From Asha's Desk 
October 2020

Dear Glow-worms,

As I prepare to post the next issue of our blog today, I am looking back on my early writing days. Back then, there was little opportunity for us to showcase our talents. The best that I could aspire, initially, was to have my article or poem featured in the school or college magazine. Later, when I felt more confident to write on weightier issues, I wrote ‘letters to the editor.’ As one would very well guess, most of the letters came back with a regret letter. Getting a letter published felt like winning a lottery to me.

We have come a long way from those days. New avenues have opened up for us to give expression to our creative skills in more ways than one. Yet, we don’t actively participate. Is it a problem of plenty now, I wonder.

After a brisk start in August, and an even more robust September, submissions for October fell considerably. Much as I would like to believe that children were preoccupied with academic activities (exams and such), I am also feebly worried that the fire hasn’t caught fully. The interest to write needs to be fueled further. 

Agreed, writing is not as thrilling as Fortnite Battle Royal or as amusing as K-pop, but it is not meant to be thrilling or plainly amusing. It is meant to be comforting and inspiring. 

I would like to know what would motivate you all to grab your pen and express that thought, opinion, emotion rising from your soul, or what makes you run miles away from it. 

Let this be the ‘topic of the month’ for November.

‘What makes you want to write or not to write?’

Looking forward to receiving your works. There is nothing that excites me as reading a beautiful piece of writing coming off a young mind.

Till next month,

Keep Glowing. Keep Growing. 

Freedom Flight

by Lakshmisree Raju 

Grade 8

 As I fly up in the sky,

What a beautiful view, I cry.

I see the patterns of the earth,

so unique!

With all shapes and sizes,

I see  as I fly up in the sky.

As I fly up in the sky,

I felt The foggy clouds touch me. 

I go through them one by one,

Gracefully flapping my wings,

And I put my head up in freedom ,

As I fly up in the sky.

As I fly up in the sky,

An eagle from far caught my eye

My joy flies away,

and only fear is left behind. 

I think nothing but to run for my life,

As I nervously fly down the sky.

 

You and Me

by Mythili Tarakad Seshu 

Grade 10

I keep my head held high,

Thoughts keep invading my mind.

Forever stays glued to my face a smile,

But no one knows about the darkness inside.

I know I'm not alone,

But sometimes I forget it.

And I need someone to remind me,

It makes me feel so needy.

I’m insecure and that's okay.

I can’t expect everything to be the same.

The world changes and people change,

But I can’t let myself be carried away.

I give expert advice,

To everyone I meet.

But actually following it myself,

Is a tricky promise to keep.

I am beautiful and I am broken.

I can fix myself and I know it.

I am loved and I am worthy.

I’ll be okay, slow and steady.

No one can take away my personality.

You can try but you won’t succeed.

Honesty is the only way to finally see,

That we’re not so different, you and me.

Topic of the Month

I started this segment with the aim to get you all thinking about subjects of common interest, express opinion and get new perspectives. It's when we listen that we learn. 
The first prompt was an easy-peasy ice-breaker to get you all going. Four fellow Glow-worms share the interesting story behind their names. Notice how it tells us a lot about our culture and traditions. 
A quick note on how I got my name-Asha. 
'Asha' means wish, hope, desire. Being my parents' first born, I embodied all those virtues in their lives, they say. :-) 


Malini Tarakad Seshu (Grade 8)

Every person is filled with stories, of their lives or of others, of their imagination or something that caught their attention, maybe complicated or easy, and I’m writing this to share mine. This is a story of how I was given a part of my identity. 

My name is Malini Tarakad Seshu. 

I am a South Indian, and in our customs, first names are taken from grandparents and the last name is usually or often the name of the child’s father. I am one of many. The first son is named after his father’s father while the second is after his mother’s father. The same goes for daughters.  

I am the second daughter born into my family, and therefore, my name descends from the name of my maternal grandmother, Narayani.  

