!

It’s Friday Again

It’s Friday again! Last time I wrote something, was Friday too. This sucks. All my blogging has jumped out the window into a squishy puddle and here I am sitting as uninspired as I have ever been.

Writing suddenly seems the job of a privileged few. Time and energy absorb all my thoughts for the day and even when fingers are ready to start dancing on the keyboard again, the brain keeps dead.

Anyways, here’s a question. How many times does your work day break into something ever so beautiful and relaxing? Mine did, yesterday.

It was one of those weird Delhi evenings that plunged into darkness earlier than usual, for its summer and the sun doesn’t set till some minutes after 7 pm. Yesterday though, the weather Gods generously laid some mercy on the scorching earth. Having to stay late for some urgent delivery and with the office emptying at the rate of knots, I got some time on my hands and was left pondering whether to indulge in some writing or extend some gratitude to fellow bloggers first. With no ideas lurking close, latter ensued.

The skies suddenly went murky and triggered a thunderstorm with parched rains. The rain, how much ever it was, rammed hard into the windows, cooling the dry earth and buildings, quenching some thirst. It was beautiful. But I wasn’t enjoying it, for the fear of rain triggered traffic jams started to set in.

Time passed slow gazing at my laptop with the skies in the background, and with the delivery done, came my turn to head out and ride the devil. OH WHAT SMELL OF THE EARTH greeted me! A surprising smile broke on a slumbering face. The cool air mixed with rain washed dust, beat my helmet, and I felt no remorse in taking it off to expose my face to the wind. There was a certain silence in that whistling storm. So strong were the winds, they nearly pulled the feet off my bike a couple of times, and had I been any lighter, would certainly have scraped my ass a couple of times, at least.

I felt a tingle running from my feet into my spine. It was so freshening and relieving, and I couldn’t help but thank my decision to stay late in the office till late.

It’s been a draining week and life’s not about to get any better for a couple more. With a huge delivery coming up and a barrage of defects expected, next weekend could be a tough one. This weekend though, I have my wifes root canal treatment coming up. Oh that pain, that pain I feel when she silently keeps wincing with every bite, I want it to end. And so it will, with a series of sittings at a dentist.

Well then, here’s me signing off, simply hoping for better days ahead!

Hope

A belief is a strange concept isn’t it? And today’s prompt brings me to an even pivotal question – what do you believe in?

In all the unkindness of life, the only gift I’ve received is a belief in myself. People ask me – “What’s it that pushes you to the write everyday? What’s it that those invisible people give you?”.

My reply is simple – “What, in all your glorious presence, have you ever given me?”.

These answers were hard to come by. I’d rather have withstood the harsh words and satire, sipped on the bitter pills, and slouched into my bed. Not now. I now see hope. I now see acceptance. I now see feedback. I now feel a renewed energy and motivation, not to just run through my days like a dead bat and in the process gain, learn, acknowledge, and foremost converse.

It’s not just an empty drum aimlessly rolling in a desert. This drum is now ploughing its own road. Before I sleep every night, I now make mental notes of the numbers on my blog, the direction in which it is headed and its true purpose. I live in it. The world outside is slowly dying a painful death while the world inside now has little leaves popping out. Clear, green, fresh, and satiating the hunger of a burnt heart.

The boat of hope in my heart is finally afloat!

Taxes

Taxes. We all pay taxes. Taxes are what enable a government to run a country smoothly. They tax us for everything – eating, drinking, driving, living and sometimes even thinking. We’re taxed for everything. Some pay it lump sum while some like me, pay it in pieces through the year so I’m not found begging on the streets for that particular month. For how much I earn, I pay 3 months salary as my tax, not to mention what I pay outside of it in Value Added Taxes and Service Taxes.

Well aforesaid taxes are what we pay to the government so we aren’t declared outcast or aliens on a land that we so deserve to live on, no matter which country or continent. We also pay a few other taxes of which one is the tax of expectation to our society. And we pay it day in and day out. This isn’t monetary – well in some forms it is as well!

Right from the day we’re born, or let’s go further back. Right from the time, parents either decide to have a child or that sperm gets loaded involuntarily, doomed is that little cellular structure. All those sperms that never made it, expected to perform, died trying – they paid their tax for being incompetent in death. But they were lucky for they had a safer death. The one that made it, frankly never got to do that small victory dance! 5 weeks later, after growing enough, it starts receiving medication and attention and is never left alone. Just enough space to survive and thrive in. Outside that tummy though, unknown to that little thing with no brain, are soaring expectations. Sons will make a doctor, daughters will need dowry.

We are and were all doomed to end up the way we have. Only a few escape the clutches of their parents, only to end up getting caught in the frenzy called OUTSIDE WORLD! The rest pay taxes like me. We’re salaried/businessmen/doctors/artists. That little brain of ours works day in and day out to earn a living. We’re shown the door for being ourselves. We’re influenced, lack originality, and life as I see around us, sucks beyond belief. Mine does. No other example is good enough.

Next we’re married, expected, not to find our true love, but to give the parents a child that can carry the family name. Some of us find that true love, while some unlucky ones get caught out at the hands of vicious wives and husbands. These other halves tend to have their own expectations that are levied without permission upon those super-burdened shoulders. They want your money, your social status, hold no interest in your parents, and love remains unheard of.

Every single moment of our life is built from expectations. Your own and others too. You want to do well all the time. Who wants failures, for failures are rejected. Expectation though means fear. We keep fearing for our destiny and forget to live our life, the only thing that’s in true sense perishable. I’ve done this for 30 years everyday and every single minute and find it extremely tough to pull out that magical moment from a work day, to pull out of this vicious loop that I’ve gotten into.

And so I write. I write to vent it all out. But watching all of those who wish to earn through writing, I am tempted everyday. I want to raise my expectations from my blog. I want to raise my expectations from a solitary talent called writing. I want to do this everyday and every minute. But am I good enough? I fear for my destiny. I fear the unknown. I fear that I may lose all that I possess. My possessions matter. They’re there from sheer hard work. Day in and day out of doing something I hate from the core of my heart. Nothing I do during my day makes any sense. There is no satisfaction.

