Nap Time

The cheerful child becomes grumpy 

when sleep catches up;

He rubs his eyes and nose 

Whine, uninterested in anything. 

The wailing child becomes silent 

When placed in the cradle to sway; 

To sing a lullaby, the baby sleeps. 

The entire house falls silent.

Amid the outer world's din, 

The tinkling chimes at intervals 

Make the baby feel calm. 

An hour and a half passed that way.

Before an alarm blares, 

The child begins to cry and moan,

With all chors come to an end.

(my nephew Kavin quietly sleeps in the cradle)

Signs2: Tea County and WVS

Tea County, I believe, does not require a description because anyone can guess it's a tea/coffee shop, and if someone wanted to know anything else, it would simply be its location. Of course, the area has a relation to the word "Tea" because the shop is in Kotagiri, in Nilgiri county (district), one of India's major tea-growing areas. 

I captured the shop when driving back from Ooty through Kotagiri but could not stop for a cuppa. Perhaps next time. 

WVS stands for Worldwide Veterinary Service, an international training center for veterinary students, and a hospital on the Ooty Coonoor main road near Ketty.  Maya, our companion dog, developed breathing problems during our vacation in Ooty in 2017, so my brother took her there for treatment. He later appreciated their service and told us that they took care of our dog very kindly and treated her like a baby at no cost. They also refused to accept money for medicine. I am pleased to hear it and wish them the best. 

On our way to and from Coonoor, my brother slowed the car to show us where Maya was treated, so I snapped this for memory. 

Haiku: Shadow

 

Signs2: Hilltop

When we first traveled to Kodaikanal in 1999, we had our dinner at this restaurant after arriving at and checking into a guesthouse managed by a friend. It was around 10 p.m., unlike today when practically every restaurant was closed, and only Hilltop was open. I recall what we had; it was chappati and green pea masala at its spicier peak, and I was hissing after two mouthfuls. The cold temperature contributed to the increase in alkali.  

The hilltop seems to be the only cozy restaurant then.

The Kodaikanal I saw then was far different now; there was no traffic, even though it was the end of summer vacation; the air was pristinely pure, and all of the views weren't blocked by the shops that line all of the tourist attractions, and visiting any viewpoint required walking between the gaps of shops. 

My physiotherapist, as well as the renter at my grandfather's house, guided us on the trip, and his assistance was invaluable since he carried me at several locations on his back when I sprained my ankle. I feel grateful when I think of them. And I'm still in contact with him, and none of our phone talks have ended without us discussing the trip. 

Summer Special

 (I wrote this poem on May 10) 

Overnight, the weather turned cooler 

Shawarma exhausted news channels

Refreshed through the shower-ma

Because of the bypass of Cyclone Asani

Chennaiities experience the weather in Kodai 

In the season of Kodai (summer), 

The moister wind blows to cool everything down.

The wind chimes ring cheerfully 

As the chilly air enters via the window, 

Excitement mounts in the body 

Meet the cheerful memories at the summit 

As is typical during the summer 

The summer rain churns it into something even more special.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

P.s. If you are unaware, "Kodai" is a word that refers to summer in Tamil, and the same word is also the abbreviation of Kodaikanal, a hill station in South India. 

If you're from India, you might know my reference to Shawarma. The issue refers to the same following the death of a student in Kerala after she ate Shawarma, a renowned Levantine cuisine consisting of meat chopped into thin slices, stacked in a cone-like structure, and roasted on a slowly revolving vertical rotisserie or spit.  All shawarma restaurants are now subjected to rigorous testing by the health authorities to ensure that the food preparation is hygienic. Some southern districts have prohibited selling Shawarma.