"What a Wonderful World"

-Louis Armstrong

" I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you

And I think to myself, what a wonderful world

I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world"

The soulful rendering of this song evokes vivid images of a vibrant, colourful world. Ever wondered how a sightless person would react to this song? How would he visualize the host of golden Daffodils, fluttering and dancing in the breeze, flash upon that inward eye, which was the bliss of solitude for Wordsworth?! What a dark, dreary world with everything dyed in monochrome- BLACK !! And yet, those of us who are fortunate enough to be blessed with the miracle of sight, do precious little to restore this gift to our less fortunate brethren, snug in the comfort of our cocooned lives! Here are a few facts about corneal blindness.

FACTSHEET

Ø Corneal blindness mostly affects children

Ø Corneal blindness can be cured only by corneal grafting from a donated eye

Ø One can pledge to donate eyes during one's lifetime

Ø Eyes can be donated only after death

Ø If not pledged, eye donation can be done with the consent of relatives

Ø People of all age groups can donate eyes

Ø In India, there is a requirement of about 1 lakh corneas per year, whereas only 30,000 are donated

Ø This shortfall can easily be bridged by spreading awareness about eye donation

HOW WE CAN HELP

Spread the good word around- most of us are not aware how a little effort on our part can light up someone's life!

In the unfortunate event of death of an acquaintance, try to persuade the family to donate the eyes. This is the toughest part, considering the sensitivity of the situation, but if the family can be convinced that

• the eyes of the donor will live on after him,
• giving sight to two persons for a lifetime, and
• that the procedure of removal is free of cost, simple, hassle-free, & does not cause any disfigurement to the body,

it is quite likely they would agree. So here's the real test of your persuasive skills! Once you have their consent, here's what you need to do next.

Call the nearest eye bank immediately. For Delhi, dial 1919 ( 24 hr-MTNL Toll-free service).Telephone numbers of eye banks in other cities are available on the website www.lightaneye.org.

Switch off all fans in the room- cooler or AC, if available, can run.

Wrap some ice cubes in damp cotton, & keep them on the eyes. This prevents the tissue from drying up, & helps keep it fesh.

Keep the head slightly raised with a pillow.

Doctor/technician from the eye bank will reach the venue within the shortest possible time, collect about 10 ml blood, and remove the corneas, all in 15 minutes.

Eyes are fit for retrieval upto 6 hours after death.

Remember, donated corneas are never sold/traded.

The Govt of India is also organizing National Eye Donation Fortnight from August 25 to Sept 8, 2007 to highlight the cause. Friends, where there's a will, there's definitely a way....come, let us all join hands to eliminate the scourge of corneal blindness from the face of our country, and help everyone relish the rainbow hues that you and I take for granted!

Credit: Many thanks to Cyril Paul for his prompt help with the song & its lyrics!

While on the subject, here's a repost of one of my favourite poems:

Remember me
- by Robert N Test

Give my sight to the man who has never seen a sunrise,
a baby's face
or love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person
whose own heart has caused nothing
but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager
who was pulled from the wreckage of his car,
so that he might live to see his
grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one
who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.
Take my bones, every muscle,
every fibre and nerve in my body
and find a way to make
a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain.
Take my cells if necessary,
and let them grow
so that, some day,
a speechless boy will shout
at the crack of a bat and
a deaf will hear the sound of rain against her window.
Burn what is left of me
and scatter the ashes to the winds
to help the flowers grow.
If you must bury something,
let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all prejudice against my fellows.
Give my sins to the devil.
Give my soul to God.
If by chance you wish to remember me,
Do it with a kind deed or word
to someone who needs you.
If you do all that I have asked,
I will live forever.

but lo! something is amiss
cold feet-still on terra firma-
refusing to take off to cloud nine
on a fatal adventure trip-
perhaps a programming defect?!

shall i curse this saawan
for snatching my confidante
or am i guilty of
unwittingly misleading....
now awaiting retribution

the heart may have a reason
but the head has many more
to forgo today's temptations-
sugar-coated pills of sorrow?-
for a happier tomorrow

such sublime bonds are for keeps
not to be trifled at any cost
coz if they are fleeting
they don't deserve a second thought-
so ... why run after a mirage....????

