Saturday, October 02, 2010

Love Moves in Mysterious Ways

This post has been published by me as a part of the Blog-a-Ton 15; the fifteenth edition of the online marathon of Bloggers; where we decide and we write. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.
~*~*~*~

It was an arts class. Everyone who had enrolled in Professor Bruto’s class had either an aptitude for arts or a natural talent in it, or they simply loved art for art’s sake.

“From this day on ‘til the next four days, your outputs will either break or make you," the Professor warned the unsuspecting students even on the opening day. “It will not be an easy course that you will sail through. Hard work would be called for. Do remember that it’s not just making a drawing or making a sketch that will make you competent and complete. It will be different this time, very  much different in a sense that you will be required to  interpret each of your output in prose or poetry forms too!” she continued.

There were gentle titters heard. There were murmurs of disgust, whispers of chagrin and buzzes of ridicule from the students making up the noise inside the classroom and drowning the monotonous hum of the AC. They were aghast at the superficial assumption that all artists could also be a poet or writer or be able to express themselves the way their professor wanted them to do.

Lynnette’s head started throbbing heavily. But she needed to pass the subject if only to avoid another ‘sermon on the mount’ from her dad who had high expectations of her. She decided that she should not fail him this time.


Day 1 Challenge – The professor announced that they will have to write a poem about their output in the form of a haiku. Lynette once again looked at the sketch she had made. Made of oil pastel, she had drawn a beautiful railway station, Alston Station. “Think Lynette, think of a beautiful Haiku!” she urged herself. It took only a few drafts to come up with what she considered as a passable one. She could hardly read the quirky professor’s impressions on her poetic effort from her poker-faced facial expression.

Pleasant memories
foot prints left behind the train
are there sad ones, too?

 Day 2 Challenge – “I have mixed feelings with the output you people have submitted yesterday. I must confess I am not much impressed but feel some of you are capable of giving better account.Why don’t you now try your hand on a poem in Villanelle form?” she remarked.

“What? A Villanelle? How crazy. How could we do that when all we did throughout the semester was draw, draw and draw?” George muttered under his breath. “Gosh, this is pure sadism. I hate her guts,” added Janice in a hushed tone, just within George’s earshot. Lynette however, went back to serious work as usual. “Villanelle, villanelle, Lord help me,” she whispered to herself. The first draft went into the dust bin. Another one followed. Soon a third one was dumped! Exasperated she warned to give up telling herself, “This is all I can do.” At the back of her mind, she could already picture that frightening facial expression from Prof Brutos. She plunged once more into her work.

A train station that holds stories
Of love, joys, tears, passion shared together
One can happily or sadly reminisce

 A love story laced with prejudice
Which he bravely negated her daughter
A train station that holds stories

That station gave them hidden trysts
They professed their love for one another
One can happily or sadly reminisce

 They had once fought about a nemesis
Of indifference they can’t decipher
A train station that holds stories

They parted ways because of jealousies
The pain unbearable he didn’t bother
One can happily or sadly reminisce

Once more they remember that edifice
Its memories they will cherish forever
A train station that holds stories
One can happily or sadly reminisce

Day 3 Challenge – “What are you doing guys? I am almost frustrated with all….of…. you…!!! C’mon, bring out the poet in you, the writer in you? Remember, I had never been so generous with grades not unless you prove to me your worth”? She was already lambasting her poor, confused students. “This time, show me some real works! Write a short prose, a 55 fiction to be exact!”

Lynette breathed a sigh of relief. She is good at essay writing. She might pass muster at Bruto’s strict hands; she could just put a couple of characters, a setting, a conflict and a denouement with ease. She made one quickly with her as the main character.

The 55 word fiction:

“And yes, Lynette, I liked your Villanelle,” the professor told with a mischievous smile.
Lynnette was surprised.
Little did she know earlier, her Dad had spoken to Professor? “Err…Anne, don’t be hard on a motherless girl. Be liberal in marks. You should know she is supportive of our love….”
Lyn now understood why she smiled.
Day 4 Challenge – “Lynette, what do you think? Can you make it by tomorrow? I am happy with your progress. How about the others? Don’t think any of you that I will make you pass easily unless you prove yourselves. Don’t get me wrong, I am just trying to make you better,” Prof Brutos expressed with a hint of sarcasm. “Get back to work; let me make this day the last challenge. A sonnet this time,” she announced which sounded like a voice soaked in sadism. Lynette could no longer contain her disdain for Brutos. “Wait, I will make you cringe,” she whispered to herself. Will her sonnet really make her cringe?  

