A Hibiscus Aiiyyo moment ......

My blogger and FB friend Shail Mohan, has recently published a book of poetry, titled "Love, Loss and Acceptance". She writes several blogs, including a prose, poetry , photoblog and one  dedicated to the newest member of the family, Ms Luci.

Many of her photos celebrate the verdant greenery that she lives amidst, and it is not unusual for neighbors trees to be inadvertently showering petals and fruits into her garden.

Sometimes though, some flowers clearly act nosey.   Shail recently flew off on a vacation to a neighboring country, causing great interest in the hibiscus community at the neighbors.  They didn't realize she was back, and were surprised when they finally managed to peer over the wall....

(photo by Shail Mohan)

She clicks,
she writes,
she travels,
she plays with Luci,
she cooks
and she eats.

Then she wrote
a book of poetry
called “Love, loss and acceptance”
and
flew off
to foreign lands.

The neighbors,
agog,
simply unrestrained,
blooming in curiosity,
on their toes,
trying to peer
over the wall,
in the face of
tough warnings from
the faithful plantain tree
and a growling Luci.

Only to see her
aiming with her camera,
as they bashfully look down.

Her love,
their loss,
and
acceptance of a great click
by all her friends…

Politics and Birds

A wonderful capture of the Asian Koel(female) by blogger friend Magiceye. This photograph of the bird feeding on a Banyan tree in Bandra East (a western suburb of Mumbai) is posted as part of the Mumbai Daily : Camera Critters series today. 

The Asian Koel (female) has some intriguing habits. When it is time to procreate, the bird lays eggs, not in a nest built out of its own hard work and industry, but in nests belonging to crows, sometimes, even along with the crows eggs which may be resting there. The koel is also known to bring in food to feed its own (that too, in someoneelse's premises).

While it attracts a decent audience that gets captivated by the wonderful calling sounds it makes, it stops short, of evicting the crow's own eggs from the crow's own nest, when it installs its own eggs there. Probably worries about its own reputation in the Bird World Constituency.

Why does this remind me of some people ? Read on ..... :-))

(photo by Deepak Amembal Magiceye)

The Asian Koel(female)
and
our Indian Politicians
have
just one difference....

Both specialize
in furthering
their families
and supporters
by trespassing
on something
like housing,
resources,
belonging to others
surreptitously,
quietly,
and then acting
as if
it was always theirs.

Both
can swallow big things
like the fruits of
someoneelse's labor.

Its just that
the Koel
shows
its black and white
openly
outside.

The Indian politician
wears
only spiffy
white Khadi
to
cover
Black deeds and money
stuffed inside........

Birds and Attitudes

Magiceye really does have a magic eye.

A person who is a member of several photo blogging international groups, he blogs at several places , described by him alongside:

http://magiceye.redbubble.com/works To view/buy my Art
http://photings.blogspot.com/ For jottings on photographs
http://magictravels.blogspot.com/ For the magic of travel
http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com/ For your daily dose of Mumbai
http://petsalways.blogspot.com/.blogspot.com/ For rejoicing pet love!
http://instantwords.blogspot.com/ a piece of my mind

Here is something , recently posted on his Mumbai blog above. A haughty golden oriole sitting and observing the world as the thrifty pigeon, goes flying about its daily chores. Photographed in Andheri, a western suburb of Mumbai.

Much like some prosperous Mumbai Industrialist lording it over the country's tallest single family residence in Mumbai, while the hoi polloi scurry around the megapolis, possibly worrying about their next house installment....



Some,
high up there,
rarified and bare
in solitary golden splendour,
with a choice of Green-pods;
shades
of those
in 45 storey houses
for a total of 6,
rarified,
up there,
golden
and folks
with diamond I-pods.

And the
proletarian pigeon,
high above the
mass greenery,
having moved
so very often,
balcony to box
and behind baskets
and doors,
continues to fly by,
seeking
resting places,
watched
unconcerned,
by the
regal
page -3 type.....

The political ambhibian....

Sometimes humans are so depressing, even a crab with a political visage will do. They stared at each other from a distance of one foot, and the guy with the camera blinked first.
See some more nature pictures here.

(photo and bravado by Kavi Arasu)

Dodging between
Reebok sandals
and
trailing dupattas,
the multi-ped
leader
of the swampland
mafia
moves ponderously
across the
grassy
but tricky terrain.




Dangerous
killer looks,
hands
held up
in political worship,
as in,
"Friends, amphibians, countrymen,
lend me your votes....
We need
to preserve
these lands for
our children,
and save it
from the
Bisleri
plastic
onslaught...."

And he stares
at the one
with a camera,
who has come close
enough to scratch,
then smiles,
at the lady who
pulls him back,
saying,
" Let him be.
he is going his way,
and it is time you went yours,
Swiftly....:-)"

Commonwealth Bird Games

Lakshmi Sharath with another set of Kingfisher photographs, birding in Hampi. See this wonderful post for more such photos.

I combined two of the photos after I realized that the birds showed a lot of attitude and character and were trying to say something.

As below :

(photos by Lakshmi Sharath)
Alert,
watching,
aware,
the
PiedKingfisher pair
always on duty,
looking around,
proudly
manages
the security
at the Commonwealth Bird Games
Hampi,
2010....

On duty
at the
Commonwealth Bird Tree Walls
watching
the
Common Kingfisher
athlete birds
participate
in the "Insect throws",
"Wing flaps",
and
"Escape Lakshmi"
events.

This lone athlete
in orange and blue
seems to have lost its way....

The Games Organizing Commiittee
it seems,
had no money
for tree signs
to Matangi Hills....

The final with the
yellow throated bulbul
is on....