Of nascent breath

In the dormant

Hibernating soul

Limping to life

A feeble ray

Of forbidden hope

Seeking salvation

Of languid desire

In last agony

Sprinkles of

The first shower

Rejuvenate

The weary heart

Sinking to depths of despair

Now afloat on

Waves of surging hope

Conjuring fluid dreams

Heralding spring

And radiant blossoms

The wanton wind

Whispering

A sensuous strain

Caressing, cajoling

Ambling along

Stoking the embers

Beneath the ashes

Smouldering into

A conflagration

Ignited by raindrops

(Hindi font...success at long last....courtesy Bud San's link to www.hindikalam.com!)

Sandesh Ajanmi Bitiya Ka

By Shikha Smarika (a student)

Kuchh kehna chahti hoon, apne hisse ka jeewan jeena chahti hoon
duniya ke rang, duniya ke sang, main bhi jeena chahti hoon.

Maan main teri kokh mein aayi, phir janm kyon na le paayi
na koi jaane mera marm, meri kabr ban gaya kaise tera garbh

Tera khoon to paya maine, phir doodh kyon na pee payi
astitva apna mitne par bhi, aansoo tak baha na paayi

Durdasha dekhkar meri to, brahma bhi pachhtaya hoga
sang mujhe le jaate huye, yamraj bhi tharraaya hoga

Janm lene do mujhe bhi, bete se badh kar dikhlaaoongi
dhara ke sukh kya cheez hain, tod aasma ke taare laaoongi

Agar beti ko marvaaoge, mamta maan ki kaise paaoge
kho jaayega kahin behen ka pyar, dular kis par barsaaoge

Antim sandesh yehi hai mera, bacha lo jeewan ajanmi bitiya ka
astitva varna mit jaayega, is duniya se maanav ka


PS: While on the subject, I would also like to recommend strongly a viewing of the excellent movie "Maatribhoomi: A Nation Without Women"- a must-see for all adults!!
PPS: Thanx for the cue, Amit, your Repost made things easier!

Rejoice! The sun goes down

On another tiresome week
Leaving tell-tale signs
Of the recent blitzkrieg.

All those evil spirits
Sprouting during the week
Now finally vanquished-
Lie writhing on the floor!

Bravo! Victory at last!
The final loathsome monster
From my chamber banished
Shown the way to the door!

Now pack up and rush
To two days of pure bliss
Escape from monotony
And meeting up myself!

The weekend brings tidings
Of much welcome relief
From the onslaught of drudgery
On my grey cells and sinews!

Ah! The depleted stock
Sets forth to replenish
With merriment and mirth
To wipe every blemish

Pack off all worries
To never-never land
Curl up in my quilt
No snooze, no alarm!

Oh Friday! Thy name is Joy!
Wish life could cast anchor
On your sheltered beach
To escape life's choppy seas

Oh Monday! How I hate you

You're always bang on cue!

Can't you ever, ever slow down

Or your battery be run down?

Can you never be derailed

Or better still, curtailed

By a humungous traffic jami

Or an all-devouring tsunami?

How about a ferocious Katrina

Sucking you up like Thumbelina

Ripping you into a zillion shards

And ejecting you off to Mars?

Adding insult to injury- your hue

Wonder why you are my fav- blue!

Surely the blue-eyed Sunday

Could give you a run for your money

Happily run you to ground

Encage you, release joy unbound!

Oh you spoilsport, you killjoy!
You drag me from my lifebuoy

Shatter my morning dreams-
Oh! I could pen reams & reams-
And whoosh them into nightmares
E'en ere I'm done with my prayers!

Argh! You may have got me this time, Monday
But it won't be long before one day
Perish you must- enemy no.1, they say
Lo and behold! Be reborn as Sunday!!


Epilogue: Alas! Sigh! Shuffle, sniffle,......draaaaag
If only my limbs wouldn't slack!
I could carry on, till Sunday's back
But hey! I have deadlines to pack!