Thinking Aloud

  A letter to the moon...      Dear readers, today's moon is in its waxing gibbous phase and it is shining beautifully. Here's a letter to the moon from the girl next door who is awestruck by its beauty. To The Moon: As I try to gather my thoughts, Pull them together and weave a tale, You are somewhere over the sky A place that's unknown to me. I sit here and revisit the familiar paths, With my ears plugged in. High on songs; Peeping through the window, Looking at the darkness of the darkest night. I'm trying to find my way, Through the chaos around me. I'm tracing the imprints that I left behind. Long back: an untraceable route. Shinning with white sparkles You, oh Moon, help me find my way, For I'm lost in the familiar space. I look at you, Like the bird that looks at the branch: The branch where it perches. Let my soul perch on your Crescent. I'm awestruck as I wonder how, You and I belong to the same universe,

  World Poetry Day..      Dear readers, today is World Poetry Day. Poetry is my form of escapism from the terrible reality. I take refuge in the very act of writing poetry as it brings solace to me. On the hardest days I go back home to sit and write something, at least scribble something on the paper to take my mind off things.  On this world poetry day, here's one of my favourite poems for you.   The Ever-Fixed Mark: My hooked feet refuse to move, Unmoved and stranded stood I, In the middle of somewhere - nowhere perhaps! I tried to belong: to fit in. The more, became the less. The illusions of dreams, of myriad beams Pushed me forward, But the enormous void gulped the spirit. Drowning in the sea of doubt; Questioning the mishaps; Treading down the lanes of days gone by; Swimming my way out; Far away, a tiny view of the shore, Caught the attention of my eyes. Hues of green painted in the shapes of trees, Shades of brown glowing in the sun, Filled me, my soul, with eternal joy! Th

  Consistency is the Key!      Dear readers, h aving reached this milestone, I'm overjoyed to be on day 30 of the 30-day blogging challenge. I haven't missed a single day of posting since I have been so consistent. I am really thankful to my professor for pushing me to take this on.      While it is common knowledge that consistency is important, how well-defined is the concept of consistency? We define consistency as always giving it our all and producing at the highest level possible even on our not so good days. But not every day is the same.    There are exceptional days and less exceptional days. A small effort goes a long way. I was thinking about this when the poem "Be the Best of Whatever You Are" came to mind. This lovely poetry emphasizes the value of giving it your all, no matter how little the task. It doesn't have to be something big but doing the best of whatever you can matters.                                                       There have been u

  Take some time off... 1.               Dear readers, this week is going to be a hectic week with all the exams and submissions. So here's a poem that talks about the importance of taking some time off and living in the moment.   B       Breathe Take some time off today, Just breathe a little. I find you lost- Somewhere into the secret chamber, You dwell as a mere stranger. Curled up in familiarity, Searching for clarity; How long will you stay? Before you get to play. Have you ever thought? Of the way you decay and rot- Into the mundane routine. Oh, you don’t know how serene, Is the dazzling feel. What big deal? You may think, For life passes by in a wink.               - S. Jennifer Sandra

  Busy Days..      Dear readers, the past two or three days have been really hectic for me and all of a sudden I was reminded of this poem of mine. Hope you enjoy it. 1.     The Spark Busier are the days, When you know not- Where life’s taking you- Into the randomness of the core. Do I just go with the flow, Uninterrupted and desolate? Or do I pause and think? About the uncertainties, Or the highs and lows? As aimless as it seems, The unlit path – dim and drab, I’m trying to find my light. I search my way, Through the emptiness of the room. Little did I know, The spark of light, That could let the flame ablaze, Is found nowhere but in me.                                  - S. Jennifer Sandra

  Giving and receiving Love:      Dear readers, here's a suggestion from my friend Daniel. He gave me a concept about love, precisely a feeling of fear where we want to give everything to someone but we are so scared that they won't be there with us till the end.      In this world, nothing is permanent. Everything that starts must come to an end, and then it must begin again in another form. It is imperative to realize that nothing—not even people or materialistic possessions—will be with us forever. There is a lot of uncertainty in this world. We have no idea what will occur in the next minute.      Even though we are all aware of this, we never stop loving other people. That's the magic of love. Love gives without expecting anything in return, according to the Bible. Giving without expecting anything in return is the key. True unconditional love is when you love someone even when they don't love you back.       There are exceptions to the generalization that parents

  Change...      Dear readers, one of the suggestions that I received as a response to my Instagram story is: Change or fear of the unknown. It was Cathy's idea.         We're all afraid of the unknown. Sometimes we simply dread what will happen when we don't even start. We're all paranoid in one way or another. We seek solace in our comfort zones that we won't leave them.      Only when we venture outside of our comfort zones can we truly grow. We will never be able to advance in life if we continue to be afraid of change and do not make even small modifications in our daily routines.  “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown” ―  H.P. Lovecraft      People have feared the unknown and change for eternity. This worry has grown multiple times over as times have changed. Following the pandemic, individuals have realized how unpredictable the world is and how quickly things may change.      I

  Lore of the Land      Dear readers, this year's Mnemosyne (the cultural fest of the Department of English -Aided) was conducted on the 14th and 15th of March . It embraced the theme - Lore of the Land.      The inaugural event happened at the Anderson Hall. The chief guest Dr. Nirmal Selvamony sir addressed the gathering. He spoke on the topic "Is there such a thing as Folklore? The case of Kalam". The speaker brought out different ideas that connected kalam with literature.       The most striking part of the address was the explanation of Robert Frost's poem, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." He beautifully explained it with a pictographic reference.      Three people from our department, released their books during the event. Our beloved HoD, Dr. Mekala Rajan, our professor Dr. Phebe Angus and my junior T. Abraham. It was such a pleasure to witness their big day.       After the inaugural, a play ( Banquo's Last Laugh ) was staged by our fel

