Who knew it would be this hard to write something about my neighborhood! I mean, I have lived here, in this little piece of land that I call my "Para", for the better part of the last two decades. Still, I am having a tough time putting out words to write something beautiful about the place I call my home. That may be because I have never bothered to look at it through a traveler's eyes or as somebody who simply knows how to appreciate beauty.
বহু দিন ধ’রে বহু ক্রোশ দূরে
বহু ব্যয় করি বহু দেশ ঘুরে
দেখিতে গিয়েছি পর্বতমালা,
দেখিতে গিয়েছি সিন্ধু।
দেখা হয় নাই চক্ষু মেলিয়া
ঘর হতে শুধু দুই পা ফেলিয়া
একটি ধানের শিষের উপরে
একটি শিশিরবিন্দু।
– রবীন্দ্রনাথ ঠাকুর
So, I went out for a walk in the afternoon today. And this time, I wasn't just a resident who walks through the streets of my small town just to get to places. This time, I was a nomad traveler from a distant faraway country who has traveled for years to see the beauty of human civilization. As just a plain observer, to do what Robi Thakur wanted.
Before I became this rugged but fluffy man-kid wandering aimlessly in the sea of anarchy, I was a small kid with dreamy eyes who loved to hunt. Just a 2 minutes' walk from my house is a vast and almost eternal open field, filled with crops of many colors. As a kid, I used to hunt birds and squirrels with this little DIY slingshot made of a "Y" shaped branch of wood and long strands of rubber tubes. My toy canon of death that shot small round marbles maimed hundreds of birds, and I had no remorse! Well, now, I do.
I still shoot birds just with different canons. To make up for all the tiny souls I massacred, I try to trap them in my photos as an homage to all those once beating hearts—a digital epitaph of death and rebirth.
You know! Despite living only 20 kilos away from a city that has probably the worst deforestation and air pollution, it's not so bad up here. I live among lush greeneries and flowers with bright colors. Even the people here are more helpful.
In winter, thousands of migratory birds fly around, covering up the sun. They come here from the harsh and cold mountainous terrain of Siberia. These lazy buggers generally hangout in the ponds and lakes around my house.
This has happened to me many times while fishing that all the birds start flying at once around the lakes In a circle. The wind from their wings can easily be compared to that of helicopter blades.
The roads here were once littered with plastic cups and ripped out book pages, which the street vendors used as makeshift food plates. But now, the COVID has driven all those idiots away and only nature rules here.
I always dreamed of a place that I would call my neighborhood to be somewhat similar to where টেনিদা and চারমূর্তি lived, Patoldanga. The classic suburbs of Kolkata, where the air is filled with the smell of adventure. And I cursed my fate, asking why it was so bland where I lived.
It took me a long time to understand that the place I imagined to be Patoldanga is actually here. I never saw how Patoldanga looked like. So I imagined it, and it was exactly like my neighborhood. I, myself, was Tenida, and also Pyala, Kyabla, Habul, and all the other characters. What it took was an eye to see and a little bit of imagination.
It took only a massive scale pandemic for me to start appreciating my neighborhood. I'm so lucky that In some of the most densely populated places, people get to come out only once in a while. But I can still freely roam around busking in the glory of beautiful tall woods and breath freely. That's how it is, isn't it? The limbs of nature we rip apart grows back in minutes. But what it takes is us, humans, not being there anymore.
If I, we, survive this pandemic, something else will be the death of us, or we'll simply die of old age. But this, my neighborhood, my home will always be here, giving us an abundant harvest of good times. So why not stop taking it for granted and learn to appreciate it a little.
I love places like this with nature's blessing making it more beautiful... i can imagine myself living in this kind of area, it will bring me a great peace of mind....well written bro
This is what made my life easier to live despite covid and all the other misgivings life keeps throwing at me. Nature heals any wound, mental or physical..
Thank you burl :)
well done... my expectation is only increasing.....
Imagining you with John Coltran and a cup of tea looking out of the window while reading about Strike limping through the streets of London :)
Imagination is the only easy way to get anywhere easily. @azircon vai well said 😊
I think I'll hold you to that.:) I always liked Jazz. Never was crazy though. But as you said, It clicked. Mr symes clicked bad. Ive allready heard it like 5 times. But it shouldve been longer than 5 mins. Its not enough :(
I still cant understand Strike though. Im at that point where he just assigned a Temp and two new client just came in.. One has something to do with his kid friend charlie. Who supposedly rode off of a quarrie and died.. Pretty interesting actually.. I imagine all the charecters speaking in a brit accent.. Quite funny TBH :D
Your neighborhood is beautiful. I love the pictures. You're sure you're not a photographer?
I probably would have made a post like this if I had a nice camera.
Yeah im sure borther..lol. I just know how to click and capture nothing more..thank you though..
But, why are you so inactive now adays! Writers block bothering you still? Particiapte on our contests brother..youll win for sure..
Writers block has been hitting me right, left and center lol... But that isn't enough excuse for my absence.. I guess I gave myself a little break but I'm back now.
And about that contest, not sure I will win but I will check it out. 😁
Who knows, you might though.. you have it all what it takes to win.. Just try. atleast for me brother.
I used to play with the slingshots a lot as a kid! Never managed to hit anything with it lol! Until one day I did, and it horrified me and that was it for me! Never touched a slingshot ever again!
And i killed Hundreds if not Thousands :( Once it was a grandeur. Now its just a shame..
Fantastic brother. Best of Luck.
Dhonnobad bhai!!.onek onek dhonnobad!
ভালো লিখেছেন ভাইয়া।
ধন্যবাদ শুভ ভাই। :) চেষ্টা করলাম আরকি যতদুর সম্ভব।
The death of canon interesting though
Yeah it is quite interesting.. You know all about it though. :D.you know me XDXD
I DO......
আপনি এতো জোশ ছবি কেমনে তুলেন!! 😍😍😍
ক্যামেরা চোখের সামনে নিয়ে খালি আন্দাজে বাটন টিপি😁😁
ভাই তাহলে টিপাটিপিতে ওস্তাদ 😋😋
কিভাবে জানি নকিয়া বাটন ফোন টিপতে টিপতে অভ্যাস খারাপ হয়ে গেল।🤣
Thanks for sharing your creative and inspirational post on HIVE!
This post got curated by our fellow curator @deepu7 and you received a 100% upvote from our non-profit curation service!
Join the official DIYHub community on HIVE and show us more of your amazing work!
এত সুন্দর! দাওয়াত দিয়েন একদিন। আমরা সবাই মিলে যাবো আপনাদের ওখানে 😀
অবশ্যই!! খালি এই কোভিড জিনিসটা যেয়ে নিক। অবশ্যই নিয়ে আসবো আপনাদের!!