Shifting Perceptions

The perky pigeons pecked and played a pair
Perched on a crispy cable before the night;
The traffic, and its rustle-bustle was in the air
As the streetlight beamed into twilight!

I watched the sky, and the moon was still there
Racing against many patches of cloud;
I watched the stars; the formations were there
No change after all these years, I said it aloud!

Everything that I saw before was still there,
Trees stood in dark silhouettes;
Road, footpath and steps: my way home was there
All was usual; change was nothing to think about!

But lo, at home today! Perceptions in me changed
As I was proclaimed a year older at the gate!
Life advances, I recalled, as destined or arranged
In time and space, and with one’s own fate!

Change hasn’t been rare and it has surprised me hard
Breaking a regular routine of workplace and home;
Boredom isn’t wanted, I thought, but it plays its card
While life is all colors as much a painting in monochrome!

Read More

Insomniac

It's late, past midnight, by the way
And too early to begin another day!
I take a deepest yawn
While waiting for a morning to dawn!

It’s too late to turn to a sweet deep sleep
And too early for a journey long and steep!
Time seems to be stagnant and immobile
And the night ahead seems a long, long mile!

I can't roll back to an evening previous
The time gone awry isn’t as precious;
Nor even to the next morning I can leap
I'm trapped in time as the hours heap!

The night stands motionless to haunt me
Shadows in the dark are none to see!
No life is around me, and closed too are the bars
A nightmare! I’m left counting my lucky stars!

Read More

Why not round?

Why round? This question at times raises eyebrows
But relax! Life has its own highs and lows!
Well, there stand a few rounds here and there
And the thought process, too, has a share!

A round and a curve are aspects of divinity to symbolize,
A cut-off-the-corners moulded-square in shape and size,
Eye-path is wide, the angle is better for the sunlight
And perhaps, at times, soothing from every point in sight!

There is a plateau circular overlooking a view,
There is a roundabout cutting a land in a shape anew,
There is an old structure to consider and blend
In each case, a mind has gone straight not to bend!

At one place, a round is contributing a new look around
At another, it has merged with the landscape on the ground!
A world is explored with shapes and sizes tangible to cast
Merry-go-round is here on the planet to forever last!
So, why not round?

Read More

To Goddess Saraswati

Dear Goddess Saraswati,
Your lamp, as I see, keeps on burning
While the pages of education keep turning;
Your wishes to surprise us do not misfire
And we rise higher as your many names inspire;
The world is learning through the lessons that have been learned,
And it's regaining its soulful merits with wisdom earned!

Dear Goddess,
It seems that you have changed your course
As it's hard moving forward with the same resources;
Our formal classrooms are taken over by lectures online
And normal books, pens, and crayons are no longer mine!
Now, the keyboard letters scatter my eyes and shatter my mind
Still, all is fine as my handwriting isn't at all kind!

Read More

Another Day Is Gone...

Another day is gone,
Nothing much is done;
I look back at how the day was spent,
Life is shortened; seems normal to repent!

Another day toiled, a day to be forgotten,
A day spent, never again in life it will ever be gotten!
I sit back and think about the life that is shortened
A day that was in my hands but now forgotten!

Another day is tomorrow, I shall get up before sunrise,
Hope never ends: I hope to beat all odds by surprise;
Life ahead, I feel, should be memorable and bright,
For now, I bid all my friends a very good goodnight!

View of Sunset at Mendrelgang, Tsirang

Read More

A Traffic Tour

Enacting signals with gloves in hands
A traffic-man in white and blue stands;
A temple-like canopy and a face furious,
Pedestrians are rampant, tourists curious!

No lights of red, green or orange blink
While lines of cars slug to disperse and delink;
The traffic congests before it finally flows,
Tourists capture the scenes as the whistle blows!

A double purpose canopy with fulfilled tour
Oh, another round and more tourists pour!
A bonus scene going by their cheeks' glow
Amidst the whistle blow and the traffic flow!

