Hosta plantaginea (A Flower Poem)

Hosta plantaginea

I first noticed you

On the Columbia campus

Perhaps during the Orientation

Ceremony

The landscape workers

Meticulously pruning, spreading

The aromatic mulch mixed with

Compost

Your white jasmine-like slender

Flowers immediately pulled me

Born in a tropical village with

Luscious green and abundant flowers

Spread throughout the year

I’m drawn to flavors and flowers

But the sweet scent, varied pleasing 

Aromas of flowers always

Captivates me; it takes me decades

Back into childhood and

Energetic youthful wanderings

Then

I’d lie idly happily

In my mother’s lap

With a gardenia peeping from

Her oily hair

Playing with my sisters

And their loquacious friends -

Always smiling and giggling

With innocent secretive 

Discussions

Scores and scores of

Functions, marriage ceremonies,

Interesting discourses, plays,

Dance and music programs

They all had fragrances

Roses, jasmines, Michael champaka –

You name it from Tuberose to the most 

Exotic type of Oleander 

The ladies in south India

Loved the flowers

They pampered them

Every house had it then

They have it even now

You’d see in the front yard

Near the gate

And

On the terrace

Beckoning the night stars

And

Offering rendezvous for the young lovers

Copyright 2020 by the author 

Growing Tomatoes Frugally

Growing Tomatoes Frugally

(Tomatoes On The Deck)

Growing tomatoes is a common pastime, here, in the Northeast US in hot summers. Many people in rural areas are good at growing, so really nothing new can be added with this post. But, no, I do not want (and no sane person would do either) to grow a $ 60 dollar tomato at home. It makes no sense really. So, I give a bit of useful information for the beginners or gardening novices. I may still learn new things in this little experiment of container gardening. 

One summer we had seven plastic (1 gallon size) pots with old soil. These were from the previous year’s vegetable crop. They were used for growing eggplants. When I started, they still had the (old) dried eggplant’s stems. I removed the eggplant (with its root) and scooped up about half of old soil. Like many, I too am lazy, a bit stingy with materials and labor. Like a good housewife, like a crafty poet, you have to grow plants with what you have at hand. Always, be prudent; do not waste soil, fertilizer, or water. Good (particularly Organic) frugal farmers too follow such thrifty practices. Do not run to garden store for every little thing or gadget. 

I filled the pots with a mixture of compost and generic topsoil. Luckily here our village provides free compost for the local residents. Ideally I should have emptied pots and started all over again. But the seedlings (seven) had been sitting there, I mean languishing on the breakfast table for almost a week. They were going through rapid growth and periodic wilting. We bought a batch of six tomato seedlings for a dollar (please, do not ask me where I get things so cheaply, in this day and age!) in farmers market. We got one new variety free from a local hospital – as a green day gift. I planted all of them in the big black (unattractive one might say) plastic pots. They were left on the deck. I just let them soak up hot sun and rainwater. 

Within couple of weeks they all exhibited rapid growth. We were all surprised by the sudden spurts of big leaves and flowers. We had to go down the stairs and bring the old tomato steel cages for support. Obviously, these giant plants need more sturdy support. But then, you do with what you’ve at hand. Over the years we accumulated seven or eight (galvanized) conical steel tomato cages. To add color I sanded the steel cages and painted them with orange paint. You can order by mail and buy very strong steel cylindrical cages (Ex: Texas Tomato, costing $20.00 for each cage. Now you can see how you end up growing a $60.00 tomato!) 

This container gardening of tomatoes – is not for proving any point. Just for a bit of summer activity and for a little fun on the deck. Growing on the deck is a bit more convenient; involves less of back breaking bending to do the weeding, watering, etc. A small stool (a milkmaid’s stool) makes it very convenient to tend the plants. I did foresee certain troubles for these voracious tomato plants. They get plenty of intense sun on the deck; as a result on very hot days the plants go very dry. You can see severe wilting of leaves. I have to water them on such days twice a day, once in the early morning and once in the evening. If you want to leave them unattended for days, then you have to ask a friend to water them. Or seek help from rain god! Any way, what are friends for? You can also use plastic cans or aluminum trays with water. Used milk plastic cans come in handy for providing a slow drip to the container plants. It all depends how far you want to go with improvisation or ingenuity. One can try drip irrigation technique with a timer too.

