Life & Celebrations!

 #DailyFlowers

Here's a shout-out to the awesome folks that make up the #DailyFlowers group. Uncomplainingly, they have continued to share pix of flowers, notwithstanding that the blogger seems to be lost in the desert of Parkinson's & dementia care giving. Mom seems to be getting more and more lost and  befuddled as days go by. And now, my answers don't seem to suffice. It's as if both of us are standing at a precipice, poised but no more movement. And I wonder what compels nature to move ahead with its blooms, seasons, flowers. Although I  strive to keep mention of these issues out of this blog, sometimes they just rush in, like fools do into spaces where angels fear to tread

Rhymes and lines have gone into hiding
As the blogger is busy doing mom's biding
Mom, who routinely asks who am I/are you
Her memories now hold a precious few
Now what to do is her constant refrain
Wish I could cast out that pain
But down for a morning stroll she must go
And watch the flowers put on a show
The varied colors and blooms put a smile on her face
Even as life seems to pass by at its frenetic pace 

The purity of white always delights
Wonder what secrets lie in its light
What stories and glories it could share
As it spreads itself on the day fair
Hearkens at once to the purity of the soul
Subsumes all colors, makes them whole

'Tis the season to be jolly
To deck the halls with mistletoe & holly
To make snowmen and sing carols out loud
Spread cheer, joy and peace all around
Poinsettias mark the onset of winter
Begin the season as the sprinter
Form part of the decorations green & red
Signal Jolly Ole Santa's just ahead

Winter is the season of weddings
With many creating new settings
Whist the rest shower blessings
Flowers, as usual play a central role
They the entire decor control
Sometimes in curtains down the side
At others, scattered in vases along for the ride
They also form the bridal canopy
Add to visions played out in fantasy
The garland for vow taking with them is made
With them best wishes for the couple are prayed

Tales of journeys, of wandering
Of coming and going & some serious pondering
Of flower festivals and birthday presents
Make for times truly pleasant
Lighting up the blog with their beauty
The flower sharers have done their duty
That we do hereby celebrate
And allow the melody therein to reverberate! 

Yep, some images are left over, will try to feature them soon!

My Co-Contributors

Mahesh with beauties from the hills; Shashi, Vivek & Kirti; Vivek, Rachna & Mahesh; Mahesh, Shashi, Shantha & Rina (via Shalini); Ranjona, Rachna, Shashi & Vivek; Shantha, Shalini, Rachna & Vivek; Shantha & Shalini; Shashi & Shalini; Shashi, Ranjona & Vivek

A Flowery Refrain

 #DailyFlowers

 The brain has set up a nagging refrain: put your fingers to keyboard and write the blog post it says! The heart, on the other hand, is massively distracted, worried and refuses to settle down to allow verses to emerge. But, here I am with some free time and fingers dancing on the keyboard. Living with an elderly parent who suffers from Parkinson's and its dementia involves the art of jugglery; at times, you win, others the PD&D does. Mom has taken to going into her yester years more frequently than ever before, sometimes being fixed therein totally. Sometimes, the TV's distraction helps, at times some pictures do. And I wonder at life, at once stagnant & moving, then irritable & calming. And in and around I see flowers, of all kinds, in full blooming glory.

Wonder what lessons these flowers do offer
What gems of wisdom do they proffer
Whether these into our minds and souls do get
Or whether they are transient and so easy to forget
Day after day, nature puts forth colors bright
For us to see, imbibe and in them delight
'Tis the season of lilies and mums
To whose music does their soul strum
To what beats do they march
Left and right in perfect cadence do they spark

The lamppost and flowers are the crown
But this visit in some sorrow is bound
Life begins and it ends
Along the way, the journey it tends
Passage of time is marked by years
Departures marked by tears
To the everlasting One a prayer we raise
Grant the soul peace, shelter and your grace
For those left behind, we seek
Healing, love, connections that speak
Of bonds strong and true
That no sorrow shall rent asunder or hew
Flowers grant amazing grace
Time and again, this place and that place
Through life's cycle do they thrum
A varied bouquet silently drums

Then there was the ignition of the spark
The onset of winter it did seem to mark
Blues & Violets showcased their power
Tales with fervor and imagination empower
What all they must have seen
Majestically they did preen
Bring forth beauty untrammeled
Hues of reds, yellows and pinks did channel
More stories to the panels

Oranges and yellows refused to be left behind
They, you know are of different kinds
Vivid bursts of color do they embody
Their blooming is brilliant and never shoddy
Amidst the reds & pinks, they do chant
Refrains, songs, melodies never do want

Gimme Red, the contributors did say
Many rushed to fill the day
Red in its many hues did merrily swing
Along with the season, joy it did bring
Whites did also this time dominate
As if some did them nominate
Blooms from near, blooms from far
Did join buds, together star
Other glories too did their part
Sometimes to end, others to start
Posts on its own the blog doesn't create
The blogger is sometimes on time, sometimes late!

 My Co-Contributors

Shantha, Shalini & Rachna; Shantha & Yash; Vee, Shantha & Karthik; Shantha, Gauri, Rachna & Shashi; Vivek, Shantha, Scharada, & Mahesh; Rachna, Ranjona, Shantha, Shalini & Yash; Gauri, Mahesh & Scharada; Mahesh, Ranjona, Kirti & Vee; Vivek, Shantha, Vee, Scharada, Shalini & @MGNTheTwin; Shantha, Shashi, Yash, SubyT, & Rachna; Shantha, Vivek, Alka & Ranjona.