A challenge it seems as the rules cannot bend
Where zebra-crossings move and barricades extend;
Meantime, planners may be thinking too deep,
A capital city of non-stop flow and zero beep!

Read More

My Ceiling Fan

Autumn is still around for the fan to stop spin,
The blades are on their jobs though made of tin;
Up on the ceiling, and on and on at its best
Blowing the hot air cool without any rest!

Sweats do dry up, the body re-energizes,
Scorn of heat is gone: a fan simply surprises!
Puffs of air travel to my nose and cheeks,
It’s been a constant routine for many weeks!

I curse the heat but the fan’s there for a pitch,
Fixed to the concrete and controlled by a switch;
Every corner of the room is under its scan,
My papers though stay careful of the same fan!

Days and nights, its job is to keep me cool,
If it fails, just a screwdriver is the tool!
Come winter and you shall take full rest,
Till then, please do your best!

Read More

A Receptionist

I attend the calls, papers and files,
Jot down the notes with all the smiles;
I am a receptionist: polite and kind
I carry out my duties with a happy mind!

A stranger walks in and I do still smile,
I am ever ready to move that short mile!
A welcome that is truly heart warming
A moment that’s pleasant and charming!

I smile at every person that walks in
Greeting each one with a slight grin!
It is effortless as if I’m a seasoned actor
It’s priceless with no cost factor!

I smile; I’m accustomed to do so
It helps me and I let the moment go!
It helps me for it is business as usual
And it means more: no denial, no refusal!

“May I help you? What can I do for you?
Please be seated!” Words are just a few!
It’s the workplace attitude that matters a lot,
“Thank you” is the moral hike I have always got!

Read More

Blessed Rainy Day 2020

Drench us to the soul with the purifier rain
Grant the peace that has eluded time and again!
Rejoice the tummies, care not the bills,
Fully fill us with faith till happiness spills!

Voices of togetherness, showers of laughter,
Sins to be cleaned to begin life’s new chapter!
We rotate the mani, light the pious lamps
Circumambulate the holy places till we feel the cramps!

I may try khuru near a cypress tree
Dresi and suja in my toray and phob I should see;
A very happy Thrue Baab to all my countrymen, rejoice
But little care to staying safe should not be a choice!

Read More

Sunflower and other poems

Name of the Book: Sunflower and other poems

Category: Poetry
Published in: 2019
No. of Pages: 70
ISBN: 9789998090309
Price: BTN 550
Cover: Hard with jacket
Available at PHDS Books and Stationeries, Gelephu, Bhutan Email: phdsbooks@gmail.com

Book Overview:

The book contains 49 poems in total including the introductory parts viz. dedication, preface and acknowledgements. The poems are on relevant issues that all can easily relate to. Topics such as human wildlife conflict, travel, issues of plastic, nature, agriculture and rural issues and urban lifestyles are included. A few chapters deal with local beliefs and festivals. A poem on the divine madman makes an interesting read. A couple of poems on engineering and landscaping are also included.
Foreword to the book has been granted by Hon'ble Takur S Powdyel, Former Minister of Education, Royal Government of Bhutan.

December 16, 2019: Book Launch at Gelephu Thromdue

About the Author:

Phanindra Khanal is an architect by profession. Poetry facinates him and he writes to satisfy the inner urge taking utmost pride to write. The book was not intended for publishing. However, as the poems piled on, there was motivation from friends, relatives and wellwishers alike to publish the book.

The author wishes a Happy Reading to all those who have availed a copy!

A picture with the poem, Gardens Alive, Weeds thrive

A picture with the poem, High on Yaks

Read More

Snow romantic

It is snowfall, oh dear:
Thimphu city's carnival is with icy throws!
When the rays of the Sun hit far and near
We shall pour outdoors with spontaneous flows!

