A Knotter's song

Of the many books I have read, "Sit, Walk, Stand" by Watchman Nee has made a profound and deep impression on me. Nee has been able to garner the teachings of Paul the Apostle, as written in his letter to the church in Ephesus, and narrate it in a simple format defined by the words Sit, Walk and Stand. After many hectic weeks, I got time yesterday to sit on our balcony-turned small garden and study to bask in the early spring sun. Thanks to my wife, the flowers, the lounge chairs and study table had all been neatly arranged to help me unwind, enjoy the day and write. There I picked up a new notebook my wife had presented me for the new year, and began copiously reading and writing my notes from the epistle of Ephesians. As I wrote, I felt the natural inclination to follow the categories of "Sit". "Walk" and "Stand".  By late afternoon, as I was closing my notes, I felt inspired to write a poem on the many points I had captured in my notebook. With...

I am not a regular viewer of Netflix or Amazon prime, but two web series and one film captured my viewing interest. What got me binge watching these, though not in one go, was a combination of familiar location and local actors coupled with compelling stories and engaging drama. The first I watched was "The Last Hour", a mystery story based in Sikkim, with glimpses of  a familiar school: Dr Graham's Homes in Kalimpong. The story revolved around a local shamaan or Jhakri, who uses his uncanny sense of the nether world for solving the mystery. The second, a movie, called "Jaane Jaan" with the recurring theme of murder mystery in the mist, this time featuring a Darjeeling school: Mount Hermon. The mathematics teacher in this movie, uses his dogged persistence in solving maths problems to become part of the murder mystery solution. The most recent one "Pataal-lok-Season 2", another murder mystery story shot on location in Nagaland. The location in the fina...

Isaiah 40:31  - But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Romans 12:12  ~ Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 'Tis Hope, Invisible, yet so strong,  holding steadfast despite storms, silence, desperation, every discouragement or uncertainty.  Wields power, not and never to give up. Even in dying embers, lights up if there is but a spark. Finds and trudges on towards that distant light,  amidst deepest darkness. No mountain too high, no sea too wide, to climb, to cross. 'Tis hope, That keeps us going on. 'Tis hope, That makes us stay. 'Tis hope, That lightens up the load.  'Tis hope, that the seed, dormant for many years, once sown, finds life. Romans 15:13  - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 1...

Dusk and Dawn sights from the window at home in Darjeeling!  

When we had sunshine in Darjeeling during the monsoon, the school would declare a sunny day holiday! That was many moons ago. Perchance, I happened to be in Darjeeling in the thick of this monsoon. And while my last two evenings were spent indoors with the storms displaying their might of lightning and thunder showers, this morning was different. Clear blue skies, sunny, and bright. As I gazed at the well washed valleys below, the brilliant green tea-estates, I could not just keep myself from wanting to go outdoors. I also wanted to try the bike-taxi service which I had heard of called "Ju-Ju" or "lets go-lets go" in the local language. The biker came within 10 minutes of my call and I asked him to suggest the perfect nice, sunny and warm place to visit that was offbeat Darjeeling and un-touristy. Jamuni! he said, and off we went. After forty minutes or so of winding ride, across a series of tea gardens, we reached the valley below! Jamuni was quiet, serene and ever...

 A heart-wrenching week just went by. Two young lives were lost to epic battles with deadly diseases.  The first, an eighteen-year-young boy. I dare call him a man. He had fought valiantly with years of drug addiction in a hideous locality known for petty crime. When he was finally admitted to the rehab center, he caught the ominous tuberculosis. When I met him, the disease had spread across his lungs and into his brain. My last-moment diagnosis and advice to rush him to the hospital was help too little and too late! The second, a young man, just in his late twenties. A software engineer, with a plump job. A very eligible bachelor. Handsome, tall, fair, and full of life. Till colon cancer got him and drained every bit of life slowly and wickedly from him. The last unit of my blood did little to save him, as I witnessed his final breaths and last heartbeats on the monitor. The families were heartbroken. The mothers were incessant in their cries, unable and unwilling to comprehe...