Friday, June 14, 2013

Moving With A Bureaucrat...

A Bungalow, where we spent some memorable years ....


Good phases are too good to last
When everything seems smooth; and you think
Life is rollicking as ever; the eclipse begins
Life moves on an eternal flux; the ritual transfers
In government jobs come like shooting stars in rhythm with time
We stand at an edge and breathe in… the burden
Of dissatisfaction; the weight we carry from the last station
Is love, ….ripened through shreds of memories
Closing our minds to the old walls- we turn our face away
Friends wave at us, as porters take our belongings atop a truck…

The periodicity of transfers and postings
Reduces home to being a mere appendage…
Mind slips into a speculative mood; thought of new home, new life crowd in
--how far…how far is the light of destination, one wonders?!
Another old, archaic, colonial structure ushers visitors into its grandiose
A loud hankering call attracts attention—its colors change the canvas of mind
A lone, majestic peacock in its glorious colorful plume peeps through the hedge
It blows away all anguish, reminding another process of settling down
--just in different surroundings; perhaps, with a changing perspective
The cumbersome task of unpacking, supervising begins again…and goes on

This is in response to Poets United's Prompt -MOVE

Interestingly, frequent transfers of bureaucrats has been a long-standing feature of the Indian Bureaucracy. I have faced many transfers after becoming a wife of a government official. Wondering, how life would have been if  homes didn't change…

25 comments:

  1. so much from the realistic world .. nicely done :)

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  2. i feel you a bit...when i used to work in the business world i would get transferred up and down the east coast of the US...kinda glad i am out of that now...but i enjoyed it for a bit...seeing all the different places...

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  3. I think it would be hard to be uprooted often....and have no choice. But then again, I am sure there are advantages. It keeps a person flexible, and it must be interesting to meet so many different people. I am sure it is interesting to see / live in different cities as well.

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  4. You have touched a raw nerve there-changing homes is painful not for body but for mind;because the exertion will subside but nostalgia does not.

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  5. I really like this one! It was a good reminder to keep the wanderlust in check, as there are advantages and disadvantages to moving constantly :)

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  6. could connect here, being the daughter of a father who got transferred through four cities. See it as an experience laden with some beautiful memories!:)

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  7. Very fine !! My Hubby worked in a nontransferable post throughout his career.My Dad used to be transferred .occasionally. I have experienced both. Both have plus and minus points.

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  8. But then one often thinks how drab life would have been without a change and whether you have had such a wide spectrum of experiences which you could put to writing? The essence though that you have caught is quite lovely :)

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  9. I have always been 'rooted' to one place and never had to change cities. there are minus points. but the brighter side is making new friends and experiencing new cities.

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  10. Magical, as usual.

    Shifting is a painful process I think - the flipside of transfers.

    But new experiences, new neighbours - nothing like it.

    www.volatilespirits.com

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  11. To me it seems exciting and interesting...Moving to new places, exploring new towns , people, seems like fun Panchali di!

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  12. Never had to move a lot! But I guess every transfer may be adding some flair, some experience to one's personality, isnt it? Lovely poem.

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  13. I'd rather travel to see different places. I like the stability of being in one place. But life is never like that is it?

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  14. I think the moving could be fun for awhile, it's the packing that would be too much! The picture above looks like that was a nice place to be for awhile!

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  15. Separation,may it be from animate or inanimate items, is a painful fact.Nice,Panchali.

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  16. Moving can be fun! New friends,new locations,new experiences, lots to see and to feel. But the downside is more than proportionate, packing and repacking, physically and emotionally exhausting! Seen it, done it! Thanks for sharing Panchali. Great write!

    Hank

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  17. "Change is the only constant.' I like the nostalgic feel of this.

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  18. I am used to it and my husband is not in government job. 4 married years and 6 houses.

    Can relate to your poem and the bungalow is huge and lovely.

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  20. Mundane reality very interestingly and effectively depicted

    Geetashree

    http://panaecea.wordpress.com

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  21. So easy to relate to what you said, Panchali as I spent a good part of my life in government and transfers were frequent to new places:)

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  22. Every word touch my soul, Bungalow in a picture is trully beautiful, and I know it's really painful to you live this beautiful place thank you for your every word from Harry

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  23. Don't these moves make one sad? We start a life, start to know people, start to make friends and even before all this has happened, we are transferred. Never been in Govt jobs, but had many moves..and each time, it is very difficult.

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