Change of Guard

The long ferocious summer days come with a dazzling orange blanket stretched in the open, almost endlessly, reducing everything in sight, to cinders. Anyone who dares to not bow to the sheer strength and power of fire, is befittingly disciplined. They continue to test the endurance and fortitude of one and all, day after day, incessantly. It appears that during this time, the Sun and its accoutrements embody attributes like valour, firmness and unwavering resolve.

 

I for one, follow the path of this ball of fire, pretty closely. I keep waiting to see its fiery cloak recede up the walls and the tall trees late in the evening after a prolonged summer day. That is the precursor to the time when finally the moon is permitted to offer its soothing hand to the scorched bodies and souls as if trying to heal the wounded warriors of a war after sundown.

 

But lately, the air is carrying the harbinger of change…

 

Although the bright scorching sun during the daytime still tries to deceive one into believing otherwise but it falls short in covering up those telltale signs. The dawns and dusks hold the testimony to that.  There are some very subtle signs that the change of guard is happening in nature these days. It is  just a matter of days before one would see no resemblance of the fire-spitting sun with its lack-lustered incarnation.

 

Winters have a completely different spectacle for the viewers who generally enjoy watching nature's drama in awe and admiration. There are days when one can easily mistake the sun for the moon, as the former appears as cold and as white as the latter. On such days, it is best to stay indoors, hibernate and wait for the sole brightest star to live up to its glorious reputation.

 

When the Sun does decide to appear with its benevolent warmth on some of the winter days, it naturally becomes the most cherished entity for one and all. I love to keep a close watch on the path of its rays on those days too. The same orange cape that seems to be unshrinkable on the heat spewing days, tends to be in a tearing hurry to recede back soon.

Seeing it moving thus, I often wonder:

what if I could pull down the last corner of the sunrays that is about to move up the wall leaving me longing for more,

what if I could tuck it nicely underneath me like a quilt on those freezing nights,

what if I could knit a sweater out of those bright orange sunrays and wear them day and night

what if I could hold those close to me when I am cold,

what if they could keep me thawed with their warmth and  love always.

what if I could convince even the eerie icy winds to take a nap under their warm cover …

what if…

 

And once again, the orange hue becomes much more than just a colour - an embodiment of warmth, care, affection and endless joy.

Book Review : The World Outside My Window

Title : The World Outside My Window

Author : Ruskin Bond

Publisher : Rupa

ISBN : 978-81-291-4179-8

No one does it better than Ruskin Bond - yes, here I am talking about the way he discusses and writes about nature. His knowledge about insects, birds, trees and flowers is not acquired through any biology book rather this is what he has garnered over the years by being an inseparable component of nature. 'The World Outside My Window' is yet another of his creations which actually opens a small window for the readers into the world that he enjoys to be a part of.

Through different sections on small insects, winged creatures and flora, he delightfully explains their unique characteristics and his personal interaction with some of them. One can find some lifecycles, adaptations, singing notes, viciousness, tenderness and much more in this book. A great book for students as a convenient guide for easily noticeable living creatures. A wonderful gift to those who love to understand the language that nature converses in.

The essence of his writing is beautifully conveyed through the concluding verse 'All is Life'.

Whether by accident or design,

We are here,

Let's make the most of it, my friend.

Make happiness our pursuit,

Spread a little sunshine here and there.

Enjoy the flowers, the breeze,

Rivers, sea and sky,

Mountains and tall waving trees.

Greet the children passing by,

Talk to the old folk. Be kind, my friend.

Hold on, in times of pain and strife:

Until death comes, all is life.

After reading his books on nature, many things cross one's mind - how most of us lead our lives unaware of so many of the living creatures that co-exist with us in the same domain; how the author is blessed with an eye, a heart and a pen to notice-acknowledge-appreciate-chronicle his connection with flora and fauna; and how his writings work wonderfully in alluring the readers towards natural environs.

Personally I enjoy reading Ruskin Bond is an understatement because his description of nature strums those chords deep inside me which rejoice with the rhythm that the divine musician creates.

Available on Amazon

Book Review : A Book of Simple Living

Title : A Book of Simple Living

Author : Ruskin Bond

Publisher : Speaking Tiger

'The cosmos has all the genius of simplicity.'

Start reading first paragraph and one embarks on a journey into a world where time is no longer a constraining factor and where nature guides everything. Ruskin Bond offers a small peak into his routine and one gets to see the beauty in the simplicity of life. The way he describes his room and the window which opens into three different worlds - the mountains, the sky and the road - is fascinating. At least for the time when one is reading his words, one  gets transported to the same room amidst the same surroundings  - the never changing hills, the full of movement road and the author's preferred view, the sky. He feels the sky is never the same, it is always filled with beautiful hues from the divine palette.

As the much acclaimed author pays befitting tribute to nature, he subtly conjures the readers to acknowledge the presence of co-inhabitants of our mother earth, admiring their uniqueness and paying obeisance to the natural scheme of things. He shows us the side of the world and life which in the fast time-bound schedules, we are fast losing touch with. He talks about various flora and fauna that fill his life with colour, fragrance, music and liveliness. He has ample time - to listen to every natural sound, to drink in the scent of wild flowers and leaves and to observe tiny creatures minding their business.

