Who would have thought...?

 #DailyFlowers

As I sit here looking out of the window at the lights, I wonder how come time just slipped by. Wasn't it just now that we were ringing another year in, and here we almost at the end again! Yes, life is cyclical, years end, years start! Months come in and go past. And time just flies, even when it seems to be going slow, it just slides past. This blog post departs a little from the older ones, since a refrain has established itself in my head and won't let go... Hope you'll bear with it?

Who would have thought:
Life would turn out the way it is
We would find succor in flowers
A group of people would images share
Those images would come to mean so much care
That colors vibrant, radiant, shy and serene
Would come together to make memorable scenes
Who, just who could have thought?
That blooms from far and wide
Would come along to this blog for a ride

Who could have thought
Of life's strange intersections
Varied and diverse combinations
Who could have taught
That nature would have such healing power
That it would rent asunder dark and blessings shower
Who would have thought that the world would to a standstill come
With people locked in place, no travel, holidays and then some
Who would have thought that recovery would be slow
And yet the light of friendship would continue to grow
Spanning oceans, continents, worlds, connections
Who would have thought that we would be where we're today

Who would have thought:
What life to us did bring
Songs it taught us, songs we did sing
Events, occasions, get-togethers and more
Playing catch up to even the score
Travels to homelands more precious did become
On blessings from parents did our hearts thrum
And the outpouring of color-filled blooms did continue
Rejuvenate us, breathe in us a life anew
Who would have thought
That a strange thought would send rhymes tumbling
Scatter them hither & thither, their letters a-bumbling
 Who would have thought?
Not me? Did you?
Was perhaps this controlling the flow
But what this is I still do not know
And yet, who could have thought...

 Who would have thought
That songs of praise would go and hide
Despite the blogger casting far and wide
The group's patience she does desire
For time for more rhymes to acquire
Till then, Lady June's praise shall hold the spot
Hoping to carry this blog aloft

 Flowering accompaniments courtesy:

Shantha & Shalini; Shantha; Shalini; Shalini, Mahesh, Ranjona, Scharada & Richard; Vivek, Devlina, Ranjona & Shalini; Vivek & Shantha; Vivek, UdayBaxiji, & SukiF; Shashi; Vivek; Shashi; Shalini, June & Shantha

Flying Time & Flowers Strong

 #DailyFlowers

Time has gone flying past and it's over nearly 20+ days since the last post. It was also during this interval that we celebrated Mom's birthday! Ah yes, partial me has already put the post celebrating her up.  In the meanwhile, four score and more of pix await to be framed and showcased and 

It is time to write a new post on the blog
But the mind is sozzled by a fog
Rhymes are somewhat frozen
Refuse to be written by the dozen
The praise must be genuine
Not sound like a brain hopped on quinine
Now, what shall this blogger do
Except think stuff through & through
There is a plethora of colors
Pinks, reds, oranges, lilacs & others
Let's begin with these frames
And then will add more to the game

A field of violet petunias did smile
The artist did tarry there for a while
Then in a merry fit splashed his brush
As if he would make the blooms flush
And speckled the violets with dots of white
Other blooms jostled for glory and space
All of them gained their due place
Set to be admired by one and many
Their colors and designs so zany

On a trip to India has Shashi come
Capturing flowers as is his wont and then some
Scenes from his journeys he generously shares
Sparking both memories and oohs / aahs over his fares
From US via Dubai to Hyderabad he did go
The city's gems did he us artfully show
Then across the country he did fly
That section will be showcased bye &  bye

Beauties Shantha continues to bring
In shades that make even nature sing
Colors in glowing profusion
In multiple hues an ever-growing effusion
In this season, hibiscus do reign
Their preeminent position they maintain

Food, delicious food
That always tastes so good
Yellows, oranges do call to mind
Glorious meals for Vivek to find
He has gone and lived the Sula life
Courtesy his lovely, gracious wife
Others sent in loads of orange-yellow
Cheery, pleasant, mellow fellows

Shalini is traversing the Northeast again
Its glories its stories do campaign
Gems not hitherto seen
Are now bursting on the blog's screen
Her Mom chimes in with a Himalayan treasure
To which we mortals fail to measure

