Wordplay: The Reading Spot

"A wounded animal will bite and claw." -Mimi Matthews I'm running as fast as I can. All I know about where I'm headed is that it's far from here; far away from that house. Far from those four walls of suffocating hell, far from those dreadful needles and the shimmering acids that followed... And certainly far from him. It's easy to lose track of time when you're kept in a square cell, far into the woods, cut off from the rest of the townsfolk and the diurnal village affairs. I wondered if my friend Polly was looking for me, determined to set me free. She probably was, given that I'd do the same for her. My freedom, or what minuscule tinge was left of it, never exceeded the dining hall of that house. He'd kept me locked in that room, with a bucket, a pale excuse of a mattress, a lantern and not a window in sight. It was easy to forget humans even existed, until he would occasionally break in with bland and tasteless meals. He spoke harshly and coldl...

"The trouble is that you think you have time." - Jack Kornfield It was at the age of three that Thomas Gray first said the word "happy". A few months later, he discovered what the word meant. But he was six when he first discovered what "joy" meant; the sun shining brightly in the sky, snowballs flying in his direction, a warm smile plastered across his face. He remembers vividly, to this day, how his mother taught him to make snow angels, and how his father helped him onto his feet, every time he fell into the snow. He didn't remember much else, but he knew that joy was that warm giddiness that he felt in his tummy, that stayed unfazed in spite of the cold winter winds.  He felt happy an ample amount of times after that winter, but he never really felt joy. Thomas Gray was not always a man buried under a pile of work. In his young years, he was full of dreams and aspirations, and even the sky wasn't the limit. He had a list of things he wanted to ...

“The world is a tragedy to those who feel, but a comedy to those who think.”  – Horace Walpole Positivity is the wrong perspective. Ignore the ones who say You can always improve and cling on to hope Dwell in the realms of guilt Since it makes no sense to Make the most of your present Sulk in the dark Since it's pointless to Focus on the light Value yourself little You have no reason to Let go of your self-doubt You're worthless, and just a burden Yet, you often assume that You have so much potential You're running out of time So there is no reason to think that There is much life yet to live You've reached the end So don't think that A lifetime is at your disposal A dark fate awaits you So don't think that  Positivity is the correct perspective. [ Now read the lines from the bottom to the top (i.e.-read the poem backwards)... ] -Armaan Kothare *** Vantage (noun)- a perspective, or a position from which you watch something...

the flight to Neverland... On a cold and rainy October night The pilot made haste for flight To his origin, ("Neverland", he said) And then soared into the night. It had been several years since The pilot left Neverland And although he seemed to move on The townspeople deemed him sad. He never spoke much about the place, Yet would often dream about His youthful years in its greens And the liveliest folk he'd never seen. His dreams gave off hues of grief But nought gave off his face, Whenever the young man would be asked On cue, his heart would race. He didn't have the brightest years Back in those spritely greens He lost more than since, has gained, And yet, there, he longs to be. A little while after his ascent, that day There came a rapping from behind When he ventured to see, who the causer was, Was appalled to see a mere child. A tousled boy he was, and nothing more; The astonished lent him a hand The pilot asked, "So, where to?" The boy softly said, ...

Rest in peace, Ms. Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022) I still remember that day When I was new to this town Nobody got out of their way Nay, didn't even show me 'round. The town's people were a quaint folk Did nought but incessant work And the only signs of esprit were  The Nightingale and these trees of birch. The Nightingale, o, what a divine soul! Seemed as though she channeled light Her sweet and melodious harmonies, They'd drown away the blues of the nights. Each night I returned to my home Exhausted, drained and in a sulk, The only soul out there for me Was that little bird in the tree pulp. Whenever I wandered through The darkest alleys of my mind, The soft voice of the Nightingale  Would help me leave the past behind. It had been o'er a few decades since She'd been singing songs for me But good things must leave you once, As when I returned one day,  She was nowhere to be seen... It had the voice of an angel Had returned to where angels belong, "But, true ...

Life However advanced humans have become till date, there are certain questions that we just don't know the correct answers to.  Maybe it's because they don't have a single answer....maybe it's because these questions are better off as questions, for the answers could be something totally unexpected. However, that doesn't stop us from trying to find explanations for them. You see, one of the most primary characteristics of humans is "curiosity", and we just don't stop looking for an answer. One such word, or rather question, has been one of the most challenging of them all. Life.  What really is the meaning of life? One may say, "to exist in this world". Well, some entities that "exist in this world" are labelled as non-living ones...to explain that, people say that they cannot carry out the basic functions of life. But...what exactly defines these functions, because these objects still continue to exist. Lets try and dive deeper in...

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 ...