Oh, my precious Anne, my heart is in pain
Come, take my hand and together we’ll fly
No, not fly; let’s take a couch on that train
May the soft cushion gives comfort to you and I
Oh my beloved Anne, yes you will always be
The apple of my eyes, so dear to me
Let no one come near thee, like a buzzing bee
You give me sleepless nights, why oh why?
Let no one put us asunder, even with death
Because you are my only love, my life
So please don’t take away my breath
You are my soul mate, let our souls be one
I will write a poem for you, for you alone
To tell of my genuine love, my heart you own!

Lynette submitted her last output.

"Class you are dismissed, except for Lynette who will stay behind. I need to talk to her!"

“Oh my God, what have you written here Lynette? Did you write this yourself, or your father wrote it for you? Don’t lie…liars go to hell!” She said to Lynette, smiling so tenderly.

“Okay Lynette, tell me now…..” She encouraged her to speak.

“Madam, in all honesty and with due respect for you, let me say that I tried to express in the poem what my dear Dad is often telling me about you. That’s all and I can say no more Madam,” she replied while gathering her things ready to go home.

“No, don’t go. Stay. Let me drive you home…”

~*~*~*~

The fellow Blog-a-Tonics who took part in this Blog-a-Ton and links to their respective posts can be checked here. To be part of the next edition, visit and start following Blog-a-Ton.

53 comments:

  1. Like an icecream with many flavours in one,you have weaved a wonderful post with many forms of poetry with a soft story of a girl and her teacher connecting them all.Lynette has come out as a bright and hard working girl though the dash of romance between her dad and her teacher had given her an edge over others and a ride back home.A nice story well narrated.

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  2. All in one and they mixed well together =P I love the flow of how your words goes, truly beautiful =) An unexpected ending yet it turned out all well, great job Lynette! =P Good luck for BAT15, my friend =P

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  3. Such a clean and beautiful narration and a tribute to the joys of writing by including so many forms in it too.Very different kind of presentation...and good work .Loved the ending.Best wishes for BAT 15.

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  4. Very nice, Amity. Very beautiful how you have used a story and within it various forms of writing.

    Are you an English literature student by any chance?

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  5. Amity,
    Wonderful.
    You have chosen to put almost all skills to display with this post.
    I liked it a lot.
    keep blogging.
    Good luck with the contest :)

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  6. Thanks KP, you should know I did enjoy writing the story and the challenge that came with it...but it's worth the hardwork I guess...:)

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  7. Thank you so much Rikka my friend...happy to note you love the flow of the story, though I wish to add some more, but hey, wait, I told myself, it might get boring to my readers already...:)

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  8. Thanks Nanka, when I saw the photo suggestion of Rumya, though not yet approved or voted finally, I was already thinking of rendering it this way...too good her photo suggestion was approved and so I started the challenge to myself, and this was the outcome... :)

    Glad you love the simple ending! Thank you again! :)

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  9. Thanks The Fool... :) Happy to note you like it... :)

    Yeah, i was once an English lit student and was once an English lit teacher in highschool... :)

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  10. Hi Muddassir,

    Well, it was fun how I did it, glad you liked it a lot!

    Good luck to you too! :)

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  11. Hi Muddassir,

    Well, it was fun how I did it, glad you liked it a lot!

    Good luck to you too! :)

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  12. According to the rules of BAT only one entry is allowed..
    But you have posted a Haiku, a Villanelle, a 55 Fiction, a Sonnet.. Four entries.. This is........................

    I have to say, 4 winning entries.. OMG Amity, a unique take on the picture.. what a story man... I loved it totally, mesmerized and I am damn sure that you will get one of my votes..

