I cannot believe what I have been witnessing. Isn’t it ironic that those persons that we try to put in the dark corner of our memory box, appear suddenly at that moment of life when we can’t afford any burden of conscience? This unwanted appearance makes us more pathetic when we have convinced ourselves that whatever we did in our lives was not worthless; that the life we have spent was not so futile and absurd, as is the case with the majority.

However, there is another court, in our internal self, that gives its own verdict. Now we start…

At the top of Siachin glacier, sitting outside their igloos, Indian army officers and soldiers measured the depths of their patriotism with sacks of frozen enemy corpses. The sun didn’t foster life there, gasoline did. They lived in a world where the only recourse was vengeance, fueled by an insatiable lust for blood.

Maj.Jaswant despised these games and had his sights set on retirement. He had dozens of subordinates, but he preferred the company of Lt.Sharma and Lt.Arun. They made him feel young.

From their position atop the glacier, Jaswant and his two comrades watched a contingent of Pakistani soldiers…

Nada lives on the Other Side of Mountains

The cool spring winds sang over the mountains and swept down through wild flowers. The beauty of the bright spring sun inspired a touch of bittersweet feelings for Mona. She moved to and fro and packed her few belongings into wooden boxes. Stretching on her toes to reach the top shelf of her simple yet delicate teak bookcase, Mona’s hand brushed light across the spine of a tattered, but cherished, book.

Looking over her shoulders, Mona brushed the dust from her hand and reached for the faded and stained book.

“I haven’t…

My literary life is like a wild tree that grows in the desert and depends on the rain. It has to face the heat of the sunlight and the harsh winds. If it grows up, it remains untrimmed and unappreciated. But if it survives, its fragrance spreads in the desert, and its shadow saves the life of the traveler. I survived, in spite of all the bitter ‘weathers’ and ‘storms’, and continued my journey.

For most of us, life is a journey to the grave. I think we should live each day considering it our last day. This poem taught me how to hold my head in all circumstances. I like the questioning tone of the poet when he asks whether you have accepted life with cheerful and resolute heart.

I love the theme when poet justifies saying that what is wrong in falling down or overthrown by circumstances, but one should face and fight back with smiling face. Above all, I love the sense of objectivity in this poem that is very uncommon.

…

Leave nothing to chance. Children should be helped to develop those tendencies and skills they will need later in life, such as walking, talking and lying. Those with poor role models might be limited to careers in childcare, paramedics or the fire service, unable to qualify for more important roles in law, politics or the media.

I know a builder, obviously not socially but through an extension I had built. He actually boasted: “I never lie to my children!” Shocked, I asked what if a grandparent died. He replied, “I’d say Grandad is up there, singing with the angels.” “And…

This poem will remain with you for a long time. You can read each couplet with anticipation of the next and you will not be disappointed. Imagery and metaphors are so strong that I I used my hands to indicate the water rising, then coming together, then floating over the land. No other poem has ever made me do that. I am in awe of this poem. Another beautiful side of this poem is that it captures emotion and philosophy eloquently. Kahlil Gibran really creates a beautiful world in his poems.

Enjoy:

I would not exchange the sorrows of my…

Storytelling is a critical element of culture. It entertains. It teaches. And it enchants. Storytelling delivers insights into the nature of the soul, and the question of what makes certain stories great has echoed throughout the minds of great thinkers since humanity developed language. Hundreds of models for storytelling have been created to help explain and structure the elements of great stories. Many of these are bad, some of them are accurate, fewer are helpful. Today, we discuss a model that is simple and could be helpful for most writers. It includes all of the elements of storytelling that are…