A star in the night

There is happiness everywhere
Christmas- the silver lining,
to mark the end of another year
The curtains closing gently,
over this another gift of time.
The world pauses for a brief second,
to ponder its joys,
its hardships and everything in between.
A sigh- of peace
and quiet contentment and gratefulness
Against a backdrop of laughter and merriment
A lone tree decorated,
a humble attempt at a crib,
a star lit up in the night- what Joys!
Old fears and foes forgotten-
even if only for a brief moment in time
Eyes close, in a dream world without any regret
Only frost on the windows of tomorrow-
not a care to be had
Today is beautiful and life is beautiful
May the joys of today be with you
now & always- wherever you are

--- Margaret

Canon Photo Marathon 2010

Margaret and I took part in the Canon Photo Marathon this weekend. We were given 3 themes, one at a time and had 1 1/2 hour to capture a picture per theme.

Wanted to capture military personnel for the first one. Make three, four of them stand at attention and one of them indulge in a chocolate. Capture a side view, depth of focus shot, zoom shot but couldn't convince them. The second idea was to capture a back view of one old man in the middle with two old women on either side with walking sticks et al and then would play around with their hands to get the 'caught in the act' shot. Too ambitious... I know!!! Finally Margaret agreed to indulge when there was less than 5 mins left for submission.

Theme 1 - Caught in the Act

Caption: Caught Chocolate Handed

Theme 2 - Reflections

Caption: Shadow of Youth - Reflections of the Past

Theme 3 - Let there be Light

Caption: Music and Spirits can Light up your Life

Home is where the heart is

I saw them in our homes

Creating, building… quietly, stoically...

Up and down the stairs they would go,

poor and always working

Glancing at us, curiously-

wondering about us as much as I wondered about them

An acceptance of this intrusion was unspoken-

both by them, as well as by us

We would eventually live in these homes

These homes that were built by their hands

And the earlier acceptance of co-existence will forever vanish

And they will be kept out of our homes, our societies

Cast away on account of being poor

Cast away on grounds of suspicion

And yet, we will live in those homes,

which wouldn’t have existed were it not for them

We will be sheltered,

while those who built our shelters, will be homeless

We will be protected,

while those who created our protection, will have none

We will prosper and be comfortable,

while those who were instrumental in creating that environment,

will be cold, wet & starving

We will all have to answer for this someday

And when that day comes,

I hope more mercy is shown to us,

than we choose to show to those who need it today.

-- Margaret

Invictus

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the Pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll.

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

-- William Ernest Henley

Disruptive Influence

Business Today has covered amagi as one of the hottest startups in 2010

A Dog Has Lived

A dog has lived, a friendship shared,

Of silent lucidity, of humanity bared.

A sniff, a lick, an innocent pry,

Vivid conversations, through an intimate eye.

A loyal companion, with a powerful bust,

The gentle giant, a deterrent to trust.

A contagious spirit, he wags his tail,

To embark on journeys, to just set sail.

Alas so near, yet so far he's going,

He feels it too, on his face its showing.

The ghost breathes out, without a sigh,

Silenced by an angel's lullaby.

It leaves behind for us to see,

Fond memories, for all eternity.

And takes away as it departs,

The 'Scamper' that once lit our hearts.

A dog has lived, a friendship shared,

Of silent lucidity, of humanity bared.

--- Alistair D'souza (2010)

Happy New Year

We partied, we played

We stayed up late, all dazed

We sang, we danced

We ate, we laughed

Through all the merriment

Through all the haze

2009 slipped away

2010 was upon us, all ablaze

A millennium has passed in our time

Now a decade within the millennium has also bid adieu

On the brink of another gift of time

I stop and reflect on what has gone by, And on what is to come

This of all years has been a defining one

I thank God for all He has given me

And for all that He chose not to give

I am sorry for a lot of things I did, and some that I didn’t do

As the curtains rise

On another road untraveled

May we make new mistakes

And get closer to who we are to become

May we learn to speak less

And listen more

May we choose to believe in God

And not rely solely on ourselves

May we cherish the gift of time

And be better than we have ever been before


Happy New Year!

--- Margaret Desouza