Naughty Clouds

 

Woke up to rolling clouds,

Pouring thunderstorms,

Evoking desire to curl up,

Provoke me not, I say.

Work day calls aloud,

Broke the chain, yes I did,

Forth to the office, I go ahead.

Do your work, I do mine,

Don’t you say this to the clouds,

For that’s what they did—

Got me drenched, naughty clouds.

Roguish, aren’t you? I say.

Now I'm home, long day it was

As I prepare for tomorrow 

Looking up I see the calm clouds

Doing the same, soaking up more 

Don't you dare, I say!

-Grace Piradhiba, Atlanta

April 28, 2026.

Women's Day - March 8, 2026

Of Romance and Routine - Poem

 

Title: Of Romance and Routine

He wished every moment

To be with her.

Every such moment

Was life for him—

Just the presence,

Nothing more.

Wedding brought them together.

Years pass by...

Life now asks its share,

She wants to keep the fair.

She sees him in the kitchen,

Finds something to do there—

Peel onions, do dishes, boil water.

She sees him folding clothes;

There are many, so she joins.

She sees him in the yard;

She goes to pick some weeds,

And take more pictures.

She sees him and joins.

But

He leaves that to her,

Finds something else.

Of course there is much to do.

She feels, speaks, tries—

In vain.

- Grace Piradhiba 

Uncut Cake

 

As my precious little son

Blossoms into a fine young man

Sixteenth Birthday came around

Sopping me with plethora of emotions

Oh my! Am proud and joyful!

Slice of my mind longs

Oh dear! Can I have that baby in arms?

That bubbly toddler running around?

Well, how can I celebrate

The budding fine young man

What shall I prepare? What shall I buy?

He seems not interested

Submerged and stressed with exams 

Coming around the corner!

Maybe he thinks am not his type!

I go ahead and order a custom cake

Cookies 'N Cream, his favorite!

C'mon it's his sixteenth birthday!

I bring in the cake

With wishes calligraphed over 

Birthday dawns, and the next day

And the next day and another day

The cake is still waiting

For my boy is too busy

Or rather doesn't feel like cutting cake

I gave up, with anger and tears

The uncut cake, I'll never forget

Something else was cut indeed

Its only I who knows 

Probably some moms like me!

Eastern Box Turtle

 

Eastern Box Turtle

What a rare sight to behold
While going about my day,
Eastern Box Turtle on her way!
She 'cos the eyes are brown
He has red eyes, they say!
Go ahead, my friend,
Gladly I stopped my car
Won't she move, not an inch
Waiting still, saying 'your way'!​
Waiting lasted a ten minutes
We both not in hurry, I suppose
Slowly walked to her
Oh lovely, she not stressed
For she keeps out her head!
She posed for me grandly
Saying bye I crawled my car
Only to park few yards away
Walking back to check on her
Safe she is on the grass
Here I go, my waiting chores!
- Grace Piradhiba
October 3, 2024.

Tamil poem on the turtle:

https://thaenmaduratamil.blogspot.com/2024/10/%20%20%20.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawFtbWdleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHZZTxU4EVShxuTHSfStQiT4laq6_UNFzVv7pvKTclsGkVkkMtY8lrnVQug_aem_kSrYBAU4ATODg0Ajvxh_Ng

A walk through the woods

 

The cool and still lake

Fledged

Readying for the dorm days

Reminded of the diaper days;
Shedding tears of separation
Stating that as gratification;
Would have done the same, yet
Wanting to go back for better;
Wanting, wishing, yearning
To hold the baby, a little longer
To make more time together
To avoid the mistakes
To prolong the cuddles
Yet
It's time and it's always the right
So assure love no matter what
And let the wings spread wide and far!

-Grace Piradhiba
August 2023

My First Job

 22 years back, this day June 28,2000 , got placed in my first job through campus placement. The head of the company,  Hrushikesh Praharaj  sir who had come for the campus visit in his introductory speech said, he will give job directly without interview for the candidates who score 100% in C programming test. Candidates who cleared the first round of analytical testing sat for the C testing, and then some were selected for the interview. I was one of them and went into the interview room,  when I was called in. After initial greetings, some questions, was asked to write a small program too...but then the director pulled out an envelope and said, " As promised you are selected for the job, as you have scored 100% in C test.  We already have your offer letter ready." My joy knew no bounds! One other friend too came out with offer letter from the interview room that day. Joined the company in 2001, worked on then emerging mobile technology, WAP, smartphone, pocket PC what not.. what a challenging and rewarding that job was!! I had awesome mentors and team mates who became great friends,  love that job and all that I did then even to this day...and yes, I regret having to leave that job! 

Last year, in my interview for MBA admission at Georgia Tech, I was questioned about technology and I talked passionately about it, the experience I had in my first job.. the interviewer was impressed and told me that she could see how much  I had loved that job from the glow in my face while talking about it. 

