'Tis Time for Roses!

 #DailyFlowers

Time as usual has flown by and we have moved into 2025; winter is here, hopefully moving on and Spring is signaling its entrance and that means flowers galore. And it is time for Roses to take centerstage. If you are regular reader of my blog, you'd know that my Delhi aunt was looking forward to checking out Roses, but a bad fall put that on the backburner. Seeing her love for roses, I requested Shalini to please go out and capture Roses on her sojourns round the city and share. This post features those shares. Of course, aunt's little back garden that houses a few roses has also sent in its contributions.

Roses, roses in all their colorful glory

Each hue, shade telling its own story

A few from friends' travels come

Some darlings of back gardens become

Each dancing to its own music & drum

Amazing hues make their play

As our gazes on them stay

A pair are featured here

The colors likely beyond compare

A bud when I was visiting

Soon turned into a full bloom

A color so lovely 

It cast away the winter gloom

My exhortation to Shalini brought forth

Quite likely a camera's entire worth

Showcasing them was a joy

All of Designer's skills I had to employ

Some frames might have repeats

For these roses, my heart did beat

Newer settings did strive to please

May have succeeded to tiny degrees

My Co-Contributors: Neena & Shalini; Neena; Rina; Neena & Rina; Neena; both frames: Shalini; Shalini & Neena; Neena & Rina. My ageing brain has had me missing Shantha out, my apologies! All Rina's shares via Shalini

Of Weddings, Flowers & Lil Furballs

#DailyFlowers

Over the last 20 days of December the blogger has had the honor of attending 2 weddings. One in the extended family and of a friend's daughter. Could the weddings have been more dissimilar yet similar, is difficult to say. The mehndi & ladies sangeet at both were filled with song, dance, laughter, togetherness, family, friendly competition, good food and more. The weddings were a solemn occasion as they should be along with the usual revelry, song, dance, band-baja-baraat, jaimal & pheras. At both the blogger broke from the norm and wore traditional Indian attire (more on that some other time). But this post is being written specifically for Shalini. Permission to use some commonly shared pix has been sought and taken for granted, (alas the blogger is wicked)!

Into the bitter Delhi winter, the blogger went
In response to summons Shalini had sent
Her darling daughter was tying the knot
Friends were to be present, the lot 
Mehndi, ladies sangeet, the wedding was a fun-filled day
As music, dance, laughter, songs held sway
Escorted to the dais by a dancing singing team
Joy, laughter, love, music and much more fun was the theme
Darling daughter & groom to be
Complimented each other in attire for all to see
The bridal side was singing banna-banni songs
The groom’s mother added her melodious voice along
One saree eclipsed another as color decked the halls
The men didn’t lag behind and added to the thrall
Dance matchups lit up the stage
As both parties competed for advantage

Delhi in winter is actually great fun

There are many goodies to savor in the sun

And mums, petunias, roses all are on display

Their multiple hues make for gorgeous displays

My aunt a visit to the rose show did devise

But that excursion never did arise

Alas, a slip of hand and foot was all it took

From a bad tumble, my aunt was all shook

Speedy recovery for her is desired

For her continued good health many have inquired

The sun came out after a gloomy rainy day
And all of God’s beings came out to play
Three lil furballs scampered around
From tree to cycle to basket to ground
Tiring of all the jumping and play
They did on the table curl and lay
One lil furball decided to be queen
With her head down declined to be seen
Both Shalini & Captain came to mind
As the blogger captured antics of the feline kind

Excluding wedding, all pix taken by the blogger!

Flowers Time Tested & True

 #DailyFlowers

 The blogger is reluctant to write, words do not flow; it is as if there's something stopping the flow. The shares are gorgeous, they do provoke a smile, but life is handing out hard lessons which make for tougher miles. Many a flower is yet to be framed, but the blogger's head is not in the game. An anniversary did recently pass by, it brought smiles, tears and sighs!

New beginnings are slow to start
That causes me to be a worry wart
Flowers bloom, seasons change
Life runs its usual range
The yen to put finger to keyboard doesn't arise
With things in so much flux, that's no surprise
Yet the contributors gamely continue to show
With flowers colorful putting on their show
The world once again is in turmoil
Old enmities flare up and do the region roil
So much bloodshed, so much lost
Peace, if it comes, at what cost
Mother nature at once her fury does flash
Roads, dams, bridges, infra it does slash
Festivals are on us once again
Joyous sounds make the refrain
Flowers hold time tested and true
Pinks, reds, yellows, lighter, bolder hues
From neighborhoods, walks, friends' gardens
Backyards, vases, hotels, the ambit widens
Seasons change, they come and go
Colorful blooms move with the flow
Climate changes means blooms last longer
Like Shashi's Roses they are stronger

 With demands on land, come the wars
And othering starts anew
Mother nature shows her scars
Amid demands that we renew
Our pledges to her and humanity
Bring back peace, brotherhood & clarity
That nations shall not bring forth conflict
It's time to introspect & not inflict
Damage, hurt, tears and more
Civilization does keep the score
Even though there is massive gloom
Smoke spreads its ghostly plume
But, flowers still bloom
Spread their colors & their perfume
Calm minds, hearts and souls
Try to bring closer those distant poles

This year is almost to its end
Another few months their stories will lend
Life will go on as it does
Incidents, happenings will swirl around us
The festive season is all but nigh
Among highs there are some weary sighs
The globe will spin, night & day will turn
Endless time will forever churn
Build new memories, write new tales
Sing some songs across valleys & dales
Flowers will spread their cheer & song
Encourage us to sing along
Newer melodies we will pen
Dance around yearnings, yen & ken
The world will move & it will hold still
Dancing eternally to that great will

My Co-Contributors

June, Shashi, Shantha & Shalini; June, Shantha & Shalini; Shashi, Shantha & Shalini; Shashi, Shantha, Shalini, & Vivek;  Shalini-Selina, Vivek, Shantha, & Shashi; Shalini & Shashi; Shantha, Shalini, June & Vivek; Shashi, Shantha, Vivek & Shalini

Blooms to the Rescue!

