Shady messages....

As my friend Magiceye says , where he posted this picture, in the Saturday Photohunt Reflect and Humor series",  maybe it is time to "Reflect under a Bus stop shade to Humour the advertisers."

The topic of "fairness" (in complexion) , being the biggest  rip-off  and piece of wool being pulled by advertisers , over the eyes of the general public.  Causing thousands of young women to rush and slather their skins with unnecessary chemicals, in a desperate attempt to maintain suspect societal standards dictated by cosmetic companies, and simply generate a Melanin War....

In this disappointing state of affairs, one can only appreciate the humor in the placement of the photographers name (as if it's a quote from him :-)    ) on the said billboard !

Rejoice!

For some of us
who are born with
"deep skin damage....."

Naturally tanned,
and proud of it,
we wear uniforms to match
as we wait
with the bus conductors
and  duty drivers
amidst shiny chrome stands
and white untannable billboards
in front of the
Pink Baskin Robbins
and Blackberry written in white.


Like in life,
with the Sun,
you take some, you give some.

And when it becomes
too hot,
you rest
under wonderful
old leafy mother trees,
adamantly maintaining
their place
amidst the
ravages of money
time ,commerce
and, style.

Just surprised
that
at the end of the day
after spouting knowledge
next to "beautiful" white faces,
the
Lakme Sun expert lady
should actually
hog the same space...

Self confidence....

There is so much that nature teaches us.Blogger friend Magiceye posted this picture of an Indian Reef  Heron,  contemplating itself in a pool of water at the Sewri Mud flats, on Mumbai's eastern seaboard, as part of his Camera Critter Series .  A proponent of multitasking, it probably keeps one beady eye also on some wriggling stuff in the water, which may be a good meal, side by side. 

There are Indian Reef Herons  in a wide color spectrum between dark grey and greyish white to white. Sometimes it looks like Mumbai's urban sensibilities and modern ads , have affected these  nice birds.  Sometimes, it depends on the company they keep. 

And sometimes, it is left to the older generation to explain .......

(photo by Deepak Amembal Magiceye)

Times have certainly changed.

From
when we were a
united group,
flying together
and sharing
all the good and bad,
whether at
Sewri,
Pulicat,
or elsewhere...

Maybe it is because
they hang around
with the
fancy
pink and white
flamingoes,
but
this young generation,
is obsessed by
about being
considered
Fair and Lovely.

If they
only
observed themselves
in the sandy pools
at Sewri.

It's not important
what others think of you.

What matters
is what looks back at you,
when you look
into that pool of water,
and
whether it smiles back !

Darkly Fair ? or Fairly Dark ?

 Blogger friend Shail Mohan,  with a very thought provoking click, in this land superobsessed with being fair;  in complexion, not necessarily in attitude .....

Sometimes, innocently pliable sunshine leaves and majestic dark butterflies,  combine to send us a message......

(photo by Shail Mohan)
Pity those
of rigid minds,
misinformed bipeds
who wallow
in superiority
concerning
the presence
or absence
of melanin.....

It is not Fair
to think Darkly,
or vice versa;

For they
set off each other's
brilliance
in amazing ways,
when they
play together....

Fair and Lovely in Mumbai

A usual sight in Mumbai, crows hanging out , contemplating on the wasteful tendencies if the human race.

MagicEye posted this photo in his Camera Critters series, on his blog .

Something unusual about this contemplative crow.

Then , since I watch on TV, some of the same things that this crow does , :-) , I found out.

(photograph by MagicEye)
Years and years
of
soaring
between houses,
alighting
on balconies
and glaring
at the smart lady applying stuff.

Years and years
of
hanging out
on telephone poles,
peering
into living rooms
and watching
commercials
on afternoon TV soaps....

He tried.
He really tried,
crushing open the tube,
with his claws
and rubbing
his neck in it....

And now,
misguided,
remorseful,
he ponders,
over why he believed
that "Fair and Lovely"
was an answer.

Time to go
caw
at the Unilever building......

Trees, Humans, and the obsession with color

Our lives are sometimes complicated due to preponderance of color . And sometimes trees explain it better.

If we only listened.....

(image courtesy Google)
Much later
along the
Road of Life,
they stopped
at the Big Tree,
admired the Land,
and the expanse of green
nodded
in approval
at it all.



Spying the
younger one
in her own
different green
further ahead,
they stopped,
turned,
and asked
the Big one ,
"Does that land belong to you too ?"

And the Big tree
shook her head
in disgust
and despair
and said,
"the same land,
the same water,
the same Sun
the same benevolence
of Nature,
just because the little one
is a darker green,
how does it matter whose land it is ?

Or are you one of those
who is
always looking
for grass that is greener...?"