The girl who always smiled..

There was once a little girl, in a remote village. People from far off lands came to visit her, show her to their children, their families. The girl was all of ten and she was special because she would always smile. No one had ever seen this little girl ever cry or even make a sour face. Gradually her name spread and people came to see her and they said wistfully to each other, " If only we could always smile like that", " She is so lucky she has no pain in her heart". They showed their children, the little girl and asked them, "Cant you be a little like her?" The little girls parents were very happy. The people who came to see her brought her many gifts and the parents were conscious of doing no such thing that might take away the smile of their daughter. The parents were paranoid, even though the little girl tried to explain to them that she couldn't stop smiling even if she wished to.

But one day suddenly, the little girl grew up. And just as magically as she had smiled all day, she lost her smile. The parents were petrified. They were afraid all their name would be gone, they would get no more gifts, no one would come to see their daughter.They tried to show her to doctors, make jokes, bought her presents, they tried everything. But try as they might, they could not get back the lost smile of their daughter. One day the parents sat gloomily in their little cottage. The little girl walked up to them and told them, " Do not be afraid, just like you told everyone before that I was never sad, tell them now that, I have nothing to be happy about" Before long the astonished parents saw, young men from far off lands come to ask for the hand of their daughter. They were curious and being unable to sustain their curiosity asked one of the suitors one day, " why would you want to marry her?" The young man said, " Look at her eyes, there are realms of infinite sadness in them and yet nothing I can pinpoint at, that is what makes her so unattainable." "I know there will be one part of her that I will never own, that will never be mine in totality and that is why I shall always try..and in that trying I shall be happier than most. "

© 2012 Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury

( Image courtesy Google)

Dancing with the elements

'Tis the season for caps, some gloves and the sensuousness of being tucked into someone cozy. But caps have never been my thing ..am more of a hat person. Yesterday as I walked with my boots making some mighty clickity clack..my hat flew out of my hair..some softness of the hair tumbled over..I could see some of me pour forth along with the leaves gathered on the sidewalk and as I bend to collect the hat..It flew just out of my reach again, teasing, tantalizing, playing as if a game. I looked at it in wonder & felt within me brewing an amazing sense of Joy..Joy is somewhat different from happiness..its existence does not depend on some occurrence..you feel it as a part of your being ..You look around you and finally you find that there is actually immense joy around you, that emanates from beauty as terrific as the mundane ..in the little rustle of the leaves, my cap flying around me like a dream, as if it were trying to gather me in its arms saying, come dance with us..and I did. While I was dancing such on the streets I wasn't really aware of myself and what I was doing, it was just some sheer bliss of being one with the elements.





I have danced for long and many a times for making others happy, to hear their sighs and expression of satiation. But it was when I saw my little hat fluttering in the air, happy for itself and without a care in the world, I realized how fantastic it can be to dance for yourself. Release yourself of bonds that tie you, in the ME, the HE, the US..Dance is the only form where I feel liberated and away from all that binds me down..it is my way of being God..being attached and yet not.

( Video courtesy Youtube)

Lazy serinity

Preening my feathers in lazy serenity,
I spread my wings in sudden flights of fancy,
In tranquillity and happiness the master of the skies I am....
Till earth and its earthliness grounds me in plumes of the true...

© 2011 Maitreyee Bhattacharjee Chowdhury