ટહુકો દ્વારા યોજિત અમરભાઈ ભટ સાથેની સુંદર સાંજ

“મળી માતૃભાષા મને ગુજરાતી” ગાયું હતું જે ઉમાશંકર જોશીએ ગીત

અમરભાઈ ભટ્ટે તે ગીત ગાયને ટહુકોના પ્રોગ્રામ ની કરી શરુઆત

માતૃત્વ મુબારકના દિવસે માને વધાવતું ગીત તો ગાવું જ પડે

મકરંદ દવે લિખિત આ કળી ક્યારેય હવે નહિ ભૂલાય “જનની ની જોડ સખી નહિ જડે”

ડીમ્પ્લભાઈ પટેલે તબલા ઉપર આપ્યો એવો સુંદર સાથ

અમરભાઈએ બોલાવી ગીત અને ગઝલોની કેવી મજાની રમજટ                  

English: Gujarati (ગુજરાતી) in Gujarati Script. Created in Aakar Gujarati Font under GPL license. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

અમરભાઈએ સંભળાવી મરીઝ, હરકિસન જોશી જેવા માતબર કવિઓ

સુરેશભાઈ દલાલ, ઉમાશંકર જોશી, મનોજ ખંડેરિયા, રાજેન્દ્ર શાહ ની રચનાઓ

પણ ગઝલ છે શું? અરે “આ ગઝલ છે, એ કઈ ઢંઢેરો ના પીટે”

અને આમ જુઓ તો  “પ્રણયમાં પરિણમે તે ગઝલ” સમજ્યા કે?

ક્યારેક “રહસ્યોની ગુફામાં”, તો ક્યારેક “ડેલી બોલી પડી, ભીત મૂંગી રહી”

પ્રેક્ષકો સાંભળી રહ્યા, અમરભાઈએ શબ્દોની એવી બારમાસી સજાવી

 

“તમે બધાથી અલગ છો તેથી તમારું નોખું હું ધ્યાન રાખું

ગુલાબ લઈને તમે મળો તો મહેક ની હું દુકાન રાખું”

મરીઝ ની સુંદર ગઝલોએ સાંજ સજાવી “જુઓ શી કલાથી તમને મેં છુપાવ્યા,

હવે ઝીંદગીભર રુદન કરવું પડશે, મોકા પર આંખોમાં આંસુ ન આવ્યા

ક્યરેક ગાયીને ક્યારેક કાવ્ય બોલીને, ક્યરેક સંભળાવી રમુજી વાર્તા

જાણો છોને? “આપણી વ્યથા, અવરને રસની કથા”

 

ક્યારેક પ્રણય ની વાત કહી, ક્યારેક મજબૂરી અને અહંમ ની વાત દોહરાવી

જેમ કે “પરપોટે પુરાયો મારો પ્રાણ હોજી”

“મજબૂરી કેવી ડાળની, બટકીયે ના શકે, એના ખરેલા પાન ને અડકીયે ના શકે

કાયમ ખુલી રહે છે પ્રતીક્ષાની ટેવથી, આખો હવે ઊંઘમાં જબકીયે ના શકે “

“યાદ આવે તું જ વારંવાર, છે બધું મારી સમજની બાર

શું કહું જલસા કાર્ય, ગઝલો લખી, આપણો આ આખરી અવતાર”

 

ભીખુદાન ગઢવી નું, “વાણી તો વહેતું નીર છે પાનબાઈ એજ ગંગાના તીર છે પાનબાઈ

આપના વંશ વડલે ઘરડા રે, નરસીંહ મીરા કબીર છે પાનબાઈ” 

અને સુરેશ દલાલની સુંદર કવિતા “લીલ લબાઈ બેઠી જળને તળિયે

સૂર્ય કિરણને એમ થયું લાવ જઈને મળીયે”

હરિહર ભટનું ગીત “એક જ દે ચિનગારી ચકમક લોઢું ઘસતા ઘસતા, ખર્ચી ઝીંદગી”

અને અમૃત ઘાયલ ની નીચે આપેલી ગઝલ ખુબ દિલ ને સ્પર્શી ગયી

 

“દશા મારી, અનોખો લય, અનોખો તાલ રાખે છે

મુજને મુફલિસીમાં પણ માલામાલ રાખે છે

નથી એ રાખતા કઈ ખયાલ મારો એમ કેમ કહેવાય

નથી એ રાખતા તો કોણ મારો ખયાલ રાખે છે?”

