Black Hole

In tribute to recently released NASA picture of what  Black Hole may look like. Several telescopes around the world focused on a distant Galaxy for years to be able to create this composite. 

I had written a verse in 2013 about Black Hole which I believe still holds true for most part. Astrophysics evolves every passing year so does our understanding of the  universe.

Below are the recently released picture with my imaginary rendering, done in 2013. As much as I love the real one, I find mine more 'romantic'.

Stars 

Plummet into them.

Black holes

Inexactly 

Worm holes

Voracious cosmic leviathans

Potent, indiscernible 

Palpable and critical; pursuing 

Unfamiliar laws of physics

Mothers and conduits to each galaxy 

Through which perhaps,

Lies a parallel universe

The behemoths' gravity 

Swallows galaxies plucking

Along time, space, light 

And matter atom by atom

Flinging, stretching,

Eventually disintegrating

Incinerating them all

Through a unique and dark 

Point of Singularity

Ultimately,

It matters not

If there is this or  

Parallel universe

On the either side

Of the Black Holes

             
         charu

        2013

Composite Picture Of A Black Hole-Courtesy Google Search

Black Hole-by charu gandhi

Surreal

This post is not intended to either incite or invite sympathy, but only to narrate a surreal experience I  had.

From our recent vacation we returned, I with a mangled left wrist. Immediately upon arrival we contacted an Orthopedic surgeon who recommended surgery to rearrange the broken bones and a titanium plate with screws to shore them up.

Surgery was done under general anesthesia but a regional Blocker injection to a nerve in Clavical area was highly recommended; to lessen the bleeding during surgery and to combat post surgery pain. I was advised that the effect of regional numbing of arm below the shoulder will last for about 24 to 36 hours. I was also told that I will not be able to raise or lower my arm without other hand helping it to do so. I will not be able to feel my arm and/or wiggle my fingers. I went along. Surgery went well.

In recovery room I realized that all that I was told was correct. My arm felt like a total dead-weight. I started to cradle my arm like a swaddled baby. My arm and fingers felt numb and foreign; as if they were not my own limbs.

Stranger yet, in the middle of night, I felt I needed to scratch my operated arm and fingers. Every time I reached out to scratch or feel my numb arm I could not.  I would wake up to see that my good hand was reaching about 20 to 30 degrees away from where I needed to scratch. Not only that, if my arm was entirely numb why did I feel a need to scratch?

Now that was really Surreal!

I began to wonder, is this what a paralyzed person feels about their paralyzed body parts and is this what some amputees describe as Phantom pain; in this case scratch?

I am not a doctor but would like to know if this experience credibly describes sensations of paralysis and/or amputation. 

Anyone?

Post-Surgery

Post Surgery Cast

Adversaries

Do you know the other guy?

He is my evil twin Bhupen                                               Who me?

Geishas

Geishas-IMG_1532.jpg

Urchins

Urchins-IMG_1528.jpg

Distressed

Distressed-IMG_1533.jpg

Howrah Bridge..

...christened anew Rabindra Setu is a cantilever and suspension bridge spanning a distributary of Ganges, Hooghly. It connects town and Railway station of Howrah with Calcutta, now renamed Kolkata. Construction of the bridge began in 1936 and completed in 1942 under the British rule of India, Raj. It was built without nuts and bolts but with rivets only. It is a pride and joy for me, an ex-Calcutta-ite... I still know the city as Calcutta, once my home, and perhaps always will know it as such.

                                                                                                                                    charu

Howrah Bridge-IMG_1530.jpg

Panihari--Water Girl

Panihari-IMG_6479.jpg


पनिहारी 

चलि राधा किशन अभिसारे
निकली पनिया भरन बहाने।
जरा संभलके चलिओ राधे,
काहनो कंही कंकरी ना मारे।

                                          --चारू गांधी 


Water Girl

To a rendezvous with Krishna,
 she left, as if to fetch water.
Tread carefully Radha,
Krishna may sling a pebble!

                        Poem and Translation
                     by
                        --charu gandhi

Colors....

.....of Health

Colors-IMG_1519.jpg

Take me there again....

....the street where I first lost my balance

the world, the world of my love,

from where I brought back my restlessness

......take me

where I left my life unaware

where I left my youth

where on a square you will find 

fresh signs of my devotion to my love

....take me

that world where she left her footprints

there lies my happiness and sadness

I will bring back ashes of that trail

of which  every speck is my beloved

......take me

there behind one colorful veil

you will find her shining face

I will capture that light in my eyes

perhaps it will cure my sick heart

....take me there again

--translation by

charu

Movie-- Sharabi Singer--- Mohammed Rafi Lyrics--- Rajendar Krishan

Stars---Dev Aanand and Madhubala

Music Director...Madan Mohan