'I had a wish,

To turn the wand,

Bring flowers in summer,

Stars to twinkle,

In rains and spring,

To hold hands,

Raised in fear,

And be the sorcerer,

And drop lines,

To soothe dry,

And cut the Gordian,

Untangle and be merry,

Smiles and grass

All I wish.'

              (From a  poem, posted in this space on 01.03.2009)

                  A few minutes back one of my very close friends wrote a nice mail suggesting the pleasures of a fearless soul, undeterred by failures, asking to  concentrate on possible accomplishments.  It was a great quote and had life enriching fervor. The cheers of optimism were the essence. Thank you, dear friend.

       It is great of people who bring cheers. The mail  flashed in me something that I have been savouring for last many days.A sublime peace and tranquil happiness could be the experience, a simple one, untouched by grandeur and incongruous sophistry.

                      I was having a walk in a well- maintained park. It was a cloudy morning. The night before , were heavy down pours. The sky had still retained its pregnant look. It was not cold and not even wet, but there was a chill-charm.  I saw children of all age loudly cheering a man in his early sixties.

   He had light white hairs, as if they were polished and trimmed to shine. He wore a half sleeve dark -brick shirt. The black trouser was hanging over his knees.  He had small round eyes, tiny red dots over the yellow, not protruding eye balls.

   Walking around the bush and bordering the lined marigold plants he was running after  a solitary squirrel, the squirrel looked back and crawled leisurely, he ran after and the tail of the squirrel was then vertical and it disappeared among the yellow and brown leaves. When he thought it was lost; appeared its tail, parallel to ground, he was almost running, at times panting, and  the little children, who were being groomed to have a healthy life by their parents, were having a happy time joining the man in his search for an elusive catch. 

  I looked at the scene unfolding, the man had shrunken cheeks, was not dirty and not even tidy. Yet he was a happy soul. The man was clapping, laughing and raising the tiny creatures one after another over his shoulder. There was a melee among the kids to draw his attention. The place was a little secluded and when the kids saw me disturbing their harmony they glanced at me scornfully. I smiled and had a cowardice retreat.

     Yet I had not forgotten the simple joy that the spectacle brought in me. I made it a habit to have my walk there and looked the man running after a crow, a skinny bitch and a big rat to fail again and again, at times falling over his knees. His company was children and the chorus was something I have never felt or heard earlier.  

    Some days after I saw the children a little less lively, less noisy and they were looking for their mate  and he did not come. One day, two days and a fortnight, he was not there. I had seen him talking to the watch and ward staff of the park. I asked one of them. He smiled, I was relieved. The man was working in Food Corporation of India. Almost a year back he had retired. His children are there at Coimbatore. He was here waiting for his superannuation benefits. He has gone back to his home to be with his children.

    I remembered the man, his brown complexion, and his small eyes. His laughter, his  pervasive winks  and contorted walk, the run after the small animals, everything about him made me look back in expectaion tinged with anger  at my futile voyages. When life could be joyous without words and elusive company, why we stick to words , images ,myths  and indulge in virtual company and  cohesiveness ? Why to fall upon words and quotes to live once again from disasters and failures, when grey earth, brown ,yellow and red birds, green grass and dark clouds offer us more of hope and snugging pleasures? Then why this search for vain glory in the vanity fair?