My parents wanted a name based upon the one of my maternal grandmother as well as having an alliteration with my older sister, Mythili. They also went through options like Malavika, which amuses me as now, I could not imagine it being my name. 

Narayani is one of the thousand names of the goddess Devi, as scribed in the prayer Lalitha Sahasranama Stotram, which translates into ‘The Thousand Names of Lalitha’, who is a manifestation of the goddess Devi. Malini is also one of the thousand names and is originally from the language Sanskrit. It translates to ‘a girl wearing a garland’, taken from the first part of the name Malini, which is माला (maala), meaning garland. 

I am from Tharekkad, an area in Palakkad - a district of Kerala. The place is the origin of my middle name, with a slightly tweaked spelling. 

My last name is directly taken from my father’s first name, Seshu. 

I am proud of my name and its uniqueness, and I am proud of my identity. 

Shubhangini Gupta (Grade 5)

All parents address their children with sweet , beautiful and meaningful names. Well, I am Shubhangini which means  "auspicious". I am blessed with an elder brother -Shubhanshu. When I asked my father the reason behind my name he answered that he wanted to co-relate my name with my brother's name. When I queried my mother, she said she wanted a name that referred to Goddess Durga. Thus they named me Shubhangini-a symbol of power who is worshipped, respected, loved and is auspicious for all. 

 Advaith Nair (Grade 8)

"Unique is being one of its kind". Advaith means ‘Unique’, and I am happy to have this name. As per  Hindhu mythology, Advaith is the other name for Lord Brahma and Vishnu. This name is of Sanskrit orgin, which also means dutiful and loyal. Lord Ganesha comes with so many varied names. My parents who are devotees of Lord Ganesha, wanted to name me with one of his names. They chose the name Advaith, which means someone Unique. 

Mythili Tarakad Seshu (Grade 10)

My name is Mythili. I’ve always been very particular over how people pronounce my name. Since we can’t talk face to face, let me explain the phonetics of it to you. It’s not Mee-thee-lee, however tempted you may be to say it that way. It’s not Mai-thee-lee either, for all you North Indians who spell and say it that way. It’s very simple actually, let me break it down for you.

My-thi-li.

My is pronounced the same as the ‘my’ in ‘my book’.

Thi is pronounced the same as the ‘the’ in ‘theme’.

Li is pronounced the same as the ‘lea’ in ‘leader’.

My-thi-li.

Mythili.

Well done.

Now that the pronunciation is out of the way, this seemingly random arrangement of syllables literally means ‘Princess of Mithila’. Yes, move over, I’m royalty. Although I’m very tempted to go to Mithila and claim my right to the throne, I’m afraid that they wouldn’t be very compelled to give it to me just on the basis of my name.

Jokes aside, I am named after my grandmother Seethalakshmi. All the mythology fanatics out there would have figured it out by now. Yes, my name is one of the many names of Seetha Devi, wife of Lord Rama.

Those who are scratching their heads in confusion, let me lay it down nice and easy for you. In Hindu mythology, there are two main tales, the Mahabharata, and the Ramayana. They chronicle the lives of two of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu: Lord Krishna and Lord Rama, respectively. In the Ramayana, Lord Rama’s wife is Seetha who is an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Vishnu’s consort).

In Hindu culture, the oldest female/male child is named after the father’s mother/father, while the younger children are named after the mother’s parents. And in Hindu families, this is quite symmetrical and balanced as parents usually choose to have two kids.

So that’s my name inside and out.

 

The Flying Delights

by Shubhangini 

Grade 5

Birds-

Flying high in the sky,

Come back to their nest as soon as they can,

Migrate themselves from one place to another,

Sweet chirping voice fascinates everyone,

All birds have their own abilities,

Make their work feasible and easy,

Enjoy in themselves,

Teaches us to fly ahead and come,

Back to their family and friends.