Things are not the same anymore.. not everything is in my hands...I had to defer my admission because of immigration reasons...I have digressed.

This post is meant to fondly reminisce that day when I got my first job, which to this day is my favorite job.

International Women's Day 2021 -Choose To Challenge

It's International Women's Day on March 8th. Happy Women's Day to each and every women out there. At this time, I thought it would be appropriate to share some significant data on women's empowerment and gender parity. We, women have come a long way, but yet the scale is not balanced. Empowerment has not permeated into all the nooks and corners of the world, and neither has it shaken hands with all the women in the world. As we celebrate our achievements, with gratitude to all the great women who have fought in the past for various reasons and upliftment, paving a path for us, it is also more important to shoulder the responsibility of maintaining and adding value to it.  

Haiku Today

 

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Bye for now

Until next posting

West with Giraffes - First Reads Review

 

A pleasing mix of survival, altruism, history, geography, life and earth, all  woven around two towering creatures of God's pure Eden! The American North East is ravaged by a hurricane, the magnitude of which, they say repeated after about a century, in the form of the hurricane Sandy. It is 1938, era of the Great Depression and the second world war clouds looming. And here, the hurricane has added its share and two giraffes from Africa are not spared either. Caught up in the hurricane, while being locked in their crates, the giraffes are now in the harbour in New York.  

A Single Swallow by Zhang Ling

This literary fiction brings in fragments of the life in China, during the second world war until Emperor Hirohito surrenders,  through the eyes of three men. An American medical doctor who goes by the name Pastor Billy; American soldier gunner's mate Ian Ferguson; and Liu Zhaohu, Chinese trainee soldier. The fourth main character is a woman Ah-Yan. She is portrayed as an intelligent girl, who has a yearn to learn. Her peaceful life in village is turned upside down when the Japanese invade China. The horror and violence of the invasion, the devastation of the village, and more specifically how Ah-Yan is robbed of her childhood, her innocence, and all the humiliation she had to face for the atrocities of somebody else. When the author says that a child has to wake up as an adult all of a sudden, and children has no time to grow up in periods of war, it makes a gash in your heart! The wars around the world spread over the time of whole human existence impinges on the childhoods of many.

Search of Virtue

 I have published the Tamil version of this poem in my Tamil blog. Click this link to read and say your thoughts. Thank you!

Keezhadi - a Pathway into Vaigai River Civilization

Image: Thanks to Tamilnadu Archaelogical Department

 A sophisticated urban wonder which laid hidden with all its precious riches has been brought to light, thanks to the excavation conducted by Archaelogical Department of Tamilnadu. Keezhadi, also spelled Keeladi, a village in the outskirts of Madurai in the district of Sivagangai, TamilNadu, South India has captured all ears and eyes to itself. What good is that if I keep my jubilance to myself! The marvelous historic discovery has to be shared, not only for my pride as a Tamilian who has always been awed by the rich literature and the cultural traditions of my ancestors but also for the insights into human history itself.

Birthday Reflection

Where was I? Who was I?
Nowhere! Nobody!
Until you formed me
Gave me shape and breath
It's fascinating how you knit me
Delicately, intricately, perfectly
Precious in your eyes
And you have held me
Always

Vedaraj Thatha - Grandpa memories

The lightning pierced through the sky as if a huge rock was struck by another. I started counting, one missisipi, two mississipi, three missisipi, four ... then roared the thunder! The storm centered about 3 miles away made the trees lining the highway sway vigorously. The dislodged leaves while seeking refuge on my windshield were promptly wiped off by the wiper working hard to give me the vision of the road.

Amla Mater - amla pickle and a book

"All it took was a little amla"
All it took was amla Mater, to stir every sense in me pleasantly unveiling and cherishing a truckload of memories. How did I travel back, to chasing the butterflies in frock days; admiring myself in the mirror days; friendship and farewell days; being Romeo's Juliet days; expectant-mom days!

Not my cup

Violently shaking trees

Lone dry leaf hurled around

That's my morning sight!

What for the ears?

Embracing the New Year 2018

Just about closing the cover
Just going once over the pages
As this year passes by
Bringing about a fresh one
I ponder over just a little bit 

Myriad of moments
Oh, good and bad
Joyful and painful!
Out of all have I come through
All by His grace, all by His love
All by His incessant mercy!

Yet, yet  I realize 
How silly I have been
Panicking some days
While He was holding me!
As I close this year
Treasuring some moments
And thanking God
I only ask 
Lord, strenghen my faith! 
For I love you
But you love me more!

Embracing the New Year 2018 snug in the arms of my Father Almighty! Blessed New year to all!

with love

Grace Piradhiba

Make it count for me

Take with you,  Oh 2017!

The tears and troubles 

And the aches too

For am gonna raise and 

Make it count for me

The upcoming 2018

Am gonna value myself 

A little more , just a little

And let me see 

How the world takes!