Growing Up in Style

Growing Up in Style

tik tok – tik tok – tik

the sound that I hear all day

making me realize

my little princess growing

in style

trying all my shoes with heels

one pair after the other

the cupboard remains open

all my bags are out lying

she chooses as per her mood

which one to carry, which color to hold

my lipsticks are all vanishing

her face painted all over

bright colors on her cheeks

make her look only more beautiful

sometimes, I ask her to stop

at times I let her carry on

for the joy on her face

being styled up with all her mommy’s belongings

is something that’s priceless

way beyond the value

of the bags, lipsticks and shoes

every day, each moment I relish

the joy of raising a daughter

IMAGE SOURCE

The Strix – Hope

The Strix – Hope

Here’s to those who live by in this world one day at a time doing what the world asks of them. Who turned a struggle into an addiction and desire into compulsion. Those who spend every night on their bed, mind drowned in thoughts, heart unwanting to beat. . . You hold onto your wait for better days to come, and tell yourself that they won’t.

You hope. . .

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Art by Alpe John

——-

Hope Is…

not a heart in a tree…

not loftily floating out of reach

not sitting on a gilded throne

not residing in some mystical realm

It is not guarded by angels high

glittered by faerie dust

or plucked from a flower garden

planted by seeds of heart hardened

An illusion…this word, these letters four

cannot be grasped by hands rich or poor

it is not attainable by prayers

it will not bow on command

It is not tangible or visible

it dances to no one’s tune

you cannot buy it with money

it does not arrive gift-wrapped

Hope is…

when you are beaten down

when the smile is replaced by a frown

when you are on your bruised knees

and you decide to stand on sore feet

It is the moment you want to give in…but don’t

it is when your heart feels like breaking

yet you break it open wide, again and again

daring to love despite the risk present

It is when you wake up in the morning

when you didn’t want to…and rise
It is when you refuse to succumb

to the pounding of the dark tides

Hope is composed of the moments you decide

to continue your path despite all there is to spite

it’s knowing that there is always light, your light,

even in the darkest of night

Hope is stained, dirty, tattered,

it is born from the ashes of the phoenix

You are
that phoenix…

and,

Hope
is you.

~ Emily Clapper from PoetGirlEm

 —————-

Bathed in soft lilacs, blues,
Filtering hues of colour through,
A veil of white while the outcomes wait,
Are they reflected in the colours,
You see from where you lay?
Will you stay here longer?
Will you wait another day?
The eye of heaven watches,
Blazing hot under its gaze,
Your patience sizzles and,
Your courage boils, still,
Boils again, as you stay in the shadow,
Though the sun shines high,
Over your skin where you lay,
Will you stay here longer?
Will you wait another day?
A fleeting dart of dark flies,
Once, twice, over your head,
Free to roam free of charge,
Its flight light from all the,
Things that it doesn’t carry,
And all you do is watch from where you lay,
Will you stay here longer?
Will you wait another day?
In hope that tomorrow,
Would bring new colour,
Or in hope that tonight,
Would bring new change?
Your eyes search the sky,
Where the sun starts to melt,
In hope of finding answers,
In hope of being felt,
While you mind mingles with thoughts,
Your heart whispers you this:
Don’t stay here longer,
Don’t wait another day.

~ Michelle Joseph from Psychedelic Bay

—————-

Hope is courage. Hope is the strength. Being like the last piece of breath, the last drop of water, the last breath you take, hope requires courage to live on the last of everything you have. Hope is that faint, vague presence of light in complete darkness.

I believed and then I did not, I trusted, and then I did not. But hope remained, in hiding, camouflaged with the thousands thoughts running. Hope always stays. Like that good friend who shall never leave your side. Hope is always there, all you have to do is find yours! All you have to do is to hope for the light to arrive, in time.

~ Kashaf Shaikh from awordwarriorsblog

 —————-

You look at night to the sky above and only see darkness.
Your head filled with noise.
Why even breathe.
It is so easy to get lost, losing yourself in the world we live in today.
It’s so easy to surrender to desperation.
Disappearing in the darkness.

The world has changed.

Give way to someone with less errands at the supermarket? Unthinkable: you’ve been waiting yourself for two minutes. Once, it was natural to talk to your lonely elderly neighbor, now you act as if you didn’t see her. So busy with self-imposed duties. Worry about what is happening around the globe? No way, enough burdens on your own plate.

The world has changed.

We take less and less time for each other. We rather assume the worst about a person, instead of taking the time to find out the reason why someone does, what he/she does. Chopping each other’s heads, bombing one another, since trying to understand each other’s ancient culture, values, opinions, feelings seems to be too difficult.

The world has changed.

Embrace the beauty of darkness.
Hear the whispering of life.
Breathe.
You’re not alone, more beautiful souls in the world, waiting to be found.
Cry, hurt, scream, fear, smile, laugh, dance, care.
Step into the circle of life.