I want to earn more money. I want to rise higher. I want to see the world. I want peace. I want no expectations. But how do I say it – I can never rid myself from temptations, for I’m human. I’ll fall and rise. And it’s my expectations from my life, that make me brave these everyday storms to remain standing tall and writing about them, talking about them, and sometimes even laughing about them.

The only way I see that I can escape expectations is to let go – let go off the people who hold us back. Let go off the material that binds us to temptation. I may attain peace, but then isn’t even peace an expectation? Isn’t peace taxed?

P.S. – This is the hardest prompt I’ve ever tried! I can really go on and on about it, like write series but it may get so depressing that you won’t read beyond the second half of the second edition itself.

I Ain’t Selling, For No Ones Buying!

Dungeon Prompt says –

We have a tendency to think of propaganda as an evil thing, but we are all selling something that we believe in.  All media in this day and age is seeking to convey a political or social message, and to sway what is socially or politically acceptable to us.  Even cartoons are often conveying a moral code.

In this sense, our own blogs are also forms of propaganda with an agenda, or message to convey.  Put in plain and simple words whatyour agenda is.  What message is it that you’re selling?

No, I’m not! I can’t sell. It’ll take me years or eternity to get someone to agree to me. The problem is – I come across so straight and so “in your face” that it becomes hard to establish any plausible contact between your feeling and my thinking. And if I can’t do it, so can’t my blog! We’re, for all you know, RELATED!

I’ve said it a million times before and for those who face issues dealing with the words and thoughts portrayed here, here is an advice – “Just Face It”! Fear is your worst enemy and so said have many! Face me, face the words, for they are your own image. My blog simply says – “Life sucks but it goes on”!

I am a common man (in Indian terms, a mango man). I face life like many of you and unlike many of you. Relate to me. I am not wrong all the time. My blog stands for a voice that I thought I’ll never find. It’s that endless commentary in my head from the moment I wake up to the moment I fall fast asleep. It’s simply narrated by words of choosing by my brain that is shallow in resources. Not enough words. Not that it digresses me from yelling out anyway but had I been selling, I would need a serious ammunition of words.

I have formatted opinions. They’re formed after a lot of thinking and mulling, sitting all alone, staring at a screen or nothing, browsing, and gathering facts.

But yes, I am spreading a message. A message, so everyone learns, how to mind their own business. I am tired of holding back and I have to let it all out, or I may become another nutcase for an asylum. I ain’t selling, for no ones buying!

Just Saying!

Life Happened

AAAAANNNNDDDD We’re done! I just read the last post in my mail box and now I stand on top of every post all of you have published till yesterday. Man this is hard work.

The problem I started to face was the enormity of the task that it had become – reading your posts. It took me forever to complete it everyday, at least 4-5 hours everyday, hours I don’t normally have. A task made harder now that my wife has returned from her holidays, so no extra hours for she needs attention and so do I!

The tasks in the office also peaked to numbers unfathomable for  single man to carry out. That meant longer hours at desk, and no reading or blogging there. Which in turn meant I had to catch up with everything and everyone in the meagre hours I have in the evenings – which with my pathetic internet connection is impossible.

6 posts in a week, from which 2 were reblogs. I had to start finding time for writing as well. And hence, started the filtering phase. I’d realized that not all the people who write everyday dedicated any kind of attention to me and I’ve been blindly following them for a long time for no results. So they had to go off from my mail box. And guess what – it took me an entire week to get this done. And now I see fewer posts in my mailbox, better posts from the people who seem to care about my kind of writing more than other lesser things. I know this may hurt others – well wait! Whom will it hurt? People that don’t anyways read my blog… well they can wait! 😀

For the rest of you, I can probably say – I’m Back and I can’t wait to start writing again!

The Thumps from Heaven

Enter.

Look around and find your favorite barber.

“Make the sides neat and don’t touch the top… it’s thin anyway!” Laughter.

Shick Shick Shick… Shick Shick Shick – goes the scissor!

You close your eyes, for you have no clue how the hair will look like once they done. Try thinking of your problems – why why why? Why do my best memories desert me when I’m reminiscing?

Water, GULP!

Shick Shick Shick… Shick Shick Shick – goes the scissor again!

You are now engulfed in a trance full of treble! You let yourself loose, hands and legs draining energy, like through a hole and into the chair that somehow comes alive and starts responding to your shifts in the seat. The foam feels softer and homely.

An hour passes. A mouth homes into your ears and pleads politely asks – “Your hair look amazing. Head Massage Sir?!!”

Your head spins, shuddering back to reality, brain processes the words and thinks of the cash at hand. Satisfied, you just nod affirmatively.

Then come the beats and bass to the treble of the scissors. The persisting trance gathers momentum, running faster, stronger, drawing you into winds of gusto. The head blows, the crashing sound of cool oil on your scalp, the skin let loose, stretched to proportions unknown to you. Pain, pleasure, discomfort, comfort. The only voice you hear is your own when you moan.

Indian_Head_Massage

A vibrating machine fills the last needed colors to an already colorful canvas. Ears, eyes, scalp, neck – it goes everywhere, leaves nothing to imagination and sucks the last remaining demon from your head.

It stops. What? Where? Why? Is this it?

“2 hours have passed sir!”.

Waking up from the slumber and that vicious chair, you see the world in colors unknown. They’re vibrant. So vibrant, they bring you to life. I came back to life.

Only my shoulder, so relieved from the massage, knows how difficult was it to ride back home.

Want a haircut? Come to an Indian salon.

You Have No Right

You have no right

To touch me

If you can’t feel my embrace in a tap.

You have no right

To hear me

If you can’t feel the care in my voice.

You have no right

To see me

If you can’t see through the dirt in me.

You have no right

To smell me

If my smell on you isn’t good enough.

You have no right

To think of me

If my thoughts for you count for nothing.

You have no right

To taste me

If my reality scares you.

You have no right

To care for me

If you aren’t with me when I need you the most.

You have no right

To share with me

If my views aren’t good enough.

You have no right

To laugh on me

If you can’t dare to have it back.

You have no right

To cry for me

If the tears in your eyes don’t wash away my sins.

