For Parched Throats An Icy Fridge*

A hungry cat is on her way

To catch a rat and keep hunger at bay


But soon it reaches a desolate place
Where only at sands she does now gaze


"Where am I", she rumbles aloud 
Except for her own echo there was no sound


Thirsty now, she forgets the kill
A sip of water is all she wills


A caravan soon comes across a ridge
With folk n food n chilled water in a fridge


A saucer of milk and water aplenty
The fridge she admires, please do go and see




* Advt. of a Fridge with a Cat and a Desert in the Scene.
  This poem was written at the request of a student of Mass Media, 2011

Tit-Bits

Munirka Village

(As Delhi grew this village now in south Delhi had been 
engulfed and its fields turned to settlements)

1. Munirka Village 

Stump of tree tells of stories old
Of children playing under its fold
Nearby too is a well to be seen
Where once women gossiped both stout and lean
                                 
                                    __________________________________




Old Names, Still New

2. Batla House Market

Batla house, the only house
Once seen on Okhla road
Now all around a market place
Named still as Batla house


Ghaffar Manzil the only mansion
Back of Jamia once seen
A dense settlement soon sprang up fast
And named still ' Manzil as in the yonder past

3. Ghaffar Manzil

                                  _____________________________________________




While I Studied Mughal India


Sons have been fed
And are now in bed
Me at the table
To prove how much able
To sort the Kings and Kingdoms ruled
How public was served or being fooled
                                      
                                 ___________________________________________


Devilish Unity


Smart people in a room when put their heads together
Like to trample others with their looks and deeds
Unity is strength I hear people say
But when the devil brings it about
Only destruction plagues




Pictorial Sources:- 
1. noidapackers.com  
2. indianmuslimobserver.com
3. flickr.com

Lemme Lay a Red Carpet for You

1. Marigold 

2.  Lavender

Flowers I have gathered from every hedge

For New Friends have come from every end

Now is the time, to welcome them all 

With Marigold and Roses, Lavender and Posies

3.  Posies

A garland, Dear Friends  to each of you
My humble thanks I wanna give to you

For visit and time spared by you

Welcome to this simple site

Where tears and laughter both are right

To share some joys and make pain light

Afghanistan, Vietnam once war torn nations
Yet I beseech to give, love n love alone

Politics and history played havoc with you
And if not for your undaunted spirit your

Rise the world would not have known

4.  Afghanistan

5. Vietnam 

Welcome tall majestic daring Afghanis

Peace be with you sweet darling Vietnamese

Let me now introduce you to your group…………..

Oil rich Kuwait, please do not ask me to wait

The best of cars can surely now come for me

And camel dear you have earned your rest

6. An oil refinery in Mina-Al-Ahmadi, Kuwait

Himalayan Kingdoms, Royal Bhutan n Nepal

Neighbours of India or India’s wall

Our daughters with you and yours with us

7. Come to Bhutan to see its ancient Buddhist
culture  and mountain scenery 

Estonia*, Latvia** though youthful both

But grew up fast so developed both

Beautiful land and gorgeous both

8. Latvia n Estonia

Indians and Asians, that’s Indonesia

Multiple cultures and a historic past
See ancient cultures weaved between

9. Indonesia

South of Mediterranean ranging sights

Where mountains and sands side by side

Onward to Kenya and to Indian ocean you ride

10 a. Africa

10 b.  Kenya

South America, I yearn for you

Although far, I long for you

Land of grace and praise we all do

Columbians may you rise and shine

Then party times and chilling wines
Call me soon for I too do pine

11. Columbia

My dear friends, I will pray for you

My humble thanks I give to you

For visit and time spared by you

Do come again to this simple site

Where tears and laughter both are right

To share our joys and make pain light

With a hand shake and dimpled smile

I bid my friends now goodbye

For other tasks now wait me so…………….

                           __________________________________


Notes:-

*     Became Independent on 20 August, 1991 

**  Became Independent on  August 21, 1991


Pictorial Sources:-                   

1. moriartysgreenhouse.com      
2. len7288.hubpages.com        
3. bandagedear.com              

4. empirestrikesblack.com              

5. lefobserver.blogspot.com 

6. wikipedia 

7. travel.nationalgeographic.com          

8. geography.howstuffworks.com                  

9. multiplecultureofindonesia.blogspot.com  

10 a.  rst.gsfc.nasa.gov                

10 b.  lkl.ac.uk                                                    

11. adnlcompany.net   

  

   

Independence Day ( India )

1. 15 August, 1947

Down the ages
With the turn of pages
The Glory of India*
From Kashmir to Kanya

History books reveal all
Should make us stand upright and tall
Our hearts be filled with pride

2. Celebrations!

Remembering India's every stride

Battles lost and victories won
A lot of bloodshed has been done
Wake up children, wake up fast
Our country India, so very vast

Needs hands and minds to toil
Reaping harvests from the soil
No other country God has thus filled
And earthly goods maketh mills

Dependent we very much were
Has been taught by our history sir
From cloth to needles we are sure
Came across the seas in full measure

Thanks be to God for showing the way
Help us to remember Independence Day
No more blood to be shed
No more traps into be led


Notes:- 


*Golden Age of India


a) Ancient India
The period between the 3rd century and 6th century CE ( Common Era also known as AD) is known as the Golden Age of India because of the large achievements Indians made in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, science, religion and philosophy during the Gupta Empire. The decimal numeral system, including the concept of zero, was invented in India during this period. The peace and prosperity created under leadership of Guptas made remarkable scientific and artistic activities in India possible. 

