Friday, September 29, 2017

Creative Spot by Zita Perera Subasinghe

A word spoken

A word spoken and a stone thrown
Are one and the same thing
A word heard, much like the stone
Can cause a mighty sting

And a scratch and a bleed
And a mental hurt
So, everyone does need
To take care before the word you blurt
Or ‘Repent at leisure’ after ‘Act at Speed’!

Mental hurt can even be
Far worse than any bodily pain
Neither can be recalled you see
So ‘Think first!’, it’s not in vain

The spoken word, good and kind
Can the very opposite be
It can calm and heal the mind
The difference is, easy to see

So, ere you speak or throw a stone
Pause! Reflect! Stop! Think!
Do it only, if it is known
To just please, not cause a stink!

Words are treasures, priceless charms
And can bring harmony, peace
Can win a war without arms
Make world conflicts surely cease


20 comments:

  1. Look before you leap. Think before you speak!

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  2. Very true! many a time have I wished that I held back my tongue.Thank you for the reminder Zita.
    I am down with Herpes zoster for the 2nd time. its not so bad but nothing else to do other than the PC and TV.
    ManelW

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    Replies
    1. Manel
      Wish you a speedy recovery. Thank you for being loyal to the blog

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    2. Dear Manel, How awful to get it again! I wish you a speedy recovery!

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    3. Manel, Iam so sorry to hear of your plight with recurrent H. Zoster.
      I wonder whether you had much PHN after the first episode?
      You would be aware of Zostavax which is recommended for those over age 60. It is said to reduce recurrences by 50% and PHN by 67% though I have not gone into the details of how these figures were derived. Produced by Merck Sharp and Dohme, It costs about $ 200 here in NZ, but appears to be available in India for half that price . It may also be available in SriLanka.
      It is just one jab subcutaneous and its efficacy is said to last 5 yrs.
      You can take it as soon as the rashes of an episode have disappeared - with local medical advice of course !
      Hope you are not in pain, and that you will be over it soon
      Best Wishes

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  3. Thanks Mahendra and Manelle! And oh dear Herpes Zoster is such a nasty, painful condition. I have seen the ones with HZO and it is so, sooo painful. We had to keep some on suicide watch. I agree the PC, TV and LOL and STUD (shop till U drop! didn't mean anything rude!) helps. Zita

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  4. Zita
    What a great poem. I love its reasoning, wisdom and philosophy. You do have that wonderful gift to rhyme your poems while stringing that thoughtful idea. We need more from you Zita. Thank you

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  5. Nihal, this was written when I had just done what I am advising all not to do! I fell out with a dear one for a day and suffered as I couldn't reverse it as easily or as quickly as it hurt the person. So I decided to share my experience.
    I think it's never too late to share these things even though we all know already! Thanks Nihal. I always appreciate your words.Zita

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  6. To undo is often harder than to do.

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  7. Zita, this is advise that cannot be repeated often enough, coming from a poet.
    It's nice to see you back in action.
    One important lesson I learnt aged about 8yrs, was from my piano teacher,
    a Mrs. Bartholomeusz, who lost her husband suddenly in her early 30s perhaps. The story is ,that he left for work as usual one morning and returned home in a coffin. Bringing up her three lovely youngsters was quite a challenge as one could imagine, and as lovely as she was herself, there were times she tore her hair with their little innocent misdemeanours.
    She would feel sorry shortly after, and one day, she turned to me in despair and said "God knows I shouldn't be mad at them- you never know when it would be the last parting words " .
    Though my parents had always instilled in us that we should not be angry, and
    that we should speak kindly at all times, my teacher's lament struck a much stronger chord, even though I was as young as 8, and it has stayed with me ever since- a reminder not to utter words that cannot stand as the last I'd
    say to someone.
    The problem of course, is that one needs to take time to " think before you speak" as Zita and Mahendra have both advised.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Lotus(Mmanel),

      Deeply sorry to hear,you got Zoster,
      You have never been a boaster,
      Herpes virus is a monster,
      Your immunity is certainly lower,
      for,you to get attacks in a cluster,
      got the advice from,friendy,NewZealander.