    --Someone Is Special--

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  13. Hey SiS! Thank you so much in advance for the vote... :) The rules say...just one entry...and yeah, I did just one entry, only the content is a variety... :) (oh it rhymes) ....Our versatility as a writer should be put to test in just one entry... :)

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  14. Brilliant is about the only word that i can use to describe what i have just read !
    Beyond the obvious gift you have with words and the thought you have put into this post, must add that I loved your choice of names for the protagonists. Its almost as if the names themselves sketch the character out for you. Loved reading it !

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  15. Thanks Brijender...much as you loved reading it...i enjoyed making/writing this piece, too! Thank you so much. And glad you found the protagonist' name as fitting of her character in the story... :) Thanks again! :)

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  16. Mindblowing... truly awesome !! i loved the sonnet :)

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  17. Thanks Raniii, happy to note you loved the sonnet... :)

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  18. loved it! good work dear as always

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  19. Thanks so much dear Melissa... Good morning and have a happy Sunday! :)

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  20. Hi Shrikanth,

    English Lit is a requirement of any course in college in our country, hence we really need to take it up so we can graduate... :)

    Thanks so much, happy to note you found my post unique! :)

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  21. Thanks so much dear Rumz...your picture inspired me to do it this way, even as when I started voting for your photo suggestion, my mind started thinking that I will do it this way and when I saw Marshall announcing that your photo won, OMG...i was doubly inspired/happy... :) Thanks so much!

    Have a happy Sunday! :) and i wish you all the best in the contest too! :)

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  22. A unique attempt on the take, very beautifully intermingled with choice vocabulary and one central character revealed through various angles. A great read . All the best for BAT.

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  23. Thats awesome, you explored different forms with an inspiration of 1 Image!! Creativity at its helm Amity!! Way to go!

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  24. Yours is one of the most unique posts i've read. great idea, and flawless implementation....

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  25. Thanks so much Cherry Blossom, thanks for considering my take as a unique attempt and i wish you all the best too for BAT! :)

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  26. Thanks so much Reetam...:) glad you found it unique...your comment is really inspiring! :)

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  27. Thanks a lot Makk... :) 'someone's wishing you, his favorite attire'??? why, what do you mean?

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  28. and her flow was natural, composing
    whether Haiku, Villanelle or Sonnet thing

    amity need to be with 55er
    Some one's wishing you, his favorite attire.

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  29. Hey Shruti...

    I love writing poems though not as poetic as the real poets...:-) You should try and once you have tried, you will soon be loving and enjoying it...so try one soon.. :-)

    Thanks so much Shruti...good morning and have a fine Monday.. ;-)

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  30. Thanks so much Maddie...:-) it is an inspiration, if you love your craft, you are inspired to write... :-)

    Good morning Maddie, sorry, I almost overlooked your comment, really am so sorry about it! :-)

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  31. i read this earlier, and i read it now again. both the times this post brought a smile on my face. brought a smile reminding me about my professor, the way he is pestering me with loads of work now! :D
    so does Lyn's dad really like Prof. Brutos? Or is it that Lyn got mischievous to escape from the clutches of Brutos? Unique take! and my, you've done everything in a single post. You rock!

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  32. Hmmm... I would like to believe that Lynette is mischievous enough to escape from the clutches of Brutos... :-)

    I am happy to note it brought smile to your face...I also had that part in sonnet which is kinda fun if you have noticed it, like Lynette having fun writing about Brutos...? Yes, really reminds us of Professors like Brutos and too bad we can't take revenge with those terror professors... :P

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  33. Sorry about the redundant comment before.
    You've really knit the post with many threads. There were so many aspects which add to the experience. I think you've done a fabulous job with this one and are among one of the best posts I've read so far.

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  34. my first reaction when i read it- so cute!
    n i mus say the overall detailing is aweome and looks really so effortless.

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  35. Thanks Sadiya for that wonderful reaction.. :-)

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  36. That was one curiosly different and refreshing take on the topic - stories & poems inside one story! Totally loved it :-)

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  37. Thanks so much Debosmita... :-) It's really nice to have some kind of inventions to make an entry interesting to readers.. :-)

    Again, thanks a lot... glad you loved it! Good morning... :-)

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  38. Amity! wow! very nice work... a very differnt take, i could see it this way... relly a dreamer u r!

    so beautifully weaved differnt forms of poetry in it.... very creative.

    and the end was sooo sweeeet!