The Red Balloon

by Preetish Jaria

Grade 7

It was an energetic morning when the boy was  walking down the street. He seemed jolly and was walking carefree. He stopped when he saw a pillar which had a dark red color balloon with a slight touch of maroon. The balloon was attached with a loose white string. The boy quickly ran to the balloon and looked at it with amazement.

 He kept his small but heavy suitcase near the pillar and placed his right leg and both of his hands on the pillar and started climbing. He went up and untied the balloon and held it in his hands. As he was coming down with a smile, he left the balloon accidently and then it rose high in the sky.

The boy stood beneath the pillar watching the balloon fly away

He grabbed his suitcase and started running as fast as possible. Now he really wanted the balloon.

The balloon was flying to the north slowly shaking its head. The boy was ran behind it, when he looked to his watch It was 8:50!

He needed to reach school as it started at sharp 9 and the boy did not want to get scolding like the previous day when Mr.  Ron his school teacher went mad at him.

He stopped chasing the balloon with despair and rushed to class. When school was finally over, he came outside the classroom he saw  the red balloon again. This time he did not want to miss it. He moved slowly towards the exit of the school where the balloon was. Once he was close enough, he pounced on the string which had already moved a second ago with the balloon. The boy started running after the balloon through the streets.

He dashed with old man but did not stop at all. He was running as fast as he could and was adamant to get the balloon.  He stopped in front of a newly whitewashed  building when he got tired. He then realized that that day he would have to starve as he had  forgotten to go for lunch to his mother's bakery.

He once again left the balloon in despair and went for his violin classes. He ran behind his school and entered the main street where his violin teacher lived. In the class, while he was playing a tune, he saw the balloon once again. He was distracted. The dark red color enchanted him and he could not move his eyes from the balloon. He picked his violin case from the floor, took his violin and walked up to the door slowly.

“Where are you going?” his teacher asked.

No answer from the boy. 

Once he was near the door, he began to run. He chased the balloon with full speed. When he stopped in front of a building near  the bus station the boy  decided to leave the balloon as the balloon was trying its best to run away from the boy. He walked  to the bus station with a sad face and waited for the bus to come. 

"No problem, it was just a balloon", he said to himself. 

With this thought and a faint smile he walked up to the Sam candy store and bought a lollipop. He boarded the bus and licked the lollipop slowly and forgot all about the balloon.

 

He  got out of the bus and walked up to his mother's bakery. There she was, waiting outside with the same red balloon in her hand. As soon as he saw the balloon, he dropped the lollipop and dashed quickly towards her.  

 

"Son this is for you" she said, giving him the balloon with a smile.

 

The Light in Me

by Pavithra Nair

Grade 8

The rivers sleeping beneath the mountains

The crescent moon shining bright

The rays fading into the dark

When the day is left behind.

 

Here I am standing on top of the world

Stretching my arms out 

And shouting to the universe that if

‘Today dies, tomorrow will be mine’.

 

I will wait till the time

For the sun in me to rise 

With a little hope

I shall wake up tomorrow

To spread my light

And create a new world

Filled with contentment and joy! 

               

The sun has set

And darkness has taken its place

But still there is a tiny spark

To light up my life!

 

Across a Half Bridge

by Nidhi George

Grade 8

The day was sunny and bright. I was walking on the uneven side of the road, my friends and family all around me. The November wind was sharp and cold against my face. My hat couldn’t prevent my ears from going numb with cold. I could smell the fresh rain from the night before, and the grass looked muddy. 

“It’s not that cold, Nidhi,” my friend Aanya said from beside me. She probably saw me shivering. “Besides, we’ll warm up as we walk.”

“Maybe. I thought it would be warmer than this, though!”

I glanced ahead and saw the Smoky Mountains right in front of me. We were staying in Gatlinburg for the week, as a chance for me to see Aanya and her family (who had moved to North Carolina 2 years prior.)  We were going to hike through the mountains, which had seemed cool when I first heard the idea. Now it was literally too cool, and I was starting to regret not bringing a pair of gloves. 