You have no right

To sing with me

If the two of us aren’t good enough to build the notes of love.

You have no right

To stand by me

If I still find it hard to trust you.

You have no right

To love me

If you can’t accept me.

———*********———-

National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo)

Weekly Writing Challenge

Damn them Apples – Prompt Idea*

What’s your favorite fruit? FYI… mines are apples. “An apple a day keeps the doctors away” and blah blah…

Now think of your favorite fruit and ask yourself how do you like it? Fresh from the market, shining washed in water, off the hooks from a tree, cut in pieces so you don’t have to dig your teeth in, or a bit rotten? You see, a rotten fruit has it’s own unique taste. It no longer associates itself with the fresher version. It has run its miles and now sits in front of your eyes, dying for attention, waiting for the pain of your teeth digging in and the juices flowing out. This fruit is your rotten apple, for it makes you hide when you are eating one, trying to avoid other eyes gazing at you in wonder! But this is your secret, your love for things untouched and unthought of, your attempt at being different and unique in your own eyes.

Another question – will you ever share your half eaten fruit with someone else, who’s not really hungry or doesn’t really carry the same craving for that particular fruit?

Now try to think of this fruit as one of your darkest hidden fantasies. Thing you think people will definitely judge you at. Thing that you’re too scared to bring forth to the world. Just ask yourselves – what is it? How did you get it? Was it your past? Does it belong in your future in any of its forms?

I can make this post a prompt idea and people may go on and use it as a prompt idea and link back to my post. I’ll be thankful for that but this isn’t the idea of this post.

I have a fantasy. It’s dark. It’s merely wishful in the confines of my surroundings. It’s like growing apples in a desert. It won’t survive. I can’t share it with my world. They won’t understand. I know they don’t have enough brains to know, how things make me happy. For them, my satisfaction stands for my happiness, but ask me if they’ve  ever seen me happy and I’ll tell you, none of them have ever seen me happy. Hell I think last and the only time even I felt happy was at my home in a specific place and position. I can’t think how they’ll understand how pain controls me.

That lingering ache you, the one that occurs after you first join a gym, keeps your spirits up, keeps you awakened and satisfied by your gains. The world that you enter when your eyes are covered, that light you see, that isn’t visible even in full blown sunshine. That light of freedom, of thoughtlessness, of irresponsibility, of carelessness, of disability, of your past, of your future, it keeps you in the present and makes you see it and feel it within every cell of your body. Those marks on your skin that are persistent, visible, and cause your body to tingle in excitement, so you close your eyes again and try to enliven the same dream over and over till nothing but a crash can remove that smile off your face.

I live for it. I dream of it. I linger in my present to smell and touch it. It’s difficult to make people understand it but I tried, for it’s not a task and I’m free to say what I want to. Had it been one, I certainly will excel, to raise hopes further and beyond what even I’ve fathomed. I’ll excel only if you tell me to, for its expectations and pressure that get the best of me. I want to eat every apple.

I’m writing this post, for this and much more is a burden I’ve carried since childhood. It has to come out. I don’t care if this is a public forum or I ever tried to make it one, but today and in this post, it’s just mine and I need to get it in writing as a reminder of who I am, what I must do and how should I do it. Life isn’t kind and every chance you waste, is an entire section burnt to ashes, never to be looked at again, like dog shit. It’ll linger in your head forever, for you’ve wasted it. Apples don’t matter, their taste does!

I want to love my life, embrace it and it requires me to turn into someone I’ve never seen or known and I’m afraid that it may bring out the worst from me. But trust me, touching darkness in various forms is what I love the most. You’ll elicit a plethora of emotions from me, if your topic touches an emotion darker than a normal person can look into. I want to look into  and through you. I want to be you. It’s what defines me. I don’t want my life to look like yours, it eventually may do, but that isn’t the aim. For me, a journey of emotions is a must, else you carry nothing but an object in this abject world. Eat every apple, savor it and you may understand every other apple too without being judgemental. I’m becoming confident and you can’t take a chance with me anymore!

——******——-

Ranu made a very valid in that I think this post confused people about its intent! So I’ll turn this into a prompt idea.

The intent is for all of you to think about that one fantasy that you’re unable to live in your present because of some constraints. You may write a post about it and if you do, just thank me for the idea by linking back to this post. I’ll feature all the entries by next Monday in a separate post signifying your effort and time you gave to this thought! 😀

Life ain’t that easy, is it?

Man I have so much to write and absolutely no will to do it! I’m in pain (not physical), this heartache is the first one I don’t really understand. I feel so uptight, like it’s all stuffed and it has no outlet. I think that’s what the aim of my life has become – suppress it, cook it, and let it all out in one loud burst. This is no anger. It’s just a lot of stuff being grinded to fine, undefined crystals, that are refracting my rays of hope of love and a good life into a confusing array of colors. I have to pick one but like a dreaming child, I want it all and savor it all. I want to capture it in my fists and never let them out, so I can choose one whenever I want to.

But life ain’t that easy, is it?

I Smell People-ish

My dad arrived home today. He’s come to say goodbye to the sixth member of our family who leaves for US tomorrow! Sounds so hunky dory, doesn’t it?

But, I killed it for myself. I’m running low on cash these days, for a lot of travelling and health bills were torn against my name this month. So instead of taking the more expensive option of auto rickshaw, I decided to use the Delhi Metro to reach the New Delhi railway station and help dad deal with the luggage that he was carrying. Well it wasn’t as heavy as I’d expected but it sure was difficult bringing it up to the 2nd floor of my house.

So, DELHI METRO! The pride and joy of Delhi. The only project in India that’s actually making profit. The guys worked really hard and it shows. Terrific infrastructure and great maintenance. Something though, didn’t feel very right yesterday. As I gathered myself from slumber, and walked to the platform, there were huge groups of people waiting to board the metro. Something was wrong!

The metro arrived packed to its capacity and yet around 20 of us managed to find a place to stand with people’s armpits on my nose and my armpits on someone elses and what not! Ugghhhh!

