The Crossroads of Life

I stand before the crossroads of my life,

I was given an opportunity to lead and shine!

Dignity and respect, and popularity and fame,

Would all be mine! To serve my community

Would be one, to lead educators another!

What of those that I would leave behind?

Would that they be left unattended to fend

For themselves, With none to teach them?

For have I grown up teaching them,my reward,

  To see the sparkle of understanding in them!

No, shall I continue with what I do,

No,I don’t want fame or popularity in what I do!

Enough it is for me to guide and teach,

To see the light of reason,inspiration,

To have served and taught who couldn’t afford!

To be a child amongst children,  not leader amongst leaders,

Would suit me more! So, shall I turn from the crossroads,

Of my life, and be glad to return to them,

Who need me most! My work is my devotion,

To teach my love and  passion!

To be humble, but happy and loved,

Is better than be proud, not loved!

Therefore turn I my back on the crossroad of my life,

To remain where love and joy might be!

Not riches nor fame, but peace of mind need I!

A Hundred things to do - A poem on teaching lessons of life

Today while teaching a class told I them,

“It is important to have a goal in life!To live

Without a goal in life,Is to be a drifter!

A drifter is a cloud at the mercy of the winds.

What a bad thing it is to be a drifter,

Therefore, should you prepare a hundred

Things to do before you die! “Good grief

  Said the students,there is yet time to make goals!”

“We have our whole lives before us,

Let us enjoy each other’s company!

It is yet our age to have fun and taste

The Spring of life,” and they continued joking!

And so I told them sadly, “time and tide

Wait for none.Beware, lest you should

Grow old and task yourself for not having

Made a list of hundred things to do in life!”

But the students heeded me not,

And  went on laughing and joking

And talking to each other! Looking at them

Was I reminded of a little boy much like them!

Thought I to myself, I would like to be an

Astronaut, to spear through the darkness of space.

I would like to be a scientist to study quarks.

A thinker would I be, to think new thoughts!

And so I began to think of hundred things to do

Before I died, and realised there was yet so

Much to do! Everyday brings new Hope,

New learning and new opportunities!

But how could I tell those boys and girls,

That time is precious and they should have aims

In life! But sad was I that they were too happy,

To make a list of hundred things!

And what of those students of mine?

Well, they were so engrossed in themselves

That they didn’t realise the class was over, and

The lesson taught! God be with them

Thought I with wonder!

Do we need a North-South Korean Imbroglio today?

A few days back I was talking to a citizen of South Korea, and she told me how South Koreans have been living in a state of fear because of their neighbour in the North.The war between North and South Korea has never really come to a halt after the end of the North-South conflict in 1953. Since then, there have been sporadic instances of violence from across the Demilitarised Zone or the DMZ. However, the recent incident of the sinking of a South Korean warship allegedly by North Korea increased tensions between the neighbours. The matter has worsened with the recent shelling of the South Korean Island of Yeonpyeong resulting in the death of two soldiers and the wounding of many more.

The ripples of the North-South Korean tension have jolted the Sensex, back in India driving it down by 600 points, although it did recover somewhat! Today, we, in India are quite familiar with South Korea, what with the Hyundai brand being popular in India for cars ( I incidentally drive a Hyundai)!Thus, it is clear that we, in India will not benefit from a North-South Korean imbroglio!

North Korea is incidentally a country still following a form of Communism, and today there seems to be a leadership transition phase going on. When I was in my teens, I remember that the leader of North Korea was Kim IL Sung. He was followed by Kim Jong IL, the Great Leader’s son. Today, North Korea is yet to open itself to the outside world. North Korea has an ambitious Nuclear programme which might be used for developing Nuclear Weapons. Unfortunately, the Nuclear programme might not be benefitting the common man in North Korea. It is high time North Korea did more to improve the standard of living of the common man, and not just adopt pressure tactics to hold the world at ransom!  With the world recovering from recession, we just don’t want a North-South Korean conflict at this stage!North-Korea’s making missiles that can hit Japan, or even South Korea is not be a desirable option for the whole world today! The tactics adopted by North-Korea is meant to pressurise USA and the whole world, because in light of the Iraq incident, it means that the North-Korean regime is afraid of the USA! The task before the UN Security Council is to defuse tensions between the two neighbouring countries and to make North Korea see the light of reason, that the best option is co-existence with its neighbour, and the whole world! India which is a few weeks away from taking up a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council Seat should take up a mature stance to help bring a compromise between the two countries. India is vying for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council and this is the time when it can prove its worth!

Epiphany Church Gurgaon-Garden Fete 2010

The Epiphany Church, Gurgaon celebrated its Garden fete on the fourteenth of November, 2010. The convenor of the Fete was captain Jaipreet Joshi and the co-convenor was Mrs. Jasmine Samuel. Our guest of Honour was the Right Reverend Bishop Sunil Kumar Singh of the Diocese of Delhi. We were also honoured by the presence of the secretary of the Diocese of Delhi, Revd. Prabhakar Mahlan. The fete was presided by the revd. Samuel Ashish Jacob, the Presbyter in Charge of the Epiphany Church of Gurgaon.The proceeds of the Fete will go to help underprivileged children.

The fete was a grand success, and we all had lots of fun! There were so many food and games stalls, and there were painting and collage competitions for Children. The Army band played some lively numbers which enlivened the occasion.The American Auction of hampers was an exciting event. The high point of the event was the raffle in which there were some wonderful prizes to be won! The unity and the oneness of  the congregation was displayed on the occasion!

The Fete was preceded by the church service which conducted by the Right Revd. Bishop Sunil Kumar Singh, the Bishop of The Diocese of Delhi, and the Revd.Samuel Ashish Jacob The Presbyter of The Epiphany Church of Gurgaon assisted by Deacon Mangla.

I have given below some of the photographs taken on the occasion:

 

             

                                             

 

 

 

                           

 

                                                    

                                                     

                                                    

                                                     

                                                  

                                                    

                                                     

                                                    

                                                    

 

 

                                                      

                                                   

                                                     

 

                      

Desert Dreams-A Poem

Today, driving to work in Delhi I was in a pensive mood,

Glancing at the kerb on the fly-over I saw discarded,

Objects that set my mind thinking.

They told a story that was sad and sorry!

Saw I a discarded letter, forlorn, flapping in the wind.

Did it tell of  rejection in love, a lover’s pleas falling on dead

Ears, a rejection, of unrequited love,

Of jilted love, of her setting eyes on greener pastures?

A broken bottle of beer did I see, which told

Of a discarded bottle, abandoned, past its use. Did

He drink from you and cast you aside to break,

Having satiated his thirst?

A broken helmet did I see which said

Of wound severe, and pain and head

Bleeding and injury serious!

Did you survive to tell others?

Next, did I see a compact disk Discarded,

Its shiny side upside, did

They fling you, being fully

Satiated by the ravishment on you?

They all told of the culture of use and throw,

Love which is  unfulfilled,

Of discarded relations,and abandonment,

Of life in the fast lane!

They told of broken dreams,

Unfulfilled goals,

Lost hope, and

Crashed dreams!

Welcome, join the fast life

In the fast lane,they said,

For we are the objects

In  a Desert ,

Where there are

No commitments,

And no strings attached!

For you are living in a Desert Land,

Of broken relations, and

Abandonment!