The lively green trees conduct an acoustic medley
an early whispering mist
saunters from the mountains
the dapper copper leaves
and the dazzling gold blossoms
feel betrayed and abandoned
as they are forced to kneel on the track
in supplication to the new season.
Written for dVerse quadrille Monday. Today’s host, Merril, has asked us to use track in 44 words. I have used words from Jane’s random word generator.
When tear soaked memories
intrude silently
threatening to drown me
loneliness holds my hand
and gently cradles my head
it is the season of separation
a cold wind of remembrance
makes me shiver uncontrollably
I wrap the heavy yet threadbare
blanket of melancholy tightly.
Written for dVerse. Today’s host, Li, says: Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to pen a poem of precisely 44 words (not counting the title), including some form of the word season.
Huddled in coarse blankets, with a bonfire and a handheld lantern for company, getting-chilled-to-the-marrow farmers keep a vigil on their standing crops, ready for harvesting any day. It is the shishir ritu, (शिशिर ऋतु) the winter season,( sekki) one of the six seasons of India and the coldest. Shishir means dew or precipitation. This time of the year is usually the foggiest or should I say the smoggiest!
The month of magh(माघ), from mid Jan to mid Feb, is the eleventh month in the Hindu calendar. Each lunar month is further divided into two phases,(पक्ष) paksha.The bright phase (शुक्लपक्ष) shuklapaksha, lasts from new moon to the full moon. Whereas the dark phase (कृष्ण पक्ष) krishnapaksha, lasts from the full moon to the new moon. We are now in the krishnapaksha or the minor season (kō). It is marked by slightly warmer days but chillier nights.
Sun plays hide and seek
we shiver and sweat by turns
season of illness
The weather especially during this time can be very unpredictable. It can get very warm in the sun but indoors remain chilly thus often leading to sniffles and cold.
But I, as a homemaker-poet, have my own ways to deal with this. Ginger-lemon tea works very well to combat colds and coughs. The sights, sounds and smells that surround me in the capital city are my inspiration. My simple joys and woes translate into verses.
Seasonal produce is always better than out of season exotics. Mackerel is available in abundance and is best had drenched in spices and then baked to a lip-smacking deliciousness.
Greens are the mainstay of all meals. From mustard greens, spinach, dill, onion flower stalks to bathua there are plenty of local varieties to choose from. Then there are beetroots, bell peppers, carrots, cauliflowers, turnips and so on. Moreover we now locally grow broccoli, celery, asparagus and more. A favourite of north Indians is gajar ka halwa (गाजर का हलवा) or a dessert made of carrots and milk slow cooked for hours.
We also have a plethora of winter fruits from oranges, kinnow, grapes (black and green), guavas, cape gooseberries and more.
One of the major festivals of krishnapaksha is Saraswati puja or Basant Panchami, which falls on 5th February this year. It marks the birth of Saraswati, the goddess of learning and knowledge.
The twelfth month, phalgun (फाल्गुन ) begins in the next kō and has two major festivals Shivratri and Holi.
Written for dVerse. Today’s host, Li, says:
The format for each kō is as follows:
•the title of the Major Season or Sekki
•outline why it is called that
•the title of the micro-season or kō
•outline why it is called that
•write a haiku that speaks to the kō
•include insider information on the haiku and include information about the poet (you)
•seasonal fish, information about it, and including ways to prepare it
•seasonal vegetable, information about it, and ways to prepare it
•seasonal activity, often including the holiday or tradition involved, etc.
•a preview of coming attractions for the next kō
In addition, there are images of artwork, drawings, photographs, etc. of the highlighted
Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to create your own major season and then a micro-season, or kō within it using the format above.
I have tried my best to give the correct information. If any of my compatriots find something amiss, please let me know in comments.
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