The Shadows of Empire The story of tea is never only about leaves. It is also about ships, guns, monopolies, and empires. When tea sailed westward, it was not borne merely in porcelain jars but in the vaults of power. What began as a delicate infusion in the hills of Yunnan and Fujian soon becameContinue reading “If Tea Had Stayed Home – III”
Tag Archives: writing
The Oak-A tree of Time, Myth, and Memory- VI
In Memory and Intimacy: A Personal Companion “The tree is the slowest, most patient of all living things. To sit beneath one is to be reminded of what endures when everything else passes.”— John Fowles If myth made the oak divine, and art made it eternal, then memory makes it beloved. There are trees weContinue reading “The Oak-A tree of Time, Myth, and Memory- VI”
The Oak-A Tree of Time, Myth, and Memory – Part V
Oaks in Thought, Word, and Image: Literature, Art, and Human Creativity “Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,Sermons in stones, and good in everything.” -Shakespeare (As You Like It, Act II, Scene I) John Constable, The Cornfield (1826), National Gallery, London. If in myth the oak stood as a sacred emblem, and in ecologyContinue reading “The Oak-A Tree of Time, Myth, and Memory – Part V”
Oak and Spirit: The Silent Alchemy
(The oak–liquor relationship finds expression in the cadence and emotional charge of this poem. Its imagery, symbolism, and metaphorical resonance seeks a distillation that is both timeless and transcendental) Long before lips knew the taste,oak and liquor found each other.It was not a meeting of moment,but of destiny—two strangers who spoke the same ancient tongue.The oakContinue reading “Oak and Spirit: The Silent Alchemy”
The Oak: A Tree of Time, Myth, and Memory-Part I
“An Invitation to Wonder: : Introducing an Immortal Tree” “The creation of a thousand forests is in one acorn.”— Ralph Waldo Emerson It stands without asking to be noticed. There are trees that grow quietly, almost unnoticed—content to be part of the backdrop of our days. And then, there is the Oak. Majestic, resolute, steepedContinue reading “The Oak: A Tree of Time, Myth, and Memory-Part I”
Lagerstroemia-A Poem
A Poem of Memory, Bloom, and Becoming (This poem was born of a sudden moment of recognition—when a flowering Lagerstroemia, seen in the quiet backyard of a foreign land, evoked the soft fragrance of home. Known for its delicate, crinkled petals and luminous hues, the tree stirred not sorrow but a sweet recollection—of India, ofContinue reading “Lagerstroemia-A Poem”
Magnificent Magnolia – In Bloom and Beyond
“Large-leaved and low-bent, trailing immense,Magnolias…” — Alfred Lord Tennyson, “The Princess”(1847) The Flowering of Memory and Myth Two splendid Sycamores stand like sentinels in my backyard—tall, stately, unshakeable. They frame the rear of my son’s New Jersey home with a quiet majesty. But it is the Magnolia trees in the forecourt that currently command all attention.Continue reading “Magnificent Magnolia – In Bloom and Beyond”
Sycamore: A Tree, A World, A Wound
In the Shadow of the Sycamore Two tall and stately Sycamore trees stand magnificently at the far end of the lawn in my son’s opulent home — guardians of grace, stretching skyward in noble stillness. They are unlike any tree I had encountered up close: pale-barked, broad-limbed, with a silvery elegance that seems toContinue reading “Sycamore: A Tree, A World, A Wound”
In Memory of Dr. Shekhar Dutt
The news of Shri Shekhar Dutt’s sudden passing left me utterly disoriented. It came without warning, and for a while, I found myself unable to collect my thoughts or articulate what I was feeling. Even now, days later, I struggle to accept it. There are some people whose presence, even when silent or distant, anchorsContinue reading “In Memory of Dr. Shekhar Dutt”
Turning 72: Seeking Purpose and Passion in Life
A Reflection at the Edge of Time A Note Before the Journey As I turn 72, I find myself drawn not toward festivity, but toward reflection. This piece was written not to elicit birthday greetings, nor a nostalgic look back. It is, instead, an offering—a way to share the quiet musings and persistent emotions thatContinue reading “Turning 72: Seeking Purpose and Passion in Life”
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