3. The Gupta Empire around 500 AD

b) Medieval India
South India in the 10th and 11th century CE under the imperial Chola Dynasty has been called Golden Age as well. The period saw extensive achievements in architecture, Tamil literature, sculpture and bronze working, maritime conquests with extensive trade, and quasi-democratic reforms. ( wikipedia )

4. Chola's influence at the height
of its power ( 1050 AD )

Pictorial Sources:-

1. alltimegreeting.blogspot.com
2. amazingonly.com
3 and 4. wikipedia

Osama bin Laden* ( Riyadh to Arabian Sea )

Journeyed from  Riyadh to Arabian Sea Laden
What all he did and what all he gained?

1. Riyadh - Where money speaks and love peaked

Siblings a plenty, multiple links
World at home and all at ease

2. With Siblings 

What is it that made him leave ?

From serene hearth to rocky terrains

3. Afghanistan 

Then on wards to an earthly haven

Where nature's magic left nothing barren

4. Road to or road from Abbottabad
 Land - I have not been, but yes it is green 

5. Town  Abbottabad 
 No mad crowd , no dense settlement
Where people not violent, but peaceful I read

In troubled waters danger lurked
Yet He walked from vale to gale ?

6. Churning heaving, Arabian Sea

From mother's lap to abyss wrath

From alpine home to watery trails

                                    Its time we thought of things like these

                                    In order to have in world, more peace

                                                                      

Pictorial sources:-


1. destination360.com
2. subjunctive.net
3. presstv.ir 
4. happyworldforall.blogspot.com   
5. passivevoices.wordpress.com
6. varfalomeeitopoz.blogspot.com

*  Place of birth - Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Place of death - Abbottabad, Pakistan

My Arms Spread Out To Welcome My Friends

1. Paradise on earth- Switzerland

My arms spread out to welcome my friends
Who have come from world over wide.

Not everyone's mother tongue I do know 

But a smile and a laughter and twinkling eyes 

Is enough to convey that I love you all 

My prayers for you that each may stand tall

2. Finland me,  Please do see

3. Parkano Church of 1800's, Pirkanmaa Region,  Finland

3. Parkano Church of 1800's, Pirkanmaa Region,

 Finland

4. Downtown Reykjavik ( Capital of Iceland )

5. Poland Tours

Switzerland, Finland , Iceland, Poland

Each blessed with heavenly cold

When sunrays seeps into our pores

We rush to your welcoming doors

6. Penny in sand - EGYPT

Egyptians and cotton, Gift of the Nile

In sand and mud all your treasure lies

Hungary reminds me of my CJM* days

Edith,  I hope we cross our ways

7.  Budapest ( Capital of Hungary) 

Argentina, Romania, Georgia, S Korea

Pampas, Gypsies**, Iberians*** and movies see ya***

8. Pampas grassland of Argentina*****

9. Romanian Gypsies

10. The Brotherhood of War (2004)

11. The Classic ( 2002)

Belgium, Bahrain although small you both are

Your wisdom and oil on us you have showered

12.  The town of Brugge Belgium

13. First oil well in Bahrain******

Land of wine, and of prose,

Land of poetry and of rose

Land of fashion and of fame 

Land of beautiful pretty dames

14.  Cottage in St-Jean-du-Gard  ( France )

Yes it is, France it is, who else 

Can be the owner of those dells

Please do pronounce me Sheelay

Though I am spelt C H I LE each day

15. Chile 
Capital - Santiago

Swanky males and brown females

Muscular bodies and historical tales

Ecuador, with Spanish history in Quito

And to glimpse the Pacific all must go

16. Fun loving Ecuador people

To each of you my heart welcomes

To each of you my humble thanks 

To come this way and be my friend

I pray you too may have innumerable friends

Kind words and warm smiles is all that we need

For us to carry on with speed doing good deed

For body to work with God has given 

An inspired soul, a peaceful heart too weaven

Wake up my friends and pick up your tasks

Work too can be fun and then you may bask

In warm sunshine in severe winters

In chilled waters in blistering summers

Good lord we thank you for this bountiful world

All colours of rainbow now with me 

My arms lengthened to hug my friends

Whom The Heavenly God alone does send

___________________________________________________________________

Pictorial Sources:-

  1. bloggersbase.com 

  2. worldwide-tax.com

  3. churchesaroundtheworld.com 

  4. treehugger.com 

  5. destination360.com 

  6. holidayplanners.com  

  7. ihavenet.com  

  8. moneyweek.com  

  9. flickr.com    

10. thetravelingcs.com  
11. hancinema.net 
12. gentbelgium.ca 
13. bahrainbrethren.com
14. homeaway.nl  
15. geographic.org 
16. garyascott.com  



Notes:- 


    * Convent of Jesus and Mary

 **  The Gypsy peoples originate from Sind region now in Pakistan.

    Their Rom language is close to the older forms of Indian languages.

 *** Iberia was a name given by the ancient Greeks and Romans to the ancient Georgian kingdom of Kartli (4th         century BC – 5th century AD), corresponding roughly to the eastern and southern parts of the present day Georgia. And thus people of Iberia were called Iberians.


**** Korean movies don't we all love to see - My Sassy Girl, Seducing Mr. Perfect, A  Moment to Remember , The Brotherhood of War, The Classic etc etc. 


*****Have you heard this song........................My heart is in Rosa Rio
 ( If not, you must, you will not regret I promise)            Under the Argentine sky
                                                             There with a beautiful lady
                                                             With dark and sparkling eyes..........   
                                                                       (Rosa Rio by Jim Reeves)   
                                      

 ****** The Kingdom of Bahrain is known as the “Pearl of Arabian Gulf”. Bahrain, which means ‘two seas’- the salt and sweet- consists of 33 islands, with a total land area in excess of 700sq.kms.  

First oil well in Bahrain as its name suggests, is the first oil well in the Gulf. "Spurted" on 16th October 1931, the well finally began to blow heads of oil on the morning of 2nd June 1932.