       Dear readers, as a prelude to Mnemosyne 2024, here is a poem from my poetry collection for you. Tomorrow, after the successful completion of the event, I'll post a detailed blog about that. Until then, I'll remain as a flaneur ( a silent observer). Flaneur: The hustle and bustle around me, Everything in cages, bound and free. People strolling all over the place, Trailing around this huge maze - I sit here in a corner, Termed as a 'quiet loner'. Observation is my possessed code, 'Coz, I turned on my incognito mode. I looked around, Until I found, A noteworthy scene, A million things it could mean. A moment of glance, Gave me the chance, To express my views, In a canvas of myriad hues. One among the crowd, Perhaps, a passing cloud. My surroundings, I inspect, To ponder and recollect.                                    - S. Jennifer Sandra  

Dear readers, as a prelude to one of the suggestions : Fear of the unknown/change, here is a poem from my poetry collection for you. 1       Journey Destinations are alluring, But who talks about the journey? Who cares to open up, The struggles of impediments; The road not taken, The path unobserved, By a million stars, Under the dark quilt, With shades of the universe. The tiring journey, Makes the flesh weary, But oh, my soul! How refreshing it is, For my innermost being is reborn: Revived into the most precious entity. Curiosity of the unknown, Engulfs the fear of danger. The obstacles of faith, May be a setback. For destinations are alluring, But who talks about the journey?                   -S. Jennifer Sandra

  To Let Go....      Dear readers,  I shared an Instagram story the other day asking for thoughts on what people would like to read in my next writings. For the next few days, I will be blogging about the topics that each respondent suggested.  Once more, Benny's recommendation: the art of letting go.      We tend to hold onto the things that bring us down most of the time. I've already discussed the monkey bars in my earlier post. It is really hard for us to let go of something that holds great meaning for us. I've observed a lot of people who find it difficult to let go of things in a variety of contexts; these things could be unhealthy habits, addictions, or toxic relationships.      We struggle to let go of it even though we know it is bad for us just because we are attached to it; more accurately, we are accustomed to it. Even if we don't actually need it, we cling to it.  To use a very simple example, I find it difficult to give up some really sentimental clothin

  All About Kindness     Dear readers,  I shared an Instagram story the other day asking for thoughts on what people would like to read in my next writings. For the next few days, I will be blogging about the topics that each respondent suggested.      Madhunaya, my junior, asked me to write about kindness. Kindness and the significance of treating one another with kindness have previously been discussed by a lot of people. I didn't know what to write about it. Then it dawned on me: why not discuss the very act of kindness itself?     To be kind is to simply have consideration for others. Something as simple as smiling can have a profound impact, rather than something grand like making a donation. A random person walking by can suddenly lift your spirits with a lovely, encouraging grin.     Simple words of encouragement from medical personnel at hospitals have the power to completely transform the lives of patients and their families. Again, it's all about the small things. Wh

A Two-day International Conference on Social Sciences, Languages and Culture (ICSSLC '23)      Dear readers, This is my twentieth blog post. I am going to talk about my first-ever paper presentation experience to commemorate this milestone.      I sent my abstract to the Pondicherry University Conference to begin with. The abstract was chosen, but for a number of other reasons I was unable to present a paper there. At Crescent University in Chennai, I was delighted to have my abstract accepted for the Two-day International Conference on Social Sciences, Languages, and Culture. I presented a paper titled - History Repeats Itself: A Comparative Reading of Select Poems Written During the Great Plague and Covid-19 Periods. Here is the crux of the paper:      The objective of the paper, is to examine the similar experiences of people and their troubled psyche while deconstructing the irrevocable effects of trauma. Furthermore, investigating the similitudes and dissimilitudes of both th

Bestfriend...      Dear readers,  the other day I requested suggestions on what people would like to read in my next blogs in an Instagram story that I uploaded. I'll be writing about the subjects that each person suggested for the next few days. My bestfriend Jelshiya asked me to talk about my bestfriend (basically about her).       We've known each other for five years and have been best friends for three years. In our first year as undergrads, we got to know one another. Our interests were very similar, and there was an instant connection. Being my best friend means that you must be able to relate to me in all of my phases, even when I don't say anything. To me, she is that person. She doesn't really need any explanation from me. She'll know everything about me just looking at my face.      Being friends demands more than just being there when things are going great. Providing support is essential when everything seems to be falling apart. She was the one who wip

  Guinness World Records      Dear readers, for a change I thought of talking to you about one of my personal experiences. In the year 2022 my cousin contacted me and asked me to be a part of an amazing project - The publication of the World's Thickest Book which will be recognized by the Guinness records, she said.    I was excited instantly. Today I'm grateful to her for roping me in. Thank you dear Diana akka.      For over a period of 12 months, a group of eminent authors worked together to bring out this amazing book. The book is a collection of poems, research papers, articles and many more. I have published 30 poems under the chapter entitled "Sculptured Thoughts". It was an honor to publish my work along with such great people.    Here is the details of the book:  It is the World's Thickest Book 2023 recognized by the Guinness World Records. It consists of 100,100 pages, measuring up to 19.34 ft. Now, it has been kept at the Anna Centenary Library, Chenna