Seasons change as time goes by
Autumn does sneak in on the fly
Climes and blooms play the eternal game
Changing colors, hues, frame by frame
We are in October now
Snow shall December allow
Cool winds shall blow their way through
And the cycle will begin anew

My Co-Contributors

@Oneirology11; Shalini, Kirti (Via Katrina), Scharada & Vivek; Vivek, Shantha & Shashi; Shantha, Shalini; DrManish, & Yash; Shashi (both frames); Shantha (both frames); DrManish & Vivek; Yash & Scharada; Jola, Vivek, Shalini & Ranjona; @AntiReal, Vivek, Shalini & Subytweets; Shalini (both frames); Shantha, June, DrManish & Vivek

Of Interprid Explorers & Diligent Researchers

#DailyFlowers

This flower blog has come a long way; from a single flower post to multiple frames to an ever-growing contributors list! And, the contributors are a breed apart. Yes, the title says it all. They go long distances to get the blog exotic blooms and dive into research to get them properly identified. So, it's only fair that we honor them

7000 slippery steps did Shalini take
From the #livingrootbridge   exotic blooms she did partake
She now awaits a masterful poetic rendering
My rhymes, I am now terrified of tendering
Lest they not match the image upheld
And this blogger be unable to hold the reader be-spelled

Who painted these beauties
Who was given these duties
These were queries Shalini had
Of flowers in gorgeous colors clad
Like blooms from Canada did come
Marching to their creator's drum
The diligent researcher added Joseph's coat
These painted leaves have my vote
Gladioli in deep pinks did shine
They seem to continue the frame quite fine

Periwinkles & other dainty darlings did abound
Some sprinkled with raindrops were found
A plethora of violets & pinks led the show
Performing their roles with a smiling glow

 

Casting on the blog their eternal favor
Hibiscus & Roses give us their beauty to savor
Hues of red and pink stripes
Enhance the glory of their types
Contributors do graciously bring
These flowers their melody to sing
On a trip Yash has gone
Flowering beauties are sent along
Glorious roses are featured here
In shades varied they gladly appear

Breaking the trend of flowers & blooms
Came images whimsical along with green plumes
Hues of pink did quietly in sneak
They wanted to have the first peek
Shashi to the GoogleAI did speak
In its turn, some gems it did leak
A  carriage horse-drawn & flower bedecked
And a purple cauliflower among blooms it did detect

Nature's grandeur on display
Today, tomorrow & everyday!

Colors glorious, colors bright
Spreading cheer with all their might
Reds, yellows, oranges, whites, lavender, and pinks
Of nature's majesty do deeply drink
From hill, plain, vale or grove
Out comes a treasure trove
Collected with passion, shared with grace
They make this blog an amazing place
 

There was a tale that was spun
Of dogs, yellow cars/flowers, women & driving fun
Vivek couldn't hold back his glee
Others added gems to the blooming spree
Shantha brought forth a weeping bottle-brush
Vivek, the weeping part immediately did crush
Deep blue-violets & spiky reds
Elevated and completed the spread

My Co-Contributors

Shalini; Shalini & Richard-Kiran; Shalini & Dr. Manish; Shashi, Jola & Richard-Kiran; UdayBaxiji, Vivek, June & Dr.Manish; Shantha & Yash; Shalini, Vivek (Arti) UdayBaxiji, & Richard-Kiran; Shashi; Shalini, Shashi, Shantha, Vivek & June; Shashi, Shantha, Ranjona & Miss Dazey; Shantha & Vivek; Shashi, Vee, UdayBaxiji & Shalini; Shantha, UdayBaxiji, Subytweets & Vivek; Subytweets, Shantha, Shalini, Vivek & Richard-Kiran.

Come September!

 #DailyFlowers

And there you have it! The unending movement of time! August has gone and yes, it is September! Time and life, both are uncertain, when one overlaps the other cannot be said! And, when it is time, it just is! Nothing stops that time! And it is also time for Ganesha to be bid goodbye, for Onam to be celebrated, for people to start thinking of holidays, new clothes and what have you, to welcome the Goddess (Durga) look forward to Navaratri & Dusshera and thence to the other incoming festivals. It is also a month full of birthdays, friends and members of extended family! 