You may sink in the depth of snow
While laughter shall rule my heart to its best!
Loaded branches to the ground do bow
And the flakes shall fall on you with no jest!

Catch me not; slip and fall or miss the target,
While I shall rub on you the cold flour!
You may shout or scream on the icy carpet
And I shall pity you and your day sweet and sour!

Read More

A Cup of Tea

It is tea time for fifteen minutes close
Cubes of sugar and a bag of tea provide the dose;
Mixed and contained in a cup of boiled water
In the midst of busiest hours with services to cater!

It is tea time for the mind that is tired or stagnant
A sudden longing, and too compelling at that instant!
It was tea time at home, the cupful to kick-start the day,
It is tea time in the evening, pleasantly it does forever stay!

It is always a tea time wherever one goes
And the tea parties are not just the mere shows;
Tea time to catch up and with it the boredom too is gone,
It’s the time when almost all things happen to be done

Talking and bargaining isn’t my cup of tea
Storms in a teacup are nothing as those real in a sea;
The tea itself is important as it has taken over me,
I sip in company or while alone just for satisfied to be!

Read More

Back to my village

Back in my village:

A cute little calf is calling me moo!
She shares her mom's milk with me too!
The cow-calf duo gets the best of feeds
And they are a source of manure for the seeds;
Organic is our choice as we mind what we eat,
It's quite a feat in the village with local treats and moods upbeat!

And there-
On each terrace of land a garden stands,
Unwanted weeds are uprooted by seasoned hands!
Vegetables grow fast like in a fairy telltale
And, in a short period of time it's up for sale;
The vendors are a whisper away to collect all
And off goes the produce to the market hall!

Meanwhile, a big little cat is calling me mew!
I share with it my butter-rice; it's nothing new!
Ìt has a persuasive voice and piercing eyes,
It's rubbing its fur, too often, against my thighs!
Well, I assume, there aren't many rats and mice;
A biological natural balance is always nice!

Farming: Nostalgia and Need

My kamshing is a land category dry
With terraces and slopes on rainfall to rely;
It's a precious piece that's able to yield
Most crops in narrow stretches of field!
While, a healthy meal is my regular need,
Excess produce is sold or used as cattle feed!

My chushing is a land category wet,
Like the plates we eat from and in terraces set
With water to keep flooding for its care
And its cultivation, a show of festivities and fanfare
It's a paddy field getting us the daily rice
That's our staple food with a better price!

We also have our land category of community forest
It provides many worthy items at its best
It stood for ages, as it stands now, for our needs of wood
And, its produce for food is simply too good!
It protects our water source, keeps our flora and fauna intact
It is precious too, in fact, with generations of contact!

Another category is the orchard or cash-crop land
A cash-cow to my income story as affluent I stand
The outcome is always at full blossom, full go
Even with prices at rock-bottom low!
Meantime, I feel, each category is sacrosanct to fill a gap
And each type is each feather in my cap!

As the focus shifts with the pandemic threat
My basic needs, as always, are set to be met
Farming is the backbone to keep me going
And a stretch of land is enough with good seeds for sowing
Recession is kept at bay and there are lesser bills to pay
And there is no boss around to call off a day!

Glossary: 1. Kamshing : Dry Land 2. Chushing : Wet Land

Food Security

Each tongue and each tummy wishes for the food to be good
And each one of us eats, too, for a well satisfied mood;
Small organic farms have sprouted as import restrictions harden
While each home starts to depend on one's own little garden!

The plinth and the balcony above are crowded with pots and pans
Along with used broken baskets and cut jerry cans;
A cherry-type tomato is climbing up the wire-mesh trellis
And no sooner it will ripen to fill-up our small bellies!

Spinach and coriander are already a part of our potted plants
With a variety of chillies too for our needs and wants!
We haven't lost our farming habits; we are still in love with it
And very soon, we are going to eat the better kind quite a bit!

