Valentine's Park

That was just a little walk from where I lived in London and wasn't it amazing? And why do I write about it now? Well, I have been talking of walks in the recent past and that has dominated my thought process so much that I finally walked the Lettuce Lake park in Tampa. It was amazing for sure and big, but Valentine's park holds a special place in my mind, and oh no, its not because of the name of the park!

Valentine's park is big too, and green! I love the greenary in London, and specially after the rains, it looks all washed and cleaned and shining, shining brught green that is.

And there are so many different varietes of flowers there and whenever we went there we clicked pictures and pictures and pictures. It never seemed enough because every area in the part was worth a capture.
And they do organise shows there from time to time and I know it must be fun just to get there and enjoy a cool evening, just sit on those benches, get lost in some thoughts or read a book. And they have enough place to play, cycle and yes if I remember right, boating facility is also available. 

It has been 3 years now, I was there in 2010 but my visit to the Lettuce Lake park yesterday brought back memories afresh and just not that it was a coincidence that a friend I happened to know while in London called me up the same day and we spoke about our time there, memories created here and there, and still continuing with the journey.

That was just a little walk from where I lived in London and wasn't it amazing? And why do I write about it now? Well, I have been talking of walks in the recent past and that has dominated my thought process so much that I finally walked the Lettuce Lake park in Tampa. It was amazing for sure and big, but Valentine's park holds a special place in my mind, and oh no, its not because of the name of the park!
Valentine's park is big too, and green! I love the greenary in London, and specially after the rains, it looks all washed and cleaned and shining, shining brught green that is.

And there are so many different varietes of flowers there and whenever we went there we clicked pictures and pictures and pictures. It never seemed enough because every area in the part was worth a capture.
And they do organise shows there from time to time and I know it must be fun just to get there and enjoy a cool evening, just sit on those benches, get lost in some thoughts or read a book. And they have enough place to play, cycle and yes if I remember right, boating facility is also available. 

It has been 3 years now, I was there in 2010 but my visit to the Lettuce Lake park yesterday brought back memories afresh and just not that it was a coincidence that a friend I happened to know while in London called me up the same day and we spoke about our time there, memories created here and there, and still continuing with the journey.

The Walk

Only a couple of days back I was complaining that there are no places in Tampa where you could go for a long walk. And then suddenly I remembered why yes, there is the Lettuce Park. And so today, instead of just lazing around, I decided to go. And it was a lovely evening and I walked I could hear the birds chirping and the insects going tittar tatter. I did take my camera long so I could get a few pics to share with all.

It surprises me that the walk did not tire me inspite of my going for a walk after a long time and this pleases me and encourages me to venture out again, may be soon.

One day I would love to capture the sun rise in the Lettuce park, between the trees and the rays falling on the lake waters but I would need to give my lazy bones some real push.

So, if you have some time in the early morning or late evenings, go out there and walk your heart out. You will love it.  You could take your pets for a walk or your grandchildren for a swing ride or simply runa round the playground. Walk or run, you will love it.

I don't like it when I don't have a place to walk

I love walking, I sure do! This is something I have inherited from my birth place, Shillong where we would just walk and walk and knew short-cuts to this place and that. Moreover one of my closest friends would make me walk saying that it is much better than boarding the crowded bus. She may or may not remember that but that has stayed with me like her friendship has!

So, being in Delhi I miss it a lot; there are hardly any places to walk. But I loved it in Sydney, because every day a little bit of walking was involved, from our home to office or from the train station to our homes. It meant much more becuase it would also mean walking across the Pyrmont bridge, get that cold breeze hit you occasionaly or even watch the bridge open and close.

Walking in Sydney would be fun when we visited the ISKCON temple and we did it quite often and I took many people there later. It was quite a walk and getting back to the North Sydney would be a relief if I may say so. Once a friend said he knew an easier way to ISKCON and we followed to find that it was probably longer but I so much loved that walk.

On another occasion, I took a friend along to the Sai baba temple and he literally got tired by the walk to the temple from the train station Strathfield. And he jokingly remarked that he would never go on a walk with me because the walk never seemed to end.

Memories these are and so yesterday when we were returning from some shopping here in Tampa, I noticed the roads with virtually no one walking, I missed Sydney and I wished that I could walk along the Tampa green stretches and walk and walk...

The purple flowers...

Composed on 16/02/2005

Thank you God for this day
You made me see the purple flowers, laid on mhy way
These flowers always remain fresh and wish me on days, both bright and dark

I looked for the yellow sunflowers,
But these had to grow and leave,
Leave me to look around for some hidden hue...

But today's pale evening to me brought,
The fragrance of flowers purple,
To tell me that I still belong, to their humble, priceless lives!

The Sunset

I see the beautiful yellow sky that touches the window,
Making the yellow lights fall on the floor
I can almost feel that I am touching the sky
I can almost feel that the light falling on me
I can almost feel like I am flying
I can almost feel like a friend on the other end of the horizon
Looking at the curtain of this yellow light, blinded by the glow
I can almost see the hand reaching me
I can almost see the smiling face in the clouds there
When this curtain falls, will I still be looking
Will I still be searching for the face in the clouds?
Or with the fainting light, will the smile merge in me?
That's the end of yet another day almost
That's the beginning of another hope, to see the face
And to read the smile and hear the sing that rings somewhere in the distant plane?

Evening

What is it in this evening that makes me restless?
What is it in this evening that I don't want to lie and rest?
My mind travels here and there, to the past and to my childhood years!
I am not happy but I don't want to cry
I am not sad but I don't want to smile
I am filled in void and void is filled in me
My mind races to those playful years
The garden of my childhood years
Laughing and playing with friends around
Catching butterflies and plucking the flowers
I can see our childhood feet, running and hiding in the bushes near.
Today these friends are scattered near and far, like those petals we threw in the air
One word from them brings back a smile but those years are gone for ever and ever!
I remember myself a little child and my mum tying my ponytail with ribbon white
The hurried look on my face and the love in my mother's eyes
And dad would bring home a cookie new or a fancy lolly to see us happy
These were days of my growing years
And even today mom and dad finds new pleasure on little things
But those days are ever gone
I know not why my mind wanders to those years and there is some void which fills the air

Rain

Raindrops on my window pane will lull me to sleep tonight, oh I wish I was with friends tonight telling stories of years bright...oh I wish I could watch a movie tonight over a cuppa tea and some pleasant laugh...but theres work for the morn and the rain to lull me to sleep tonight...

Road...

Another one from the archives...

Does this road have an end?
Or is there a curve to it?
Does it take me to places new?
Or does it bring me back to where I am?

I see the golden sunflowers as I walk
I also see the fallen leaves
I see the budding flowers
And the lotus on the pond.

I see some felled trees, broken branches and dead leaves
Dark today, bright tomorrow
Curves here and line there

The snow covered peaks on my right
The blue water on my left

Do they notice me and think
How long will she walk on the lovely plain?