A Game Of Chess

For Varun, Kaushik, Karthik, Rohit and Saheb...

A Game Of Chess

Two old men set up the checked field,
a great battle is to ensue,
each side choices colour and victory, never to yield,
but strange, the soldiers are but few.

Fighters placed in a square alone,
all ever ready to save their king,
faceless in black and white, and set in stone,
the glories of these armies do I sing.

The King, paralysed, can move but a pace,
honest rooks, crooked bishops, the strong queen, never jest,
yet in cunning the knight none can race,
that said, the hardy pawns bring up the rest.

The White army makes the first attack,
the Black ever defiant, reply,
the two generals, their wits demurely intact,
to trap the other king, do they try.

On and on the battle rages,
but the White general errs, panics, scrambles at large,
alert throughout all stages,
the sharp Black knights, charge!!

The White vanuguards, citadel, shatter
but are unimportant now,
for the knights jump over former and latter,
as sweat drips from the White marshall's prow.

The poor White King, beleagured, trapped,
his defenses tricked, as his masters head wrings,
even in danger he can't move, his options sapped,
its called checkmate, friend, and the Black side wins.


Hope You Liked It...

For A Specifc Audience, Again.

For My Sisters Dear

As I gaze out in the sky so blue,
with a slash of orange, of pink a hue,
I'm sad to say this present is long overdue,
for my sisters, my precious few.

As I hasten on my machine to write,
thinking fast in the evening light,
upon myself I'm filled with spite,
as I hope this is adequate, hopefully quite.

My heartless critic writers,
my opponents, punishers, fighters,
yet bosom close ye far and short sighters,
to have you I'm a lucky blighter.

Your eyes filled with rage,joy, or with many a tear,
your word can be a petal, or a sharp spear,
yet this one thing I fear,
I couldn't love you more, my sisters dear.

For A Specifc Audience

Thank You.

Raksha Bandhan.... Careful now...

Hey Guys, I'm feeling rather apprehensive on the eve of Raksha Bandhan... I hope I get as few 'rakhis' as possible from outside the family from people my age or younger ;-0

Kidding aside,
the tradition of Raksha Bandhan first started when a widowed Queen, desperate for protection, tied the symbolic thread (called a Rakhi) to a neighbouring King. Doing this, she placed the role of a brother on the king and thus enlisted his protection. Nowadays, girls young and old tie 'rakhis' to boys in a display of brother-sister affection, although there may be some exceptions. So here are my best wishes for all of those who are to indulge in this extremely symbolic ceremony.

This is Ambar, signing out.

Happy Independence Day!!!!!!

Today, August 15, is the day of independence for the republic of India. 58 years ago the leaders of this great nation had won their long, hard fought war against the British rulers. My heartfelt salutations to those who sacrificed their all for the nation.

The day started out pretty well with a function in our school. We were serenaded with various patriotic songs and tickled by many witty speeches. Every where around me I could see the 'Tirangas' held up high. The sensation that you experience when you see the flag being unfurled atop the pole and when the national anthem begins, is something that you can't describe. After the school function we went to a Social Studies and Science exhibition held nearby. We had a nice time terrorizing the people whose projects and explanantion were not at par with the others. Man, being sadistic sometimes has its pleasures ;-)

All in all, a good day uptil now (11:00 AM, 15 August, 2005)

VANDE MATARAM!!!!

Something To Cling On To

Guys, I recently talked about my passion for books and that post inspired me to come out with a poem about, well, see for yourselves...

Something To Cling On To

Time drags by, seconds seem hours,
and your heart beats utterly slow,
your breathings fine, but memory chars,
as spontaneous times seem so long ago.

When you struggle to find that vibe,
that electric spark with you,
know this my friend (and this is no jibe)
that you need something to cling on to.

Now to me this question you might bring,
What is this wonderful thing?
That fills our hearts with desire?
Sets our minds on fire?

My answer, ever unchanging, remains,
through fire, dirt, and monsoon rains,
through every realm of time and space,
a PASSION, to set your soul ablaze.

A passion, a spark, an idea,
an immersion, a desire, a skill,
It is whatever you may name,
but sets your heart afill,
with a calming breath, a new flame.

Use it, nurture it, feel it,
it will fill you anew with life,
care for it, know it, think of it,
and gone are your vexation, emptiness and strife.

There is always, always, that thing for you,
that something to cling on to,
in boredom and in fear,
that something ever so dear.