What It Is

It is madness
says reason
It is what it is
says love …

It is unhappiness
says calculation
It is nothing but pain
says fear
It has no future
says insight
It is what it is
says love …

It is ridiculous
says pride
It is foolish
says caution
It is impossible
says experience
It is what it is
says love …

What it is by Erich Fried

Love this poem and read it many times. Do you love such poems?

I love many of them …

First and foremost, allow me to share Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s Sonnet 43, ‘How Do I Love Thee?’

It begins with the iconic lines:

‘How do I love thee?
Let me count the ways…’

These two lines alone contain volumes of meaning, and I find myself revisiting them often …

There’s another poem, I love, and that is ‘Hope’ by Emily Dickinson

‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers –
That perches in the soul –
And sings the tune without the words –
And never stops – at all’ …

I may not be good at recitation, but I have a deep passion for reading and appreciating the intricate artistry of language. The way words are arranged to evoke emotions, convey wisdom, and capture the essence of life, love, and nature resonates deeply with me. It’s in these moments, amidst the twists and turns of expression, that I find myself enamored with the beauty of language and the emotions it encapsulates …

See, when you read ‘Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening’ by Robert Frost, won’t you just love this famous poem?

‘The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep’ …

Here’s another eloquent excerpt from the renowned poem ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost:

‘Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.’

This poem resonates deeply with me and holds a special place in my heart, as I often find myself reflecting on its message of making pivotal choices that shape one’s journey.

I have a profound admiration for another poem, namely ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.’ Its expression conjures the sense of companionship, as if the lover is spiritually present, ensuring one is not alone:

‘Let us go then, you and I,
When the evening is spread out against the sky’ …

Isn’t it beautiful?

I’m certain many of you appreciate these poems. There are numerous others, but I’d like to share just a few of my absolute favorites with you all, such as ‘Leisure’ by William Henry Davies:

‘What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare …
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.’

To selectively share excerpts from the poem is my means of conveying:

Please delve into the poems I’m presenting here—
read them when solitude surrounds you,
read them in the company of your beloved,
read them among friends,
read them with strangers,
read them in tranquility,
read them amidst chaos …
but above all, I hope you
read them in their entirety …

Read

Sharing one of my recent painting video from ‘Chaos’ series. Hope you may like it. Also I tried to read the poem ‘What It Is’. Hope you would like listening to it as well ….

And also please do share here about your favourite poems …..

Let Silence Reigns

Let silence reigns…
Afterwards let words flow freely, endlessly through us, like a gentle stream ….

Let certain words remain unsaid …
Let some words remain unheard …
Let silence reigns …

For if all is voiced
What remains in the silence?
For if all is listened
What remains in the voice?

Let blank pages be as it is
For me and you, for the time being or for long, long time …

Let silence reigns …

Afterwards let words flow freely, endlessly through us, like a gentle stream, unbound, serene and graceful ….

In Poetry We Say …

In English we say,
I love to write …

In poetry we say,
Ink spills from the pen,
Words dance upon the page’s breath and
Each letters have taken my heartbeat
And thus poetry becomes my infinite playground …

How do you say in poetic verses about your love for writing?

I love to connect through words and I feel so happy when you write to me …. I love to read as well …. Now in poetry, how would you say that?

Heimweh

Echoes of your absence linger
In the winds of change; …
These days! ….

My heart aches
Unknowingly and why do
‘I miss you’? – I strangely sigh
These days! ….

Heimweh/ german
(n.) a longing for home

Little Joy

So she was absent for one day

And came to school the next day and she came to my desk room to see me. She was standing at the doorstep and she called me softly,

‘Miss’ …..

I looked at her, and got up from my desk and went closer to the doorstep and touching her soft cheek, I said,

‘Hello Mumma! How’re you sweety? You were absent yesterday. I heard that you had toothache. How’s your toothache now?

I was saying all these to her at a go …

And she said to me ‘Did you miss me?’ with such deep affectionate look at me and with a softer voice that it almost melted my heart with pure bliss …

It was so heartwarming, I immediately gave her a hug and said, ‘Of course, I missed you dear. I missed you so much.’

