Saturday 29 March 2014

Year-end Closing


Maddening deadlines
Choked phone lines
Frayed tempers
Lost vouchers
Debit-credit un-tallied
All the staff rallied
Burnt the midnight oil
Spent hard hours of toil
At last, the dawn of success
Closing’s over, GOD BLESS!
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 The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.
 

Monday 24 March 2014

My World


I may have not discovered the atom
Yet I know, I’m just an atom in this universe!
I may have not coined the phrase
‘leaving foot-prints in the sands of time’
But I know, I am bound to do so!
I may not be visible or heard in this vast multitude
Though I’m surely a part of it!
I may not be a force to reckon with
But I reckon, I’m not the only such one!
My existence may not make any major difference to anyone
Yet I’m sure I have my place in GOD’s scheme of things!
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Friday 21 March 2014

Maintain friendships for a life-time. Be a friend for life.



                 So you’ve made a friend and are very happy. Good for you! But are you equipped to maintain this friendship for a life-time? Let’s ponder over what it takes to do this and vow to implement it regularly.
Give and take: Friendship involves a lot of exchange. Sharing of material possessions is often de rigeur between close friends. But what about emotional needs, fears and phobias, complexes and confidential matters? These are the areas which truly determine the strength of your friendship. One must be able to freely confide about these to one’s closest friends and obtain good, constructive advice, opinions, views and utmost confidentiality in return, from them. A good friend respects all your feelings, most of all you, who have honored him/her with your infinite trust. He/she mustn’t ever betray you, at any cost.
On your part, you must be able to be such a trust-worthy confidante too. Squealing about your best friend or ridiculing his fears and complexes will only drive him apart from you. But if you shield his wrong-doings or crimes, you are becoming an accomplice to his misdeeds and this is unacceptable. Confront him/her and gently but firmly make him/her aware of his/her misdemeanor and get him/her to turn over a new leaf.
Never take your friend for granted: In the movie Manzil, the protagonist takes his friend for granted and even goes to the extent of assuming his identity, for his own benefit. He drives his car, wears his clothes, stays in his apartment, changes the name on the nameplate to his name, borrows money time and again from him and tells his girl-friend that he is very well-off. His over-generous friend never dissuades him. He only mildly chides him that he is cheating his girl-friend by giving her a false impression of being wealthy.
Hence it can be seen that you should always consider your friend’s convenience and not take all that is his/hers as a matter of right! Also, don’t bank on him/her to keep covering up for your dishonesty. Even patience has its limits and it’ll be only a matter of time before the lid is blown off!
Avoid taking advantage of your friend: As mentioned in the above story, please refrain from taking advantage of a friend’s wealth, status, generosity and kind nature. “All that is his/hers is mine!” shouldn’t be your dictum. Rather, it would be better if you could do something for your friend at times.
Anita often took small loans from her rich friend Suvarna for her personal needs. The large-hearted Suvarna was ever ready to oblige. Over the years, the small loans magnified into large debts running into lakhs of rupees. Now both Anita and her unscrupulous husband Vineet took advantage of Suvarna’s largesse. Of course, a part of this unfortunate turn of events could be attributed to Suvarna’s inability to say “No” and blind faith in her friend. When Suvarna’s husband Jeet started complaining and objecting, Suvarna reluctantly asked her friend to repay all her debts.
Feigning hurt, Anita said, “Don’t you trust me, dear friend? Haven’t I promised that I’ll surely repay all the outstanding dues to you some day?” Suvarna then realized how she had been all along taken for a ride by her so-called friend who was just using her, to fulfill all her needs; without any intention of ever returning the money she owed to her. Now Suvarna was sure that that “someday” wouldn’t come any day, in the near future. She abruptly cut off all contact with Anita, who realized that her game was up.
Beware of being a fair-weather friend: There are some who remember friends and are with them only when circumstances are favorable and things are rosy. With the slightest whiff of trouble or sorrow, these friends vanish into thin air.
