I traded my office for my home
& my files for my spatula
I’ve come a long way
from the board-room to the kitchen
My deadlines vary from day to day
The demands on my time are lively & varied
The clutter is endless, there’s no end
to my family’s madness!
Piles of dishes to clean before I sleep
Dreams of menus while I sleep
Nightmares after I wake up
(Do I really sleep?)
Life’s one merry-go round
of teas, breakfasts, lunches & dinners
With in-between snacks thrown in for good measure!
I’ve to anticipate desires & moods
irrespective of mine!
I’ve to placate, mediate, intimidate, cheer up
the inmates of my home, time and again.
I’ve to be one step ahead
of my ever-errant house-maid
lest she turn me into a nervous wreck !
I’m a doctor, lawyer, gardener, interior designer
cook, waitress, captain, chaplain, etc. all rolled into one
as the need of the hour demands !
Sometimes I get perks like an outing
or even a day off!
Though I’m not paid in cash
I’m always paid in kind
by my family’s happy, relaxed faces
after a hard day’s work outside
When I’m sick, everyone is instantly by my side
They pray that I get well soon
and immediately take over my duty!
Yes, my job is challenging & stimulating all right
But I love it & will never trade places again!
The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
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Please read my story titled 'Ram Kumar Chaubey's Lifeline' and tell me how you enjoyed it.
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Sunday, 27 October 2013
Thursday, 10 October 2013
Lazy Bone!
I make no bones about being lazy
I just love sleeping, smug and cozy!
I wake up at mid-day and have bed-tea
I skip bathing for days on end!
I like my hair long and can live in a thong!
I don’t crave money, fame, anything
But just wish to laze around, all day long!
I will not work to save my life
Hence no gal’s willing to be my wife
I don’t care, I don’t bother
Who’ll make kids and even look after them, brother?
For, I don’t even look after myself
Fend for others? Not by a long tether!
When I die, it’ll be a long journey to my grave
Never mind, I’ll just be deathly-still
My pall-bearers will swallow the bitter pill!
You bet, I’ll die a ‘lazy bone’
Hence, for once I’ll be brave!
Now, you can start digging my grave!
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read the story titled 'The lonely old man' in my blog dedicated to stories. Did you like it? Please let me know....
I just love sleeping, smug and cozy!
I wake up at mid-day and have bed-tea
I skip bathing for days on end!
I like my hair long and can live in a thong!
I don’t crave money, fame, anything
But just wish to laze around, all day long!
I will not work to save my life
Hence no gal’s willing to be my wife
I don’t care, I don’t bother
Who’ll make kids and even look after them, brother?
For, I don’t even look after myself
Fend for others? Not by a long tether!
When I die, it’ll be a long journey to my grave
Never mind, I’ll just be deathly-still
My pall-bearers will swallow the bitter pill!
You bet, I’ll die a ‘lazy bone’
Hence, for once I’ll be brave!
Now, you can start digging my grave!
*****************************************************************************
The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read the story titled 'The lonely old man' in my blog dedicated to stories. Did you like it? Please let me know....
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Hell Hath No Fury.....
When my father’s friend introduced his wife to us, saying “Meet my better- half!”, I was pleased as punch. So even the men these days were openly admitting that they were the worse –half! But when I questioned him about whether he’d opt to be the better- half, given a choice in his next life, he laughed aloud and said “Oh no! I prefer being the worse- half, as I don’t have to do any work, at least since I’m in India. Only the label of a ‘worse- half’ doesn’t bother me at all!” Even as his wife glared at him, he continued talking in the same vein.
When she couldn’t take his ‘light-hearted’ ribbing any longer, she too ‘casually’ remarked “Let’s see whether you get dinner at home today! This is the punishment for being the worse- half and not being apologetic about it too!” Her remark showed that she wore the pants in the house.
Immediately my brother remarked “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!” quoting from Shakespeare’s play. What had started as a brief introduction, soon turned into a lively debate with a good sprinkling of phrases and idioms which included the feminine gender! Of course, my brother was referring to the ‘punishment’ declared by that elderly lady who felt that she had become the laughing stock; just due to her husband’s insensitivity.