It seemed she felt good to hear those words for her and then she hugged me for a few seconds and smiled ….

And then she noticed my buddy taping fingers

‘What happened?’ – serious concerns with full of innocent sympathy

‘It just was an accident my dear.’ I answered.

‘Is this hurting you?’ She couldn’t get it what’s that!

‘Well, yes! A little’ ….

‘How did it happen?’ – asked like an adult as if she would understand the whole situation …

She kissed my buddy taping and asked me, ‘Should I draw something on your bandage? So it’ll be cured faster.’

‘Oh dear! Really? You can draw of course.’

Then she brought out her special colour box and said to me, ‘I want to use the colors that you prefer today. Cause it’s your bandage on your hand.”

Then I chose some colors, pink, purple, green yellow …

She drew this one. She drew a heart, a flower …. For me ….

She asked me, ‘Did you like it?

I know you all know what my answer was to her …

Now you tell me, ‘Do you like this Little Joy’?’

Do you value such little joy in your life?

How sometimes we get someone’s affection and we don’t even notice ….

How sometimes you know that you’re someone special in someone’s heart, and yet you do not care much or ignore or you take that for granted …

How often we do not acknowledge these little joys of life …

Often I do find these ‘Little Joy’ moments in my life and I value them deeply. I believe life is made up of these little moments, precious memories, vulnerability and love that all add up to create a big canvas of your life. We should know that the bigger picture cannot be made without all the small moments that bring it all together. So

‘I hope you find, as I did, that happiness comes from noticing and enjoying the little things in life’

A Symphony of Love …

Pahalgam, Kashmir

The paths and the valleys are glowing
There is magic in mountains and waterfalls
The air is reciting the story of our love ….

There
I felt shy when you came near to me
The breeze could hear the breaths of my silent shyness … but I couldn’t …

Here
My unheard songs are echoing across the mountains
Even though I’m feeling a bit lonely
Without you ….
Yet this loneliness has a fragrance of you
Our love has hopes for tomorrow
This distance looks good to me …

The paths and the valleys are glowing
There is magic in mountains and waterfalls
The air is reciting the story of our love ….

Grey isn’t What I’m Meant to be …

Life is somewhat grey
Everywhere
Just monotony
Lost and lonely …

Don’t you know?

Only when you stay
Life is colorful ….
A hopeful glow
Echoes of brighter joy
Birds sing cheerful songs
Rays of sunshines warm my cheeks
My yellow dyed dreams return …

Now it’s grey
Everywhere …

When will you come?
Without you, I feel grey ….

Don’t you know?
Grey isn’t what I’m meant to be …

And Promise Me …

The Good Traveler

And promise me
You’ll always remember:

You’re
Braver than you believe, and
Stronger than you seem, and
Smarter than you think.”

A. A Milne, Winnie the Pooh

.

.

On the road

Sonamarg, Kashmir

Detached Attachment

Shalimar

I was waiting
For you
And you didn’t show up
while my odes started to burn …
A heartache …

After a while,
There a humble person came along ..
Seemed so at the moment …
I asked him to take a picture of me and
There I sat at the corner of a bench
In the garden …
Took some time to
Get my mood toned
Up my unsettled face …
There the man waited patiently …
A gentleman ….

Once it’s all set yet unsteady
As I was,
I heard the man said, ‘Ready?’
Twinkled at him and said, ‘Yes’
Smiling …
With the chilly breeze that was
Passing through
I preferred my warm
Jacket kept aside
And my heavy heart smile
For the warmth I needed ….
A harmony ….

Later on I welcomed a friendly
Conversation with the stranger
He seemed to like all of it …
My chitter-chattering
And laughter flowed freely, naturally …
Then we started walking
In the garden, blooming all around
An attachment ….

The balance was the two umbrellas
For each of us,
His violet, mine yellow one
We were walking and talking
Keeping the in-between distance mindfully yet our heart-felt notions were quietly replaying …
The undefined mysteries of the world, meanwhile …
Letting love in our heart, unknowingly …
After a while, we faded into our different paths
Just two strangers with memories
A detachment ….

