The Power Beneath the Wings....(edited)

Sangeeta Khanna is a versatile blogger friend, who goes on Himalayan bicycle treks, takes great photographs, cooks amazing recipes, and knows loads of stuff about plants because she is a trained scientist.

I recently came upon this photo , posted by her friend, a young Vipul Bansal  on FB, and it said "dedicated to Sangeeta Khanna"..... 

This is such an amazing photographic find, redolent with life meanings. There is a message somewhere in there.  For all of us....


original photo found here

Aerospace,
something to confuse,
but actually
all about
creating
your own space
in the air.

Some have fancy profiles,
aerodynamic shapes,
pilot beaks
luggage tails
and often
fancy twin engines
revving up
on two sides,
which are ignored and jettisoned
when dumb
in crisis times....

And some,
in brilliant colors,
happily plump,
with all encompassing wings
that help it soar,
and sometimes,
when the
two little life engines
are still new,
the wings
open and enfold them,
doing a vertical takeoff,
teaching them
what flying high is all about.

We've really never learned
that success
is all about
teaching someone
to fly high with you,
and never about
how to jettison folks
who are problematic to you......

Fortified Lives

My state of Maharashtra is home to several historical forts built by the Maratha Rulers . These were seats of government, sometimes used as the treasury of the government, and all of them were built in a way that entire armies and the ruling elite and officers , sometimes including families were able to stay here for large periods of time. These places had watchtowers, temples, watersupply systems, canons, moats , and complicate and secret entrances and exits

Immense amount of engineering was done in these places, and pathways laid out for even elephants and horses, to climb to the top

This is a view of the steps leading to the top of the Lohgad fort, the name translating to "An Iron Fort". A photo taken my my friend Magiceye.



आयुष्यातील अनेक प्रवास ,
काही खडकाळ दिवस ,
ओबड़ धोबड़ अनुभव ,
कधी सूर्याचा प्रखर राग,
तर
कधी पद्धतशीर पायरी पायरी ने
जाणारे ,
पुढे नेणारे वसंताचे दिवस ,
कुणा एका
प्रेमळ आजीच्या कुशी सारखी
सावली व विश्रांति देणारे वृक्ष,
आणि
परत जोमाने पुढे नेणारे मन.....
गडाच्या बुरुजावर उभ राहून
खाली बघून
मनात येत....
"वाट कठीण असो वा सोपी,
अथक खर्या प्रयत्नांती
शेवटी यश हे
नक्कीच आपल अस्त .....


Journeys
of our life;

Sometimes,
through
shapeless obstructions
and rocky obstacles.
in the glare
of a burning sun;

Or Sometimes,
systematically,
ascending in stairs,
like
the advancing days
of a pleasnat spring,
perhaps
in the shade
of a Grandma Tree
inviting
you for a stopover.

Trudging up,
in patience,
then
Galloping
feet and minds,
standing
on the parapet
of the great Fort of Life,
and the stone
speaks;
"It doesnt matter
if the path be
easy or difficult;
Honest effort always begets success....."

The Bells of Life

My blogger friend Harekrishnaji, loves to travel on the small roads in Maharashtra, and finds places unknown to others. He spied this ancient bell at an old ( 1000 years) Shiva temple that he visited recently; and the other photographs are here.

It just rang a bell somewhere in my old mind.... a Marathi verse resulted. The English version follows.

(photo by Harekrishnaji)
आयुष्याच्या कितीतरी
डोंगर माथ्यांवर
मनाच्या देवळात घंटा वाजतात .....
"अरे, जरा जपून "... ची घंटा ,
"दहा अंक मोज रे , मग बोल " ची घंटा,
"खोटं बोलू नकोस "....ची घंटा ,
मग कधी कधी
हर्षभराने वाजवलेली घंटा,
यशाने हुरळून जाउन वाजवलेली घंटा ,
कधी
देवाला आळवून पाणावलेल्या डोळ्यांनी वाजवलेली घंटा ....
आणि
एखाद्या पावसाळ्यातील ढगाळलेल्या
संध्याकाळी ,
दुखरे गुढगे सांभाळत
खरे डोंगर चढून ,
नातवाला उंच करून
"जय बाप्पा "
म्हणून वाजवलेली खरी घंटा ...
आणि गाभार्यातला तो म्हणतो ,
"आयुष्य हे असा असतं...."

The bell chimes
so many times,
filling our minds,
high up,
in the
Temples
of our life.

It chimes to say
"Take care...",
Then again,
to ask you,
to count till 10,
before blowing your cool;
Then a warning chime,
saying.
"Please Don't lie...";

And then
inexplicably,
sometimes
it chimes
with the sounds of Joy,
and
the flush of success
sometimes
decorated
with a tinge of
hope and sadness.....

Many moons later,
Late
on a cloudy monsoon evening,
as you trudge
up the hill,
to the temple,
on sqeaky arthritic knees,
and lift your grandkid
to
ring the
real bell,
joining him
in celebrating
and
praising the Big One,
He peers at you
from the inner sanctum,
nods, winks,
and says,
"That's Life for you !...."

Life Marathon

Its all in the running,
and not,
in the reaching.

Some tog up,
branded,
top to toe,
a hairband,
to keep out
non existent hair,
a smart something,
emblazoned
on a piece
of embossed acrylic
announcing,
their charity
above the heart.



Singleminded steps,
quadriceps
climbing up and down,
water drunk on the go,
flung by the wayside,
waving at friends
at the Trident,
as they turn along the sea.

And some,
run ,
a bit late to start,
rushing in from
the train station.
There were
parents to help,
children to dress,
old socks to search,
messages to give
someone
dependent on you;

They never got around
to buying
those tracks;
last years should do.....

And so they run the
Marathon of life,
the charity,
not emblazoned,
but nestled
in the heart,
supporting
a kid
waving from the sidelines,
a father,
watching them on TV,
as the mother
brings him the medicines.
They smile at the
others,
running,
walking,
helping others,
to run,
and walk.

The place at the top
is a lonely one.
And its so much
more fun,
crowding there....

Because everyone
stands, holding on
to the other,
and each one
rejoices
in the win
of the
other.....

Like I said,
Its all in the running,
and not,
in the reaching.