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Growing up, whenever faced with difficult people, unpleasant behaviors, or any toxic situation capable of disturbing the peace of mind…a piece of advice given the most often in our household were these timeless words of wisdom coming from the ethos of eastern wisdom traditions – Just be Jal Kamal Vat! In Sanskrit, Jal means Water, Kamal means Lotus & Vat, means Like. Thus, it translates to only this – Be like…
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Why are zoos places that only children visit? Why bird watching is a hobby that only retired people have? Are we really that busy? When we check our daily screen time on our phones, we know, that we are clearly not. Have you ever noticed very small children observing little things in nature, like insects (even the not-so-good-looking ones)? That, is the treasured sense of wonder we are born with,…
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When Joni Mitchell penned the lyrics of “Big yellow taxi” – a song that went on to become popular culture’s environmental anthem for decades to come, even World Environment Day (June 5) had not started as an annual event. When she wrote the song, the nine times Grammy award winner singer-songwriter was on her first time trip to Hawaii in the year 1967-68. Embed from Getty Images Recalling her inspiring moments in Hawaii, she said…
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Mitch Hedberg was an American comedian, and most likely said this during one of his stand-up acts. My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them. Probably it was a one-liner joke, meant to be just laughed at. When I read it though, laughter was not my first reaction. What he said is witty and amusing of course, but I think it comes from a…
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I vividly remember that little, solitary Daffodil plant standing daintily under a leafless winter tree. The irony is, you remember those frames most distinctly, that you terribly regret not clicking and converting into a photograph. It was a particularly cold day in early February last year. Coronavirus was still just something that happened in China, but I was not in the best of spirits. I had my own gloominess before it…
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When one opens the heart for it and grows keenness in eyes, winter can offer unexpected portals to new perspectives and show the world otherwise hidden. Then, there is no need to let the short month of February pass in an uninspired way, as merely a mandatory bridge that one needs to cross – just in order to reach the sights and sounds of March on the other side. Most…
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Before & more than anything else, I am a nature lover. And, photography for me has been a wonderful medium to capture and document those profound, priceless moments in nature so that later I can live them again, and ponder on them to write & create art. I must have shot thousands of colorful nature photographs to date, while occasionally experimenting with monochrome. Going through a few of my…
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For the last few days, my daily walks have been slowed down to a desirable, blissful pace – thanks to these tiny, stubby umbrellas scattered everywhere in the grass along the sidewalks. It’s impossible to stop at a suddenly sprouted mushroom and not be enlightened in some way. Mushrooms know when to show up. And more often than not, they pop up right after something goes awry. I am not…
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July 2022 Update: I thank Nikita Dhawan, founder of the non-profit Youth For Animals – A Youth Ambassador for Born Free Foundation, a member of IUCN’s Commission on Education and Communication (CEC) and a Youth Ambassador for Earthday.org, -For sharing this poem (2020 version) with thousands of passionate and hardworking activists working against animal cruelty and for the welfare of elephants in captivity. Nikita started a campaign to free Shankar,…
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About four Junes ago on a warm evening, I had watched a surreal sight of a dazzling display of synchronized fireflies blinking in the air over a small meadow not very far from home. That exhilarating experience had inspired me to write this poem, which is now also a part of my illustrated poetry book inspired by the unsullied nature in America. Complement this with A Noiseless Patient Spider. Poem &…
