Children at the Boi Mela

Photos: Zahedul I Khan


A wide variety of children's books are on display at the Boi Mela.

Fourteen-year-old Synthia Ireen Ria is seen moving from one bookstall to another looking for the latest Mohammad Jafar Iqbal books. She flips through several pages of new arrivals and asks for science fiction and adventure stories, then moves on to the next stall. Ria, as her friends and family members call her, seems a little nervous. Even though she silently expresses her contentment at the fresh new books she finds of her favourite authors, Ria does not leave her father's side. "We came from Mymensingh just for a day," informs Al-Faruk, Ria's father who is a businessman. Carrying lunch boxes, extra water bottles and lists of books that they wanted to buy, both Ria and her father seemed happy to have finally landed at the Ekushey Book Fair all the way from Mymensingh. "I love books and wait for this time of the year all the time," says Ria. "But it gets a little difficult since we don't live in Dhaka. We can only come in the weekends. In fact, after I get my books, we will be leaving for home and then I am not sure if I will be able to come to the fair this year again."


Video CDs and Audio CDs of children's rhymes are on display at the fair.

Once again this year, the Bangla Academy authorities dedicated the first four hours, from 11 am to 3 pm on February 6, 7 and 27 to children and families. This trend was started last year, which had attracted a lot of attention from families with children, who otherwise found it difficult to fight the crowds after 3 pm on weekdays to buy books for children.

Unfortunately, unlike last year, only a handful of families were seen going through books with their children. To add to it all, many of them were not even aware of the fact that the Academy had declared certain days for children. Families were hanging about with their children merely because it was the first weekend after the commencement of the Book Fair and visiting the bookstalls with children on weekdays is unthinkable. Shantosh Rai from Kishore Bhubon, a publishing house specialising in books for children, says that the Academy authorities did not do enough to spread the word around. Otherwise, he says, the weekend mornings would be filled with children. "Printing a small line in the newspapers will not attract attention," says Rai. "It should be announced every day at least once every two hours at the fair. Only then would the 'children's day' concept become a hit amongst parents."

Three-and-half-year-old Sadib Abdullah follows his older brother around, five-year-old Adib Abdullah, who runs from one stall to another, much to the annoyance of his parents, looking for books with colourful pictures. Sadib, who can hardly read his alphabet, demands to carry books just like his older brother Adib. Ruby and Jamshed Kabir, the parents of these handful boys say that they come to the fair every year with their children. It is never too early, they say, to develop a passion towards books and reading from a young age. "We did not know about the days dedicated to children," says Ruby. "We came today because weekdays are filled with people after 3 pm. In any case, children have school on weekdays and it is not possible to bring them then."





Even though most parents were unaware of the special days allotted for children, February 6 and 7 saw plenty of families with screaming children running all about and young teenagers looking about excitedly for books mostly on science and adventure. Tushi who studies in Grade 8 at the Viqarunnisa Noon School simply loves books. Not only is she passionate about reading, besides her school work of course, Tushi and her cousins Sara (Grade 7) and Sumaiya (Grade 6) who go to the same school attend classes on poetry recitation with Pragya Laboni, drawing classes, dance classes and theatre classes as well. The three girls are seen carrying fresh copies of Humayan Ahmed's latest novels, Mohammad Jafar Iqbal's science fiction for children and Anisul Haque's latest works. Also in their stock of books, they were carrying Shukumar Ray's collection of poetry and Rabindranath Tagore's collection of short stories. "We are here with our families," they inform. "We come here every year and buy books. Sometimes, just sitting somewhere inside the Book Fair and reading the books also give one a nice feeling inside." In fact, many groups of teenagers and young people were seen crowding the staircases of the Book Fair Information Centre - some reading, some simply hanging out with their friends and some trying to organise the books they have just bought, before moving on to buy more.

Last week, plenty of books for children were launched, namely, 'Muktijodhara' by Selina Hussain (cover by Mobasshir Alam Mojumdar) from Pathsutro Publications, 'Piprar Americar Bhromon' (cover by Joutha Monisha and Jukta Monon) from Pathsutro Publications, 'Ek Chokhu Rakhosh' by Maruf Rehman (cover by Ahsan Habib) from Shubhro Publications and many others. Teenagers were seen buying Mohammad Jafar Iqbal's 'Icarus' (cover by Dhrubo Esh), a science fiction novel from Somoy Pubications.


Families and their children throng the bookstalls specialising in children's books.

