writer's block-an illusion

                                                                                                                     2014 image,Goa

 

“When I don’t write, I dream. There is nothing like writer’s block.” said a friend after reading my post “Potpourri.” Blocks are negative.

 So, is writer’s block simply an illusion?

Write Tribe gave us this opportunity to fight with this so-called writer's block.

How do I fight with this illusion?

Shut up my inner critic- Sometimes negativity tries to tighten its grip on me and I become my biggest critic. Self criticism is destructive. Nothing seems to work in the presence of negativity. I put all that negativity in a glass jar and put a lid on it.* I don’t know what to do with it so I watch it from a distance and allow it to be. Slowly the negativity fades away and its’ voice stops reaching me.

*A few days back I met someone who taught me about an imaginary glass jar in some other context. Now, it works in case of everything that stops me from doing what I want to do.

Relax - Instead of worrying about what to write, I take it easy, try to relax and become more attentive and listen to what others have to say. I read other blogs and try to write on prompts. I am a dreamer too and my dreams inspire me!

Photos- Life is an abstraction. I try to derive inspiration from the details of life. We need to explore. Sometimes I go through randomly clicked photographs and try to rediscover the hidden meanings in them and pen down my thoughts and feelings.   

Play with colours-  There are times when I don’t feel like reading or writing. Everything seems dull. I take out my oil pastels, pick up 4-5 shades and start to colour the blank page. As my work progresses, my imagination get its wings.

Talking to myself- This is the exercise I had been doing since my childhood. I sit in silence and talk to myself! It's said that we have approximately 70,000 thoughts per day!

Keep writing!

~~payal~~

write tribe: Wednesday prompt exploring bloggers block 

haiku time

                 2014 image, Mahabaleshwar

 

Vision blur in greens

From distance,I stand and gaze

Observing silence!

~~payal~~

 

Grace

                                                                  2014 image, Goa

Sparkling crystal dust

Shine on the weeping willows

Words breathe in silence.

~~payal~~

 haiku my heart

 

Flowering-1

Flowering within

These imaginary hues

Astonishing clues
~~payal~~

 

Love and light

                                                                                                                2014 image,Pune


Where my world is covered with silver light and rainbow hues.

Where I feel protected and guided, where I feel the essence of my being.

Right behind the temple, where a gold candle humbly lights up the sky, where the flowers of togetherness bloom in the garden with the warmth of love, where the moonlight seeps in through the curtains in the room when it’s dark, there is a place built with strong connections. There is a place that inspires.

It’s here where freedom comes naturally.

It does feel like home, doesn’t it? A place where I long to return.

 

write tribe: 100 words on Saturday

Party

                                                                                                                            2014 image, Pune

Restlessness ceases

with the magic of monsoon.

Let us celebrate!

 

******

 

A farewell party-

Some overwhelming moments.

New chapter begins.

~~payal~~

haiku horizons week 20: Party

 

She

"Ravi is coming home next week. He’s the lucky one who gets all of dad’s attention, right from our childhood. No matter whatever I do, I am always treated like a stranger.
Dad’s eyes shine with love when Ravi comes home. He seems so cheerful, with just a thought of his company."

"I wish, he treats me a little better," Rita sighed "..or atleast listen to me when I ask him to open the windows and let some fresh air come in. Tomorrow he'll get up from his  wheel chair, go down for a walk, talk to him the whole day." Rita's pain reflected in her moist eyes. 
"Just because I am a girl, mom ?"

~~payal~~

 

 

Star gazer

 

                       

The rusted bars,

exhale carmine.

Where are those lords?

Scars still remain.            

 

Broken guitar,

striking marred strings.

In jar of dreams,

star gazer’s plight.

 ~~payal~~

What's cooking?

Today,
I'll tell you,
How I cooked,
A tricolour dream.

A green pastureland
of spinach, green chillies and coriander
was boiling with heat of spices
at the sight of onions.
Tomatoes jumped in with a
little salt.
They were put together in a cell
and were churned till they became one.
They mixed up well.

The first layer of dream
was placed in a glass room.

Butter was melting and
flour tried to mingle.
White was peace as
It bathed in the softness of milk.
A pinch of salt was added
with the healing quality
of peppercorns.
Macaroni and potatoes
were boiling with rage.
They were taken away,
where they cooled down under a shower.
And then they lived in peace
with a cheesy smile.