.

.

.

Tell me, what is that one odd yet beautiful encounter you experienced in your lifetime?

I wish …

I wish
I were a bird!
So that I could
Fly to you
Just right now …

I Sense You ….

watching sunset ✿ܓsimple and shiny

In the stillness of the lake
As I keep still,
I sense you
I sense a feeling of warmth
Flowing inside me …
I sense a reflection of you
Residing inside me …
So beautiful and mesmerising …
Then
I sense the strength to move along
In various ups and downs of life
With you and you only …

.

.

.

.

.

.

dilkash rahe zindagi hai bas yahi dua sun lo naa

Midst the Silence …

Wherever you’ll be, I shall be able to see you

Midst the silence of the valley
As I walk through
I feel
My hurt inside is too loud …

Midst the silence of the valley
As I walk through
I feel
I’ll never ever forget you …

Midst the silence of the valley
As I walk through
I feel
I just don’t want to let you go
But inside I know I must …

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Melancholia

Soft yellow breeze …
Sweetness surrounds …
Such tenderness …
Yet a melancholy mood …

.

.

.

.

Little Easels – Paintings

Happy Easels, Little Easels

Hello Everyone, I’m so delighted to let all of you know that I’ll be organising an in house exhibition, titled ‘Meet & Greet’ for the theme of ‘Love & Light’.

All the details are in the link:

https://fb.me/e/3jE0l7WS9?mibextid=RQdjqZ

I’m already thankful and grateful for each of the gift of purchase from JBC’s ‘Love & Light’ project (Greeting Cards & Little Easel Paintings). The gifts are going to be DOUBLED as a ‘Giveaway’ from Jian Bird Creates to any non-profit organization working for the climate change movement, empowerment and education for women and children, or sustainability locally and globally.

So, ‘Meet & Greet’ and be a part of JBC’s ‘Love & Light’ project and help make an impact in the community and beyond.

Registration is must: Fill up the form to join the event:

https://forms.gle/z8iNSbri9zsQhSsc6

If you kindly come, I’ll be super happy for your presence at my humble event.

I hope to see you there, in shaAllah

With love,
Roksana Amelia

.

.

‘We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.”

Mother Teresa

Yearning

.

Have you seen her cheeks lately?
How can you see?
You remain so busy!
Now a days the busy hours have increased a lot
Even you forget to give her
The one you have taken from her ….

Have you seen her cheeks recently?
How can you see?
Why would you have time to look?
You have a job to do with your life and then it’s all going well for your life, you think!
Your life is quite fine even without seeing her at all …

Have you seen her cheeks just for a while?
A glance?
See, what she has done to her!
As if there is no one in the world without you, no one …
Her mind is not in the worldly affairs also.
She spends her whole day sitting beside the window,
Waiting for you …
Sometimes she even thinks she’ll go straight to the grave without showing her cheeks to you!

Have you seen her cheeks for a moment?
Do you remember how you loved the colours of spring on her cheeks!!
Remembering this the tears roll down her cheeks now …

Now when you see her again (if you have time)
You’ll wonder
How you have forgotten the form of her cheeks in the moonlight!
Now if you see her once, you’ll be in love touching her cheeks again … soft and angelic ..
You’ll be the breeze to her cheeks ….
She will smile with dimples appear on the ends of her lips.
Bringing back the colours of spring on her rosy cheeks, once again ….

.

Wonder how you bring the vibrant colours of spring on your loved ones’ cheeks ….

Inquisitiveness

Though I know

A name is a name

Is a name is a name …

Just like, “Rose is a rose

Is a rose is a rose” … 😊

.

.

In whatever name we call

At the end

A rose will always be a rose

And you will always be you …

Therefore what’s in a name!

.

.

Yet I’m curious 🧐

“What’s your name?”

“What’s your name?”

.

Entangled

I know the cure

I know how this heart can rest

Yet I am helpless to settle the restlessness

That I feel

For him ….