Many bookstores like Kishore Bhubon, Phulki, Bonolota, Tumtumi and many more were dedicated to children's publications. One such publication house, Patabahar, participated at the Book Fair this year for the very first time. Patabahar was filled with children where they were buying picture books, colouring books, stories based on villages in Bangladesh, talking animals and also translations of famous fairy tales and children's stories like Sindbad's Adventures, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and much more. Starting out officially as a publishing house in 2008, Patabahar has published 70 books in the last one year. The young woman supervising the bookstall mentions that their very first year is an absolute hit with the children and their parents! "I like the idea of dedicating a few days only for children," she says. "But I also think that the Children's Corner that the Ekushey Boi Mela used to flaunt previously should be re-installed. With a corner for children, it is so much safer for them to browse through books on normal weekdays." The bookstalls were not the only ones, which were being thronged by children of all ages. The Bangladesh Computer Samity was playing famous rhymes in Bangla, which were attracting many children and their parents. Many were seen buying Video CDs and Audio CDs of age-old rhymes both in Bangla and English. The stall supervisors at Radio Foorti's stall in the corner were inviting children to recite poetry, which were being broadcast live on the radio station.

13-year-old Sumaiya Rashid is all smiles after she recites 'Lichu Chor' on Radio Footri. Her sisters, 15-year-old Suraiya Rashid and 21-year-old Rokeya Rashid, along with their mother, are seen moving about from one book stall to another as soon as the book fair opened at 11 am that morning. While Suraiya's arms are filled with science fiction books that she bought at the fair that day (Mohammad Jafar Iqbal is her favourite author), her older sister Rokeya prefers translations. "I have always liked the Ekushey Book Fair and am a regular visitor," says Rokeya. "I think it is very thoughtful of the Academy for dedicating a few days to only children. This way, more families will be encouraged to bring their children to the fair. I personally believe that more and more children will actually enjoy reading."


Special days for children at the Boi Mela encourage them to buy and read more books.

Those who have missed out on the special days for children still have a chance to visit the Boi Mela with children on February 27, the last day dedicated to children this year at the Ekushey Book Fair. In any case, the fair opens at 11 am in the morning on weekends, which is a good time to visit the Boi Mela, especially for those who have children tagging along and those who would prefer to avoid crowds.

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
February 13, 2009

With the Crowd

Photos: Zahedul I Khan

It was the beginning of yet another month-long Ekushey Boi Mela last Sunday, when scores of people with their friends and families had gathered outside the Bangla Academy gates. Security was beefed up on the very first day of the fair, which was officially launched by the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Quite a number of students, after-work professionals and visitors were waiting to get inside the Boi Mela. The inauguration ceremony also attracted plenty of visitors who were crowding up outside the Bangla Academy premises to catch a glimpse of the Prime Minister.


Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged to publish good quality books at a low price so that people could make a habit of buying and reading books.

At the ceremony, Hasina said that her government would ensure a congenial atmosphere in all the educational institutions across the country and reduce session jams at any cost. This came at a time when a number of different public universities and colleges in the country have witnessed a series of violent activities. "No country can develop without education," she said. She added that her government will soon be making education free up to the bachelor degree / undergraduate level. She also urged the young generation to develop a habit of reading books. Hasina asked the Bangla Academy authorities to take appropriate measures so that the people of other countries can learn about Bangladesh's culture and literature. Moreover, she asked them to take steps to preserve digitally the historical documents and books of Bangla literature and culture, including the language movement and the war of liberation. To the publishers at the fair, Hasina urged to publish good quality books at a low price so that people could make a habit of buying and reading books.

However, because the ceremony started off an hour later than the scheduled time, the crowd waiting to get inside the fair for more than two hours at a stretch, became bigger and impatient. "I come every year with my cousins and friends," says 17-year-old Reba, a student of a government higher secondary institution in Kalabagan. Dressed in school uniforms, Reba and her friends soon became tired of waiting for the gates to open and began to go through the books at the stalls lined up outside the Bangla Academy. This year, as many as 100 or more stalls have been located outside the Bangla Academy grounds. According to the Academy's Director General Dr. Syed Mohammad Shahed, this move has been taken because of the lack of space inside the premises.



Shahjuddin, a businessman in his early-50s was seen going through books and chatting with the stall keeper at Proshika's. Located outside the Academy grounds this year, Proshika, along with a few other stalls had plenty of visitors buying books already, thanks to the crowds stuck outside the gates. "I had come to the Ekushey Boi Mela for the first time in 1972," informed the enthusiastic businessman. "I was only in class 4 and my teacher had brought me and a few others to the fair. Since then, it is practically my 'duty' to come here every other day and visit every stall." The first Ekushey Boi Mela was, in fact, organised on February 21, 1972 by Chittaranjan Saha of Muktodhara publishing house, which started a little sale in front of the Bangla Academy. As other publishers joined in, the fair gradually became official and one of the most popular book fairs in Bangladesh. In 1978, the Bangla Academy finally took over the organisation of the Boi Mela.