Now to make matters worse, there are close to 15 metro stations between the station that I boarded and the New Delhi railway station. Each time the door opened for passengers, when 2 left, 4 boarded. I had my headphones plugged in though and people weren’t really bothering me, just that I knew how I’d smell like after I got down from the train. People inside just kept making space out of nowhere and people from outside kept boarding till the last inches were used up. And then some more came in!

cwg-metro

Then a scuffle stirred up. A police constable standing right in front of me and next to the door, tried to stop passengers from getting in, for there was absolutely no space left in the coach. The counter argument from the outside was – “You get down as you are the public servant” and they started pulling out the constable nearly tearing off the sleeves from his shirt. The constable though had nowhere to go, for he was stuck inside just like all of us were, and so they even couldn’t pull him out, such was the agony we were all going through!

To be honest, I was enjoying this. This misery that people decide to put themselves through everyday, made me feel proud of what I had achieved in life and how my resolution to never put up with this kind of life always put me in a better place. I made a resolution very early in my struggling days that I’ll never use public transport for two reasons –

1. Those places are very vulnerable and I have too much to do in life than die in an accident or a bomb blast.

2. They are very risky, for Indians in general treat public transport like the transport system owes them something once they’ve paid for the ticket. What they don’t think of is, these are the same buses and trains they may need to take everyday for the rest of their freaking lives, and they are all responsible for its upkeep and smooth operations. But once they stop respecting the means, the means stop respecting them and so they start crumbling, till they are at the point of breaking and that’s when public transport becomes a danger. Case in point, was the taxi that we boarded, once my family members had arrived. That taxi sounded awful and when it started to move, I felt the wheels coming off every time we made a left turn!

Now back to the Metro. We were about to reach the largest station among all metro stations – Rajiv Chowk. Rumors started flying that the train will be half empty by the time we leave this station, and sadly ALL the passengers along with me were eagerly waiting for this miracle to happen, quite badly! And like all stories that don’t have a happy ending, luck didn’t favor me this time! No one got down and still some more found a way to get in. The next station was where I was to unboard. This was real tricky. For once in my life, I had to handle people subtly and that I did. I started cracking mean jokes that made people laugh and in between, I’d ask them to make some space to let me reach the door, so I don’t miss my drop station caught up in this hell hole. And I made it, just not on my feet though. The moment the door opened, I (125 kgs) was picked up in the air and helped down right next to a pillar. I have absolutely no freaking clue how or what happened. I just counted my lucky stars for the night, checked my wallet and my watch, and started to walk to the railway station.

This was one hell of a ride, and I’m never travelling in a Metro again.  what’s tha God awful smell? Wait, I smelled  ‘PEOPLE-ISH’!

Story Of My Life

Eyes open,

Gotten ready,

Breakfast Eaten,

Kiss given,

Bike ridden,

Mundane office,

Jokes galore,

Life’s a joke,

Bike ridden back,

Horn honked,

Dog barks,

Home again,

A smiling face,

Lush Lips,

Kiss taken,

Stories shared,

Hunger pangs,

Dinner is served,

Blogs begin,

Bed calls,

Fifty Words Story of my life!

