spic and span shined the vessels

the kitchen house
with pots and panes
and a place where one can do the washings
with just a few cane stools and a pair of round-ended tongs
that's her kingdom at least for the time till the dinner got ready

no dust, nor ash in the mud floor fireplace
even though the burning firewoods made lots of ashes
the pots and pans remained spic and span
the lady in the kitchenette  was ever cleaning them all
she couldn't do otherwise as that was her trademark!

nimble footed as a dancing bird
her agile frame earned her laurels even in her teens
she even earned a place for the cultural troupe
a 'Paite' puadum in her loins with a lady headgear in her head
she joined the Paite dancers on a tableau on an R'day in Delhi

that day she wore a simple cotton faded blue 'top'
her loincloths were made of silk in three colors
as I watched her moving around in her mom's kitchenette
no one need to tell me she was one of very 'fel' young girls of the town
as per the 'Paite' culture, the small kitchen house always seemed crowded with visiting 'guys'!


Dated Mission Road,  (L) T. Tonsing's residence in the early 70s!

remembering in Dwarka, New Delhi 12/1/13 (LK)    

The five cigarette sticks that lit a flame

Packs and packs of 'charminar' cigarettes,
Unpacked and unpacked just to be distributed;
At a wedding reception held in Mission Road,
One stick for each guest that come to grace[
Way back in a cold winter nightly Dec 62.

Every hand with a lighted cigarette,
It did lit up the night and add to that of the hurricane lamp;
I remembered the night as it was special to me,
The damsel who led the distribution of those white sticks 
Was one who became my better half a decade later.

When it was my turn she handed 5 instead of one, 
The  5 unlit sticks created a big flame in my heart since that day! 

As if to confirm the flame the 5 sticks caused,
I chanced to steal a look while other eyes were closed in prayer,
To my pleasant surprise I saw a pair of eyes looking towards my direction 
So both our eyes met and we confirmed the 'flame' within that night.

Then we joined the others in closing our eyes,
Only to yield to the temptation of sneaking another look;
Two eyes met again as if both were expecting a returned look,
Another closing of the eyes and another opening of them and the drama went on.

The visual communication with the language of the butterfly lasted so long as the prayers were,

Too busy to hear any word of the Pastor till everybody else said 'Amen'

We joined the chorus of 'Amen' but  our 'Amen' was for another 'prayer' that was special to 'us'!

Lk Dwarka Delhi 11/1/13

Southern Manipur Christians - baby steps?

Southern Manipur

What baby steps can you and I take for bringing healing to ‘our land’?

1.     To God

·      Pray for forgiveness, grace and mercy

·      Pray for the revival of His people

·      To look for the will of God in the Bible

2.     To my self

·      To love God

·      To love others as He commanded

3.     To my family

·      To strive to set up a Christian home

·      To use Christian principles and practices for every issues of life

4.     To my own community

·      To appreciate others

·      To help others within Christian values and practices

·      To welcome others as ‘Jesus’ in disguise  

5.     To my own church

·      To support my pastors and elders

·      To attend services regularly

·      To pay my tithes and offerings

6.     To my own place of work

·      To work as unto the Lord

·      To apply diligence in all matters of work

7.     To my own friends

·      Be a good and dependable friend

·      Never to take advantage of position or relationship

8.     To my own leaders

·      Be faithful

·      Be respectful

·      Be supportive