Too much of cash crop as cash cow could have costed us now
For, we need to eat in any situation and anyhow;
We are conscious of the link between food security and statehood,
Thanks to finer-side of the pandemic that kept it understood!

Read More

Buddha, Our Light: A Short Tribute

The swan fell down, wings painfully flip-flapping,
Blood oozing over the feathers; the bird, for breath, was gasping!
It lay writhing and in agony due to the force of an arrow
While the escape from the hunter was miraculously narrow!

The kind prince removed the shaft,
Nursed the wound like an expert in such a craft!
Just then, a cousin, Devdatta, appeared
"I have shot it down, it's mine," he cleared!

Later, a wise man delivered a ruling just,
The swan belonged to the saviour as it must!
Then, the king once more wanted to meet the wise man
But, he was nowhere as far as all eyes could scan...

May the Buddha, our Light, continue to shine
And enlighten generations: an eternal line!
May the lamps be always bright and the bells clear,
Kindness be close to our hearts, forever dear!

Read More

Lockdown

Lockdown-Day 1

A lockdown was enforced while I was still on the bed
Thoughts of not getting to work rolled my head!
Nonetheless, I got up to see far and wide
From a third floor balcony at my side!

A policeman was on his job on the road below,
De-suups manned junctions as colours of orange show,
It rained a bit from clouds high without noise or sound,
While I watched outdoors locked high from the ground!

The enemy has struck, many have felt the pain
As contacts were traced and quarantined again!
Stayhomestaysafe! The messages have also zoomed
While the dangers of community spread loomed!

My prayers and hope that the numbers do not balloon,
May the victim remain healthy to recover soon!
A locked day is getting over and left, in history, behind;
To the viral virus, let's not be kind!

Lockdown-Day 2

Awakened by heavy rainfall, I looked out through my window
While a crow made a harsh call from a treetop below;
The clouds high above sat motionless, thick and dark
And the city bathed joyfully and looked like a nature park!

Lockdown was perfect as no human was seen far and near,
Not a single vehicle was plying and no sound as such I could hear!
As the day moved on, the Sun shone full and bright
With the heat of the season at its might!

I watched the news on the latest vaccines and related debates,
Attended to my emails and uploads of all the updates;
Read a couple of short stories, and checked my essential stock
And built castles in the air of days that would unlock!

Later on, the locality that I live in was cleared of household waste
Services and supply vans plied in measured haste!
Meantime, a friend called me on my phone,
Three more! Hope my beloved country isn't in the red zone!

Lockdown-Day 3

Kalidas was the most stupid and thick-headed of the fools
And yet, my role model stands higher than universities and schools!
He became learned by transforming his mind and training his brain,
But still, pictures depicting him a fool, to this day, remain!

Well, have we learned lessons from the picture that came free?
Aren't we exploiting the planet in the manner this 'fool' cuts the tree?

The planet Earth is also on its course of action,
On her terms, at her time, in whole or in a fraction!
We remain indoors as her wounds are getting healed
And with fresh air and clean water, our fate be safely sealed!

My prayers that my Mother Earth heals to her new best
Just as my role model became the wisest!
Twelve persons are infected today; the dark cumulus is soaring high
While I wish for good messages dropped by the nicest clouds in the sky

Lockdown-Day 4

I look out,
Nobody was there at the roundabout
The sun was bright, the clouds scatterred;
Day 4 too, Stayhomestaysafe mattered!

I'm inside but wished to be outdoors
'Oh yes'! My voice boldly outpours;
Wish to fly like that dove
Climb a tree and till the top I move!

My garden lies below but I hesitate to move
Though I wish to be with those doves
In mango grove and saplings of areca nuts
But no shortcuts in trying times, and no 'ifs' and 'buts'

I wait as the vans arrive
With groceries amidst a new normal drive!
The virus has distanced us from the social ties
And with face-masks, smiles are owned only by the eyes!