————–*******————–

  1. The Hedge | Resident Alien — Being Dutch in America
  2. Spirit – Spiritless – Spiritual | Learning From Life
  3. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | theotherpalette
  4. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty « MARGARET ROSE STRINGER
  5. Countdown | zaphnathpaaneah
  6. Fifty | smoothcreminal
  7. The meeting. | chey4412
  8. Weekly Writing Challenge: 50 words of Chagrin | Making Life an Art
  9. Weekly challenge: Fifty | Speaking Voiceless
  10. 50 Word Stories | Words
  11. Weekly Writing Challenge: 50-Word Story | Manx, Tabby and Tortie: my life with cats
  12. My First Fifty | BeLofty
  13. Running in the moment | Behms of light, rays of truth; all in hope . . .
  14. Fifty | getoutamyhead
  15. 50 word challenge | Child Victims Act
  16. The Cat | Conversations Around the Tree
  17. Salad from my garden | Mermaid’s tresses
  18. Diagnosis: In Fifty Words | My Own Champion
  19. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | KiwiBee’s Chaos
  20. “His Hands” | Odyssey of a Novice Writer
  21. 5ifty | Photos by Emilio
  22. Moving | HK’s Huck le Berry
  23. Pills (TRIGGER WARNING) | Feel Good
  24. Fifty-Itsy-Bitsy-Spider | stargazer2110
  25. Fifty words of IT | Victoria.K.Gallagher
  26. The Fifty: Remember | why so serious?
  27. The Music Man | loveletterstoaghost
  28. Chipped Plates | Nonlinear Compilations
  29. Night Stroll | Alexia Jones
  30. Focus | A Search For Freedom
  31. Cobalt Blue Dust | Greaner Pastures
  32. Unfinished | eddyfy
  33. Fifty words and letters | Icezine
  34. Two Offerings – Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Windchimes and Dreamcatchers
  35. Fifty. Not 49 nor 51. | cockatooscreeching
  36. The Quiet Corridor | Hope, Imagine, Words…
  37. Easter tears | Scent of Rina
  38. Her Search… | Lekhikaa’s diary
  39. Ludic Memories: Short | risingrave28
  40. getting there | Stela Verkisto
  41. Fifty-word story | The rattle of hooves
  42. your words… | Work in Progress…
  43. Cinquante / Fifty | Leeloo Rocks
  44. Jack, The Athlete: Dp Challenge | Abysmal Heights
  45. A few minutes outside… | PRIORHOUSE blog
  46. of jealousy | Anawnimiss
  47. too regal to reach fifty | litadoolan
  48. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | littlegirlstory
  49. Bahati’s Story | Pen & Shutter
  50. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty – Robbed « cognitive reflection
  51. The Yellow Bird | Shawn’s Open Journal
  52. Little Cry-Heart (50-Word Story Challenge) | Aphotic Atrocities Inc
  53. Weekly Writing challenge: Fifty – an age | Deb’s world
  54. Healer | Another Red Letter Day
  55. Fifty N°1 : A tout jamais | La duchesse d’Erat
  56. In My Head With Spring | Lisa’s Kansa Muse
  57. Reading for Beginners | Be Less Amazing
  58. Almost perfect job | Life is great
  59. My Best Friend | Starting Write Now
  60. Fifty word challenge: Paris | thoughts with a side of coffee
  61. My life in 50 words: Social justice breathing in the belly of my son every sunrise « psychologistmimi
  62. Fifty Thoughts, all at the Same Time | Le Journal d’un Introverti
  63. Hating Life | the intrinsickness
  64. Amor | Perceptive Pot Clueless Kettle
  65. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Bob’s Blog-O-Rama
  66. Weekly Writing Challenge | Transitions
  67. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Fingerlike
  68. Longing | A picture is worth 1000 words
  69. The Test | the intrinsickness
  70. My First Fifty Of Fear | Fickle Feelings
  71. Fifty Words | Grit & Satin
  72. Shall We Dance? Moments in Caregiving. | The Imperfect Caregiver
  73. The Beautiful Lie | An Upturned Soul
  74. 50 | summer prescott books
  75. Feeling Fifty in Fifty | twenty thirteen
  76. FIFTY – Weekly Writing Challenge | Stockholm Serendipity
  77. Fifty words – The questions that make you go hmmm … | Purplesus’ Blog
  78. More Than Brevity | Ever Upward
  79. Sheep over the motorway (DPchallenge) | write way up
  80. Is it possible? | struggle2understand
  81. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty « My Cup of Tea
  82. 50 Things | Turn That Radio Up
  83. Bradley | Claud’s Ramblings
  84. [Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty] Third-wave | A Small Press Life
  85. Working on it | British Chick Across The Pond
  86. Weekly writing challenge: Fifty | TWENTY FOURTEEN
  87. Midnight Moon | lemon lime follies
  88. Naptime | mybrightspots
  89. The promise of the rainbow | 2crazylittleboys
  90. First Bite at the Cherry: Weekly Writing Challenge | ALIEN AURA’S BLOG: IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND!
  91. Side Orders | Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Holoholo Girls
  92. Apple Kid | Irish Noble King
  93. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Delivering the Eulogy | undefined by design
  94. The last laugh | Bright Journeys
  95. That Bits that Haunt Us | The Word Peddler
  96. WWC: Fifty. | Simple Heart Girl
  97. The Bits that Haunt Us | The Word Peddler
  98. Crow | awkwardgummybear
  99. Fifty Story | Window on my world
  100. I Had A Date | Musings | The Wangsgard
  101. 50 Word Challnege: Dreaming of Ice Cream | Kosher Adobo
  102. Changed her tune | Plan-It Janet
  103. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | The WordPress C(h)ronicle
  104. This week’s journey: First two days in 50 words | Procurrent
  105. Playing By the Rules Insults My Intelligence | Bumblepuppies
  106. Steam for Breakfast | mfourlbyhfourepoetry
  107. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Loin de zanzibar
  108. Fifty | April B
  109. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | In my world
  110. Maybe in June | Artfully Aspiring
  111. Missed Connections | Fish Of Gold
  112. A 50 Words Story: Reaching The Dream | Navigate
  113. Mice | Kate Murray
  114. DPchallenge – Fifty (March 22) | Spiritual Biscuits
  115. Fifty | Mindful Digressions
  116. alternative | A beetle with earrings
  117. Weekly Writing Challenge – 50 | jwdwrites
  118. In Spring, She Had Proof! | a contract
  119. Heart | Schneider’s Lines
  120. Dreams Come True
  121. turn the page | eastelmhurst.a.go.go
  122. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty: Jubilee | Angela McCauley
  123. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Lost in Oz- Dorothy Kent
  124. Fifty…Just Fifty Words… | Blundering through life…
  125. The Time Machine | Eclecticfemale’s Blog
  126. Into the endless blue skies above… | thoughtsofrkh
  127. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | imagination
  128. Fiona the Fairy | Kelly’s Wandering Mind
  129. Cosmic Orange Balls | Sangatak
  130. Five Dishes, No Soul | Vanessa Elliott
  131. My First Fifty | Love.Books.Coffee.
  132. Judgment Day | until the inkwell dries
  133. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty (Neutral Milk Hotel Edition) –
  134. Compass & Quill
  135. Stories from aside
  136. First Fifty | thinkerscap
  137. There’s a DJ in my Joints | Triumphant Wings
  138. My standard apology….in 50 words, no more, no less. | Getting
  139. DCK for Dummies
  140. Dare to Imagine | A mom’s blog
  141. Fifty | Not famous for anything
  142. The Sanctum | The Arctic Tern
  143. Fifty Challenge: She Breathe Her last breath | rayonmd
  144. DP Challenge: Fifty | The Expressible Café
  145. Weekly writing challenge; Fifty words. ‘In memoriam’ | The hypest blog
  146. Our Mabel | Thin spiral notebook
  147. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Just Be V
  148. Yep! Spring is Here! | My YARDVILLE