      You were better known as Ratnavibhushana,
      not a relative of deity Vibhishana,married a Wijesundara,
      Rose in the rank to be a Professor,produced doctors who were much brighter.
      I wish the blessings of Allah the almighty,Jaganath,the preserve,Jehovah,the Almighty,Christian&Jewish God,
      Last and the least Triple gem.
      One cannot survive in Srilanka without all these blessings.
      This nonsense was not rampant during our days.

      I am a voracious reader of blogs.



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  8. I must say that I have not lost my interest in finding this anonymous writer. All this while, I have been gathering whatever information I could. The more he or she writes, the more my chances of narrowing in on "Anonymous".

    The person concerned appears to be a member of our batch (or at least a medical doctor who knows that Herpes Zoster is caused by a virus, and about immunity etc.), with a lot of talent as a writer bent on literary pursuits. His latest contribution has provided me with an abundance of clues. I sincerely hope he or she will not stop writing after this "exposure"!

    I have a feeling that the writer has been contributing under the real name as well, but suddenly thought of having some fun at our expense. On the contrary, little does he or she realises that all of us (meaning the other "regulars") are being entertained in the meantime.

    I suspect that my "suspect" is Sinhala who thinks he or she knows that "Manel" is a flower grown in water and calls it Lotus (or is it really Nelun?). That Rohini lives in New Zealand, that Manel's maiden name is Ratnavibhushana (spelt exactly the way Manel spells it). That Manel married a Wijesundera and that she became Professor of Parasitology encountering a few problems from other contenders (only a few of us knew that) and quite conversant with all the religious groups in Sri Lanka. Very few belonging to other religions know about the blessings of the Holy Triple Gem. So, "Anonymous" could be a Buddhist.

    "Anonymous" has either checked our Batch Directory for the correct spelling of Manel's maiden name or the writer is Manel herself!

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    Replies
    1. I think it is Sumathi as I suspected before

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    2. I don't think so. I have some reasons.

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    3. Lucky! You are a 'dark horse'! I didn't know about your detective skills. You have used the clues to narrow down the possibilities of who Anonymous is and I am sure 'All will be revealed' soon.
      But I also think it is fun to have this sort of contributor who is quite deft with language, accurate in knowledge and gives us mind exercises. Hey Anon, let's have a few more clues! Zita

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  9. Manel,
    Sorry to hear about your illness. Hope it is a milder attack.
    Get well.
    ia

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  10. Lucky, this reply to you is long overdue. Though I thought I knew who commented anonymously following my post on the 17th sept , I seem to have got it wrong. The person I thought it was, who knew me at those 3 stages of my life! has denied writing it and I believe it. SO now I have no idea who it was.
    I also get the feeling that the "Anonymous" who has been writing subsequently to Speedy and Manel is a different writer !
    It would be so nice if she/he'd identify himself / herself.
    Meantime we'll just have to keep being amused and entertained by the nice poetry we are seeing- I enjoyed the nice poetic request for his identity by Zita too !

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  11. Let's keep guessing. That's part of the game!

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  12. Didn't visit for sometime but rather embarrassed that my Herpes Z had caused a buzz in this creative spot to comment on Zita's poem! Anyway thank you all for the good wishes and to Rohini for the medical advice.I am fine and so far no PHN but keeping my fingers crossed.
    As for Anonymous I just cannot fathom who but has got it wrong on the 'Manel' This for all SLankans is the National Flower (blue variety)the water Lily.

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  13. As you can see, Manelle, the comments are not about the poem, but your HZ attack. I too can give a bit of advice. Even after the skin has completely healed, the pain may go on so you'll need to use tablets to relieve that and apply soothing gels at the site and see that you keep your general health in top form. Just check up the blood for routine tests and make sure there is nothing else 'cooking'! I am sure there isn't. But HZO is an opportunistic virus when a person is run down due to some other condition. Oh sorry, I should not be advising you, who'll know more than I do on this subject. But when one is the patient sometimes it is justified for colleagues to put in their 'two cents' worth!
    Hope you continue in excellent health!
    zita

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