STAY SAFE

Before my idle mind becomes a devil's workshop,
Or my devilish self seeks a break without a stop,
I pen a poem each day to keep my boredom away,
But today, I don't have a topic and yet I write anyway!

Just these four lines aren't enough; I now think,
No topic means no issue to share and to link!
So I'm confused about what I should write without a topic
Except to appeal to STAY SAFE from this virus microscopic!

Read More

Excerpts: Tsendenshing and other poems

Tsendenshing

Cupressus torolusa, the Bhutanese cypress, makes us proud
As we sing of Druk tsenden in our national anthem aloud;
It is part of many aspects of our lives
And in the dragon kingdom, in harder conditions, it thrives!

At special sacred spots, the trees are giants from walking sticks,
Higher the growth, the more threads of history each tree picks
Dominating social, cultural and spiritual landscapes
Displaying eminence in all directions, magnitude and shapes!

Tsendenshing, Druk tsenden or simply called tsenden, is at the helm
Partaking in nation building with generations overwhelmed;
While it rises high to kiss the sky outshining the pristine nature,
The king of trees is down to earth, forever, in art and architecture!
[It spans lengths with its strength in bridge and dzong construction
And its hardwood is just too good for carvings in artwork production!]

Aroma and incense fill the air with temples often at its bases,
For weary travelers, the trees are landmarks and resting places,
Stories of the tree, in each neighborhood, are entangled in myths
And local sports to watch underneath is what I wish to catch with!

Religion has adopted it, science has admired it,
The resource is non-exhausting, hills and valleys have inspired it;
Of all species of trees, tsendenshing is the most legendary
And in Drukyul, it's cherished by all even the humblest ordinary!

Walnut

Crack or crash a shell
And a walnut has a story to tell!
Soft ones, our normal teeth are strong for that,
Hard nuts often slip while hit on its surface fast!

The oily cashew lies at the cave,
With the bony cover out, it's ready for intake!
So soft and sweet but so much to hide,
Safety-cranium, perhaps, is its pride!

Its fruit is not just what we chase,
Its timber also deserves the praise;
Lustrous and durable though a little knotty,
Its texture merges to become spotty!

Oak

Scattered along the temperate zone
In clusters, pairs or standing alone,
Deciduous and evergreen, both types are found
Keeping houses warm through the year round!

Have you seen its stacks of lumbers?
A reason too for the depleting numbers;
Oak forests are often replaced with pine
And, for biodiversity, this action isn't at all fine!

Ornamental and shady along parks and roadsides
Roots are best, far and deep, preventing landslides;
Keeps the soil in position in all the terrains
As it grows well in both hills and plains!

Sal

Sal trees grow well in the southern belt,
Plentiful once, its scarcity was never felt;
Can be harvested now from private lands,
Sipsoo to Diafarm, the tree stands

Old is gold; its timber with time is wrought;
Its burried parts, against floods, continually fought;
Termites are kept at bay with strength
And being tough, it is admired for endurance!

Sal fibres run in directions both,
Carpenters do not provide their sevices forth;
Rates are higher for the same tools and knives,
The sal has definitely influenced our lives!

Champ

A journey in the forest on my heels
I picked a fallen flower to know how it feels;
Thick petals, yellowish white,
Pollen smeared, scented and bright!

Simply champ, champa or champaka ìt is called
And with the hilly landscape the trees are sprawled!
Our choesam-racks are made for its timber to glow,
Door and window frames are up for the show!

Champ is medium strength, mildly lustrous;
For furniture, chest boxes, pencils and miscellaneous,
Fodder for cattle in this Himalayan part
While its perfume comes from outside to the local mart!

The Himalayan Maple

An indigenous variety is the Himalayan maple,
It thrives in climate suitable too for the apple;
A pair at Trashichhodzong displays its importance,
Cast a glance there, as you pass by, from a distance!

Its wood is good for making dapas to furniture,
It is partially deciduous, green except in winter;
Its autumnal golden hue is a breathtaking view
Beautifying our deep forests distinctly anew!