  149. Snow | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
  150. The Severity of Time | cateritforward
  151. I Dreamed I Lived in Paradise | Between Madness & Euphoria
  152. Dough is Better than “D’oh!” (Weekly Writing Challenge) | Anecdotal Tales
  153. The Fifty | scott j kaniewski
  154. Monday Morning Traffic | Wine goes best with a good book
  155. Weekly Writing Challenge: FIFTY | MAGGIE’S BLOG
  156. Love You Later… | Lead us from the Unreal to the Real
  157. In Fifty: A Bedtime Story | A Navy Wife’s Life
  158. The Worst Kind of Customer | Life in Poetry
  159. Fifty | Wendy Karasin – Musings of a Boomer
  160. Shades of red | Daily Prompt: Fifty | the Green and White pages
  161. Weekly Writing Challenge – Fifty | A Playful Venture
  162. Companion | ReFreshing Life
  163. And she waited. | Phoenix Rising
  164. Only 50 Words | Jody Lynne
  165. Skinny stories and cleanse dark days | The year I fu*cked off
  166. Facebook
  167. The Perfect Ring | Snowbird of Paradise
  168. Fifty | B.Kaotic
  169. Among the Whispers
  170. My Fifty (Motherhood) | The Shady Tree
  171. One too many | Erhyme’s Original Blog
  172. a to z: f is for fifty smiles | meraki geek
  173. blathering | Musings of a Random Mind
  174. Ryan Padraig Kelly | Ryan Padraig Kelly
  175. For Infinite Fame, Thank You… | Steve Says…
  176. Love Puppies | Mary J Melange
  177. In the beginning | writemybrainsout
  178. The Pillow Fight | Between B and C
  179. Fifty! | My Life
  180. A love story in fifty words | Geeky Book Snob
  181. DPChallenge Fifty – | xzxJennaxzx
  182. Suicide no. 39: The Glass Girl | derekalanwilkinson
  183. Fifty. | bloodyinkblots
  184. Divorce: A Love Story | My Own Champion
  185. Odyssey: A Fifty Word Challenge | My Own Champion
  186. Next time | When I Grow Up…
  187. Home | A Boy and Life
  188. Fifth-word story | SpringtideCulture.
  189. Fifty Shades of Dismay | Once Upon Your Prime. . .
  190. Seasons of Canada | Stories by Dresii
  191. Windows (Fiction) | Toss the Typewriter
  192. A [short] proposal story | Life of A Fallen Angel
  193. The Night Terrors Without Him | The Shotgun Girls
  194. A Love Story | Between Madness & Euphoria
  195. Department of Motor Vehicles | A lot from Lydia
  196. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Destination Unknown
  197. don’t forget this! | you intuitively
  198. Bus rider | wuthering bites
  199. The Everlasting Image | Abstractions of Life
  200. Miscarriage | Caitlyn McConnell
  201. She Brought Him Home | Words From Wellie
  202. The Saga Continues… | Love, Support, Educate, Advocate, Accept…
  203. Quiet Please – Can’t You See I’m Recharging? | garden4therapy
  204. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty – Dead Eyes | A Small Press Life
  205. My First “Fifty” | adcwrites
  206. Can you write a Fifty? | The Mrs. Z Files
  207. Daily Struggle | blogginguntilthepaingoesaway
  208. Drabbling – Rose Glace’s Blog
  209. Just One More Pack | Stories to be Told
  210. Weekly Writing Challenge: 50 | A Maniac’s Menagerie of Motley Thoughts
  211. Sadness is a part of the gifted | Hanoof.k
  212. Enough | Seeing Possibilities
  213. I Miss You (50 words) | Every Smile Has A Reason
  214. Unexpected | ReFreshing Life
  215. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | thoughts and entanglements
  216. He Didn’t Leave | moonstonemaiden
  217. Fifty – WWC | YAP + film
  218. Back! | juliapulia
  219. Fifty – WWC | the mess keeper
  220. Count to Fifty | The Adventures of Cat Madigan
  221. Count to Fifty | The Adventures of Cat Madigan
  222. 50 Word Exercise – Silence | Be an Amazing Wife
  223. THREE ART INSPIRED STORIES | Standing Ovation, Seated
  224. Meth Mouth (My First Fifty) | My Side
  225. The Phone Call | ripplesblog
  226. Fifty words: Show me the things I’ve been missing | Project Momentarily
  227. Tripping the baby | thejimmieG
  228. My Fifty | Life beyond graduation
  229. I Hope You Are Happy | Words From Wellie
  230. WWC: Fifty | olivia in la la land
  231. Simply Smitten: A 50 Word Story | Pocket-Sized Musings
  232. Homecoming | jen groeber: mama art
  233. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Sarah’s World
  234. you are slightly late, | y
  235. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Awl and Scribe
  236. A Tea-Bagged Butt Phone Deserves No More Than Fifty Words | I Shit You Knot!
  237. Bridge Out: DPchallenge | mcscriptor
  238. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Crochet Thread
  239. Little matters | Motus Gratia Lux
  240. 50 Word Stories-WordPress Writing Challenge | Streetzblog.com
  241. Weekly challenge: 50 words | LA From Scratch
  242. From The Ruins: DP Challenge | Abysmal Heights
  243. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | cathieloves
  244. DP Challenge, 50 word story. | Finding That Recipe…
  245. A Story in 50 Words | Life with Tess
  246. A SERENADE | TALKING-STORY WITH PICTURES
  247. Food for thought | Dreams and landscapes
  248. No. 16 – Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | 50 firsts in my 50th year
  249. Cupcake fairy! | Clouds in my Coffee!
  250. Escape | Butterfly Mind
  251. The Pretty Girl | all my likes
  252. STEREOTYPE | FLY AND SAUCER
  253. 50 word challenge « Jean-Paul Close’s Blog
  254. Fifty: AEIOU | Khana’s Web
  255. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty #DPChallenge #WritersWednesday | Of Glass & Paper
  256. The Witness: A Fifty-Word Story | melanielynngriffin
  257. always by your side | personal website of mamatha jahnavi
  258. Day 13 – My first fifty: an attempt at a passage in 50 words! I call
  259. this one ‘Impermanence’ | anna’s pursuit of happiness
  260. A Web of Short Stories
  261. WWC: FIFTY | DANDELION’S DEN
  262. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | ??Journey or destination??
  263. Fame Free Angel (DPChallenge) | Capital City of Flowers in the Sky
  264. Weekly Writing Challenge: Night Drive | The Shape of Y
  265. In the dark | Namesake
  266. Justice | the intrinsickness
  267. The Marriage of Two Minds | So Here’s Us…
  268. 50 Words…. | Eclectic Alli
  269. 50-Word Stories #138 | boy with a hat
  270. Hazy lines | Random & Real
  271. Life goes on… as it never ends | The Chaos Within
  272. Running Late | the intrinsickness
  273. I consider myself one of the ‘Lucky Ones’… | DukkSheit Happens……….
  274. Weekly Writing Challenge: Fifty | Voice in Me
  275. Around the Golden Orbs – Arms Outstretched | A Rambling Compilation of Anecdotes
  276. The 19th of April 1845 – Albany, New York | Forgotten Correspondence
  277. Not of the World | Clothed with Thunder
  278. Leaving Is Never Easy | Ranger Kaiti May
  279. SnapPost #1 | Life. In Light Of Eternity.
  280. Darkness | Emovere
  281. Train Wreck | Megalomaniac
  282. NUMB-ers | field of thorns
  283. Crashing Dreams | The Silver Leaf Journal
  284. Regret | A Lady in Waiting
  285. Swiss Secrets | A Nerdy Geek’s blog
  286. And the Clocks Tick Maliciously | Leigh’s Wordsmithery
  287. The Mist on the Road | The Silver Leaf Journal
  288. The Fate of Mr. Devereaux’s Cello | Polly’s Blog
  289. A Fifty Word Recipe to Saving the World, Almost. | The Uncustomary Housewife
  290. Weekly Challenge – Fifty | Notes of a Prairie Lotus
  291. The Wisdom of Elephants | WeMoveTogether
  292. Weekly Writing Challenge : Fifty – “Gift” | HavenTales
  293. Fifty – A writerly Stravaganzza in fifty words | Thinking Languages!
  294. A good ole bloody fifty | The Bohemian Rock Star’s “Untitled Project”
  295. Fifty Words Challenge : Profound | HavenTales
  296. An Unbounded Look | Zigzag Leadership

