Pen your thoughts

The best way to write is to pen your thoughts as honestly as possible, and with as much clarity as you can seek, with the available data and information that you are in possession of at that point of time.

The fact that you could be proven wrong at a later date cannot and should not be in itself a deterrent in wielding this awesome sword.

Jingle bells...Jingle bells.......

'Twas the night before Christmas, and far out at sea
Our vessel was sailing, as smooth as could be

The stockings were hung from the balcony chairs
With hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there

The children were nestled all snug in their uppers
Having just settled down from a Christmas Eve supper

And ma and myself, we were covered in aloe
A bit too much sun, in a pool, warm and shallow

When up in the sky, there arose such a clatter
I leapt from my bed to see what was the matter

To the sliding glass door, I flew like a flash
Well, more like a saunter, and less like a dash

And what to my skeptical eyes should appear
But a great shiny sleigh, and eight flying reindeer

They circled our ship, from starboard to port
As the moon lit the driver, a jolly old sort

Who called to his team, in a happy retort
"Now Dasher, now Dancer," so on and so forth

We raced through our cabin and into the hall
To the very top deck, in time for us all

To be awed by the sight of Old Santa's sleigh
As he lightly touched down, by the midnight buffet

With a bundle of goodies thrown over his back
He rose in the air and dropped down the smokestack

Santa went straight to work, and later we learned
He found every child's cabin, from the bow to the stern

Insides and oceanviews, balconies and suites
Santa filled every stocking, with toys and with treats

Until all his deliveries had been handled with care
Then he noted he still had a minute to spare

So he surfed the wave rider, with nary a fall
While Dasher and Dancer scaled the rock-climbing wall

And Prancer, who had always been fond of the cold
Tried the ice-skating rink, a sight to behold

And then with a whistle, Santa summoned his team
And he bade us farewell, silent nights and sweet dreams

And I heard him exclaim, as he flew out of view
Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good cruise.


Written by Alan Fox, with appreciation and apologies to Clement Clarke Moore, author of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and courtesy Vacations ToGo.com

Fade and Etch

There was a quaint coastal village in Kerala which had a picturesque beach leading up to a majestic cliff wall. Here once lived Ramu and Raju, two village children who happened to be very thick pals. They were always found to be together.

One day, while playing on the beach, they had a fight – as children (and more often the older variants) are bound to do. As an immediate solution, Ramu hit Raju and told him that they would no more be friends. Raju, deeply hurt, went and sat on the sands of the beach, watching the waves. After some time, he wrote thus on the sand – “Today Ramu and I decided not to be friends anymore”.Ramu, on contemplation of events, started feeling lousy. After some time, he went up to Raju, and after hugging him, apologized profusely. On the turn of events thus, a very happy Raju walked up to the Rocks of the cliff and taking a sharp stone, carved and etched thus on to the rock – “Today Ramu and I continue to be the best friends we always were”.
Paste your bad memories where it can be washed away easily, the good ones – etch them onto you where it can never be taken away. M. Kalipurayath
The Monsoon, 2009

What the Eyes (does not) behold!!

Scene 1 - Hospital Ward - "Room with a view"

There was a patient in the bed next to the window in the ward who was kind hearted. On the next bed was a patient who could not move, and who had no view of the outside. The fellow on the bed next to the window used to explain to the other about the activities in the great park outside, of children playing, birds chirping ET All, a running commentary for many months. This kept the other patient connected to the world, and made him very happy.

Then the patient next to the window passed away, and his friend was in grief. However, he asked to be shifted to the bed next to the window, which they did. Once there, and upon peering through the window, all he could see was a dark blank wall. Who put up the wall? he queried. It was always there, the wall - it was just the compassion of his fellow patient and a desire to make him happy which had negated the wall for many a month!!!

M Kalipurayath
End june 2008
Bangalore, India

On your Return

On one of my travels in a friend’s car, we approached the inevitable icon of advancement in highway design and finance – the Toll Gate. The window lowered, he passed on a 50 Rupee note to the Vendor, who promptly asked the recorded question – RETURN???

‘Padachonodu Chodikyanom’ – will have to ask the Almighty, was the response from my friend.

Which brings me on to the topic – are we moving in a unidirectional path? Are there opportunities to stop, and then procrastinate, so that one may retrace his or her steps in correcting something which at an earlier point of time might have looked different with the available data then?

Or are opportunities/chances once missed in the plane of the non correctable? Is that why we make attempts to ‘make up’?

If different situations at different points of time result in varied ideas of the sense of Justice, Truth and Valor, can they be actually considered permanent, or are these virtues Dynamic to the extent of being ‘Maya – Illusion’. At what point in time should one attempt to rationalize the concept of Justness? – knowing fully well that the ever changing values will render it unfit for such classification at a later point of time.

The Sound of the Bells

Once upon a time, a group of persons built a temple, which was as beautiful as it was magnificent. Then they hung small little bells all around it. These bells used to tinkle in the light breeze, creating a sound most harmonious. People used to come from far and near to hear the Sounds of the Bells.

On came a flood, and the temple was submerged. One could not hear the bells anymore. Over the years, fame of the temple dwindled, but did not vanish. Many years later, a young man from afar, desirous of hearing the bells, came to the shores where the temple once stood. He stayed there for many years, but failed to hear the sound of the bells. All he could hear was the sound of the sea. He tried to shut out the sound of the sea so that he could hear the bells, but in vain. At long last, frustrated at not hearing the bells, he decided to leave. On the last day, he walked to the shore and flung himself on the sand – and then – THROUGH THE SOUNDS OF THE SEA, HE HEARD THE SOUND OF THE BELLS.

It was always there, he just could not tune himself to hear it earlier!!!

M.Kalipurayath
January 2008