The Bhutanese maple is unlike the Canadian and the Japanese types
A cousin to dozens more but it hasn't gotten the many hypes!
Known locally as the pchalamshing,
Its worth is forever rising!

Agarwood

An elderly man introduced me to a tree calling it gold,
Resin at its pith, he said, was ruthlessly extracted and sold
Often smuggled, perhaps, to far off lands
Across the borders and away to countries on the desert sands!

Agarwood as the tree is called, my attention it drew,
I heard a bit as my small mind recollected whatever I knew;
Grandfathers talked of adventures of their fathers as they gossiped,
It sounded like a myth for a child while their stories heaped!

In olden days people fell agarwood for its resin sap,
The trees faced the axe over a time without a gap,
So much that some forests were empty of its kind
With only the faint memories of stories lingering behind!

But, not all trees have the resin formed at the pith
Since a type of bacteria has to first act with it;
A ban on its harvest is imposed with a law not so old
As lives battled malaria, in deep forests, for the so-called gold!

Lately, the laws favor its harvest in private lands
But no one knows about its exact markets and demands;
Still, nurseries are selling its saplings more and more
While the number of trees have gone on an upward soar!

If the chase is for the resin sap,
Then, the bacteria must be infested to act!
Anyway, planting for more trees is a welcome deed,
So, gather much merits but cash may not fall at lightning speed!

Teak

Teak! Your timber has proved me all,
You are unscathed despite years of rainfall;
My ceiling still stands against the leak,
Termites, for you, seldom seek,
You respond well to my old electric saw,
I can harvest you, in private lands, under our law!

You are around to be forever felt
Growing wild in the subtropical belt,
Your fragrance seems to tell me more,
Maybe we need to explore,
You are cultivated without much sweating
And worth many years of waiting!

Benefits are utmost: your forest, a good wildlife host,
Hardwood furniture, we get, at a reasonable cost,
You are a quality timber for the floors
Besides being an excellent veneer for doors!
High standard boards appear to be a must
And much more being everywhere, firm and robust!

Like your grains moving all through your length,
I moved many steps of my life with your strength;
Houses look homely and gardens remain soft,
You dominate the landscape as you rise aloft
And in Drukyul, although cypress is our national tree,
You are special as well with your elegance and beauty!

Glossary of terms:
1. choesam : prayer room
2. dapas : wooden bowls

Read More

Build Bhutan Project

How I wish to be in control: length, breadth and height
till I am beautiful, in and out, in colours and light!
And, I need to put on more cement and sand
as I must, on my own, faithfully stand
while the bamboo supports crumble down
with decayed jute knots of grey and brown!

On a journey- at halfway- without ties at the roof,
I’m accused of eating away each pie all aloof;
the future isn’t the hope but an unpredictable malice
where moving forward is a game of dice
as I never understand whether I shall be a waste
even after a final cement paste!

The present and the future appears a wide gap
while I am stagnant without a clear roadmap!
Unpaid too lie my loan to a bank
while BBP, I feel, isn't yet a full resource tank;
but still, your workforce is the only choice now
and I need to be completed anyhow!

Read More

Coronavirus and I

My fate is crushed with your rise,
My school has closed to my surprise!
No teacher, no swing, no slide;
Each space is wide, each normal set aside!

Against the wall is hung my bag
Scattered are the books on the rag;
My new dress is in my mom's care
My shoes too are lying bare!

Nursery rhymes no longer thrill
All day long, my fate is at home still!
No more ice-cream, no town for me,
No going out; fewer friends to see!

Back home and jobless is my dad,
Times are bad and mom is feeling very sad!
I'm exiled from both of them by a gap,
I am banned from my grandma's lap!

Amidst the silence is a beam of hope
As, with the gracious kidu, we shall cope;
My country has a kindest King to care for all
Corona virus shall fall and we shall rise bold and tall!

Read More