So far I have not encountered any pest. Once I noticed a lone Japanese beetle wandering. That’s all. On the ground, usually I come across crawling caterpillars and other insects (slugs are plenty in cool wet grass patches). Roughly the harvest yielded about thirty- five medium size tomatoes. Most will ripen on the vine; the late ones may stay green till the early frost day. That is not bad for this small-scale venture; thirty fresh tomatoes for two dollars input and some sweat equity.  Besides watering, I have to keep a close eye on the fertilizer. For some reason, lower leaves turned yellow a bit prematurely. Apparently, there is not sufficient nitrogen for these mega plants. I used liquid fertilizer (ex: Miracle Grow) every week. On top of it, as a desperate measure, I put two fertilizer (Jobs) sticks in each pot. Container gardening is not like hydroponic growing. You lose a bit of valuable fertilizer (washed away through bottom drainage holes) during downpours. So, you have to time the fertilizer application properly. On ground, I have not observed this severe demand for nitrogen. 

From the garden, we can pick the tomatoes when they are a bit yellow. Indoors left on a sunny table, they will soon turn into dark red color. We do not discard the green ones in our household; they too end up in some tasty chutney or curry. 

When we grow vegetables ourselves, we have many options. We can pick and choose the right variety (even Heirloom type) and we get really fresh, clean, pesticide-free produce. The act of picking a ripe tomato from the vine and making delicious salad, tomato-dal, tomato chutney, tomato pickle, or tomato rice fresh is incomparable. Several years back, we gave bags (kilos) of home grown tomatoes to our friends. Even neighbors were awe struck at our harvest bounty. Things just happen in a well-tended garden, perhaps due to luck. Kitchen garden may not produce wonders, but it will introduce kids to growing things in a natural way. They get to see real vegetables on the vine. They can touch, feel, and smell fresh vegetables. At least you get to see the difference between naturally ripened tomato – and the other super market stony ethylene- induced flavorless tomato hauled from hundreds of miles distance. 

Yesterday, we tasted the first vine-ripened (Organic) tomato from the deck. It’s yummy, sweet, juicy, with a tinge of sourness. It’s worth all the trouble. In south India and Bengal, tomatoes are considered as the cousins of brinjal (eggplant). Both have the same first name as “Solonum”. Freshly made tomato soup (or rasam) is very nutritious for convalescing patients; it is more fortifying with rice broth (Kanji). The burnt ripe fruit is very easy on digestion and it is beneficial for the control of phlegm and obesity. Tomatoes mainly contain vitamin C with traces of minerals and other vitamins. The lycopene connection to health benefits has not been fully established yet. Finally a word about large scale “Tomato Farming. Often we come across farmers in India and other places dumping harvested tomatoes due to lack of proper returns (price). In the absence of canning and other supporting infrastructure (food industry) it is difficult to make huge profits with tomato crops. Even in the US we do see tomatoes rotting on the ground in the harvesting days before the cold frosty days. The modern Green House with controlled agricultural practices and Organic labeling attempts to reduce losses and labor costs. The final verdict is still not clear due to the recent extraordinary swings in natural gas, electricity rates, and fertilizer prices. The Sri Lanka economic debacle teaches many valuable lessons. Copyright 2022 by the author

Translation of "Vayasa idi naa" Song

Youth,

This is my first salute (to you)

Come into my life

As romance

Come tonight as the manmatha (1)

Come - to the jasmine bowers

Come as the flowers of shyness 

Fall in the bedroom

And sketch paintings with each

Kiss

Why these frivolous silly tiffs?

In this moonlight

During this night filled with

Amorous playfulness - awakened

By the throb of a masculine desire 

Come and bite the belle’s cheek

Bite this unblemished honeyed bud

Come – when the brimming youth arrives

Just

When the hot day retires

When the falling anchal (2) sings

Romantic melodies,

Clasped

In the embrace of bracelets-decked hands

When the hands and feet got

Entangled tightly in the net of

Romance – 

During this night filled with

The night’s laughter!

(Video Clip The song is from the Telugu movie "Samsaram O Sangeetham")

1. From Hindu mythology – manmatha is the son of Vishnu and Lakshmi. He is considered to be the most handsome god. With his consort Rati, He helps in the arousal of romantic feelings (with a sugar cane bow and floral arrow) and continuation of creation process, as part of the natural growth of humans. Often He is associated with the arrival of spring season, splendorous display of flowers, and youth. 2. Refers to the free flowing part of a sari, normally worn over chest (woman’s upper body).

