வெள்ளை பூக்கள்

Like many across the world I’ve been self-isolating on my days off work. Work, home and only stepping out to get groceries once a week. I am an introvert by nature and I am single by choice and I’ve always been comfortable being alone. But when being cooped up inside is forced upon instead of being a free choice, it’s been challenging. It’s been weeks since I’ve seen any of my friends. Friends like family. Friends with babies. No reassuring hugs. No silly smiles. No heart to heart. And the walls of my home and the confines of my mind have become a dark place. Constant thoughts of worry and fear. Fear for the ultra-macroscopic organism that’s waging war. Worry about old parents, friends who are cancer survivors, those who are immunocompromised.

 I took a walk in the park after nearly seven weekends. And counted my blessings. Grateful that I can still work. Family and friends who have been staying in touch via WhatsApp and FaceTime. And I took that moment to look outside instead of being enslaved by my personal thoughts and worries. All around the world, people are going through these uncertain times. And I am definitely not alone. Deep breaths. Baby steps. Be kind on yourself. Reach out. Pray. Keep going.

Here's my interpretation and rendition of வெள்ளை பூக்கள் - Vellai Pookal- Flowers of White in the dual forms of poetry and dance.

வெள்ளை பூக்கள் - Poetry

வெள்ளை பூக்கள்


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mangoes and Memories!

Image
I had my first plate of curd rice with mangoes in almost two years. Watermelon and mango are two fruits I’ve never purchased after moving to Canada. When a wonderful colleague at a friend gave me a mango I took it home and it sat in my kitchen counter for a week until I could not bear seeing it shrink. I cut it up and sat down to eat it with tears prickling the corner of my eyes. Each bite and morsel brought out an evocative memory of scorching Indian summers and juicy ripe Banganapli mangoes. Memories of a mother who would just eat the tiny amount of flesh around the seed only so we would have enough, a father who would religiously carry bags of mango up three flights of stairs almost every day during mango season, a sister who would sneak mango cubes onto my plate, Sunday family lunches in the sweltering Chennai summer when every meal would end with curd rice with mangoes and piping hot puris with puréed mangoes which my mother would serve me endlessly. Such memories of love. Su...
Read more

What's in a Name?

Image
'I said, bow ,' Voldemort said, raising his wand - and Harry felt his spine curve as though a huge, invisible hand was bending him ruthlessly forwards...' - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling My parents named my Sharanya after my birth. I’ve always loved my name and have hated it when people butchered it over the years! Anyone who calls me Saranya has been subject to my death stare and immense contempt. But it would take me nearly thirty years to fully realize every syllable of my beautiful name. Years earlier, when I’d discovered the magic of the search engine Google, I remember searching for “Sharanya name meaning”. For the most part Google’s results told me what I already knew. The meaning of the name ‘Sharanya’ was Goddess Durga. But there was one site that mentioned that ‘Sharanya’ also meant ‘surrender’. And I immediately hated it. HATED IT . I’ve been a rebel in my own way and conforming was never my style. And discovering ...
Read more

Maa

Image
Ruminating on the love of my Mother Goddess...Although I discovered my Mother’s love much later in life, She has been with me forever. After all I was named by my parents after the Goddess. The earliest memories I have of my Dad praying is him singing Aigiri Nandini (Mahishasura Mardini Stotram). From the year we moved to Mylapore in 1994, my mother routinely took me to seek Mother Karpagambal’s blessings at Kapaleeshwarar Temple . One of my closest friends took me to two beautiful Amman temples in Mylapore - Mundagakanni Amman and Kolavizhi Amman. Through all these years though I was seeing Her I was not really seeking Her.  Amish Tripathi’s Shiva Trilogy brought Lord Shiva into my life. There is no Shiva without Shakthi, and I discovered my Mother’s love. In 2014 my mother took me to visit Mariamman Temple at Samayapuram . In 2016 in the months before I left to Canada I was blessed to seek Her darshan at Kalighat Kali Mandir , Vishalakshi Temple and Ann...
Read more