HOPE

 ~ Patty from kruidje-roer-me-niet

 ——————

 

His name was Afzal, no more than seven,

A child innocent, a victim of war,

Just a few days back, I had met him,

While, covering the bombings in Afghanistan,

The sight of the blasts horrendous & scary,

With lifeless bodies, ripped off flesh,

A few of them who survived the blasts,

Ran, for a little mercy in horror,

Broken houses screamed in silence,

Small children wounded and bleeding,

Cried in the streets unattended,

There I had seen this boy with courage,

Holding a white flag in his hands,

Sitting by the side of his lifeless father,

Surprisingly, I saw no tears in his eyes,

I moved closer to hear his whispers,

“Father, your son is strong to shed no tears,

To change things for better, I am going out there,

Holding a flag of peace in my hand,

Every beat of my heart, beating in hope,

Determined to melt the hearts of those demons,

How I hope to turn them to humans,

I remember your words, they echo in my mind,

The day will come, there shall be peace,

No more pain, no one will die anymore,

No sight of bloody bodies on the roads,

Holding my flag so white and flawless,

I shall march, I shall not give up,

My hope persistent to conquer the inhuman,

For I shall not let my children to witness,

A world so wounded, chained by terrorism.”

~ Zigyasa Kakkar from mySestina

 —————-

“Hope is a thin line between holding on and giving up. It will never turn real unless one acts and wills.”

~  Cezane

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Expressions Crossing Continents

His Choice

His Choice

saying piercing painful words

making an argument not valid

displeasure filled his eyes

as he woke up to leave

to walk out of the door

leaving her heartbroken

tears running down her cheeks

she was desperate to run behind

catch hold of his hand

not let him walk out of the wooden door

how convinced was her heart

he will never return once gone

for he didn’t believe in a pretty heart

rather

he chose

to fall for a pretty face

image source

The Much Awaited DOLL

The Much Awaited DOLL

(A POEM ON A TRAGIC TRUE STORY OF DRUNK DRIVING CASE THAT KILLED A MAN IN NEW DELHI)

a young man tired from a long day’s work

walked back home,

stopped by a toy shop, on his lips – a smile

for his daughter waiting for a doll tonight

a much awaited one

he promised to bring it with his next paycheck

he packed the doll in a bag hung on his back

gleaming smile on his face to imagine

a child’s excitement to possess a new doll

 

dreaming his dream he crossed a busy road

started from one end, never reached the other

lifeless body laid on the road

not dreaming, not smiling anymore

 

few teenagers today had their share of a few beers

tinkling of empty bottles played music to them

decided to party, racing in a new Mercedes Benz

alcohol commanded a speed of 140mph

just a blink of an eye, hit someone, a man

with no desire to learn who, they never stopped

never looked back, racing went on

 

little girl sat by the door, looking out waiting

excited to see her father coming back tonight

hiding a doll in his bag somewhere

her wait was extended till endless time

a young man, a father, died on the road

in his arms, holding a precious gift

the much awaited doll

 

image source

from a Woman to a Mother

from a Woman to a Mother

it was her, just her …. a woman

made love to a man for she was his wife

started to experience another life inside

her womb was a bit more sensitive now

her belly swelled a little every moment

another heart started to beat inside her

she truly became a woman with two hearts

life grew inside each day every moment

one after the other all the senses came to life

inside her womb, the baby started to hear

she even cried at times she smiled

kicked a few goals sucked on her thumb

nine months advanced, it was time for the finale

anxiety & excitement both filled the woman

for the pain so intense, unable to bear

her muscles stretched and loosened with each contraction

o heaven!! come out fast, she told the baby

hours of pushing and screaming and heavy breathing

finally, she could hear her first cry

tears of excitement filled her eyes

even before placenta could relieve her frame

she had forgotten already the excruciating pain

in that moment she felt complete

held the tiny soul in her arms, watched her crying

she offered her breast to the tiny mouth

the baby first struggled then started to suckle

that’s when the woman became a mother

image source

The Strix

The Strix

Hello My Dear Friends! I am glad to announce to be a part of a new Project – The Strix!

The Strix is a group of six talented bloggers who came together to stand as a one big happy family. The unconditional love within the six is endless, as much as it is powerful, and we aim to channel it out to the rest of the world as a unit to those who are in need.

We use art to express what’s real whilst each individual rises to ideal. The Strix are made up of six souls, who rose from ashes to man and now from man to stars that want to appear during the day in the presence of the sun.

To do seemingly the impossible by reaching out to every soul in the world, like the sun does during the day.

 
The Six Souls include:
 
Cezane and Michelle – Psychedelic Bay
Emily Clapper – Poet Girl Em
Patty Wolters – Kruidje-Roer-Me-Niet
Alpe John – The Juandering Artist
Zigyasa Kakkar – mySestina
Kashaf Shaikh – A Word Warriors Blog
 
Learn more about The Strix here:

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