(There is always more soul stirring beautiful poetry in this world than what the Nobel literature prize displays annually with its meager selections. Sadly beauty is often limited (defined?) by ones (the average critic’s) shades and the size of peephole! And much excellent poetry indisputably resides in languages other than English or a select few European tongues. This is amply evident to anyone who knows several languages across the globe. For some reason, this lyrical poem immediately touched my heart, rather put a tattoo on my sleeping consciousness. 

If I have a humble suggestion here in this context, it is this: The larger Telugu community should come together and set up a prize for Telugu (covering the three principal areas of literature, music, and dance) comparable in prestige and scope similar to the Nobel prize (or Jnanapitha). Japan has instituted a prize in science and technology in 1980 and now the prize carries prestige comparable to the Nobel. Though we have the Jnanapitha award for literature in India, its effect is rather diluted, as it has to consider vast number of works covering twenty-three languages including English. Once in a while we keep hearing lamentations by the editors, teachers, linguists, and politicians about the imminent death of Telugu; the younger generation cannot speak one Telugu sentence without borrowed words from English or other languages. Silly self-pity and useless gestures – they are worse than crocodile tears! If we really care about the mother tongue Telugu, then we should teach them some of the finest romantic poetry (ex: Srinadha, Atreya, etc.) and this may mean even movie lyrics to the high school students. We should institute attractive awards and encourage translations to spread the beauty and perfume of this finest language and expression of thought. Some things Sri Sri might have got it wrong, but certainly he is hundred percent right when he said: “A pure Telugu poem/French liquor”. And needless to say such literary foundations or enterprises should eschew politics totally. ( The Telugu lyrics with transliteration were given here Telugu lyrics) Copyright 2022 by the author

Never Run Out of (Eye) Glasses

Never Run out of (Eye) Glasses

Vision is an important sensory accessory for humans. Nothing can replace a good functioning eye. Visually impaired individuals can use modern computer with audio to do many tasks like phone call and typing. With proper care and reasonably good nutrition, eyes need no extra care. Most adults can read and see distant objects without any glasses (spectacles). Still, a few healthy reading habits can contribute to the overall health of eye. Reading a well lit page and keeping a good distance from laptop screen or book – they are a good start. Also, eyes need periodic rest and gentle exercise. Excessive viewing of phone, tablet, or TV screen without blinking can strain the eye. Many dry eye problems can be managed with over-the-counter eye drops solution (ex: Visine, Bosch, Family Care, etc.). Dark glasses (shades) give soothing feeling on hot summer days; they also protect sensitive eyes from sand and particulate smoke (auto, diesel exhaust). 

Our father first got his glasses when I was barely a teenager. Initially they’re just reading glasses. Mother was very ingenious; she would stealthily borrow father’s glasses for her daily reading of Ramayana (the section got to be the one with Hanuman, the Sundara-kanda). What’s the point of getting another pair just for an occasional ten minutes of sparing use? Later father got bifocals, I think. But our parents never got into the complications of cataract (“the clouded lens”) or painful retina issues. Alas, grandmother was not so lucky – she developed cataract in both the eyes. I am not sure whether the cataract happened due to cooking with firewood. In the village she was desperate to get back her clear vision; for several months she tried few drops of some plants and herbs with little improvement. Luckily an ophthalmic surgeon, a follower of Gandhian philanthropic principles visited our village and conducted operations for several hundred elderly patients in a summer camp. It was held in our high school. I accompanied grandma and attended to her during the postoperative period. In those days there were no plastic lens implants. The patient was given thick external glasses (soda bottle glasses) but they were not very effective in restoring the normal vision fully.

So, after months and months of squinting my eyes, moving nearer to bright light, and using a magnifier for reading small letters, I got dragged to the optometrist. Everything was ok; I merely needed a reading glass prescription. I looked a bit more dignified, sort of added gravitas with some grey hair and glasses. In the beginning not accustomed to the new appendage, often I would forget my glasses – they could be in the car, upstairs, in the garage, or near a flowering pot in the garden. One day I was studying road map (circa B.C. = Before Cellphone) or attending to some garden chores. Absent-mindedly I left my reading glasses (with the cover) either on the car roof or on the rear trunk. Without realizing my mistake I took off in a hurry to pickup someone. Right around the street corner the highway vehicles smashed the fancy rimmed glasses and I lost my prized first pair. Could’ve taken the broken glasses with twisted frame for warranty replacement but I did not bother with the trouble. Later I got another pair and then another one with bifocals. Over the years I collected more than five eyeglasses. It may look a bit crazy, sort of a compulsive possessive habit. But I need them all. There is one always in the car to help with shopping and reading the fine print of credit cards. The proper test for any decent reading glasses is this: The wearer should be able to read the small (fine) on the back of a credit card or be able to read all the ingredients of ice cream or vitamin pill bottles. That means you can read almost everything – from newspaper, textbook, postage stamp details, and imperfections of a face shave. 

