Tuesday, October 22, 2013

All Hallow's Evening
















(Picture taken from en.wikipedia.org)

On the night of October 31, all the children assemble
dressed and made-up in fancy outfits-supernatural beings they resemble
The holiday, or Halloween, also known as 'All Hallow's Eve'
is not just a thoughtless costume party, for it is based on a series of beliefs
From the ancient Celtic festival- Samhain, does this day originate
in Gaelic culture, the end of the harvest season does this day celebrate
It was a time when the Pagans would take a stock of supplies;
for winter they would begin to prepare
masks and costumes were worn by them to lure off any scare
On October 31, the ancient Gaels very strongly believed
the boundaries between the living and dead overlapped, so then the deceased
would come back to life and cause havoc like illness or damaged crops,
hence, it was the decision of the Pagans- this catastrophe certainly must be stopped
So, this festival would frequently involve a powerful bonfire
attracting insects and ultimately bats, as the sparks rose higher and higher
and that tradition lives till this very day- for evil spirits that are conjured,
will meet the kids in their frightening attire, and away from the town they will be lured
The typical Halloween activities include trick-or-treating while disguised
demanding sweets from every house until the fiery sun will rise
It also involves decorating the house with various spooky patterns
and buying pumpkins from pumpkin farms and carving them into jack-o'-lanterns
All kids (to their rooms), with skeletal embellishments they will adorn
their bulging sacks brimming with candy apples and caramel corn
These traditions are practiced abundantly by a majority in the west,
as grownups supply candy and sweets to their much-awaited guests
Trick-or-treaters gorge on their earnings until their stomachs are fit to burst
confirmed that all the devils and lingering spirits could not have survived the worst
So they retire their costumes, and anticipate eagerly for the coming year,
watching horror films and videos to match up the current atmosphere

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Mystery of Risk

Decisions we take in life can have varying reasons and forms
but nowadays, taking cautious decisions has become the fixed norm
If in air, sea or land, there is never a doubt
as to whether we should take the less dangerous route
People are always reluctant to take even the slightest risk
and to finish an uneven journey, they become unnaturally brisk
Yet those who were willing to take risks,
have helped our imagination grow;
they were instrumental in expanding the boundaries
of everything we know
Without risk-takers, our oceanic wonders would never have been discovered
and fossils and archaeological sites would never have been uncovered
It were risk-takers who clambered up peaks so very high
and others who were capable of exploring far beyond the sky
Creatures of rare species are perhaps the most exciting ever found
and emeralds and diamonds are the most precious excavated from the ground
Cautious people couldn't have come across these things
unless they had luck so sheer
but the risk-takers would have found it, eventually,
without breaking a single fear
Majority of those people had their reputations at stake
yet, without their desire to take a risk, the records they could never break
So, I'll say, whatever the risk-takers had set out to find
are the objects that easily capture our imagination and mind
And reluctance of risk, if we decide to conquer and rule,
we can discover absolutely anything worth more than a priceless jewel

Friday, October 11, 2013

Assortments of Garments

Whenever we walk up and down the street,
we see an assortment of outfits at our feet
and an array of varieties of fancy, beaded shirts
or striped jeans and designed skirts
A few apparel are joined to one another by the hem
others are encrusted with iridescent gems
Some with tiny mirrors are entirely concealed
cries of admiration, they can effortlessly yield
Most have many an elaborate stitch
and in intricacy appear to be exceedingly rich
While many dresses seem to be made of nothing but dots
quite a lot of garments have anything but spots
We can buy boots of rubber, plastic or leather
or just shoes that are suited to any extreme weather
We witness frills and folds on frock after frock
and frills and folds on sock after sock
On one floor, we can purchase exotic fur gloves
and smooth scarves and earmuffs on the storey above
We sometimes wear slacks with attached sequins that shine
creating a gorgeous but rather cheesy design
It's impressive how tailors can so ably rearrange cloth
in all shades of colors- bright, sea, dull or goth
and the temperature can suddenly seem so much better
when we wear a dark cardigan or a hand knitted sweater
But at times, when clothes look too delicate or nice,
I think staying away from them will definitely suffice
For I am certain that I am capable, or to rephrase will
find something in proximity (on my clothes) to spill
I don't mean to end this on a note of satire
but I think it best to keep distance from this sort of fancy attire