Meanwhile, I was reminded of an awe-inspiring story that I had read in my childhood. That of Kannagi, the wife of a Brahmin who had been falsely accused of stealing the anklet of the Queen of Madurai and who was later sentenced to death by the King. When it was proved by Kannagi that he was innocent and had been wrongly punished, the King was repentant, but it was too late. The bereaved widow, Kannagi cursed the kingdom of Madurai to be burnt to ashes. Thus it truly depicted how “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!”
My mother suddenly jumped into the fray and supporting the elderly lady said that “Behind every successful man is a woman. If your hubby and my hubby have made names for themselves as eminent people, it is in no small measure, due to our unstinting work, faith and devotion to our husbands. We toiled to provide them food, support and succor whenever they needed it.”
Just then, my father butted in with a cheeky rejoinder. “And what about Mr. Khanna, who was driven to alcohol-addiction, due to the continuous nagging by his wife?”
Both, the elderly lady and my mother looked at Dad venomously, with daggers-drawn. Now it had truly become a question of defending the honor of womankind!
I wanted to contribute my mite to the women’s cause, hence I said gleefully, “What about the fact that we women can multi-task so efficiently and even stay all alone, whereas you men are totally at sea without the mistress of the house around? We women don’t really need the men for anything!”
All the men remarked disdainfully, “Oh, the same old feminine liberation blah, blah!”
‘What men do, women can do better,’ was proved by my friend when she deftly changed the subject by announcing that she was going to become a fighter pilot! She would shatter the glass ceiling and break into the sacred bastions of male hegemony.
Now all those who were present in the room looked at her with awe and admiration, their debate about male versus female supremacy, temporarily forgotten.
Grabbing that opportunity to show an olive flag, my Dad and his friend applauded “Three cheers to the gutsy woman. Hip, hip, hurray!”
They had realized that they had just averted the Third World War. They knew that their famed, bloated, male egos had been neatly punctured by the Adam’s ribs! Yes, they silently acknowledged, women would always reign supreme. Or so they, the men would always lead them to believe. For they knew on which side their bread was buttered! Hence there was no harm in ‘buttering them up’!
Not one to give up, I asked the men “So who wins this debate?”
There was a chorus from the grinning men. “You Mademoiselles, you!”
**************************************************************************************The copyright of this article is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read my story titled "The Litmus Test" which depicts how a happily married lady who has skeletons in her closet comes clean in public.... How will her husband react? Will things be hunky-dory thereafter? Read on to find out for yourself. Over to my blog dedicated to stories...
When she couldn’t take his ‘light-hearted’ ribbing any longer, she too ‘casually’ remarked “Let’s see whether you get dinner at home today! This is the punishment for being the worse- half and not being apologetic about it too!” Her remark showed that she wore the pants in the house.
Immediately my brother remarked “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!” quoting from Shakespeare’s play. What had started as a brief introduction, soon turned into a lively debate with a good sprinkling of phrases and idioms which included the feminine gender! Of course, my brother was referring to the ‘punishment’ declared by that elderly lady who felt that she had become the laughing stock; just due to her husband’s insensitivity.
Meanwhile, I was reminded of an awe-inspiring story that I had read in my childhood. That of Kannagi, the wife of a Brahmin who had been falsely accused of stealing the anklet of the Queen of Madurai and who was later sentenced to death by the King. When it was proved by Kannagi that he was innocent and had been wrongly punished, the King was repentant, but it was too late. The bereaved widow, Kannagi cursed the kingdom of Madurai to be burnt to ashes. Thus it truly depicted how “Hell hath no fury as a woman scorned!”
My mother suddenly jumped into the fray and supporting the elderly lady said that “Behind every successful man is a woman. If your hubby and my hubby have made names for themselves as eminent people, it is in no small measure, due to our unstinting work, faith and devotion to our husbands. We toiled to provide them food, support and succor whenever they needed it.”
Just then, my father butted in with a cheeky rejoinder. “And what about Mr. Khanna, who was driven to alcohol-addiction, due to the continuous nagging by his wife?”
Both, the elderly lady and my mother looked at Dad venomously, with daggers-drawn. Now it had truly become a question of defending the honor of womankind!