Then I need one set of glasses for upstairs use. And another set for working in the basement too. Now all the floors are covered and one can focus on the work at hand without the irritation of missing glasses. Recently I purchased one inexpensive pair of plastic reading glasses for $ 1.00. Yes, just seventy rupees. You can’t beat the price. They are good, no distortion and no headache. Only once I lost a valuable pair; but since then I learned my lesson and I take good care of them. Regularly I clean the glasses with mild liquid soap or lens cleaner solution and gently wipe them out with a clean lint free tissue. Still, infrequently I do misplace my glasses, just a trifling inconvenience. But no unnecessary trips to upstairs.

Here I must tell the story of a famous thermodynamics (Engineering Physics) professor, Dr. Willard Gibbs. In his adult life he encountered problems with his vision. It was a case of “astigmatism” – things appearing as blurred. He diagnosed his own vision problem, made a prescription for lenses, and got the lenses fabricated – all in his workshop. The irritating problem solved, once and for all time. I think the American glass industry was in its infancy then. Another interesting incident occurred in our native town. Both in US and India we often see numerous elderly aunts and grand fathers with ill fitted glasses or spectacles with broken frames. Encountering people with missing front tooth or vision problems is not uncommon even in this modern age. They need gentle help, care, and proper guidance. Now back to the days in our coastal town – once a gentleman with lots of hanging bags visited us to help with our eye problems. He was a Punjabi peripatetic optometrist. 

In the afternoon all our neighbors assembled around this sweet gentleman on the Markapuram tiled floor. One after another he would ask for the old glasses (if any) and checked the numbers. Then out of his stock he would come up with the perfect fitting glasses with a reasonable frame. He also advised the patient about growing cataract or undetected retina problems. I was totally impressed by his extraordinary skills and decency. He carried the portable Spherometer, optical charts, miniature screws, and nose pads. Though he did not know Telugu language, both the optometrist and customer exchanged efficiently their thoughts and needs. Now, pray tell me, which government can provide such efficient eye care to the poor elderly at doorstep? Anywhere, in the world? Still there are fine mechanics, physicians, teachers, and all sorts of decent people on this planet earth. We all owe gratitude to such exceptional good-natured human beings. Copyright 2022 by the author     

Under the Linden Tree (A Nature Poem)

Under the Linden Tree

A pair of worn-out slippers

With rather uneven straps

Some may call ’em Hawaii slippers

I call them fondly the Bata slippers

With them I went for an evening stroll

In shorts and Bush shirt

In summer

It is often difficult to walk 

In bright sunlight, here

In the northeast

Either the profuse sweating

Or, scorched blackened skin

On the calves

Bothers me. Yet I need 

My daily regimen of exercise

So, I have to go for walks 

Early morning or late evenings

Or walk beneath the tall trees

In the cool shades

In those wandering

Times

Sometimes I am lost 

In thoughts, chanting, or just

A vacant state

Then, suddenly, I felt …

Was it a gentle waft?

Or just air saturated with aroma

I stopped in my tracks

Stared at the tree tops

The overhead canopies

But

Nothing made sense

Only the clump of

Hanging green maple seeds,

Miniature walnuts around

“Where is the source of this floral fragrance?”

I walked back and forth

Beneath the drooping branches

Looked above and around

I could not locate 

The source of the sweet scent

But

A return to the same spot

After couple of days

My eyes caught 

The dangling bunches of florets

Slightly yellowish

With a few green cherry-like seeds

There, standing majestically

Like the Indian bullet-wood tree

Or “Bogada” or “Bakula”

Do you remember, darling

After the formal ceremony

We went for an outing

Near the King’s Garden 

Next to the Agriculture university campus

I collected the redolent white star-like flowers

And made a garlands 

And perhaps, one as a bracelet

Little did we know, then

It would usher into a life-long journey

Those Bogada flowers emit

Perfume for weeks

And then we got

A B&W photo

Years may roll down

The memory lane

Yet

That intense romance

The lingering sweet aroma

And the sweltering Indian summer days

Will stay with us

Linden and Bogada may belong to

Two different families

But today this

Lovely Linden 

Aroused my youth again.

