Wordplay: The Reading Spot

"The greatest victory is that which requires no battle." - Sun Tzu This part of the forest is Much too quiet tonight To the majestic old noctuid, though, clinging on to life, It's no new sight. It rests near a pinecone, on a tall tree branch As usual, and waits for its Instincts to drive it to Claim morsels that may fit. Below its branch,  Moonlight glinting in its eyes, A young wild rat emerges from the bushes and Out of hunger, sighs. The pinecone quickly senses  Something off, however, And truly so, because it sees, staring back, A pair of red eyes quiver. The wild rat makes its way over A carelessly thrown matchbox  In dry litter, and slowly and steadily Up the tree, to the scared pinecone it walks. He triumphantly places his grown nails on The ill fated pinecone, but just over it He sees that, quite to his pleasure A little beyond him, an old moth patiently sits. Greed manifests  As he drools onto his paws, And he decides to spare the pinecone; He gently lets it...

"Teaching kids to count is fine, but teaching them what counts is best." - Bob Talbert Dear readers, it's going to end with parrots. You may not understand what that means just yet, but believe it or not, it will truly end with parrots.  It started with neanderthals. By nature's beautiful miracle, they evolved. Then we made wheels, discovered fire, built civilisations....basically, reached where we are today. But, how? How did a progressive species such as the homo sapiens reach a point where they will most likely end with parrots...how is that even possible? This article is inspired by the conversations I had with my teacher and a close relative. And no, these weren't some brilliant, highly motivational discussions...they were horrifying, and absolutely the stuff of nightmares. Nightmares, that end with parrots.  Don't rule this out as some random student rant...that'll only further cement the nightmares that these discussions made me foresee. Alright, I...

Alright first off, I wish you a very happy Diwali and I hope you have an absolute blast of a time. However, trust me, I really hate writing these kind of articles. Its because I feel like I'm basically repeating already well known facts again and again, which may seem annoying. But do you know what's even more annoying? It's that the people STILL continue carrying out the acts I talk about.  If you haven't caught on, I'm referring to the slight but sure increase in the rate of firecracker bursting. Literally wrote on this issue a few years back, and I've noticed a few of the readers to have burst crackers this year. Like just understand this one fact, CLIMATE CHANGE ISN'T A JOKE. And I'm sure you're already rolling your eyes because lets face it, you already know this. What I don't understand is, people are still bursting the crackers, and this time the rate has increased too! And why? Just because Diwali doesn't feel the same without that ki...

[Extra post, theme-interval] If you think this lockdown hasn't been crazy enough, you're right. I had a zoom call with this alien yesterday and managed to ask it a few questions. I think you should read one particular answer it gave me....I asked it,  "What are a few things you've always wondered about us humans?" I managed to write down its answer....here's a summary: "I’m PRJ-11, a resident of Planet-C41 from the Stellar galaxy, and I’ve been studying all sorts of planets my entire life. One particular planet that has never seemed to leave my mind is planet Earth. It’s one of the few planets that allows and sustains life, and is part of the solar system sector.  It has water, it has a life-supporting atmosphere, and its beings are fairly intelligent, although there are a lot of things they do that leave me quite puzzled. For one, they have every possible resource required to live and survive, unlike most planets in this universe. However, one probe dr...

Let me introduce you to this family of three, Mr. Michael, Mrs. Jenny and their son, Sammy; It was a normal September evening Where one event would change everything. The family was quite busy that evening Both Michael and Jenny were working While Sammy was using his creativity, To make a card for his parents' anniversary. The next day would be a celebration Many plans would be set in motion Michael and Jenny'd celebrate five years Of happiness, and they'd be happier. Young Sammy just could not resist Waiting for the party to give his gift To his happy parents the next day, But had to wait patiently anyway. It was a silent dinner that night For everyone was waiting for the next light They grew impatient each hour But knew that the day wasn't far. A few seconds before the clock struck twelve A strange noise grew loud, and the sky turned red All wondered whether they were still sane But that's when it began, the "Bombing Rain". Mr. Michael ran out to the lif...

