Shadows in Eternity!

In the gathering dusk,
In the solitude of silence,
In the bliss of peace,
Shadows in eternity!

For Thee!

With the sweetest of fragrance, I wait,
For a warm kiss of thy love,
For thee, evermore, I bloom,
My dearly beloved, my Sun!

Pray See!

Twigs and trash,
To ye, we may be,
Natheless, ere turning to ash,
Warmth and light,
We doth give unto ye!

Is One Many, Or The Many, Just One?

Living in the mountains of the Western Ghats which abound in thick, evergreen forests, often brings one face to face with a treasure trove of fascinating flora and fauna that are more or less alien to the ken of less fortunate city dwellers. I found this singular and riveting sight in our cowshed a few days ago. From afar, it seemed like a giant slug, perhaps 7 or 8 inches long, crawling along the concrete floor. However, it seemed to undulate and pause ever so often, while its head tended to branch into two at times, only to return quickly to its former shape. Curious, I drew near for a better look. Guess my surprise, when I feasted my eyes on hundreds of small worms – caterpillars, perhaps, moving in unison. Pointedly, purposefully, and untiringly, they travelled in close formation for over an hour, crossing the hard cement floor, they disappeared into a blanket of dry leaves behind the shed. Luckily for them, the countless feathered friends who frequent our garden were busy elsewhere at that time. I was able to shoot a few videos of this rare event, and am only too happy to share some clips with you. Just watch the scenes passing by, or if you like, do ponder and share your views. Enjoy!

Video editing by my dear son, Achintya Giridhar Kini.
Music – Alien Invasion by Rafael Krux. 

Happy 2018!

My dear friends, my very own, I wish you all a very happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!

Let’s dive in joy,
And swim in peace!

Let’s overflow with love,
And sing in silence!

Let’s dance in bliss
And find fulfillment in contentment!

Throughout this year,
May blessings rain infinite love!

The Song of Nature!

The wise often tell us, “Count not on mere faces!”. What they mean to convey is that we should always rely not just on individuals, but on the love of all existence that shines and expresses itself through them. Help often comes forth from a total stranger or a casual acquaintance, rather than from a dear friend or a relative you were counting on, when you need it most! Nature strives in her own mysterious, immaculate ways to show us this truth, ever so often, in our lives. In her own humble, silent way, she whispers.

“Through thy friends or relatives,
Through thy pets or utter strangers,
Via the cool shade of trees,
And the soothing music of streams,
Through the sun that warms thy back,
The cool breeze that kisses thine cheeks,
All through this life or the next,
Never ever forsaking thee,
It be I alone that love ye always,
For verily, it is I that became thee!”

Air potato!

Ever seen potatoes growing on vines? Long before potatoes became commonplace in our cuisine, the people of Kerala were consuming adathape (അടതാപ്പ്) or air potato. A strain of diascoria bulbifera has been cultivated in Kerala for centuries not just for its taste and value as an edible tuber, but for its repute to cure knee pains as well. The planting material is the potato which grows on long twining vines and falls to the ground when mature. It is stored in the shade for a month or two for sprouting, and then planted in the garden. The planted potato grows like a yam to the size of a football or larger, and each vine produces up to 20 kilos of edible air potatoes. Resistant to most pests and diseases, these plants can be grown on organic manure alone to provide delicious potatoes. When the vine dries up in winter, the heavy yam-like potato in the ground can also be dug up and enjoyed. You can make delicious stew, curry, stir-fry, French fries, chips and more! Take care not to confuse the edible cultivated varieties with the wild invasive varieties which may be poisonous. The potato in the picture is the first one of the season growing in my garden.