Drabbling

Two ducks

We learn something from everything we see.

Like the two ducks.

They flew in, and simply settled down. No ripples, no carry-ons, no takeaways. The world around them goes on, undisturbed. They swim in circles, seemingly pointlessly. But what do we know? They teach me about true delight. Letting things be, enjoying the now.
I am grateful. For this moment, this learning, this home. A home that ripped apart an ecosystem to be. To watch ducks make a home in an ecosystem that already is.
I see two ducks being themselves. And winning. Every day.

Many worlds

How do they say it is ‘one world’? My world is not the same as yours.

The sea, the land, the air; each is its own world.

The starving girl in the refugee camp has a different world from the rich heiress walking into the restaurant tonight.

My pain colors my bubble, your ambition might color yours.

She buries herself in a book to escape, he drinks to forget. Her heart defines her world, his mind delineates his. So many kinds of happy. Many more kinds of unhappy.

So many people, just as many worlds. My world is not the same as yours.

Good enough?

I accept that just because I am not bad, it is not that I am good. Good requires voice and deed.

If I have not hurt, it does not mean that I have helped. Being comfortable comes with the responsibility of not looking away when others are attacked.

If I am not inflicting harm, it is not that I am harmless. My silence on seeing injustice is a potent support for oppressors. My inaction and apathy are the very reason that the abuse continues.

Every time I say’ ‘that is wrong’ and do nothing, I am doing wrong.

The precious stranger

We owe a thank you to so many strangers. Have you stopped to think?

The guy who opened the door and made you feel valued. The barista who made a little extra effort and made you feel special. The man on the scooter who stopped to wait with you because you were alone in a broken down car, and made you feel safe. The nurse who got that extra warm blanket, and made you comfortable. The ice cream maker who gave you that extra cup of the last batch and made happy. Is there someone who would want to thank you? Have you stopped to think?

The Twitter world

I am so lost in the bird-obsessed character-limiting world. My world is of words, of telling and explaining, of reading long sentences that are framed in beauty and thought.

 I am lost in this quick-read, quick-write, quick-publish world. My world is of savoring time, of listening to another, of considering my answer, of keeping kindness in mind as I say my mind.

I am hashtag- lost in this new world, but I admire it too. It has a beat, a spontaneity, a wholesomeness that speaks of unmasked life. Beauty and kindness can only follow truth.

The sea and me 

I sit on the sand where waves rush in. The warm water lulls my heart and refreshes my mind.
I sit where I see no one else is.
There are those rushing in, slashing the surfless waters.
There are others sitting on dry sand, solar-powering themselves.
The sea is enough for all. For those who dunk, or swim, or stand. For all differing needs that one sea is enough. Like love. Or fear.
I sit where no one is. Waiting for the sea to renew me with each coming wave.

On the highway

The road beckons. The mind works with foot and eyes balancing the need for speed with the imperative of safety, steadily working towards the destination.

 In this microcosm that is all its own, the vehicles are the only actors in the play. The gravel, the grass, the trees and clouds – all spectators of this solitary run by many.

I make a few friends. A blue corolla and a black jeep that move like me. There grows an unspoken bond as we drive in tandem against the others. ‘Goodbye, friend’, I feel a light loss as the corolla veers off to an exit with an imagined farewell.