We reached what seemed like a parking lot, and saw the entrance to the hiking trail. It seemed pretty straightforward, without too many forks in the path. I could hear the sound of rushing water ahead, and I could see couples and families walking. There were eleven people in our group; my two best friends, their parents, my parents, and another couple that was friends with our parents and I. We started through the trail, twigs snapping under my sneakers. 

After a few minutes of seeing only trees and rocks, we found the first stream. It was beautiful, with clear water and a small waterfall, smooth stones underneath. I immediately pulled out my phone, and took a snapshot of the picturesque scene. I showed my dad, who nodded approvingly. 

“Come on, Nidhi! Hurry up, you’re taking forever!” Archi, my other friend, called from up ahead. I scrambled to catch up, but there were so many things I wanted photos of! 

About 30 minutes later, after a lot of annoyed reminders to keep moving, we reached a river with a bridge over it. The only problem? The bridge was split in half lengthwise, so it only had one railing, and it was barely a foot wide. 

Now, I’m not usually afraid of heights, but I’m definitely not a daredevil. I hate doing anything risky, especially without thinking it through first. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to take issue the seriously. We only had half a bridge to cross to the other side, so I was forced to go along with them. I stepped in line between my dad and Aanya, who I figured were the most likely to catch me if I slipped. I carefully put a foot on the bridge, and started slowly shuffling across. I could see a line forming behind me, and the people ahead had already crossed all the way. I knew I was ridiculously slow, but to be honest, I was extremely scared. I continued inching my way across, with a few nudges from my dad behind me. 

After what seemed like ages, but was probably closer to thirty seconds, I finally hopped off the other side of the bridge. My mom raised her eyebrow. 

“Stop being so scared. You’re fine. You’re not going to slip.”

“What if I do though?”

“You’re not going to.”

I shrugged, and I skipped off with my friends, into the forest.

 

 

India, my motherland

by Amrutha Sriram

Grade 8

“India is my country, All Indians are my brothers and sisters” 

The above mentioned line symbolises the following things-

India is my country, and I will do anything for India for its welfare with patriotism and interest. I treat all Indians as my own siblings and never discriminate between them.

In the olden times, girls were not considered important. They were not given proper education. Whenever a girl was born, her parents used to think of her marriage to donate items to the boy\groom. This was a very cruel practice. 

But, now, India has developed a lot. It has many sophisticated technologies and has put an end to cruel practices that were implemented in the olden times. Women are now respected and are provided education.

Additionally, India is also leading the world in spirituality as the great Sri Aurobindo had said. Now, we have discussed the specialities of India. 

We often use the term ‘Patriotism’. Patriotism does not only mean serving our country but also means taking responsibility of our country. We should aim to contribute something to our

motherland because our motherland has given us a lot. She is like our own

Mother. 

Whatever we do should be- 

FOR THE COUNTRY 

TO THE COUNTRY 

GIVING THE COUNTRY

I want my country to continue its progress in every field, including technology, education, sports and agriculture. There is poverty in India. But India is opening up many organizations for the welfare of the poor people and is attempting hard to build up its development, both economically and culturally. 

Let us all take care of our country. Let us contribute to our country. And last but not the least, let us be patriotic towards our country.

Jai Hind! Vande Mataram! 

 

An ode to Friendship 

by Malini Tarakad Seshu

Grade 8

 

Friendship, 

A simple term which encompasses more than an individual could understand,

A word to describe a bond that is unalike for two, 

Maybe it be two different people, or two differing bonds.

 

A type of love, a versatile type,

A type that could turn into romance, hatred or just a forever,

A forever with someone who understands you,

Maybe not all of you, but the parts that matter to you.

