Honestly Adopt Honesty

Being honest is such a balancing act,

It's like juggling by keeping all intact.

Because of the consequences in store,

The honest roads are tough to explore.

Honesty- Lao Tzu quote- A To Z Quotes

Honestly Yours

I called a spade a spade,

Shared what's on my mind;

They fought with me instead-

Asked me to be soft & kind!

Source: Etsy

Just Do It

Seeing the three words of this post, one gets reminded of a famous international brand that uses these words- "Just Do It" - as its tagline.

"It" refers to the work or task at hand.

Doing something means taking action. There is always a reason why we do or do not do something.

I saw a couple of quotes about work.

In the Bhagawad Gita, Shree Krishna states that one must just do one's duty and work, and not work for the sake of results.

Source: India.com

When It Is Time

Unlike a juice bottle or medicine pack,

Or a soap or rent agreement; we lack-

"Last/Use-by" date info on each human-

The date of expiry/death is not mentioned.

Source: Pexels

Give Due Credit

They say it mustn't be discussed, it is "small";

Why demean yourself & speak about it at all?

Your crisis causes unease & discomfort to some!

Revealing secrets like these is NOT welcome!

It is small to speak up & say what you've done,

That's for others to acknowledge; why jump the gun?

But, if you've done great, do people give you the due?

Others stealing your thunder/credit is nothing new!

Dear Cigarette Lover

When I see a group of youngsters & mostly men,

Huddled and smoking like there's no tomorrow,

I think- "What's up with this world & some citizens?"

Why are some being a cause of their family's sorrow?

Source: Pexels

Saver To Investor

My parents inculcated the habit of saving and investing in me. 

I started with saving and putting money received in piggy-bank. 

But, then, they said- "Money should not be left idle. It needs to be made to work for us."

Whether it was opening a bank account, PPF account or investing in the Stock Market and Mutual Funds, I have been an active participant and will continue to be. 

There have been ups and downs in the global environment. I have seen and learned lessons. 

Time is the greatest teacher.

Source: Pexels

The Selfish Helper

She had to face challenges to fulfill self wish.

They had a problem & labelled her- SELFISH.

All she had done was to take some personal time-

They branded her a thief, heaping her with grime.

Fulfilled self wish
Called selfish#5wordspoet #SelfLovehttps://t.co/gKbrCjOM5x

— Anita Sabat - ଡ. ଅନୀତା ସାବତ (@anitaexplorer) September 17, 2023

When she "used" her own time to do tasks for them,

All was well when she sported their "helper" emblem!

There was no issue when her time was spent this way.

But, selfish when she decided her time to have a say!

Source: Facebook

And She Took A Stand!

The marital bridge beckoned right in front.

She still mindfully chose to bear the brunt.

She took the tough road, under society's glare;

To again bridge the bridge, little did she care!

Source- Pexels

They advised her to go back with trust-

"Love, faith, & understanding are a must!"

"Cross the bridge, go with the flow & sacrifice."

"Smile & reconcile your duty & destiny & compromise."

The Handcrafted Box

It was quite an unusual message Bela received that morning.

First, she was shocked that the object in the image- a handcrafted box- was exactly what she had dreamt the night before!

Photo Prompt- Ted Strutz

Then, it was from an unknown masked number....

The sender knew her name and asked her to pick up the box.

Comfort Food

Many eat to live; some live to eat.

Access to food & eating is a treat.

For those who can afford it, it's good.

Some lucky ones have comfort food.

 

Like fuel for a vehicle, food is for the body.

Sharing food turns an enemy into a buddy!

Food is delicious & makes me ever so grateful,

I feel so fortunate & wealthy to eat till I'm full!

PC: Ioana ; Pexels

Jagannath Dham - Puri Dham

Dham is a place of great religious and spiritual significance. Hinduism has four important pilgrimage sites that are called "Dhams."

Philosopher Adi Shankaracharya designated these four "Dhams" in the 8th Century. These four "Dhams" i.e. "Char Dham" are located in the four directions of India:

1. Puri - East

2. Dwarka - West

3. Badrinath - North

&

4. Rameswaram - South.

For over 1200 years, these Dhams have attracted pilgrims and devotees from far and wide. The "Dham" term is used with utmost reverence and honour, and historically and scripturally reserved for the ancient temples listed above.

Jagannath Dham - Image from X - @jagannathdhaam

Puri Dham is Jagannath Dham, one of the four Dham of India. For ages, Puri has been one of the holiest places, being the abode of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannatha. Shree Vishnu is Shree Jagannatha in the Kali Yuga.  Puri is mentioned in many ancient Puranas and texts like the Skanda Purana.

Odisha Tourism

Wife Jokes

Seeing the title of this post one may feel this is about a wife who jokes.

Rather, this post is about jokes about wives.

I feel sad each time I see wives being ridiculed. Most wives sacrifice their lives for their families. Being "housewives", they are married to the house.

Their husbands are "Pati Pareshwar" for them.

But, do they know what their so-called Gods are up to?

What do those husbands say or do behind their backs?

I came across this on X (Twitter)-

Source

I see a pretty wife dressed in a yellow saree.

What does the husband claim the AI sees?

Drenched

Advik, a teenager, was missing.

Inspector Rimi checked his room.

Photo Prompt- Jennifer Pendergast

There was something about the Panda soft-toy there.

It seemed prominent like a majestic tree in the field.