I wanted to contribute my mite to the women’s cause, hence I said gleefully, “What about the fact that we women can multi-task so efficiently and even stay all alone, whereas you men are totally at sea without the mistress of the house around? We women don’t really need the men for anything!”
All the men remarked disdainfully, “Oh, the same old feminine liberation blah, blah!”
‘What men do, women can do better,’ was proved by my friend when she deftly changed the subject by announcing that she was going to become a fighter pilot! She would shatter the glass ceiling and break into the sacred bastions of male hegemony.
Now all those who were present in the room looked at her with awe and admiration, their debate about male versus female supremacy, temporarily forgotten.
Grabbing that opportunity to show an olive flag, my Dad and his friend applauded “Three cheers to the gutsy woman. Hip, hip, hurray!”
They had realized that they had just averted the Third World War. They knew that their famed, bloated, male egos had been neatly punctured by the Adam’s ribs! Yes, they silently acknowledged, women would always reign supreme. Or so they, the men would always lead them to believe. For they knew on which side their bread was buttered! Hence there was no harm in ‘buttering them up’!
Not one to give up, I asked the men “So who wins this debate?”
There was a chorus from the grinning men. “You Mademoiselles, you!”
**************************************************************************************The copyright of this article is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read my story titled "The Litmus Test" which depicts how a happily married lady who has skeletons in her closet comes clean in public.... How will her husband react? Will things be hunky-dory thereafter? Read on to find out for yourself. Over to my blog dedicated to stories...
Thursday, 3 October 2013
Capital Asset
Your love is the capital of my life
We are oh so rich, my dear wife
Your smile & caring is a regular income
See what a huge hoard our capital has become!
The value of this capital, with time, will appreciate
Whoever said that assets can often, only depreciate
You are my most precious asset, my mate
You & only you, can decide my fate!
Our love will always stand the test of time
Our balance-sheet will never show loss of any dime
Though we may very well age past our prime
You, my capital asset will double from time to time!
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
We are oh so rich, my dear wife
Your smile & caring is a regular income
See what a huge hoard our capital has become!
The value of this capital, with time, will appreciate
Whoever said that assets can often, only depreciate
You are my most precious asset, my mate
You & only you, can decide my fate!
Our love will always stand the test of time
Our balance-sheet will never show loss of any dime
Though we may very well age past our prime
You, my capital asset will double from time to time!
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
Tuesday, 1 October 2013
Thoughts
Thoughts are random, illogical, continuous
Thoughts ramble, wander, walk, run.
Thoughts never stand still
They cram our waking hours
Appear as dreams while in sleep
Dog us in sickness, sorrow and happiness
Loyally keep us company
Even when we want to be left alone!
Thoughts trouble, amuse, arouse, anger,
Berate, tickle, inspire, incite!
Thoughts make us, thoughts break us
Thoughts can help overcome obstacles
Thoughts can help to create obstacles
Thoughts may be channelized, modified,
Subdued, glorified!
Thoughts are thoughts .....
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read the story "The Teacher's Diwali Gift",a touching story about how a teacher reforms her violent ways. Today, the 2nd of October,is Mahatma Gandhiji's Jayanti(birth anniversary)and this day is observed as 'International Non-violence Day'. If anyone is abusing children in any way, I hope this story reforms that person too! So over to my blog dedicated to stories! Happy reading!
Thoughts ramble, wander, walk, run.
Thoughts never stand still
They cram our waking hours
Appear as dreams while in sleep
Dog us in sickness, sorrow and happiness
Loyally keep us company
Even when we want to be left alone!
Thoughts trouble, amuse, arouse, anger,
Berate, tickle, inspire, incite!
Thoughts make us, thoughts break us
Thoughts can help overcome obstacles
Thoughts can help to create obstacles
Thoughts may be channelized, modified,
Subdued, glorified!
Thoughts are thoughts .....
**************************************************************************************
The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan
**************************************************************************************
Kindly read the story "The Teacher's Diwali Gift",a touching story about how a teacher reforms her violent ways. Today, the 2nd of October,is Mahatma Gandhiji's Jayanti(birth anniversary)and this day is observed as 'International Non-violence Day'. If anyone is abusing children in any way, I hope this story reforms that person too! So over to my blog dedicated to stories! Happy reading!