Aahaa Chennai

                            A                             f                             t                             e                             r                        a busy                   day, nodding                 to the ants, the           curious squirrels, the        noisy crows, the more noisy      mynahs, the musical sunbirds,    and the pretty butterflies, a shiny            mango, shows off its  sun bred, eye     catching coat, a grand showpiece      of natural  splendour, to the ever         active  wind, inviting it for a                   quick game of swing                              about, fast and                                    furious, twist                                                     n' turn.                                                  

                        Tiny  sunlit specks.         A white blossom visits -            Golden Tattoo shop. 

                                                                                                                        It's                                    tiny.                                  Comes                             down fast or                                             comes down slow                      but for the past year                   or so, the cool raindrops,                 I once knew,  are reluctant                      to emerge from the dark grey           clouds,  long held captives  of  the             sun's army,  yet to fully sense the           the  dying throb  of Earth's breath               or the cries trapped in cracked,                 disfigured soil whose echoes                         creep up, whispering to                        the clouds, to let go,                           their pile of rain                                    drops.                                                                  

                             The                laughter of  children  echoing across the shade, the dribble     of  specks of  sunshine on the canopy,       the cool sprinkle of  a myriad  tiny           raindrops polishing the leaves, the       the friendly chatter of curious            feathered visitors, a huge            umbrella above in many                shades of luxuriant                green and the touch                          of caring                             hands                              make                              a tree                               seem                               extra                             tall and                          totally free.

The gift for the day arrives in a tray which is quite heavy. An empty tray, left behind, after construction work, turns into a green one, offering a handful of fresh, home bred greens for my daily cooking needs. This 'earth friendly' gift does deserve a pedestal.

A city dweller peering into a glass of water - the first offering to a guest on torrid summer days, I am imagining, the unending thrill of gazing at... a veil of fast spreading mist, painted with water droplets, emerging out of a waterfall, a large pool of water, silent in repose, locked by the shutters of a dam, the crystal clear waters of a long cherished lake, stretching out like a carpet, beside the highway, flocks of ducks, flapping their wings, wading into the village pond and the black heads of buffaloes peering out of the water, with egrets perched on their back. For engaging water tales, look into my Kindle ebook - "Water sends SMSes: Have you got it?"