'Live close to nature and your spirit will not be easily broken, for you learn something of patience and resilience. You will not grow restless and you will never feel lonely.'

He then talks about various other things, vicissitudes of life, his love and longing, his writings, how a new topic comes knocking at his door or through his window, the reassurance that one looks for at certain times and many memorable moments spent in the lap of nature. The narrative is abound with characters like cicadas, magpies, field mice, spiders, swallows, maidenhair fern, geraniums, marigolds, chrysanthemums, pines, oaks, walnut trees, tall deodars, maple, chestnut and many more names. There is a background score in the narrative which is sometimes bubbling mountain river, orchestra of crickets or rustling of leaves. The landscape keeps changing colours from pristine snow white, verdant green to riot of fall colours.

The simplicity of his life, his writing is just fascinating and one needs to read it to feel it, because he writes to connect. In his words, 'I want my readers to feel what I feel, to see what I see, and big words and big sentences come in the way of this sharing. It is clarity and honesty that I am striving to attain; there can be no lasting connection with my readers without these. And to be clear and open is to be simple.'

The reason why I cannot stop admiring the book is because it somehow aligns with my own feelings when I am close to nature. In the written words, I could actually read some of my own feelings that nature sparks

in me. While I get immersed in my daily routine, I often dream and long for - being in a wide open expanse of land adorned with verdure  or walking on a narrow pathway guarded by thick trees with huge canopies or driving on a thin serpentine road merging into the folds of mighty mountains or gazing at the endlessly stretched firmament to my heart's content or watching raindrops fall on the ground willingly accepting their new identity in unison with other companions. Just the thought of these bring in a deep sense of peace, perspective and a connection with someone supreme in every single entity.

Don’t let the beauty of the nature pass by unnoticed, unacknowledged and unregistered because it is the simplest and purest form of beauty. Let it tickle every sensory nerve of one's being. 

Book Review : Elephant In The Tree

Title : The Elephant in the Tree

Author and Illustrator : Mallika Nagarajan

Publisher : Katha

ISBN : 978-81-89934-66-8

Story of a little girl Mahi who enjoys eating her favourite fruit - mangoes (who doesn't?) and while relishing the luscious fruit once, she wonders how it would be if there were no mango trees? And the same night, she could not believe her eyes when she spotted a seven-trunked elephant in the tree and soon enough the same elephant was standing in front of her with a unique request. The Tree of Life which makes all life possible everywhere, is sick and needs help and the elephant thinks Mahi can join him in saving the tree.

This request melts Mahi's heart and she embarks on the journey with the elephant to the most amazing world that she has ever seen. But everything everywhere in that world was pale, brown and sad.

They both quickly get to work and their relentless efforts start bearing fruits and soon the world which had become lacklustered because of dearth of water starts breathing life, the Tree of Life was colourful and bright again with leaves, fruits and flowers.

The magic had worked and they had accomplished their mission.

Through this exercise Mahi realizes the importance of trees in our lives and she resolves to use the same Tree Magic to make rain and save our world too. During her holidays she plants the seeds of each mango that she eats and later is joined by many of her other friends in this endeavour. She even finds a secret friend who visits her often.

Yes, we all can be miracle workers and join the mission of saving our world by planting more magic Trees.

Katha books always offer beautiful illustrations with riots of colours which are sure way to have dedicated young readers spending hours and hours savouring the details of each picture.

Book Review : The Little Yellow Leaf

Title : The Little Yellow Leaf
Author and Illustrator : Carin Berger
Publisher : Greenwillow Books


Just the thought of any change elicits many emotions - the anxiety, the anticipation, the apprehension, the fear, the uncertainty… of unknown, which make it always a daunting task to accept change or get prepared for change. Most changes just happen with the course of time but just imagine for a moment, if all these changes were to happen with our consent, how many would have actually happened, perhaps just a small fraction of the actual.

This is the story of a Little Yellow Leaf during one autumn who is watching its peers float off the tree and fly past but the Little Yellow is Not Ready, it clings to its tree.

Days pass, slowly all other dry leaves gather to make huge mounds. Autumn moves on to make room for chilly weather. One after another seasons change, obediently following the cycle of nature. But every time, the Little Yellow Leaf thinks - I'm not ready, not yet. It holds onto the tree. With every change the Leaf feels its unpreparedness to take that final leap, the final jump. It is alone hanging from its tree but can not muster the courage to leave its familiar zone.

One fine day, the Little Yellow Leaf finds a companion, a Little Scarlet Leaf - another leaf holding tight to the tree. Silently they understood the inner commotion of each other, the same apprehensions, same fears, same anxiety.

Will the Little Yellow Leaf ever get ready? You must read the book to know the answer.

This book portrays the predicament of the little yellow leaf in each one of us and what role does the Little Scarlet Leaf plays in our lives to help us identify our courage and self-belief.

This book is for all age groups and a beautiful keepsake. The author and illustrator - Carin Berger is an award winning artist. The clutter-free illustrations magnificently portray the turmoil of the Little Yellow Leaf page after page. There is not a lot of text in the book and there is no need for it as the gorgeous pictures convey everything.