A humming word

 Who do we pray to? What do we pray for?  the fragrance of festivities enticed my senses  and the clandestine purpose of godliness entered my impressionable mind  through sweetmeats and laughter but  when the regressive lens of my gender was unveiled the goodness and the holiness negated each other  discriminating a maid, molested by life  and the quiet friend who vowed never to pray  only because it reminded her of the bleakness of light  when misfortune befell  slowly the unfairness of life  weaved its own tapestry  and the unsweetened form of life revealed itself  Prayers and celebration Draped a solemn form  kindness became a prayer and loving despite everything became a celebration

 /for a dear friend, colleague and a sister/ Dear Sister,  Even the mundane is not easy for many.  Let education and patience be your tool and weapon than merely a degree and virtue A voice shrieks the loudest  when silence cloths the action Let the response for every bruise be  progress - of self, of community  Your indifference to the wrong doers  is more powerful than hatred

Dear sister, I cannot even tell you, I understand. Do I ? Do i not? Sitting in my chair, looking outside and breathing, our complaints seem miniscule now. the other day a few of us were discussing how we, as women, have a voice now and the independence day that has gone past, we spoke about women freedom fighters and some men spoke about how they support women's liberation. all those words seem like apparitions now. we are all pained but what can we do, sister?

Guitars are strumming in the snow kissed air of the Midwest. It's Waukesha, the spirit of Les Paul You can hear it walking past Steaming Cup, the coffee shop where scraps, recycled, decorate the shop and coffee is served by tattoed idealists. The coffee shop is opposite a Library and adjacent to Book stores that are owned by coffee lovers who have a pot by the window The book shops tap on the pages of poets and words sing forming lyrics.   It can be heard in the alleys and the murals on the walls And trickle down the coffee shop where these lyrics are served in coffee mugs accompanied with a plate of cookies.

Emotional Corruption /for everyone who does it/ What is this love and duty that you rave about? as per our texts, it is imperative to pursue moral responsibility And Duty towards self and Love towards self that manifests into happiness that propels duties towards self and nation. Instead, Dear Mortal, Why have you tied a noose around yourself forgetting we are here to do our duties as citizens, as living beings. You have turned each other into a bearer of surnames and divisive thoughts that die with you!

Movies that speak of outdated concepts such as "Happy Family, despite anything" must be banned:  Hum Saath Saath Hai and Vivah and most importantly, Suraj Barjatiya , are the biggest culprits of this nonsensical drama which hold no truth.  In the name of niceness, one cannot sacrifice personal peace and its pursuit. And if doing so is being bad then better to be bad and happy than being "nice" and "melancholic". Instead, movies like Akaash Vani and Dil Dhadakne Do must be aired continuously till everyone watches it. Much like the Vaccine drive. And it should be driven into minds that life is not about keeping the family honour alive. Ironically, it is the meek and the mute (metaphorically) who are asked to do so. So, moving on: Dose 1: Akaash Vani is the story of a happy-go-lucky couple (Akaash and Vani) who are separated as Vani gets married to another man, her parents choose. She succumbs to the pressure as her parents are maligned by society.  And wh...

 Dear Jug, You taught Kaira how never to put anyone on a pedestal and treat everyone as a human and that lesson stayed. You taught her to forgive her parents and circumstances dictate a situation and the person's reaction of response. You have introduced the concept of therapy in so many lives that I felt you are Bollywood's own therapist. To the SRK within: Your movies. Your songs. Your dance. Gave solace in bleak times.  As Jug, you emphasised the importance of stories and narratives and alternate theories and a different lens. Remember how you told Kaira about different soul mates or a "special friend" for every interest. I loved that. Indeed, how can you lay the responsibility on one person? Some could be your Pizza friend, some, your coffee friend, some, your book friend.  Jug, you were the torchbearer for therapy and thank you for that.  Warmly, A patron