ટહુકો અને જયશ્રીબેનને ખાસ આભાર અને અભિનંદન

મા ને અને માતૃભાષાને કેવા સુંદર નવાજયા, કર્યાં સુંદર વંદન 

 

I ask you, my brothers….. A poem (dedicated to the #DelhiVictim of gang rape)

(see information about the occurrence below, under the poem).

Maya Angelou calls me a phenomenal woman

I stand tall, side by side, with a man

Yet, I am powerless in face of violence

There, in place of my wit, all I had was silence

When my life turned upside down

In one bus ride across the town

 

It took six brute men to silence me for the night

When the darkness ended and I saw the light

“I want to live”, I said, fiercely determined

“I want to see the culprits punished”

I may be beaten, lost my intestines

But I have guts, to nail those swines

 

With or without you, I shall fight

My confidence doesn’t waver, not slight

Though, I am fighting fevers and infections

I haven’t lost my spirit, I’m telling you in my letters

Will you stand with me, for the sake of all our sisters?

Else, evil will infect everything like blisters

 

I have love in my heart to win the world over

I have anger in my heart to make the Gods cower

I also have forbearance and patience

I have endured for centuries, this nonsense

Now I ask you, my brothers, to speak for me

Against evil, speak on behalf of me, speak with me.

 

On December 16, 2012, at 9:30 pm, a young woman and her male friend were attacked in a city bus, in Delhi, India.  The male friend was beaten, and she was gang raped, and brutally sodomized, and then both were left for dead.  Despite loosing her intestines, being on the ventilator, fighting infections, and going through surgeries, this brave woman has not deserted her will to live and her determination to get justice and seeing the culprits punished.  She communicated that through letters.  The poem above is in honor of her spirit.  And for things to change, the men must be as outraged, as women.  (Additionally, here is my another poem, previously dedicated to women http://bit.ly/UUQcmN).

“I am thinking of me” – A poem dedicated to the parents of slain children at Sandy Hook, CT

I want to hold your little hand, my love — Poem

This poem is dedicated to the parents who lost their precious children in gun violence at SHES, Newtown, CT.  My heart goes out to them, waking up from a sleepless night, to the nightmare that is real.  The question to consider is – do we want to make our homes safer, even as our children are put in harm’s way in schools, colleges, theaters, malls or do we want to restrict access to guns.  Poem below……………

Didn’t hug you close, said my good bye in a hurry
I was annoyed that you were sloppy and slow
I want one chance to say I am really really sorry

Just once I want to smell your smell
I want to hold your little hand, my love
So many stories I still have to tell

Cook your favorite meal
Snuggle with you
Tickle you, my pickle

I am your mother, I am not done
Only I can keep you safe
You listen, you can’t be gone

I will trade all things I treasure
For one chance, to hold you
Once to gaze in your eyes, my dear

I want to tell you, it will be all right
Kiss away your boos and sorrows
Keep you safe, with all my might

Who am I without you, what will I do
I should think of you, my child
But I’m thinking of me, I need you

Yesterday and Today…………… a poem (in memory of slain kids at Sandy Hook, CT)

A poem dedicated to little children who succumbed to violent shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown, CT – December 14, 2012

Yesterday, we were children, full of innocence and big dreams
Today, we are little pawns in your war, bigger are your plans
Yesterday, war and violence was stuff of video games, sigh!
Today, ‘t was not for us to reason why, ours was to do and die
Yesterday, we prayed to keep our parents safe and here
Today, at sight of out blood streaked bodies, weep our parents dear
Yesterday, we were putting an angel, high up on our X’mas tree
Today, the angel weeps beside up, looking down on the tragedy
Yesterday, I peaked and saw, for me, my big brother wrap a pony
Today, it’s too late to thank you, it’s too late for me
Yesterday, we were warned to stay away from strangers
Today, we met, stranger than strangers, their weapons
Yesterday, snowflakes and rainbows were our favorite things
Today, your favorite things got us, as we learned how much you love guns
Yesterday, we were your future, your family, your community
Today, your future and past is wiped out as “evil visited the community”
Yesterday, we learned to ward of evil with compassion
Today, evil came, armed with weapons and ammunition
Yesterday, sunset looked divine and bright was morning sun
Today, rivers are overflowing with tears ‘cause of a glock or a gun
Yesterday, there were big plans for X’mas and birthdays
Today, we know, there will be tears for years on our birthdays………..

