Life's lessons from fruit flies

 Yesterday , I saw a bunch of fruit flies . No , they weren't sitting on rotting fruits . They were crowded around my bathroom drain . 

That taught me my lesson number one , Be adventurous . Think out of the box . Food may not always be served on the dining table . 

I sprayed a fluid called harpic , which recently , is being sold in red plastic bottles , smells great , is clear , transparent . It avows to "cleanse bathroom of all germs ". To rub it in , I used the toilet brush . Scrub , scrub , shine , glisten rather . The tiles acquired a holy white hue. The flies disappeared .

Lesson number two , stay away from aggressive predators. Vexations to the spirit , or body , or mind , or all three.  

By evening , the flies were back . In the unscrubbed corner .

Lesson number three, do not shy away from danger . There might be food ( read , opportunities ) in the next corner , round the bend .

I scrubbed the entire floor , the nooks , crannies , crevasses , everywhere , humanely and arthritically possible . 

They returned back , next morning . Full blast , entire tribe , possibly even the neighboring ones  . 

Lesson number four . Persistence . Dont give up . 

Lesson number five . Do not be picky  . Keep your expectations low . 

Postings

 Moving is inevitable for us ,

Hence nothing grows
beneath our feet
I mean , the grass .

Pack your bags , helter skelter
Some organised souls
Have an army of helpers
Fold and pack , avoid jitters

We imitate and try hard
Paint , label and stow ,
Lumps swallowed hard
All chaos , no order to show

I still forget where is which
The labels stay , contents dont
All ends up , hotch potch
Meagre trunks , pots , clutch

Trucks arrive and leave , hurry

All heave and scurry

Possessions depart in a flurry
Petrol fumes , tears , goodbyes , vision blurry

We must depart , sooner
Make haste , don’t linger
Uproot and tear
I’ll move if he does , oh dear

There germinates a thought
forget -me -nots
Vagabonds, are we not ?
Very existence fraught

Lack of permanence .
In essence
Evanescence

Plants !!

 Sometime halfway through into the lockdown , he was bitten with the gardening bug .

He wanted to plant coriander seeds .
Lot of coriander seeds went to waste this way . Some the birds ate , mistaking them for birdseed . Some by an overenthusiastic follower , who planted individual seeds in the egg bowls of a biodegradable egg carton . “Brilliant idea !!” Exclaimed everyone , on her face and on whatsapp .
Unwatered , the egg carton was to be their grave yard .
Now , we have followed every rule in the book .
Soaked the seeds overnight .
Prepped the soil ( not too sandy , neither too clayey , just right amount of compost ) .
Less shade initial few days of their life . ( an old orange scarf to deflect harsh noon sun )
Protection from birds . (Shoo them off their favourite perches )
Now every morning , we hear a glad shout ” Plants ” !!
They are just about 2 inches tall and they are visited , counted ,watered , and proudly shown off.
Who says plants do not rule our lives ?

Paradox

 I am hanging 

holding the clapper 

of my own life's bell 

thereby 

with every breath

I ring my own 

death 

knell .

The moment 

your heart 

begins to beat 

or your lungs 

pump air 

It is only fair 

that you 

yourself 

begin 

your  own 

countdown