An unending greeting
Roses & Hibiscus bring
Letting us go is not their way
They are here to brighten all days
Two of natures gems
Bobbing merrily on their stems
Singing songs out and loud
Attracting an enthralled crowd

These amazing stunning single blooms
Casting on the air their varied perfumes
Shared by our contributors gracious
They are ever so precious

On goes the monument-flowers saga
They just scripted a new raga
As along with the sun
Yellows, pinks, oranges have so much fun

Flowers as creation
Flowers as decoration
Ganpati celebrated
A lord venerated
A painted leaf, fresh flowers, water & a rose
With great aplomb did they all pose

A plethora of pinks-yellows on the scene
Sheer gorgeousness enlivening the green
In office vases and corners, from near & far
Glorious hues that playfully do star

 Blooming circlets sometimes planned
Tiny star-like flowers that walk the land
We know not their aims or goals
They pour out their souls into their roles
Beauty, harmony, peace & love they brew
Through and through, absolutely true

On an overseas trip did Yash go
The Tivoli put on quite a show
Lovely pinks, creams danced and twirled
A peacock pranced with its tail unfurled

A variety of pinks have arrived
On shrubs, plants, bushes they have thrived
Udayji to himself deserves a full frame
As nature's beauty his pix proclaim

My Co-Contributors

Shashi, Shantha, UdayBaxiji & Vivek; June, Shantha, Shashi & Vivek; Shashi, Vivek & Shalini; Shalini, Vivek, Shashi, & Ranjona; DrManish, Shantha, UdayBaxiji, & Shashi; Shalini, Shantha & Shashi; Shashi, Shalini & Vivek; Vivek & Yash; UdayBaxiji. 

A number of pix are left over and will be featured in the next post!

Shared Blooms

 #DailyFlowers

 The months march on, August is ending, September waiting round the corner and life goes on. Sometimes the work week is easy at times tougher than tough! We humans are a strange lot: we grumble when we have too much free time & less work and groan and moan when there's too much! In the nearly 3 decades that I have been working, there must have been at the max a 80-odd weeks where work and free time were perfectly balanced. And in the midst of this madness, history and the current met, smiled, shared blooms

The city of Hyderabad, ancient & modern
How many feet these paths have trodden
At one the Nizam's palace, thence the NPA
The cradles of administration, law & order
There went Shalini Social Media to re-order
Explain with hubby the intricacies of this space
Allow cadet officers a step ahead in the race
Alongside, the gardens did flourish
Their residents brilliant hues do nourish

Some more travels that she did undertake
Pix from there she did bring for us to partake
A red multi-layered house did she spy
Green gables, reddish pots too did catch the eye
Along with her a contributor rare
Brought in beauteous fare

One of our members always on his mind has food
Was apt that the red & whites reminded him of something good
But he also brought forth the mogra's tale
Alone or in company this beauty's intricate detail
Meant that it was adored and did prevail
Along with surprises that Coriander did spring
As its flowers did Scharada's close attention bring

There were more surprises in store
The red bottle brush upped the score
The fruiting bush created quite a sight
Delicious guavas showed their might

Our most prolific contributors this blog complete
Daily, magical beauties form stupendous treats
How do I separate one from the other
They seem to be having a friendly competition rather
Their gems totally astound
The collections are quite profound
Lost I get sometimes for rhymes
Their beauty loudly chimes
For me to be silent, offer them up for praise
So that all may on them lovingly gaze

Yellows, oranges, pinks and white
Colors in combination always delight
For more, violets, fuchsias do well meld
Readers of this blog are truly be-spelled
Some gems from contributors new
While the old hold true

My Co-Contributors

Shalini; Shalini & Nimmypal; Vivek & Scharada; Scharada; Shashi & FreyaS; Shantha; UdayBaxiji, Shashi & Devlina; UdayBaxiji, Subytweets & Shantha; Vivek, UdayBaxiji & Shalini; DrManish, Battrebeet  & Shantha; DrManish & Devlina; DrManish, Shantha & AdityaDSingh.