Some statistics: Each year over 30,000 people are killed by firearms in this country. Consider the probability of it being you or your child. More than 30 people are shot and murdered each day. There were 52,447 deliberate and 23,237 accidental non-fatal gunshot injuries in the United States during 2000. The majority of gun-related deaths in the United States are suicides, with 17,352 (55.6%) of the total 31,224 firearm-related deaths in 2007 due to suicide, while 12,632 (40.5%) were homicide deaths. In 2009, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 60% of all homicides in the United States were perpetrated using a firearm.

And please carefully consider: Since there is a high probability of encountering gun violence, what would you prefer? That you are armed with guns also? If we expand concealed carry permits (as NRA lobbies), would you carry it to a theater, when you take your child to a movie? Would you bring it to the school when you are dropping off your child? Would you effectively use it? In that scenario, consider many armed people using guns in a theater and police trying to identify the victims from the perpetrator.

Or would you rather focus on lowering the probability of such mindless violence by limiting access to guns, so no bozos can enter a school and hurt a child?

Do we want to teach our children that if someone is shooting, they ought to run, escape, hide, and cower OR do we want to teach them to shoot back. Consider the impact of, shall we say, “friendly fire”? And if we want our children to hide and escape, then why do we want guns in our homes? Do we want to make our homes safer, even as our children are in harm’s way in schools, colleges, theaters, churches, temples?

Cellular level bond between a mother and a child

Scientists discover cellular level bond between mother & child – see my limerick below that I wrote after reading this interesting research article - http://bit.ly/SPTGbL

Between a child and a mother
A deep bond like no other
Microchemeric cells giving her immunity
Even as she looses her sanity
For, compared to raising kids, every other task’s far simpler!!

On this International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women

All across the world, in one form or another, she’s mutilated
Someone’s daughter, wife, sister is raped, murdered.
Often she has fewer rights to property, inheritance, equal pay
She remains as a story between the binders, can’t have her say
Sometimes it’s a challenge simply being a woman, she’s often tired

 

Around the world, at least one in three women has been abused
Her voice is stolen, often of her rights, she is deprived
In the US, every 15 seconds, a woman is assaulted, beaten
On this International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women
Let’s speak up, give her a voice, join together for this abuse to end

Romney-Ryan 2012 – it’s just a limerick – on the eve of the second debate!

Romney-Ryan say they hold the key

Don’t ask “how”, if you can’t see

They’ll lower deficit without raising taxes

‘Cause trust’em, they are the magicians

Unless you get, “it’s a bunch of malarkey”

 

They’ll keep Bush-era tax cuts, expand ’em even

Romney-Ryan say they’ll close loopholes seven

Defies rules of math

There aren’t those loopholes to match

In the tax code to balance the cuts, no ma’am

 

Romney-Ryan say there’s a trick to adding two and two

In 4 years, they’ll add 12 million jobs, well can you?

Those jobs are expected under the current plan

Well, what’s new about their plan then?  Darn….

Their brazen, bold, sassiness’s what’s new

 

Ryan-Romney don’t endorse stimulus

That claim’s well……. Bogus

Ryan secured millions in government grants

While touting anti-government chants

Dude, he sure is a doofus

 

While insurance covers Viagra

Ryan-Romney chant anti-women mantra

Their policies may criminalize abortion

Curtail paying for contraception

This is but a small peek into their fenestra

 

Not just anti-women policy and anti-47 percent

voted against dream-act, policy is anti-immigrant

Ryan-Romney promise path to prosperity

With voucher-care there’ll be no parity

Remember, favoring only rich & privileged, their platform ain’t decent

How, what you say…..

My adorable daughter today said with some annoyance, mOOOm and I said, “please say without the emphasis”.  She said, again, mOm, you are mad not just about the content, but about the TONE?”  I said, calmly, “look at my tone, not just the content, I am not mad”.  So here is a little poem – you decide what is more important content or the tone in communication.