I know it’s unbearable to just let it be

I know it would be a relief to express it all

Yet I m helpless to express the remains of all the words left unsaid

To him ….

Conversation over Coffee

She says, He says
He says, She says

⁃ You ll get hurt.

⁃ Then try not to hurt me. And why are you determined to hurt me? Do you need time? To think?

⁃ No

⁃ Okay. I asked you to go on a trip with me but why haven’t you replied? What’s with that look? This is boring. Forget it.

⁃ Have you ever lied in your life?

⁃ I don’t lie. But to be truth to you I have lied when I was little.

Oh, wait! I guess I’m lying right now?

⁃ Now?

⁃ The fact that you still haven’t given me an answer about going on a trip together is really getting on my nerves right now. And I’m honestly a little hurt. But I’m acting like I’m fine, so I guess that counts as a lie. Heyyyy, why are you laughing? If you don’t like me that much, let’s just end it here.

⁃ You can’t just thoughtlessly trust someone when they haven’t done anything to gain your trust. We are not kids.

⁃ You have a point. Right!

⁃ Let’s go on a trip.

⁃ What? But I didn’t do anything to gain your trust.

⁃ You did.

⁃ When?

⁃ Just now. You told me you don’t lie. That’s good enough.

⁃ You’re very peculiar.

⁃ Let’s go on a trip to Stupa Island.

⁃ Stupa Island sounds great.

⁃ Okay.

She says, He says
He says, She says

Their conversation while having coffee.

Mood

Date someone you like ….
A little coffee. A little sunlight. A painting.

❤️

Alas!

If only you were with me!

If you were with me

I wouldn’t have to search for you.

If you were with me

I wouldn’t have to wait for you.

If I wouldn’t be there

Will you search for me like this!

If I wouldn’t be there

Will you wait for me too?

Not sure and

I can not say

We are much alike or not ….

But at least you could’ve given me a yellow flower

Just because I love yellow,

Or perhaps a yellow covered notebook

Where I may write gibberish which you wouldn’t approve ….

But you could’ve given me at least ….

If you were with me!

Probably we will not meet in this life.

So there is no chance. Alas!

There is nothing I can do to ease a heartache like this

If only you were with me

I wouldn’t have to feel such heartaches!

https://youtu.be/MBmba8VwS60

Diamond is Forever

You shine, then I shine through you

That you are
a diamond
is true; cause
you sparkle
so

I sparkle;
just as a dew on
a petal; you shine
then i shine
through
you;

You twinkle
thereon I twinkle
like a beautiful star
cause a diamond
is forever.
its true.

Cause you are
my diamond
and I love u and
its forever
too.

Enchanted

These days,

The sunrises that I watch everyday with you

Give me the best feelings ever; fascinating and quite spellbound!

I sit with you in this sweet little garden

In silence and serenity …

A glimpse of happiness and ecstasy….

The rays of the rising sun generously cast light upon our soul, peaceful

The crisp, fresh breeze smells so good,

The gentle chirping of birds spread joy,

And now,

Now my heart, pounding and vulnerable

Seems to depend on these moments of sunrises forever …

Am I under any spell or something?

Anyways,

It has made me anew

These days.

Serendipity

At night

She went to sleep around 11 pm-ish

Slept the whole night to wake up early morning!

Ah! What a beautiful morning and the morning breeze

She is in love with this moment …

Reflecting back the other day ..

Two things hurt her in heart’s core

She was emotional with hurt still attached

Cried a bit or two

She doesn’t want anyone to see it

Made her silent and

She couldn’t get pass of it for long.

Another work made her productive

Tiring yet satisfying ….

And there was another happening that made her happy

For the first time the soul feels joy

As if a blossom in the desert

She felt her worth for an unknown reason

This alone kept her joyful all day long till now

Made her feel she is loved and cared so much …..

They say

Everything happens for a reason.

Then the happening that made her smile and happy has a reason

She falls in love with that reason

At night

She slept long hours …

Her spirit, free and fair

Awoke from its blissful sleep!

As she reflects, humbling herself for a joy she cherishes right now.