shiv.me

It’s my mom’s birthday today, and as I scoured the recesses of the internets for something nice to say, I came across this most beautiful poem by the author of  ”Joy Junction” about his mom. As most of you who know me know, I’m not much of a poet, but I am enough of a romantic to steal “borrow” someone-else work to express what I feel (I know — lame, right?)

மழையில் நனைந்துகொண்டே
வீட்டுக்கு வந்தேன்
‘குடை எடுத்துட்டுப் போக வேண்டியதுதானே!’
என்றான் அண்ணன்’
எங்கேயாச்சும் ஒதுங்கி நிக்கவேண்டியதுதானே’
என்றாள் அக்கா
‘சளி பிடிச்சுக்கிட்டு செலவு வைக்கப்போற பாரு’
என்றார் அப்பா
தன் முந்தானையால்
என் தலையை துவட்டிக்கொண்டே
திட்டினாள் அம்மா
என்னையல்ல; மழையை!
source: Joy Junction

My translation, in the hope that it redeems the “theft”:

I came home drenched in the rain
‘Why didn’t you take the umbrella’
said my brother
‘You could have waited somewhere until there was a respite in the rain’
said my sister
‘you are going to catch a cold and cost us money’
said my father
With the tip of her sari,
as she dried off my head,
my mom was cross
not with me;
but with the rain.

Yes. We tamilians are melodramatic and sentimental sometimes … (well actually, all the time. Some of us, just learn to hide it better) Mom. Dad. Grandma, Shankar and Swetha. There are days where I really miss you guys. Today was one such day.

Forget perfect pitch. I’m so thankful that I can experience a large range of frequencies, and that I have enough hearing ability to distinguish timbre, and tone. Watch the video below, especially at 7:00 minutes. We all must be thankful that we can hear as well as we do. I can’t imagine what life would be like without the ability to sense the warmth of a viola rising up in the Brandenburg concertos (BWV 1046) movement 1, or the horns in the 3rd movement of the same.

J.S. BACH BWV 1046 Brandenburg Concertos No: 1

Movements 1 & 2: http://youtu.be/idvduV2I3o0

Movements 3 & 4 : http://youtu.be/x8AEGLAyMOc

When in doubt, take a poet’s thought to your heart. They are, invariably experienced beings, that have spent a great deal of their lives, exploring the heart through the mind.

Strong Mercy by Rabindranath Tagore

My desires are many and my cry is pitiful,
but ever didst thou save me by hard refusals;
and this strong mercy has been wrought into my life through and through.

Day by day thou art making me worthy of the simple,
great gifts that thou gavest to me unasked—this sky and the light, this body and the
life and the mind—saving me from perils of overmuch desire.

There are times when I languidly linger
and times when I awaken and hurry in search of my goal;
but cruelly thou hidest thyself from before me.

Day by day thou art making me worthy of thy full acceptance by
refusing me ever and anon, saving me from perils of weak, uncertain desire.

This poem, expresses a lot of what’s on my mind, at this ungodly hour (its 3:39 am), except for the last couple of lines. I didn’t want to editorialize a poem, and hence left it in place.

It’s that time of the year, in Vancouver, when it starts to rain and is expected to do so, incessantly, for the next 6 months (I exaggerate, a little).

It is better to be prepared for it, and enjoy it while it lasts (like so many other things in life — even the moments, that are not exactly the way one wants them to be)

So here are a few pictures, that show how beautiful and mesmerizing rain can be.