That made the second layer of my dream.

The healing hand of peace was placed on the
 fresh wounds of green pasture
in the glass room.

And then it was time to cover it up with red;
cooked love of ketchup and cheese.

I opened the door and placed this dream
in quiet of the room. I allowed it to turn
round and round till it came out
well cooked.

This sumptuous delicacy
served as a perfect meal for two.
~~payal~~

Part of an initiative by indiblogger and www.myborosil.com
 

Inspiration

                                                                                                       2014 image, Goa

There I found my inspiration wrapped in a small red feather lying on the sand, gasping for breath. Unnoticed, stomped and crushed. The walkers were busy talking to each other, failing to recognise its' sufferings.There was so much to learn.

From where did it come? Did the bird leave it there for remembrance? Who coloured it? Was it a sacred omen? That moment became special. I tried to weave a story with thoughts strewn in a distinct pattern in my mind's cave.
~~payal~~

Day 3 UBC
 

turmoil

2012 image, on my way to Saharanpur.

Mild sun in the frozen winters bring hope.How I wished to be there with you to share the winter of your life,and fill it with a little warmth of compassion and care.How I wished,there was some solution to the never-ending turmoil that repeatedly become an obstacle in the journey of survival.
~~payal~~

55 fiction

 

Cadence

                                                                                                 2014 image,Goa

 

The wordless conflicts

Take away from peaceful life

The rhythmic cadence

~~payal~~

 I'm participating in the ultimate blog challenge. I shall be writing and posting everyday throughout this month. Hope to complete this challenge.

decline

                                                                                          2014 image, Panchgani

Stars declined one night

and got stuck on my lashes.

Cold fragmented dreams!

~~payal~~

haiku horizons

Oh my Godmother! - a new age fairy tale

Life mostly starts after “..and they lived happily ever after. The End”, as it happened in case of Cinderella. After her marriage, she had got a new life full of love. Her prince wanted her to do whatever she wished to. He gave her the freedom she had always missed. When she stood in front of the mirror, she felt how beautiful she was.

She was appreciated and admired for being who she was. She had friends from all walks of life. One day she opened up her wardrobe and found her glass slippers that brought back many sad memories with her step mother and sisters that she had almost forgotten.

She sat there and grief struck her but then a moment of realization dawned. She felt anxious and remembered her fairy God mother.

“She helped me so much. It’s because of her that I am here.” She was talking to herself.

“I wish my step-mother and my sisters are fine. I haven’t heard from them since ages. If they had been good to me, how would I have met my fairy Godmother?”

All of a sudden she noticed a strange old lady sitting beside her.

 “Who are you? Where did you come from?” Cinderella got up from her place as she couldn’t recognize that lady and was shocked to see her smiling.

“Oh dear, I am your Godmother and here’s a gift for you.” Fairy removed her glares and handed over a beautiful dress to her.

 “Oh my God! You look so different!” Cinderella exclaimed and her eyes widened!

 They had met after a long time and her Godmother looked gorgeous! She was dressed in elegant outfit and astonishing jewellery. She looked like a new age woman, smarter than ever.

“Cinderella, you look pretty.” Fairy said with a cheerful smile.

“Mother, I feel bad for my sisters. Whatever they did was not right but..”

“You have a beautiful heart. Listen to what it says.” Godmother waved her magic wand and the cat that used to sit by the cinders with her near the fire place, in her time of distress, appeared. Cinderella was so happy.

In another flick of magic wand, the fairy gifted her the shopping vouchers.

‘What is this?” Cinderella looked surprised.

“It’s a new age mantra. Buy anything for yourself and cheer up. You are beautiful.”

“Oh! That’s why you look different!” Cinderella said with tongue in her cheek. They both chuckled.

“Come on, let’s go for shopping!”said her fairy grandmother.

Fairy waved her magic wand again and there appeared a gadget that looked like a laptop. Fairy opened the site and asked Cinderella to buy anything of her choice with the help of those vouchers.

Cinderella had never heard of BaggOut. There she felt as if she had entered a shopping mall. Attractive dresses, accessories, household goods and much more from different options.

She found it interesting. Her Godmother always made her life easy. Shopping was fun with her fairy Godmother and the cat. Without getting tired, she shopped for everything that she needed . She redeemed the vouchers and bought so many good things. Everything was going fine. Her anxiety vanished. She had purchased the goodies that were delivered within time.