A poem on the pandemic... ( Image: this is supposedly a symbol of positivity) Do you remember the days when all kids begged For no school for a week, and a vacation instead? Do you remember yearning for rest at home And laying back, forgetting that colleague's tone? Do you remember when a holiday was all you wanted, And photos of travels and trips were flaunted? Well, its sad, and sadly true Times have changed, and no one knew That their lives would change so much, in a way That would make every day a holiday. But this change, too, had a twist The outside world, now fear has kissed. There are people crying everywhere, They feel helpless, drowning in despair Loved ones lost, to an enemy unseen But waiting, enveloping everywhere we've been. A virus has cost us these lives and souls Leaving us shaken by the events that unfold. A child, young, and new to the world Was ready to play, and happily learn The new topics his mother decided to teach him,  But that's when the news hit ...

Very often, you'll hear them say Animals are wild creatures that prey Who don't have minds, who don't have brains They'll attack and hurt you anyway. These speakers are humans, no doubt Who speak, act and even shout Who claim that man is an intelligent being And think the world is blind in seeing Just what lies are being told About the events that unfold. There was a story in the news one day A man was bitten by a stray 'What a wild dog that was", the man would say These animals really miss cells in grey. But what the world oversees In this poem, I will reveal You think it's mild, but it is not "Who is the real villain", have you ever thought? Well, I hate to break it to thee But look in the mirror, and you will see. Once a man was too loud "Please lower the volume", he found A man saying, from behind This angered the man's uncontrolled mind. What happened next will shock you In the man's eyes you could see a reddish hue He clenc...

A poem written on the Covid-19 pandemic... Break Through the Net Hard times have come by Where all have to stay inside, But fear not, as this won't be for long It will pass just as quick, if we all stand strong. But until then we all must stay At home, be it night or day For if you  do catch this disease Your pleasant life will momentarily cease. This virus is a terrible pest It makes each person a victim, a nest But it affects only people who Don't wear a mask, even though they're told to. Your family's fate depends on what you do Embrace the virus, or shield your family and you For if you want to save your kin Let's start with the steps to win. Step one, wear a mask at all times As all outside particles are infected mines And don't leave your home unless The necessities at home are really less. Step two, maintain your distance With everyone, even your family, for instance This will keep you out of reach Of the particles causing Covid-19. Step three, wash your...

  A short story that could be our future, if we don't.... I t was a bright sunny morning, perfect for the kids to look at some remarkable antiques and old stuff owned by people in the early 20th century. They always found creatures like dogs, cats and others pretty fascinating, since they were nowhere to be seen nowadays. Other things were planes and ships, which were used for "travelling" according to some historians. Ships fascinated them the most, as the people still hadn't found out how humans used them. Like there are some theories that "water" was used as a medium of transport, but they couldn't be sure, as there was so little of it. The young guide took the school kids through the gates of the National Museum. She asked them their names, to which the eldest said - "I'm US234, survivor from the Americas. This is IN2245, from south India and that is BZ567 from Brazil. We would like to go down the Greens Sector." They followed her t...

This Diwali, say NO to firecrackers.  Find out why... "WE are RUINING the EARTH! "                                      First of all, I’d like to I wish all l of my readers a very happy Diwali .  Those who are reading this, you might have seen a drastic change in the rate of bursting of firecrackers this year.... it has reduced, and still reducing further...   Yet, there are still some people with the mindsets that Diwali is incomplete without fireworks. Well, this has to change. We have learned this at school, and let’s make it a rule; say NO to fireworks. We all have heard about the Greenhouse effect and Global warming. Our teachers and we both equally fear the end of the world. Each of us wants to do something, but the questions are: How? When? Why? And yes, I, you, we all know the answers to these questions, but for those who don’t, let me get you a basic idea of what we...