Finally, a little before six in the evening, the crowd stepped inside the Ekushey Boi Mela and began to line up at different stalls to grab their favourite books by famous authors. Moving through the winter dust, a small crowd was seen hurrying towards Annya Prakash, a popular publishing house, that attracts scores of book lovers, especially because of their Humayan Ahmed 'Himu' bestsellers. However, even though Annya Prakash does have books and novels by popular writers namely Mohammad Zafar Iqbal and Humayan Ahmed, this year the 'Himu' set of books - 'Himur Babar Kothamala' and 'Himur Modhyodupur' - has been published by Annesha, yet another popular publisher.


The month of the 'Ekushey Boi Mela' is filled with celebrations and reunions of old friends, not to mention writers, poets and artists, both contemporary and senior.

This year, a total number of 436 stalls have been allocated to 297 institutions and publishing houses. The fair will remain open for all from 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm on working days and from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm on weekends. On February 21, on the occasion of International Mother Language Day, the fair will remain open from 8:00 in the morning to 10:00 pm. On February 6, 7 and 27, the fair will remain open for families, women and children only, a trend that was begun by the Academy last year, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, after which the fair opens to all till 9:00 pm. Even though this has been subject to criticism by some, many appreciate these special days because it gives the children an opportunity to move about freely from one bookstall to another. This way, their reading habits can be encouraged.



The month of the 'Ekushey Boi Mela' is filled with celebrations and reunions of old friends, not to mention writers, poets and artists, both contemporary and senior. One only hopes that the fair marks the beginning of an era where young people will give importance to learning and gathering knowledge and resort to solving problems through education and research instead of violence and corruption.

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
February 6, 2009

Thirty Years with Valerie Taylor

Photos: Zahedul I Khan

Thirty years ago, when Valerie Taylor had made the decision to stay back in Bangladesh and devote herself to the cause of serving the paralysed and for those suffering from spinal injuries, all she had was an abandoned warehouse of the Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital to run her centre. Today, the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP) has grown to include more than 100 beds in addition to providing rehabilitation treatments. The centre also includes recreational services including vocational training for the poor and a sports area. For eleven years, Valerie and her team were moving around from one place to another and providing treatment to poor patients. "We were 'gypsies' for a long time before we bought some land for ourselves," says Valerie. CRP is now spread over more than 15 acres of land in Savar.


CRP has grown to include more than 100 beds in addition to providing rehabilitation treatments.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, this year, CRP plans to celebrate with family and friends - former workers, patients and donors who have been supporting this organisation for the last three decades. "We are still coming up with ideas for events and celebration," exclaims Valerie. "CRP plans to arrange an event every month. This month there is going to be a get-together of all former and current employees. Many, who had worked with for a decade or so, are now settled abroad. They have come CRP to Dhaka for the celebrations as well.



Valerie Taylor

There have been several ups and downs in the last three decades, says Valerie. "I won't lie and say that everything has been smooth," says Valerie. "We did face several major obstacles while running this establishment. However, what has been gratifying is that CRP has lots of supporters and friends who have always been with us." About a year ago, several organisations, media personalities and supporters had been outraged when the board of trustees for CRP arbitrarily removed Valerie, the organisation's founder and main promoter, from her position as coordinator citing her engagement in activities that are "prejudicial and detrimental to the interest of the CRP". According to inside sources, however, the board removed Taylor as the coordinator because of a two-and-a-half-year disagreement between her and a section of the board who decided to raise the fee for the patients by several folds making it increasingly difficult for the large body of "ultra-poor" patients of the organisation. Thanks to the petitions and continuous efforts made by the media and CRP supporters, the crisis was resolved and Valerie was restored to her rightful position in the organisation. "We were driven to go on and never give up, in spite of all the obstacles that we faced over the years," exclaims Valerie.

Besides several diploma courses, CRP now boasts three new Bachelor of Science programmes on Speech Therapy, Occupation Therapy and Physiotherapy. "We just had admission tests and plenty of students applied for these programmes," says Valerie. "We hope to have more next year." Affiliated with Dhaka University, these programmes have gained a lot of popularity amongst young students. "Every year we have trainers and experts who come in from different parts of the world to work here voluntarily," adds Valerie. For instance, this year, CRP has a specialist in speech therapy all the way from Canada. "However, I was shocked when I could not find a single specialist in Bangladesh in this field."