Copyright 2022 by the author

Gerbera Daisy Care

This is more than a three-year-old Gerbera (named after Gerber) Daisy potted plant. Here with cold winters we cannot leave it in the ground. So, I put it in a large plastic container with other flower plants (marigolds, petunia). Growing Gerbera is no problem but it has a few bad actors: Rabbits and chipmunks. Then it does not like too much rain. The leaves here show some signs of chlorosis but it is turning greener everyday. With liquid fertilizer and acid food, it will correct itself. The plant likes sun and normal watering. I like to let it dry in between watering; this is especially needed during heavy downpours. The flowers look nice in cool indoors in a flower vase. Propagation is through separation of the clumps (crowns) during spring or summer. At the end of fall season, we just bring the plant inside. We let it stay dormant in a corner in the garage. We try to keep the plant away from extreme cold and dryness. I stop watering during the winter (dormant) season. This way we can save the plant and use it year after year. Otherwise, here in the northern regions (zone 5) we have to keep buying these flower plants every year for the summer growing season. The flower size will increase a bit more. I just grabbed the photo before a hungry rabbit gets it. Daisy like petal arrangement is one of the common flower formations (geometrical pattern).

There are several nice write-ups on this showy flower plant on the Internet. Particularly the university extension or horticulture departments provide valuable care information. (For ex: see Clemson Factsheet Gerbera). We have not come across any serious pest issue so far. But I keep a home made neem oil spray bottle handy. The plant likes to be a bit on the dry side. So I try to keep the pot in shade to protect from heavy downpours in the summer. Or, one can put a plastic cover to shield from too much overhead rain. 

Telugu Song on Shirdi Sai with Translation

పదే పదే నీ పాదములపై వ్రాలి 

పరితపింతునో ఓ సాయి నాధా  | పదే | 

తెలియక కొన్ని(యు) తెలిసి కొన్నియు 

తెలివి లేక పలు దుష్కృతముల్ 

దురితము లెన్నో చేసితి (మున్ను) సాయి  

పశ్చాత్తాపమే గతియై నేడు         | పదే | 

బ్రహ్మము తెలియదు బ్రహ్మానంద మెఱుగ 

పరబ్రహ్మ మేరీతి కాంతునో 

మిణుగురు పురుగై పరిభ్రమింతు 

దారిలేని ఈ విషయారణ్యమునన్ | పదే | 

ధ్యానము కుదరదు, యోగము రాదు 

తన్మయత్వమె కృప సేయరాదా ?

నీ నామమె నా మదిలో నిల్పుము 

నీ చూపుయే నాకు శ్రీరామ రక్ష  Copyright 2022 by the author

padae padae nee paadamulapai vraali 

paritapiMtunO O saayi naadhaa  | padae | 

teliyaka konni(yu) telisi konniyu 

telivi laeka palu dushkRtamul^ 

duritamu lennO chaesiti (munnu) saayi  

paSchaattaapamae gatiyai naeDu         | padae | 

brahmamu teliyadu brahmaanaMda me~ruga 

parabrahma maereeti kaaMtunO 

miNuguru purugai paribhramiMtu 

daarilaeni ee vishayaaraNyamunan^ | padae | 

dhyaanamu kudaradu, yOgamu raadu 

tanmayatvame kRpa saeyaraadaa ?

nee naamame naa madilO nilpumu 

nee choopuyae naaku Sreeraama raksha 

Again and again

I prostrate at your feet

And meditate with anguish

O Sai, O Lord

Some (I did) without knowing

Some more I indulged knowingly

Lacking wisdom I committed

Many bad acts

Did many sins (earlier) – Sai

Today my only 

Refuge is contrition, repentance

I do not know

What is Brahman 

Never felt the (true) great ecstasy (Brahma-ananda)

How will I ever discover the Para-Brahman?

I

Keep on wandering like

A firefly

(Lost)

In this pathless forest

Filled with all distracting objects

Cannot keep focused 

On the Dhyana

Never able to

(I cannot)

Learn the (real) Yoga

Won’t you bestow the “essence of meditation”?

(Always keep your name in my mind)

Let your name stay ensconced in my mind

Your glance is my protective shield

Like Sri Rama’s blessed assurance Copyright 2022 by the author

(This is a faithful translation keeping the meaning and feeling intact. Obviously the melody and sound of the Telugu original could not be transcreated.)