 #DailyFlowers

 DF is a kind of a misnomer, for the blog is anything but daily. Today, even weeks pass before a post is written. Discipline does its job, but at times the words just do not come. There is an overwhelming sense of ennui, not helped by the news around. Nevertheless, the flowers hold strong, come what may for short & long.

 Apologies for the delay
The viral did me belay
Lines went helter-skelter
The blogger in meds did take shelter
Little nuggets of discomfort come my way
Hopefully keeping bigger issues at bay
The rains had their fun
To doctors they caused many to run
But blessed we are to have homes intact still
Unlike the tumble crash and splash seen across the hills
Nevertheless, the flowers in bunches do come
Spreading their glory, color, beauty and then some

Gorgeous flowers that did no harm
Their fragrance, colors, glories did us charm
Adorn they do majestically plants and trees
As rangolis, their wonders do not cease
For most their presence a smile does bring
But some in protest sometimes sting
Reminds me of the elegy by Thomas Gray
Of blooms designed to die unseen on the way
Should we then not glory in beautiful scenes
On trees, plants, bouquets, shows for them to preen
For that which is born has to die
Saying anything else would be a cosmic lie
But the color, zest and variety do sing
A song deep for every living thing

Thoughts are scattered
Jaws have been out-nattered
Days are restless, time's slow
One struggles to merge with the flow
She is missed, dearly so
Fingers to keyboard don't so easily go
Rhymes have turned dark
Songs have kind of lost the spark
The news all round doesn't really help
It makes one want to scream & yelp
Sometimes the glimmer doth burst forth
And beauteous hues spread their worth

Maybe it's time for the blogger to take a longer break
The desire to write doesn't easily an appearance make
Some sense of discipline is still ingrained
Its reminders do however feel quite stressed & strained
Words, phrases, lines do not themselves knit
Whenever they do, they form imperfect skits
And then flowers jump in to the rescue
With all the charm and guile of fescue

And then there were the whites
Bunched together a perfect sight
For our senses to delight
And in a way showing the light
It's one day up and one day down
Twirl, whirl, spin around
Life's executing its play
Despite what you or I may say

My Co-Contributors

Beacon, Bhaskar, Shantha & Shashi; Moushumi, Beacon, Bhaskar, Shalini-Rina, Shashi, June & Shantha; Shashi, Shantha & Shalini; Shashi, & Vivek (Swati); Vivek, Shantha, Devlina, Bhaskar & Ranjona; Gautam, Dr.Manish, Shantha, Shashi, & Vivek; Ria, Shalini, Shashi & Bhaskar-Beacon; Shashi, Shantha & Ria; Shashi, Shalini & June; Shashi, Shantha & Ranjona; Shashi & Shantha; Silverlightgal; Shantha, Shashi, Vivek & Ranjona; Shalini, Shantha & Ranjona; Vivek, LalitSeth, Shantha, Selina, Silverlightgal; Shashi, Vivek, Shalina, Selina & Shantha.

Winds of Change are Blowin'

 #DailyFlowers

 Time to write a new post, and time for change to come floating by. Time to move on with life, while keeping the past firmly entrenched, but time to make anew memories, experiences and more.

 The winds of change are blowing
They advise with them to keep flowing
For a project there might come a hail
Old skills refreshed, new ones to scale
A change in home city it may bring
Oncoming challenges make the blogger sing
It wouldn't do to say nay
Lady luck has sent some this way
Mayhaps, a break will be good
Her absence is not totally withstood
The eyes still for her search
Not finding her the heart does lurch
She did command to live to the full my life
Move forth to progress, away from strife
This sign I will accept and take
Shifts and moves if required make
The blog posting may be a tad slow
But request contributors to keep up the flow
For their blooms our days do cheer
Keep gloom away, bring smiles near

 The rains are here to stay
Sometimes all day, sometimes every other day
The parched earth drinks in every drop
And nature begins to glow and pop
Blooms from everywhere do come
Pinks, reds, oranges, yellows and then some

A plethora of blooms outstripping the praise
How many words in appreciation do we raise
The blogger is having a time tough
Rhymes and lines come out rough
The heart many-a-time doesn't wish to pen
Discipline compels the blogger then
Days meld into night and nights meld into day
Life, hectic, running, dark, colorful holds its sway
Society all round has gone to the dogs
While politicians, law & order are sawing logs
Sometimes, I wonder what comes next
What stories will form the new context
Also seen are vivid color blazes
Sometimes harsh, sometimes soothing to our gazes
From these blooms, resilience we'll learn
Through them everlasting beauty discern

My Co-Contributors

Monica (from her US travels, 1st 2 frames); Monica, Shashi & Shalini; Beacon, Shalini, Shashi & Monica; Vivek, Ranjona, Dr.Manish & Shashi; Shalini, Shantha, Shashi & Vivek; Beacon, Bhaskar, Shantha & Monica; Shashi, Shantha, Shalini; June & Shalini; Shashi & Monica; June, Shashi, Shantha, Rachna & Vivek; Bhaskar, Dr.Manish, Shashi & Shalini.