A Hangover Too Long

It’s just amazing how some of your best memories are from your childhood! And I so wish someone returned those days back to me. All my summers in Itarsi, a dehat (a type of village) in Madhya Pradesh during my days, how liberating were they!

Mangoes, board games, food, berries, watermelons, melons, cricket, sleep and repeat it in any order everyday. That’s how we passed our days then. Some cartoons too along with video games but mostly outdoor sports! Running around the houses, madly in search of the balls, players, riding bicycles, mopeds, jumping! In those days, we didn’t have homework for summer. No pressure like these days. I genuinely feel, the childhood that we lived will never be lived again. Interestingly though, I don’t remember a single night!

Friends and brother were all I searched for in my summer days. My mother took care of the heat. Mango juices, shakes, Aam Panna (I don’t know what else to call it, my Indian readers will understand it. For everyone else kindly Google it. It’s a raw mango cooler) kept me away from any stroke. The trees, the cold floors and the coolers doing their bit too!

And food and food! I just can’t forget the smell of the rotis with ghee and sugar sprinkled on them. I can’t forget the roti’s torn to pieces and milk and sugar. My mother has had me so fallen for her food, I’m still to wake from my dream. I’m since hung over!

How did you celebrate your summer

  1. Summer Dreams | The Mirror Obscura
  2. The Match (Part 6) Oh, Brother | The Jittery Goat
  3. Summertime Sadness | Life Confusions
  4. Dark Wings and Peacock Hope: Daily Prompt | ALIEN AURA’S BLOG: IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND!
  5. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | The WordPress C(h)ronicle
  6. DP Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Sabethville
  7. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | littlegirlstory
  8. DAILY PROMPT: In The Summertime | Melissa Holden
  9. the party stayed up | y
  10. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime « Mama Bear Musings
  11. Summertime Sadness: I hope not « psychologistmimi
  12. “Kinda” Excited to Have a Baby | A Crohnie’s Classroom
  13. Beyonce Songs That Speak to Me [Part 1] | She Writes
  14. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
  15. Daily Prompt: In The Summertime- My Future and Past Summertime | Journeyman
  16. Summer | Kate Murray
  17. Stop, Summer Time ! | Knowledge Addiction
  18. In the Summertime – (Daily Prompt) | Roving Bess
  19. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime, HOT Summer and Reading Summer! | seikaiha’s blah-blah-blah
  20. Fascinating Bird | wisskko’s blog
  21. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Nola Roots, Texas Heart
  22. Summertime Hiking|Remind Your Mind | Remind Your Mind
  23. hot fun in the summertime | eastelmhurst.a.go.go
  24. My Fav Season… | FREE BIRD
  25. In the Summertime | Purplesus’ Blog
  26. Daily Prompt:In The Summertime | My Other Blog
  27. Seasons and Lessons of Life and Faith | meanderedwanderings
  28. 7 Reasons Why We Love Summer | Never Stationary
  29. when they told me that | y
  30. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
  31. Summertime Truth | Vanessa Elliott
  32. Summertime in Montreal | That Montreal Girl
  33. In a nutshell… | cockatooscreeching
  34. On deck… | Muddy River Muse
  35. When Summer Comes | Triumphant Wings
  36. Past and Now | Flowers and Breezes
  37. In the Summertime | Dragon Droppings
  38. In The Summertime. | emma blogs
  39. Daily Prompt: Remembering Summer | Mama Cormier
  40. Let’s Start a Band | Thinking Diagonally
  41. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | My Atheist Blog
  42. Summerfest Adventures | RECREATION | WANGSGARD
  43. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Finding Life
  44. Root Beer | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
  45. Warming « Averil Dean
  46. Summertime Blues | Just Visiting This Planet
  47. Guzzling sweet tea, noshing on peach pie, training up a storm and making new friends: All in a summer day’s work | Institute for Hispanic Health Equity
  48. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | thoughts and entanglements
  49. When you are waiting for life to start | Boundaries and Edges
  50. Summertime is Luh-uh Lovin’ | djgarcia94
  51. DP: SUMMER, GIVE IT TO ME!!!!! | Scorched Ice
  52. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Dreaming of December | undefined by design
  53. Daily Prompt – In the summertime…. | myjourneyeveryday
  54. Sweet Summertime Yoga | eat less sugar you’re sweet enough
  55. Summer | Love.Books.Coffee.
  56. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Ramblings of a Midwest 20-Something
  57. Summer beat | Miss Moody
  58. Fast Forward to Summertime | The Fairy tale Daydreamer
  59. Bye Bye Polar Vortex
  60. Summer’s Around the Corner | 365 Days of Thank You
  61. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | NOWHERE TO RUN
  62. Holding back the dark. | Trucker Turning Write
  63. Daily Prompt: Summer is Forever Love | La Dolce Vita
  64. I just hope to stay out of jail. | The Land Slide Photography
  65. Summertime | B.Kaotic
  66. Summer Time: No | Barbara Pyett
  67. Summertime Plans: Teaching Summer School | . . . Furthest Sense
  68. In the Summertime | Lisa’s Kansa Muse
  69. My Summer | Captured By Kylie Photography
  70. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | The Overwhelmed Undergrad
  71. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | SIM | ANTICS
  72. I miss summer. | Always Expressive
  73. Daily Prompt: In the Summertime | Basically Beyond Basic
  74. Summertime! | Laughing Through Life
  75. In the Summertime – The Move | Breathe away
  76. Little Ones | Overcoming Bloglessness

Bed Talks

What an apt day for this prompt! I was looking to vent out something that happened last night and here cometh the daily prompt!

