The Search

“Are you there?”
Called out my soul,
“Can you hear me?”
Whispered my soul.

The silence was loud,
And my dreams were wild.
I lay on my bed,
But far away my soul tread.

I was a dew upon the grassy lands,
A light shining at the ocean’s end,
A cloud crowning the mountain’s head,
A soul that hoped to look way ahead.

You were a silhouette in the dark,
That lit in my soul a spark.
Try hard I did,
But you remained a question mark.

I reached out to feel,
For the touch that would heal,
There you were for real,
The union of souls, so surreal!

A Glimpse of You

A balmy breeze blows across my face,
I can hear the pound of the salty waves,
The sound of happy chatter fills the air,
And the smell of good food is everywhere.

The Sunshine State has something for all my senses,
But, oh my darling, what I crave for most,
Is a glimpse of you,
The only one that I hold so close!

Wherever You Are...

Wherever you are,
I am with you.
Wherever you are,
You are in my heart too.
Wherever you are,
I pray for you.
Wherever you are,
My love for you is deep and true.
Wherever you are,
My arms invite you.
Wherever you are,
Please come home soon.

Exploring Georgia - The Georgia Guidestones

The Georgia Guidestones was commissioned by Robert C.Christian, and was completed by the Elberton Granite Finishing Company on March 22, 1980.  Situated at a two hour drive from Atlanta, this modern day attraction in Elbert County is sometimes referred to as the "America Stonehenge". It is a structure made of six granite slabs - a center slab and  four other slabs that are astronomically arranged, with a smaller slab on top of them. The structure has ten guidelines or commandments inscribed on it in eight different languages - English, Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Swahili, Hebrew, Arabic, and Russian. The top slab, also referred to as the capstone, has inscriptions in Babylonian Cuneiform, Classical Greek, Sanskrit and Egyptian Hieroglyphics. There is also a granite slab laid near the guidestones, which talks about a time machine buried below the slab, but the date on which the machine is the be unearthed is left blank. There are plenty of conspiracy theories about the Georgia Guidestones.

I love this site and the structure itself too, because it feels so mysterious. The place is very calm and quiet, with the occasional car passing by. But there is a chance that you may get to hear soft "Hrrmpphh" from beyond the hedge. Don't panic! It is just a friendly horse who wants to say a hi, and let you know that he is grazing only a few feet away, and that he appreciates your company!

P.S: I picked some of the details off Wikipedia, and some off the information board at the Georgia Guidestones site. Here is a partially legible photo taken at an unearthly hour, just before we ran to the car! Just kidding...

Tulip Festival - A Dutch Experience in USA!

An interesting weekend is the least that I can describe this experience as. I had heard of the Tulip Festivals that take place in Washington and Michigan. A desire to see the tulip gardens drove me to plan a weekend trip to the closest location hosting a tulip festival - Holland, Michigan.

A flight to Chicago and a two-and-half hour drive to Holland, Michigan brought us to our first destination, Windmill Island Gardens. The parking lot was a mile or so away from the gardens. We elected to take the free trailer service to the gardens. It was a fun ride, with just a few lazy people shying away from walking the mile to garden. It turned out to be a lovely day for roaming around in the gardens and chatting up with friends. The garden was lit up with vibrantly colored flowers, tulips being the main attraction of the day. The tulip garden was completely packed with tourists, posing and clicking photos. It was lovely seeing the flowers and relaxing in the warm afternoon sun. But I have got to admit that it was a real challenge trying to capture any pictures of just the tulips without a host of tourists giving an appearance.

The colors & the crowd

After a simple lunch at a local eatery, we headed to our next destination, Nelis' Dutch Village. Although this place was meant for kids, we had some time and decided to check it out. The place lived up to its fame with everything from colorful tulip bulbs to cheerful Klompen dancers, wooden shoe carving demonstrations to a lovely petting zoo. This small place was buzzing with life, and yet was somehow most welcoming and relaxing. The folk dance by the Dutch dancers was one of the best that I have ever seen, and the energy levels were infectious. Any viewer who was interested in dancing along was welcomed. The performance also boasted an antique De Gouden Engel (Amsterdam Street Organ), which is used to entertain people to this day. The village provides some unique learning opportunities in the form of wooden shoe carving and cheese making demonstrations. The quaint little Dutch village does give off an old time feel and the friendly staff made the visit a memorable one.

A Hond Wagen (Dog Cart)

Strange Love

Love is beautiful they told me
Love is blind they said
Love is foolish I told them
Love is for movies I said

Books were my friends
The shiny full moon my guide
Meadows and mountains filled my dreams
The scary ocean made me scream

A nice warm day, with a book in hand
A cup of coffee, and only me
My thoughts and my dreams, and only me
This was my definition of a happy me

A message, a call, and a week later
A cup of coffee, and only me
You in my thoughts, and you in my dreams
I wait for you, with my phone in hand

Books are my friends
The shiny moon is my guide
Of vast oceans and ships I dream
For my heart is lost at sea it would seem

Love is beautiful I tell thee
Love is strange I say
Love is what fills my soul

My soul is what I give thee 

A Dream, A Wish, A Hope....

When the night is dark, and the moon hides behind the dull gray clouds, I wish for a bright cheerful night. I wish for a gentle breeze, strong enough to blow the clouds away. I wish for a pearly full moon to smile down on me. I wish for cool drops of rain to drench the earth. I wish for the heat from the land to create a misty glow. I wish for the trees to gently nod in their sleep, and for the pretty birds to rustle their feathers in their cozy nests. I wish for the fire flies to dazzle among the shrubs. I wish the fairies would sing their soothing songs in the woods. I wish for the company of a wise and friendly owl. I wish he would tell me beautiful stories from days forgotten. I wish I could forget the present for a little while, and enter into the land of dreams.

I would dream of a peaceful land, where everybody knows only happiness and love. A place where people do not grow old, though they advance in age. A land where people do not die, but simply go from one jolly land to a jollier one. A land where all beings live in harmony. A land where education is to learn the ways of God's creations. Where manners are not taught, but naturally exist. Where words are always gently spoken, and never harsh. A land where the Creator has not forsaken his creation, or rather, a land where the Creation has not forgotten the Creator.

I dream of land where nature is as fresh as new. A land where the gentle giants still stand tall, with only the silent mountains to rise taller than them. A land where the trees out number people. A land where the bunnies jump around happily, and the dogs run around with no masters to control them. A land where the animals are friends of humans, and where there are leaders and no masters.

I dream of a land where the days are bright and sunny, and the nights are misty and pleasant. A land where the air is fresh and smells of honeysuckle. A land which is painted in a blast of colors so lovely that no artist can capture it. I dream of this and much much more, because dreams bring happiness and dreams bring hope.