Ram was a very well-to-do businessman. He had lots of friends and a large circle of well-wishers. His lavish parties were very well-attended and were the talk of that town. Suddenly his fortunes changed and he found himself not only bankrupt, but even devoid of any friends. All his so-called friends and well-wishers had broken all ties with him, fearing that he would ask them for help and financial assistance. He then realized that they had just been his fair-weather friends and not genuine ones who would weather the storms with him.
Be a friend in need: Friends are a fine support-system and provide welcome succor in times of despair. The help given by friends may not be just monetary, but emotional too. Moral support matters a lot when one loses his/her job, is on the verge of divorce, is beset by illness or suffers the loss of one’s loved ones. That irreplaceable loss is bridged by the warmth of friendship. The genuine consolation offered by friends, acts like a balm on one’s wounds; inflicted by the vagaries of life.
When Geeta’s husband died in an unfortunate road accident, all her friend rallied around her, comforting her and offering her kind words of consolation. She felt somewhat better and relieved that she wasn’t all alone in the world.
Smita lost her job and was broke. She hoped that some friend would help her financially till she got another job. When she approached her best friend Akanksha for help, she brusquely turned her off saying that she herself didn’t have any money, even though she was quite well-off. Smita was heart-broken. She had really looked forward to and banked on her friend’s help. She felt let-down by her friend and was very miserable. She felt lonely and uncared for!
Make time for each other: Any relationship requires time and effort to be invested in it to make it stronger and more meaningful. Friendship is no exception to this rule. Always be there for your friends when they need you the most. Spend quality time with your friends; this doesn’t mean that you keep messaging your friends or communicate only through Facebook!
Face-to-face interactions are better than superficial means of keeping in touch. Real conversations, lively interactions, shared cokes and jokes, laughter and camaraderie are possible only when you actually meet each other regularly. No matter how busy you are, make it a point to meet each other and catch up on what each of you is doing. Go for picnics and get-togethers, parties and functions and live it up! Remember to wish each other on Birthdays, Anniversaries and other important occasions. Get involved in group activities like volunteering for an NGO so that you can conveniently and regularly meet each other.
Just as a plant withers in the absence of regular watering, your friendship will wither if you don’t endeavor to keep it fresh and alive!
Nurture your friendship. It’s worth it: Thus one can sum up this interesting topic by saying that friendship is a symbiotic relationship. There is no one who is greater or better between the two. Each friend supports and enriches the other’s life. A true friendship shuns egos and cultivates care, affection, compassion, warmth and fun. Only persons who are always there for each other through thick and thin can be termed as real friends. The true test of a friendship is the test of time. Can your friendship pass this test?
                                                               The End
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The copyright of this article has now been assigned to Woman's Era magazine.
It has been published in the May 1st issue of this magazine.

Monday 17 March 2014

My Luck! Just in Jest!


I like to try my luck;
In a pack of cards
I always land a duck,
When luck gives me a miss by yards!
I itch to place my bet,
On a winning race horse.
When my victory is sure set
All but mine race ahead; and fill me with remorse!
I always toss a coin,
Say “Heads I win, tails I lose”
And the paupers I join,
‘cause, tails it is; I’m always bound to lose!
I then decide to never try my luck
And leave all cards, horses and coins aside!
When my friends say, you suck,
I toss all my resolutions aside!
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Note: I'm not superstitious. I just prefer writing in the 'first person' mode.
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs.Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.

Saturday 15 March 2014

Too Good To Be True!


You’re too good to be true
I know you are an unholy shrew
Spreading lies and rumors not a few
You’re the one, I wish I could sue!

    I’ve always believed you, how I rue
    If only I had just one, just a clue!
    I’d never let friendship between us brew
    I’d fight you tooth and nail, to give a new hue
    To the adage
“You’re too good to be true!”
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The copyright of this poem is with Mrs. Priya Ramesh Swaminathan.