Wifey left again to visit her parents and her in-laws (my parents) today. I’m alone for next 15 days again but we had a bedtime conversation going after a long time yesterday. Ever since she returned, she was puzzled by my new found love for writing. Actually she’s right to feel this way as nothing comes so easy to me. I procrastinate to levels not known to ordinary humans. I put things off simply because I don’t feel my toes are working perfectly (just a case in point).

We went out to dinner the night she returned, I bought her gifts and we started talking about her experience and when she paused for water, mine too! She had apparently been following my blog from where she was, had grown a bit fond of it. Not delving into how she fared during her vacation, I can tell you what she told me about the results of my break – “You’ve really chilled. You don’t look frazzled. There’s a calmness over you which is helping me wind down too!”.

Then last night, she told me about a demon that she’s been feeding for last 27 years. And I’m thinking how the hell did I miss this about her? Then again, life hasn’t been all hunky dory lately so missing a detail isn’t that big an issue for both of us! She told me how, she has always wanted to emulate a colonel friend of her grand father whom she met when she was just 3. She met him only 3-4 times but considered him as more of her grand father than her actual one (this must really hurt a soul I tell you) and all because he taught her how to carry herself and how to talk to others and things most parents miss these days (ironically her parents missed it too).

Now how does all this relate to today’s prompt? An artist, per me, is someone who elicits responses untold to many a soul themselves. He puts out something that prompts others to empty their own souls when all the while he is himself just emptying his own. Am I an artist?I’m no artist. For I’m no writer (I’m trying to be but am far far away from it), I’m no singer, I’m no player but yet I could, with my demeanor, elicit a response, a thought from my soul mate that she was prepared to hide until told otherwise. I felt proud. I had never had such a deep discussion with her, and she didn’t mind not sleeping at all last night, for she felt light!

Yes, writing is my art, not perfect yet but it’ll do till I can keep my soul mate honest and open with me. I can now see why she always pushed me to get into a different line along with my current industry. Something creative that brought out the good in me. She told me, the way I am today, I can never get someone to like me even if I wanted it the hardest. They’ll never understand me for I’ve built a fort around me and I don’t let anyone in. Trust me people – she’s made her way in already, she just doesn’t know it yet!

Let’s find out the arts of others –

  1. Freedom in a pen | MC’s Whispers
  2. YouTube Clips: Daily Prompt | ALIEN AURA’S BLOG: IT’LL BLOW YOUR MIND!
  3. Jamming | Knowledge Addiction
  4. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | The WordPress C(h)ronicle
  5. The Match (Part 5) 40 Acres | The Jittery Goat
  6. Singing All The Way | Knowledge Addiction
  7. DP Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | Sabethville
  8. Write to Heal | From Hiding to Blogging
  9. Xi’an, the Place with Enriched Stories | From Hiding to Blogging
  10. Taipei – a Mesmerizing City | From Hiding to Blogging
  11. Broken Dreams? | Tale of Two Tomatoes
  12. Daily prompt – Express yourself! | myjourneyeveryday
  13. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | benjaminsolak
  14. Bed Talks | Views Splash!
  15. The Creator God and His Gift to Us | meanderedwanderings
  16. Express Yourself | Dragon Droppings
  17. Express Yourself | Lisa’s Kansa Muse
  18. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself-Is it Children’s Obligation to Take Care of Their Parents? | Journeyman
  19. I teach! | Purplesus’ Blog
  20. Quadruple Threat [Intimate Sessions] | She Writes
  21. [M.M.X.I.V. 95] The dancing feet | Never A Worry
  22. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
  23. Building Blocks of a Project | Photography Journal Blog
  24. More than an Expression…an Extension of Me | snapshotsofawanderingheart
  25. E Is For Expressing Yourself | My Little Avalon
  26. My Games… | from dusk to dawn….
  27. Creativity in pranks, viruses and retaliation: This week’s weird and wacky news « psychologistmimi
  28. Reach High | Flowers and Breezes
  29. Freedom In Expression | Coffee With Jesus
  30. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | seikaiha’s blah-blah-blah
  31. DAILY PROMPT: Express Yourself | Melissa Holden
  32. My dog doesn’t see the point of leg weaves |
  33. 8 things I have to say about debate | Never Stationary
  34. A Small Guest With a Box of Sweets | wisskko’s blog
  35. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | thechangingpalette
  36. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself! | I Just Like Doing Them | Shawn Daily
  37. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself | Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss
  38. Sunset Over India | Broken Light: A Photography Collective
  39. Daily Prompt Express Yourself : Joy | Angela McCauley
  40. Please Don’t Call Me A Writer
  41. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself | Words4jp’s Blog
  42. Therapy | In the Present
  43. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself | That Montreal Girl
  44. Daily Prompt: Express yourself | A cup of noodle soup
  45. Express Yourself | Kimmiecode
  46. Daily prompt: Express yourself! | Go, See, Live
  47. Express Yourself | The Land Slide Photography
  48. you keep me at varying | y
  49. No Such Thing as Self-Expression | Author Laura Lee
  50. Comin’ Through the Rye | Speculative Paradigm Shifts
  51. Ex-press-ion | I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
  52. Daily Prompt: Express Yourself | gracenorcott
  53. my purpose | peacefulblessedstar
  54. Persuing Perfection | The Ravenously Disappearing Woman
  55. Poetry that doesn’t challenge my brain | The Salmon Yatra
  56. One’s Creative Expression | Cats, Coffee, And Life At Random
  57. Creative me | Emovere
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