Netaji and Gumnami Baba

Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was a revolutionary Indian freedom fighter. 

Netaji was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack, Odisha, India. His birth day is celebrated as "Parakram Divas."

As per the official announcement, Netaji's death was in a fatal Japanese military air-crash in Taihoku, present-day Taiwan, on August 18, 1945. 

Netaji's ashes are still in Japan and as per this NDTV India news report, his family is planning to get that urn from the Buddhist Temple in Renkoji in Japan.

The same report states:

Reports of as many as 10 national and international enquiries probing Netaji's disappearance on that fateful day, now available in the national archives in New Delhi, have confirmed Bose's death at a hospital in the Japanese military airfield.

However, many do not believe that he died in the said air-crash.

Some state that there was no air-crash!

Others say that he survived the crash and came to Uttar Pradesh, India.

He lived as "Gumnami Baba" in his last days.

Source

The Deal

Daisy badly wanted the cash.

The reward was high.

But, she didn't know what she was signing up for.

Photo Prompt- Rochelle Wisoff-Fields

All she had to do was take the stranger's place in the carpool by wearing the latter's expensive dress and carrying her leather bag.

Empathy For The World

I just realized that if we remove the two letters a and h from the word "Empathy," some letters remain, and the meaning of the word formed by those letters changes.

Eliminating some neighbouring letters (a and h) and bringing the next letters together (e, m, p, t, y), we have a different word- "Empty".

Contemplating this, one realizes this is indeed the case with "empathy" in this world.

Source: Pexels

The Blue Birds

She loved the wooden wall hanging in the knick-knacks shop.

She purchased it for her garden.

It was summer.

She thought of the two blue birds who often visited her garden.

They could make it their cozy home!

O! Keep Calm

O! Easy to shout when one is under stress & duress.

Buddha preached- "Conquer anger with calmness."

O! Is there such a need to raise your voice?

To be calm can be your conscious choice.

Source: eBay

Mistaken Identity

I was speaking to a senior researcher some time ago, who discussed about a recent tragedy in our temple city.

The accused of the case is linked to the ruling party of another state as his father belongs to that party.

The researcher even named the persons- the son and the father.

I was not aware of the accused father's name or affiliation.

Hearing the name, I immediately searched on Google. I shared the information that I saw on screen- "MISIDENTIFIED."

The following are the first few results:

The Torch

"Which is better- the sun or the torch?"

Asked the little kid on that dark night.

"What do you feel? What do you say?"

I asked the kid to share what he felt right.

Source: Pexels

Young And Immature!

"You are young and immature!"

When I heard this, I wasn't very sure.

The words had been directed at me-

I was at the receiving end directly.

Should I accept the beliefs of that person?

They don't know; just have an impression!

Youth and immaturity go hand-in-hand?

Many feel this is the reality in our land!

Source: Pexels

Love Is Love

Love is love - just understand.

Love is love- always grand.

No need for roses or gifts,

Love is that which uplifts.

Source

Content Creators Beware

They thought they were the darlings of the crowd.

They felt they could express their minds out aloud.

They thought all the votes & likes would gather!

They thought they were cool & smart in all weather!

Source: iStock

The Treasure Hunt

Amy was happy to see what she finally had in her hands.

It was the map that would help to solve all her problems.

Photo Prompt- Kent Bonham

It was exactly what she had dreamt!

She had simply followed all the instructions.

Identity Theft

In this digital age, there is extensive usage of technology. It comes with its own advantages and challenges too.

Identity theft is one such issue.

Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission to commit fraud.

Source: HDFC Bank mailer

People may misuse our name or other identification details and pretend to be us.

The Final Sacrifice

Twenty years ago, a letter from a village in Himachal Pradesh arrived at the Ministry of Defence. The writer was a school teacher, and his request was as follows. 

He asked, "If possible, could my wife and I be granted permission to see the place where our only son died a heroic death in the Kargil war, on the day of his first death, his memorial day, on 07/07/2000? It's okay if you can't. If it is against national security, I will withdraw my application".

The Department Officer who read the letter, said, "It does not matter what the cost of their visit is, I will pay it from my salary, if the department is unwilling to and I will bring the teacher and his wife to the place where their only boy died" and he issued an order.

A Wonder Or An Omen?

It may be a wonder or an omen- 

Super-brilliant or fake or bloody or foul…

Figuring out such & often- life goes on

While we stand & stare & perhaps howl.

Source: Pexels- Erina Quirino

Vocal For Local

It is said- "As in Rome, do as the Romans do." 

Anywhere in the world, can we speak the way we generally do?

We speak to be understood.

We speak to convey our feelings.

If we are in Rome, Tokyo, Lima, or Timbuktoo, we must speak the local language to be understood.

I came across this article in the Economic Times earlier-

"When In Venice, Do As The Bengalis Do"-

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/opinion/et-commentary/when-in-venice-do-speak-as-the-bengalis-do/articleshow/114177255.cms?

In this article, the writer mentions about Rabindra Sangeet too.

But, look at the spelling mentioned-

"Robindrosongeet"

Sri Rabindra Nath Tagore composed and promoted Rabindra Sangeet.

However, the pronunciation and spelling used as as shared in the above news report.

A Brand New Year

There's something about a brand new year-

It kindles hope, sets goals & ushers cheer.

Like all things new, like a new dress or toy,

A new year's fragrance & idea, too, brings joy!

Source: QuoteFancy