July Issue
For this month’s issue we have tried to unravel the various facets of the number Seven. We asked people what they can create with the number “seven” and this issue holds the answer.
The number seven has such colorful facts surrounding it that you cannot disregard it. The seven continents and the seven seas, the seven wonders of the world, the seven virtues and the seven deadly sins, the seven heavens and the seven fires in hell, why even the seven horcruxes of Lord Voldemort!
We hope you have fun unraveling this magical number as you flip through these pages.
Happy reading!
The Seven Swaras
In the heart of Nature, God dropped a beautiful gift,
And into our lives, let its aura unfold,
A marvel of seven pearls to delight our souls
And “music” it was called.
Seven strings woven in complex ways,
And yet resonating in perfect harmony,
Seven colors combined in myriad shades,
Blend so beautifully in a mellifluous symphony.
The lilting voice of a playback singer,
Or the potent flourish of classical notes,
The relaxing softness of a lullaby
Or the peppy rhythm of a colorful folk song.
The sweet ripples of the flute,
The intricate fine tones of the violin,
The tingling waves of the jal-tarang,
The mesmerizing melody of the mandolin.
Sweet music imparts relief and calm,
To our worries is a soothing balm,
Music can heal, music can cure,
It’s a magic spell that can attract and allure.
Music can unite hearts,
Imbibe a special feeling of joy that penetrates
Stress, anxiety, anger are all tempered,
Where the sound of music reverberates.
Enjoy the lively tempo,
Let your hands clap,
Feel the irresistible beats,
Let your feet tap.
Like a drop of water
To a parched mouth,
Like a cool breeze
On a hot sultry day,
Feel the bliss,
Feel the comfort,
That sweet music brings,
Whether you hear, sing, whistle or play.
And even when all’s quiet, no one’s singing,
No drums being tapped, nothing to hear,
You can still feel the sounds ringing
In your head, it plays loud and clear.
An old melody that you love,
Or a song you got hooked on to just yesterday,
The brain can hum them back merrily
And stun you in its own wondrous way.
Music is a science,
An organized composition of its seven elements,
But it’s also an art, a skill,
Of creative, imaginative figments.
Music is a language,
A channel to express emotions,
Music is a way of worship,
To reveal the mind’s pure devotion.
Music transcends you from reality,
Into a tranquil heavenly world,
Of ecstasy and pleasure immense,
A divine experience unfurled.
Become one with the sea of music,
Immerse yourself in it,
Feel its sweet nectar sink into your veins,
Taste and absorb every bit.
o Shweta Krishnan.
How Empty is an Empty Box??
–Archana Ramasubramanian
An Empty Gift Box is to fool..
An Empty Lunch Box is a chance to escape the routine..
An Empty Black Box adorns trendy living rooms..
An Empty Jewel Box is a girl’s delight..
An Empty Complaint Box brings on a Smile..
An Empty Tool Box is innovation..
An Empty School Box is real education..
An Empty Cereal Box is health gained..
An Empty Paint Box leads to delighted eyes and soul..
An Empty Charity Box creates a helping hand..
An Empty Watch Box is an Artist’s..
An Empty Thought Box is bliss..
An Empty Heart Box is a fresh new life..
An Empty Time Box is an Earned perspective..
An Empty Mind Box leads to ultimate happiness..
An Empty Life Box is a Lie…
An Empty Box is a Beginning never an End!
Imminence
By Raghuram Godavarthi
Imagine the pain of a leaf, bearing upon its tip,
the very last drop of rain
is it the pain of separation?
or is it the last bit of pain suffered from carrying so many raindrops?
Imagine the creak of a door hinge, about to be shut for the day,
and locked up for the night
is it a sigh of relief?
or is it yet another gasp at being swung about all day?
Imagine, the thudding of a felled tree,
upon the unrelenting, hard ground
is that the final utterance of an unrewarded life?
or does the tree finally express its anguish at having to stand motionless all life long?
For voices never heard, for actions practiced only in shadows,
and for thoughts formed only within cerebral walls
there is but one release – Imminence
and such is the travesty therein!
the overwhelming cry of chaos, the chitter-chatter of change
drowns all other sounds in its crashing wave
none can ever truly distinguish
an utterance from anguish
relief, from disbelief
separation, from transportation
In the gushing wake of Imminence
life hereto, and hereafter, could very well just be
an empty box, devoid, desolate, disparate
Shored
By Debleena Dasgupta
I’ve travelled to the shores of men,
Travelled beyond the seas;
The world is such a festive fair,
Bright lights looming everywhere,
Whetting dreams bold and bare,
Billowing, never to cease.
My mast stood tall, my flag flew high,
My journey seemed unending;
Each nook and cranny had I searched,
Atop the towers had I perched,
Had pushed my sails until I lurched,
And watched the flame ascending.
Gems and jewels strewn about,
Grabbed them lest they vanished;
Each dawn spelt a gilded chase,
My face etched in frenzied craze,
Stopped not I to cast my gaze,
Upon the walk I banished.
From time of yore have I sung,
The song of wretched lives,
Hauled too did I the trove of might,
Slept in power many a night,
Thrived in sniggering, dark delight,
That quietly, masked, arrives.
I trod upon the cringing men,
Felled both friend and foe,
What kith, what kin, all skittle clan,
My stride guides me to grander plans,
My shadow flickers, dim and wan,
As alone on I go.
****************************************
Past my purple coloured days
I lie now spent, ashore;
My ship has sunk, my flag is torn,
The trove has rotted, all gems gone,
The king is dwarfed to a mere pawn,
My torch burns no more.
An empty box, all that’s left
Of me, a dismal stance;
Bereft of all jewels am I,
Those folks with whom I learnt to fly,
My soul utters a plangent cry,
And looks at me askance.
And were I to rise again
And cross the tides of fate,
A chest to hold my humble past,
My yawl would glide in oceans vast,
Awning sky would see my last,
An empty box my weight.
January 2010 Issue
Hello There,
Here we are with a new issue on the new year. Our Jan issue is themed “Sibyl” and we are all set to take you on a journey in to 2010 and beyond. Filled with short stories, poems, book reviews, movie reviews and our usual columns, we are sure you will gobble this up.
Dont forget to tell us what you think. Leave a comment or email us at editor@thebanyantrees.com
