birds and cats of this world

(To Chris)

Chris has sent me a thousand birds’ calls.

They are muffled by my neighbor’s cat

hungry, forlorn after giving birth.

Each of them, those exotic birds who

do not care if they are exotic

and the cat with an empty belly

cries my real name that according to

some Indian legend will make me free.

I try to discern the colloquy.

Chris has sent me a record of birds

calling aiming me if I think so.

I put the earphone on and pour me

before the cat to appease its need.

© 2009-Copyright reserved Kushal Poddar (reprinting is absolutely prohibited, without permission)

can be anyone

Yes, it is me playing under a cedrus deodara,

it is me or my childhood effigy if you believe.

If you believe. If you believe I am a single boy

making a playhouse under a tree like you have done once.

It would have been true had I lived a life like me; like I

have told you in a tale to tell one who loves to believe.

But I might have lived a life of a dog wagging a tail

asking for faithfulness from you along with bits of food.

Well, it is not so much of a truth either. I am still

the one who has left a reptile’s wheyish dead skin. Cold. Coiled.

You will never know in what reincarnation I am

like you, a simple witness watching me in this landscape.

© 2009-Copyright reserved Kushal Poddar (reprinting is absolutely prohibited, without permission)

Weigh in on this one.

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Lisa from Atlanta writes:

Dear Friendship Court: My friend April is the consummate practical joker. She never stops. In fact, every time I get aphone call from someone I do not know, I assume it is her pulling a prank on me. Generally, I laugh at her antics ... but the last practical joke was out of line, and I do not plan on ever speaking to April again. My 9-year-old son, Jake, was outside on our driveway shooting baskets. We live in a suburban neighborhood, and though I am neurotic about safety, I let him go outside for a little while alone. Apparently, April was passing by and thought it would be funny to see my reaction to Jake's disappearance, so she coaxed him into the car and drove away. Even Jake tells me he said, "April, I do not think Mommy will think this is funny."

When I looked out the window and did not see Jake, I ran outside like a lunatic and ran up and down my street ringing doorbells and screaming. I called 911... and then April called. I was ranting about Jake's "abduction," and she still let me go on for what seemed like five minutes till she said, "I have him." When she returned with Jake, I grabbed him and went inside and have refused to respond to any of her attempts to communicate since. I would like your readers and you to weigh in on whether I am on solid ground here.

Leslie Adler: Dear Lisa: Can you spell c-e-m-e-n-t? Does April read the newspapers or watch the news? How many years did you age in the few minutes April had Jake? April's attempt at another practical <nobr mce_style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; color: #006400;" style="font-weight: normal; font-size: 100%; color: rgb(0, 100, 0);">joke</nobr> was, in this instance, an exercise in bad judgment. I don't know that I could forgive her either.

Friendship Court readers, what do you think? 

 

Leslie Adler mother, lawyer and creator of the Vuv Club shares her witty thoughts on the many roles women play in their everyday lives. Leslie also combines her legal skills and friendship experience as presiding judge of Momlogic's "The Friendship Court."

Read more: http://www.momlogic.com/2009/11/my_friends_practical_jokes_knows_no_boundaries.php#ixzz0W7VQgxB2

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A letter from anyone

A letter has been thrown from the window

of a white girls’ school-bus to no one

in particular and the glory

belongs to all the boys. The letter

becomes the god in their dreams that night.

It changes words, phrases and scriptures

as per the seeds those school boys carry.

It is there. Anonymous and warm

projectile from the other world.

Like the god in our dreams all the nights…

© 2009-Copyright reserved Kushal Poddar (reprinting is absolutely prohibited, without permission)

nightwalk for a weak love

The naughty sounds are covered in trees

we shift away from this nighttime park

amused at the pale quarter moon.

Are we happy this evening when you

insist that I should be and I know

that you should insist on this subject?

A brown owl grabs a streak of solace.

Night city has wild lives. We are thrilled.

And then your wild instinct smells like herbs.

The herbal sounds of a nightly park

floats before the weak moon; we flow with

traffics’ lights sneaking through grilled railings.

© 2009-Copyright reserved Kushal Poddar (reprinting is absolutely prohibited, without permission)

1.  God is outside of time.  He created time.  He isn't subject to its limitations, and he doesn't see things the way that we as humans do.

2.  God is three in one.  God is three persons, yet one God.  A Trinity.

3.  God does not have to answer to our definition of fairness.  God created us.  He created our view of fairness.  He doesn't have to be fair as we see fairness, because He can do with His creation as He wants.

4.  God is omnipresent.  He is everywhere at once, but that doesn't mean that He IS everything.

5.  God is worthy of all our worship.

I could list so many more, but for now, I'll leave it at that.