 
Mom says, it’s not just the quality of the content
It’s about the tone in what is meant
For in addressing Mom, when O is stressed
Trouble begins, mom’s not impressed

If content is the king, tone is the queen
From the tone, much is derived and a lot seen
Are you frivolous or serious, casual or formal
Sweet or stuffy, tone says it all

Content shows the art and skill, or lack of it
Tone comes from attitude, good, bad or indifferent
Content isn’t unimportant, but tone is essential
You should know, how what you say, makes others feel

Reflection on time inspired by girl playing with water slide

What is time? I was outside walking, and saw a little girl playing with little water slide. I said, “you are having a lot of fun eh” and she said, “YEAHHH, I have been playing for THREE hours”. I said, “THREE HOURS”!  The surprise in my voice might have alarmed her and she said, “oh it could be an hour”!! I said, “what is more important is that you are having fun” and she screamed, “Yeah” getting ready to dive down head first, with a toohless grin!!

Time is but a trifle when you are tiny & toothless
Nothing to chase, to acquire, when you have much less

But later……..
Home’s hardly enough, when you aspire for a palace
Then a yacht. There isn’t time for it all,. Oh… the stress

દીકરી તો પારકું ધન

મેં આમજ મસ્તી ખાતર ગુજરાતી કહેવતો વાંચી અને ધીમે ધીમે મારી જિજ્ઞાસા વધવા લાગી કે તેમાં દીકરી માટે ઘણી સુચના હતી.  મેં તે બધી કહેવતો ને ભેગી કરીને એક કાવ્ય લખ્યું છે તે અહી રજુ કર્યું છે.  ક્યારેક વિચાર પણ આવે કે નાની નાની છોકરીઓ આ સંભાળતી હશે ત્યારે જીવન માટે તેમને કેવા વિચાર આવતા હશે……..

દીકરી તો પારકું ધન - ગુજરાતી કહેવતો અને મોટેરાની દીકરીને શિખામણ

મારી માં મને કેતી, ઘર ચલાવતા શીખ
દીકરી તો જાય જ્યાં વિધિના લેખ

હું કહું, શું માં, ઘર કઈ ગાડી છે જેને ચલાવવાની
કઈ દવ છું હા, હું કોઈના ઘર માં નથી જવાની

દીકરી તો પારકું ધન ને અમારે માટે સાપનો ભારો
તારા ઘરે જઈને શોભાવજે તુલસી નો ક્યારો

અરે તું જે ઘરમાં જાય તે જ તારું સાચું ઘર
અમે તારા રખવાળા, પણ આમ તો પર

નીરાત એકવાર થાય કે તને તારા ઘર ભેગી કરીએ
છોકરીને અને ઉકરડાને વધતાં કઈ વાર ન લાગે

ખીચડી હલાવી બગડે ને દીકરી મલાવી બગડે
હૈયું બાળવું તેના કરતા હાથ બાળવા સારા

ઘરનું ઘરેણું થઇ ને રહેજે, પારકા ને પોતાના કરી
પિયરની પાલખી કરતાં સાસરિયાની સૂળી સારી

એટલે તો કહેવાયું છે, દીકરી ને ગાય
ગમ ખાઈને રયે ને દોરે ત્યાં જાય

તું જે ઘરની વહુ બને, તેને દિપાવજે
સાસરે, સાસુજીના ઢાળમાં ઢળજે

કહેવાય છે કે વહુ જ્યાં ઉઠે પ્રભાત પહેલા
તે ઘરમાં અંધારુ ક્યાંથી છવાય ભલા

સુજે પતિના પગ દાબીને, સાસુની સેવા કરીને, છેલ્લે
પણ જાગજે સુરજના જાગ્યા પહેલા, સૌથી પેલ્લે

બરાબર ઉછેરજે, જો તારા કમભાગ્ય હોય અને જન્મે દીકરી
ભાગ્યશાળી હોય ને મોટા ના આશીર્વાદ હોય તો મારી છોડી

તારા નસીબે લખાણા હશે જો દેવ ના દીધેલ દીકરા
તો લહેરથી ગાજે, મારા છગન-મગન બે સોનાના, ગામનાં છોકરાં ગારાના