Godmother blessed her and waved her magic wand. The cat disappeared.

“I am always there whenever you need me.” and then the fairy vanished leaving a smile on Cinderella’s face.

~~payal~~

  This post is a part of an initiative by BaggOut.com

Potpourri

  image credits:Vidya Suri

 

 

Writer’s block! It makes me feel like a log of wood, helplessly layered with salty water that had turned blue.
I wait for the birds but toads croak and moths breed.

Wind blows hard and it rains.
Water clogs on the streets and I shiver.
I feel dead as if liquid nitrogen had been injected in my veins.

....and then silver streaks flash with thunderous applaud as the pale leaves dance.
I feel like potpourri of fragrant thoughts and memories rush in with the scent of rain. The log turns alive. Green emerges from the roots, yet again, and the blues are forgotten.
~~payal~~

write tribe: 100 words on Saturday #17

 

 

Masterpiece

                                                                                                    2014 image,Goa

 

Dreamy metaphors-

The sweating canvas of clouds

Creates masterpiece.

~~payal~~

 

haiku horizons : master 

Retreat

                                                                                        2014 image,Goa

A peaceful retreat

Golden moments by the sea

morning glories bloom

:

:

The retreating waves

gifted a piece of coral

treasure hunt begins.

~~payal~~

 

split remedy

2014 image, Gurgaon

 

 

“I never enjoy a movie in which the lead character dies in the end. It always make me sad. I wish, I had a magic wand that would bring them back to life. Ends should always be smooth. Happy endings as they say. Beautiful ends lead to new smooth beginnings.”

Flora said in a depressed tone after watching the movie.

“Hey wait!" James interrupted,"It sounds more like a TRESemme ad that I saw in a commercial break! The shampoo is like that magic wand that would bring dull hair back to life. No split ends you see. ” All of a sudden he chuckled, running his fingers through Flora’s hair.

“Seriously!You remember all the ads!” Flora said with a smile.

“....It works! Keep smiling.” James said while holding her hand.

A new feeling

A new love

A new dream

A new hope

Heals the rough ends

With gentle touch of

Affection.

I feel your care,

As you gently  

Caress my tresses

As if you whispered

“I am there. Trust me.”

~~payal~~

This post is a part of indiblogger: Tresemme.

The metal Buddha

2014 image, Gurgaon 

Where the vision was green

The metal buddhas

Made their appearance on

The entrance of the gates amidst chaos.The

Subtle reminders of the fruit

Of silence lay with price tags on the stand.

World is funny.It gets suspicious when we

Ignore and enter the gates to eat

All the fruits of patience and perseverance,the

light shines and world heals at the cost of a lost smile.

Buddhas laugh again draped in light and

       Drink the venom of darkness, then spit !

It overflows ..spreading out

 shrieks of unrequited love. The

Sacred stones!Biting tongues with chattering teeth.

~~payal~~

This post has been written for Prompt of the Month; a feature of Writer's Ezine

Recharged naturally

Smoothening the rough edges

In moments of distress

A ray of hope
Give us strength

And nourish us

With positivity.

Change is wonderful.

A new woman in me

Revisits hope with a smile.
Shining naturally,
Full of confidence,
Recharged naturally.
~~payal~~

 

                                                     2014 image,Gurgaon



Though looks can be deceptive but who doesn’t like long and healthy hair, cascading over the shoulders like a flowing river?

Alas,it’s been a dream for me for sometime now. Change of climate, water, dust, pollution and side effects of some medicines all showed up in the rough texture of my hair.

Few days back,I received soothing green coloured bottles of Sunsilk natural recharge shampoo and conditioner lying on a satin sheet in a wooden basket delicately wrapped with satin ribbon.

It’s a natural product that claims to make hair look two times thicker and upto five times stronger. I found nothing wrong in giving it a try.

What tempted me most were the ingredients. It’s paraben* free!

*“Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. Researchers have found parabens in breast tumors and believe there is a relationship between parabens and tumors.”

What else one wants from these products. One less worry indeed! This product is co-created by Jamal Hamadi, expert in natural ingredients.

Shimmering pearl white shampoo and conditioner made my hair soft and manageable but nothing is permanent. The mild fragrance lingers on for sometime after the wash. Overall, it worked well for me. I like it.

This post is a part of indiblogger  sunsilk natural recharge