    ATB FOR BAT

    RESTLESS

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  39. Hi RESTLESS...

    Oh, I feel so overwhelmed with your inspiring comments like what all the others have said... :-)
    Thanks so much my dear, you have added color to this entry of mine for BAT!

    I wish you all the best too!

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  40. A complete powerful post of emotions,poetry,haiku and the best part is presentation .Its something beyond words and deserve 1st prize in blog -a -ton 15 and I mean it.
    http://pratibhathetalent.blogspot.com/

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  41. Hi Dr Pratibha;

    Wow... I am speechless with your comment...really and I mean it. What can I say, but thanks so much for such an inspiring comment... :-)

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  42. Thanks so much Shilpa...thanks really!

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  43. Oh Raksha, thank you so much you didn't miss it before casting your vote..and sure, you made my gold win possible... if not i ended up a tie with Vipul... ;-) It's really a challenge Raksha, for the past 5 months, i could only get a mere, 1, 2 and the highest, 3 votes...i felt sad...:(

    then i have to tell myself, i should do better, yes i can, and yes i did... :-)

    Again, Raksha, thanks so much for your vote! Can I give you a hug?

    Have a wonderful week ahead... :-)

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  44. Lynette? reminds you of someone Brij?

    Well, me so damn happy too...didn't expect we'd get a tie, he he he...:-) No guy voted for me though..and I would like to believe, gals are for the gals, and guys for the guys... :P

    Congrats to you too...now you are my friend in FB..and now you know how Amity looks like in real?

    Lynette made me win...what a name Brij... :-) rings a bell???? nope, just kidding again!

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  45. P.S. "was expecting a vote from Brij...when he said my entry was BRILLIANT"... he he he...just kidding again Brij... :-)

    Have a great week ahead...good morning.. :-)

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  46. Hi Vikas,

    You know, I am really smiling eversince I saw the result this morning after getting our of bed... and the more I am smiling now...:-) Vikas, should you have read my entry, will you have voted for me? *smiles*...

    No, I like your rumblings...:-) i do write at least thrice a week when I am not busy...hence the 158 posts i made this year alone..and every day I am growing up, i mean, i do improve in my writing you know... :-)

    But my win for BAT would be a testament that I am doing better day by day... :-)

    Thanks so much Vikas, have a lovely day ahead.. :-)

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  47. Goodness! How on earth did I miss reading this one??? This and one more post on BATOM that I somehow managed to overlook turned out to be awesome to my surprise! I'm really glad that I came here just before casting my vote otherwise trust me I'd have regretted later.

    Wow! How could you think of something so lovely at first place? You sure are super imaginative and you have a beautiful imagination I must admit! :) All I can say is, you left me with no choice but to vote for this lovely post of yours! :)

    Cheers! :) Good luck!

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  48. Hey Amity now that I have read your post I can totally appreciate and understand why you won .. such a wonderful POV on the topic that too a unique perspective to include almost all the forms of writing in one post.

    ATB for future as well.

    I just hope that I am able to write as many things as you damn 158 entries this year alone .. where as I have written only 13 entries this year .. that too only for BAT.

    sorry for wasting your time with my mumblings

    Congratulations and do keep the good work coming.

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  49. So Lynette must have had her share of bashing after Brutos met Lynette's dad and learned the truth. :D

    You totally deserve the GOLD batom Amity! I wanted to vote much before, but I was busy day and night with work. And only 2 minutes before the deadline I had time to cast my vote. I remember looking at my watch while voting to make sure I do it on time.

    Very glad to know it made the difference, although I thought you would win with total majority. And, thank you very much for the guest post offer, I will come up with something.

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  50. Thank you so much Vee...you put another endless smile on my lips...:-) Vipul told me about you casting your vote in last two minutes...

    With your thought that I'd win a majority vote, well, maybe we still have much much more other very good entries which would merit a vote, but anyways, thanks for making it happen to me! I shall forever be indebted to you!

    I love you Vee...and for the guest post, thank you so much...just let me know when i can have, the earlier the better...you will join a few other guests in my list!

    Hugs, Amity...do you have an FB account?

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