Do not stand at my grave and weep - Mary Elizabeth Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow;
I am the diamond glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain;
I am the gentle Autumn’s rain.
When you awaken in the morning’s hush.
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there;I did not die.
A poem that I always searched. just a few right words and I found it. I love the very simplicity of the poem.Of consoling the mournners.Of consoling one self that all is not over.That evenif corporally dead spirutually one lives on.This poem holds very similar to "euphoria"...their song 'mehfuz' sings of the same tone. stating "Tere honthon ke kisi kone mein Hansi ki tarah main mehfuz hoon ,Teri aankhon ke chipe dard mein Aansoo ki tarah main mehfuz hoon"A feeling of letting go a loved one, going on with life...knowing that that loved one is with you in some form or the other...a thing that brings you out of gloom and gives you some solance and some strength to forge ahead, all the lime the departed lost loved one somewhere in lovely memories,always smiling.

Addicted to music

My feelings of my favourite passtime ,second love music...food shares a close third

I seem to be addicted to music
Music wakes me up...perks me up like coffee
Music stays with me in my journey
Music is with me when I am busy
And music is there with me when I am snoozing
In evening when the weary self is heading home...music relaxes my soul
Making the bread and butter music spices up the dreaded task
At the night time music slowly lulls me to sleep.
Preparing me to face another rough day made sweet by music

My grandfather's clock

This song was frequently sung by us in our primary "music" classes. Our sir at the time, a bearded bespectacled silent fellow used his lovely hobner guitar for striking the right chords for this song.and all of us kiddos almost shouted the song…but it was fun. The rythmatic medium paced chords palyed wonderfully by a lovely guitar and the kiddos shouting their throats out with the song. Truly nostalgic…I thought of this song some days back and it brought back to me all the memories of the primary school, the subjects and thr strict rules but it also brought the pleasant memories and a classy song…I got the lyrics and the chords an instrumental version of the song and also understood that it was the song sung by Johnny cash. I am just waiting to see if I can download it…meanwhile I have to be happy with lyrics and instrumental version.
Reading the lyrics I felt that how a mundane thing a non living object stops living when its buddy dies..
My grandfather's clock
Was too large for the shelf,
So it stood ninety years on the floor;
It was taller by half
Than the old man himself,
Though it weighed not a pennyweight more.
It was bought on the morn
Of the day that he was born,
And was always his treasure and pride;
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS:
Ninety years without slumbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
His life seconds numbering,
Tick, tock, tick, tock,
It stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
In watching its pendulum
Swing to and fro,
Many hours had he spent while a boy;
And in childhood and manhood
The clock seemed to know,
And to share both his grief and his joy.
For it struck twenty-four
When he entered at the door,
With a blooming and beautiful bride;
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS
My grandfather said
That of those he could hire,
Not a servant so faithful he found;
For it wasted no time,
And had but one desire,
At the close of each week to be wound.
And it kept in its place,
Not a frown upon its face,
And its hand never hung by its side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.
CHORUS
It rang an alarm
In the dead of the night,
An alarm that for years had been dumb;
And we knew that his spirit
Was pluming for flight,
That his hour of departure had come.
Still the clock kept the time,
With a soft and muffled chime,
As we silently stood by his side.
But it stopped short
Never to go again,
When the old man died.

Of rice and soup.

After visiting Korum mall and booking lovely leather shoes for my better (?) half we headed home. The bike took a different turn on the service road. And we stopped in front of “royal challenge” restaurant on service road, next to express highway. We always used to pass by this restaurant and wonder its quality. it looked lovely from with its sheer glass windows and bright yellow lights .I argued about McDonalds and its economical value. Better (?) half argued about going there for a long time and its too late (we had parked outside the restaurant) swallowing my arguments we headed in the restaurant. They showed us the basement. I wondered where we are heading. It was good. The ambiance was soft with ceiling having false greenery, its soft lights and surreal wildlife paintings. (One of which of lionesses felt almost human eye like to me). The restaurant was quiet minus soft cliché instrumental music of Kenny g. with a few customers enjoying food and drink.
We ordered for a hot and sour soup and tandoori gobhi. The service was medium. Not to fast hurrying to go and not too boringly slow. The hot and sour was subtle in taste with sharp taste of celery distinct. Silvers of mushrooms carrots and spring onions dotted the light brown steaming base. I felt almost criminal by contaminating the soup with anything so I had it JLT. The tandoori gobhi was nice, gobhi was a tad bitty (maybe undercooked) but the charcoal flavor of the tandoor and tangy marination flavor compensated for it. The main course was triple sichuan fried rice which compensated for rice and gravy. Lovely and subtle in taste. Not too much salt not too sour, the fried noodles used as garnish added crispy texture to every bite. The rice was cooked to perfection and fragrance that only basmati can carry away. Again taste of celery (no other herb folks? Celery brought in bulk from Crawford market hehe…that’s nasty me) dominated the flavor. But it was not overpowering (thank goodness) I minused the dessert but better (?) half wanted something and rabri found its way on the table. He liked the taste. I had a spoonful and had to restrain my self to having another one. Smooth creamy thick concoction speckled with almond and pistachio bits, not the piercing sweet but just hint of sweetness it was ambrosia. The bill was great too and budgeting and saving went down the drain for the time being but I felt that we spent right and the experience was good and as we headed back home, on bike in airy atmosphere, stomach and soul satiated thinking we wouldn’t mind to frequent this restaurant again

Cheese tasting opportunity

Gruyère/Beaufort /Comté, a Libran and unable to choose I thought of sending this either or list to my test manager who is currently in Paris for a week. Cheese and French cheese were always a fascination and passion for me. Now came the opportunity to taste real French cheese and my manager good enough to offer me to get some. I still remember when I asked him.. “Sir aap France se mere liye cheese layenge…” sort of busy with his laptop he said… “haan bol na kya cheez (hindi word for thing/object)” I corrected him.. “Array sir cheez nahi cheese”, tubelight sprang to life and he said… “ohh cheese…sure…just let me know which one and I will get it”. I told him to consult our French team and meanwhile I recherched on net to see which cheese can be properly carried through the airline journey and after searching I cam across 3 cheeses (hard in nature and not blue…blue cheese distinctly smells and my manager would have flung a smelly parcel at me). So I am going to send this either or list. Lets see what do I get in return hehehe… will keep posted

A friend’s party

We went to Moni’s for the third time. A restaurant very well appreciated and enjoyed. Six of us and a year old mischievous kiddo. A farewell party of a parting friend. Soups and mocktails and beer and cheeselings and peanuts and salads and starters and papads and jokes overflowed. Laughs and jokes and smiles. A relaxation on a Friday night. No work tomorrow and sleeping till late no one was in a hurry to be home at a particular time. Rice and dal and methi malai mutter (yikes) and lovely rotis and mutton biryani and gravy. A pan ended it all and we wound up for the night…outside it was lovely silence and calm and dark. A welcoming and lazy Saturday topped it all.

Heartfelt

Like today is the last day in our organization for people who want to quit with a notice period,I somehow felt today is the last day indeed to post my entries for may…lets see what june has in store for me

On hinduism

When I think of Hinduism. What comes in my mind? Its not a temple, its not prayers or mantras or idols . But I think of a way of life. Its the food that we have that is actually soothing the bodily and corporal form. The food for mind. We don’t have the constraint of going to temples or fixed prayer times or fixed day to go. Infact we have varied choices to make from. Following a god for something. Following different gods for the qualities they have. The vedas, the upanishids. Upavedas that give such a lot information on human life and natural medicine…a way of life definitely.. (the thoughts as and when they come I will keep updated)