 

I have friends who I value more than they understand,

Sometimes I doubt they value me, but they assure me that they do,

I’ve spent years with them,

Years of euphoria and exhaustion, a blend of both and more.

 

I write this to convey, to share,

The qualities of theirs which captivated me,

The reasons I value them, 

And the phenomenal love I have for them.

 

I have a friend,

Who is compassionate, so loveable, so enthusiastic about others’ success,

Her determination and perseverance amaze me,

And the way she accepts without doubt.

Someone who’s always ready to talk,

Who doesn’t intrude or impose, but shows that she will support us,

Someone who likes the calm, but loves our boisterous spirits.

 

I have a friend,

Who is genuine and guileless, so sincere about her efforts,

Who deserves more appreciation,

Who appreciates, and loves making others feel worthy, who hypes me up,

Someone who’s always ready to be there, to talk, to listen, or just to stay,

Someone with strong opinions and so much courage,

Someone who believes that everyone deserves a chance.

 

I have a friend,

Who doesn’t judge, and doesn’t make opinions without reason,

Who appreciates peace and welcomes chaos equally,

Who gives excellent advice, who is always ready to listen,

Someone who encourages, and tells me to go for it,

Someone with love to share.

 

I have a friend,

Who is the first close friend I’ve ever had, 

Introverted and shy to others, candid and sarcastic to me,

Someone who understands me without asking too many questions, 

And safeguards thoughts of mine, old and new,

Who has a unique sense of humour,

And loves to learn more about humanity.

 

I have a friend, 

Who is there when I need familiarity and banter, 

Who is curious to learn about so much, 

Someone who is immensely talented, so creative,

Encouraging and enthusiastic,

Who deserves wonder and ecstasy.

 

I have a friend,

Who is talkative while soft-spoken,

Who jokes and laughs, who is composed and level-headed,

Someone who is generous and welcoming,

Who deserves all the good things in the world.

 

I have a friend, 

Who doesn’t outwardly show affection, but does in the ways that matter,

Who has so many stories to share, and listens to mine,

Someone who is bold and daring, and protective of those she cares about,

Someone who is ‘heartless’, in the best way,

Someone with layers of personality, but foremost,

Someone who is there, no matter what.

 

This is not enough,

This is barely scratched the surface,

But words are not enough to describe such a bond.

 

So now, I hope to whoever’s up there, 

Please let their presence in my life remain,

And let my presence in theirs provide them with the love they deserve.

 

From Asha's Desk

September 2020

It’s time for GW to sparkle again online. How quickly a month passed!

I am overwhelmed by the quality of writing I have received from our young writers this month. I am using ‘overwhelmed’ instead of ‘impressed’ because there isn’t the slightest trace of self-importance as a senior in my admiration for them. The writings have swept me off my feet.

The subjects they have written about are deep and diverse. And it is proof to the fact that our youngsters are super talented and insightful. Although submissions aren’t pouring in yet, making me suspect writing is still considered a nerdy activity that demands a lot of brain work and time, I am positive. There is a lot of talent out there and I will do everything I can to dredge the earth and find the gems.

I am particularly impressed with the interest many moms are taking in getting their child/children’s work featured on GW. Keep them inspired, moms.

GW is not just about having young writers featured. It aims to develop into a platform where children and YA can discuss, share thoughts and find expression to their adolescent/teenage peeves and pangs. It is where they can unwind themselves.

As a children’s Writing coach, I have had the opportunity to know several youngsters closely and it has helped me realize how different their world is from the one I grew up in; how much more challenging and uncertain. They have things to say, but is the world listening?

Keeping this in view, I am starting a forum on GW where all the young minds can send their opinion/views/thoughts in a couple of paragraphs on a particular ‘topic of the month’ by mail to writeforgw@gmail.com . Those who wish to protect their identity may let me know and I shall not publish your name with your opinion.

(Please note that all the published articles are listed month-wise in the column on the right.)

Keep Glowing. Keep Growing.