General

Drive away cooking blues, add a dash of imaginary zing, there is no way out, no restaurants, no takeaways or any other such savior.

The Whistle blew, loud and piercing, not once, but 2, 3, 4 times…..” Is anybody listening, I have alerted, now let my voice die down”.

The Pressure Cooker sizzled,” I am all hot and cooked, I need to vent!”. The Pan, sitting close by coughed,” I can feel temperatures rising, I am sick and shivering with all the bubbling. Distance yourself, you hot Cooker, your steamy droplets are getting to me”.

The Chimney laughed wickedly,” fanning is my job and looks like I am doing it perfectly”.  Pril, the cleaning liquid, offered kindly, “Cooker and Pan, pour me in and gargle me out”. “I am ready for a rinse with you”, Clear Water gurgled,” else be quarantined in the attic above”.

” Aren’t we in the…

नहीं मिलती हैं तक़दीरें हमारी तुम्हारीं
किसी कहानी के क़िरदार से हम हैं

इल्तिज़ा है बदल दो क़िस्मत हमारी
तुम्हारी मर्ज़ी में गिरफ़्तार से हम हैं

तुम्हीं बक्शों कोई नई वजह जीने की
खुद अपनी हालत से बेज़ार से हम हैं

तुम ही बुलाते नहीं महफ़िल में हमें
कब से आने को बैठे तैयार से हम हैं

जब है इश्क़ खुदा की नेमत अमित
फिर न जाने क्यों शर्मसार से हम हैं

In response to: Reena’s Exploration Challenge # 138

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are players.
They have their entries and exits” — Shakespeare.

Who we are is learned behavior.
Reinforced by repetition
Institutions’ sour savor

Us v. Them a favored flavor
Cooked by gluttons’ craved ambition
Who we are is learned behavior.

Taints our sense like toxic vapor
Fairy tales teach with precision
Institutions’ sour savor

Villains slain and who’s in favor
Rulers make the best decisions
Who we are is learned behavior.

Scales askew for misbehavior
Death or cage are poor’s perdition
Institutions’ sour savor

Kings walk free and stroke their sabers
As we yearn for manumission
Who we are is learned behavior.
Break the chains, intrepid sailors!

I decided to do another villanelle in response to the prompt. Reena, thank you for yet another evocative prompt.

Reena Saxena is the host of Reena’s Exploration Challenge.  Reena says:

“All the…

Reena is the host of Reena’s ExplorationChallenge

Welcome back to another week of creativity!

PROMPT #138

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women are players. They have their entries and exits” famously said, Shakespeare.

Shakespeare got it all wrong. Life is what we choose, and everything else is just existence.

Well, I just noticed that Shakespeare has not used the word “life” anywhere. The Master knew what he was talking about.

All you need to do is just think about how the above lines gel with or rub against your thought process. Then, start writing and there you are with your piece.

~*~

We came

We saw

We conquered!

Or did we?

We come, as in, are born but have no choice in where and when.

We live a life which, for the early part, is pretty much pre-decided for us. Then there comes a…

scarlet stilletos

guilelessly tripping on fate

~ fortuitous design

*

Mindfills for JibberJabber’s design & Reena’s exploration challenge – all the world’s a stage

birds display plumage
gorillas pound on their chest
do not jump the queue

for Reena’s Exploration Challenge

Hours, without a muse,

Strikes like a bolt of lightning,

Fluidly grasping,

Brainstorm at opportune time,

No stopping writer within.

Poetry Form :- Gogyoka

Acknowledgements :- In response to Reena’s Exploration Challenge # 137. Thank you, Ma’am for running the challenge. Thank you all for stopping by and reading.