Uttarakhand

The frigid wind is resting After a tiring winter But I’m afraid to bloom Fearing the return of the snow. I yearn to bloom Because spring is near The pollens are poking now and then Assuring me that it is time to bloom. The spring air caresses my petals Pecking me to open to, The…

 

Till 2018, I had associated winters with a runny nose, a dry coughing throat and air that was too cold to get out. But in December 2018, I visited Dhanaulti and could finally understand why many people are so fond of the crisp winter air. You see, I misunderstood the dreaded winter air with the…

 

The cold chases meStalks like an obsessive loverCatching me off-guardWhile I try to relaxIn the holiday season It shrouds mewhen I’m least awareBites my bonesChilling my insides & outsidesMaking my skin crawlSending the shivers down my spineTill I weaponise myself with blanketsAnd a hot tea. Picture taken in 2018, please travel responsibly and safely.

 

And what a life this ageless tree hasWaiting for the snow to freeze it’s exteriorAwaiting the blazing sun to nourish it’s swaying leavesWaiting for the trekkers for solitary picturesAnd ultimately waiting for death for decades. Picture taken in 2018, please travel responsibly and safely.

 

Unspoken calm beauty in sunsets. Spotted at the sun set point, Lal Tibba. Picture taken in 2018, please travel responsibly and safely.

 

Playing hide and seek with love.And with miracles. Picture taken in 2019, please travel safely and responsibly.

 

Even the mountain feline sits in aweOf the towering HimalayasOr was it a common raven?Alas I will never knowFor I was vigorously zoomingTo capture this precious moment!

 

Let love enlighten your soul.Let the sunshine brighten your day. Picture taken in 2018, please care to travel responsibly and safely

 

Isn’t it strange that we crave rainfall when it is sweltering hot,Then when the monsoons arrive we bask in them with a plateful of pakodas,Then when the rains continue, we start craving for some sunlight,Then a few days of sunlight and sweatingAnd we yearn for the rainfall again,And this vicious cycle continues!