Many refer to Valerie Taylor as Mother Valerie, simply because of her loving nature and a continuous effort to protect the weak and poor. In her mid-sixties, Valerie still dreams of spreading CRP to all the five divisions in Bangladesh. "That's my vision now," says a smiling Valerie. "Which might just take another 30 years or so."

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
January 30, 2009

Standing up for Children

Photos: Zahedul I Khan

Nine-year-old Fatima spends a lot of time with her drawing book. She picks out a dark shade of green from her set of crayons and carefully fills in the sketch of a tree. "I like to draw pictures of village scenes," she says, pointing to her drawing of a village morning, splashed out in bright red, orange, yellow, brown and green. "I also write poetry in Bangla," she remarks as she runs to get her notebook where she has written a poem about her mother. "We had our annual sports day a while back," says Fatima with a sudden catch in her voice. "I participated, but did not win anything."


Unlike other nine-year-old, Fatima is a domestic worker. She, along
with other domestic workers her age, attends classes set up by Phulki in Karail for two hours every morning.

Fatima might sound like just another child, but unlike other nine-year-olds, she is a domestic worker. She lives in a slum located in Karail with her parents, both of who work. Fatima works as a part time domestic help from 2:30 pm to 5:30 pm in a house located inside the TNT Colony. She cleans the house, does the dishes and washes clothes. In fact, there are several children in Karail, mainly girls, who work as full-time or part-time domestic workers in nearby areas like the TNT Colony and Banani. Most of these children start working from the age of five or six.

Phulki, a non-profit organisation has embarked on a project that works with these domestic girl workers. The project was set up in 2006, which educates these young child workers. This innovative initiative aims to develop a social 'safety net' for the thousands of young girls working in homes across Bangladesh without access to counselling, skill training, education or legal services. Running this project in the slums and colonies of Karail, Pikepara and Rupnagar, child domestic workers attend classes in small rooms set up by Phulki, five days a week from 10 am - 12:30 pm in the mornings and 2 pm - 4:30 pm in the evenings. Each school has one teacher and an 'ayah' to look after the children. Fatima and others like her living in Karail learn how to read and write Bangla, basic math, cooking, sewing, ironing clothes etc. They also have art classes, including music and dance classes. Phulki meaning 'spark' in Bangla began to work for children's rights and women's empowerment in the year 1991. Partnered with Water Aid Bangladesh, Action Aid Bangladesh, Plan International, Global Fund for Children, Manusher Jonno, Oxfam and Shapla Neer, Phulki envisages a future where children can grow in an environment that is not only secure and healthy but also provides them with a proper education. The organisation's mission is to create a safe atmosphere for working mothers who would otherwise have to sacrifice their children's well being. Currently, Phulki has programmes addressing children from 6 weeks to 18 years of age, through the establishment of childcare centres, applying the Child-to-Child education approach, and training programs. One of Phulki's initial programmes was the establishment of childcare centres in several slum areas and colonies. These centres are also established in several garment factories.

In Bangladesh, a child working as domestic worker is common. Although official data is not available, according to some NGO reports, there are approximately two million children engaged in domestic work in Bangladesh. Families living in slum areas and trying to survive under the poverty line prefer to send their children, as young as five or six, to work and help earn a living. These child domestic workers are usually hidden from public scrutiny since they stay alone in the households. Their employers control their lives. As their poor parents live far away in the rural areas and villages, it gets very difficult for them to defend and protect their children in case of abuse, exploitation, not to mention the children's deteriorating health conditions as well. The fate of these child domestic workers rests largely on the mercy of their employers. In recent years, several cases of abuse and torture of child domestic workers by their employers have been reported by the media. Ironically, many of these employers belong to 'well-to-do' and 'educated families'.

In a country like ours, abolishing chid labour without providing a safety net for the family to earn more is not a viable solution. Suraiya Haque, the Executive Director of Phulki, says that poverty is, after all, the root of all evil in Bangladesh. "The children will not stop working," she says. "And the poor parents will not stop sending them to look for work. Otherwise, most girls will just end up getting married at the age of 9 or 10 or maybe even less. The idea is - why not just marry them off, getting rid of the extra mouth to feed in the family?" At least, adds Suraiya, this way Phulki is able to keep track of the whereabouts of the female children who otherwise fall prey to other tribulations in society.

Nine-year-old Farzana is a part-time domestic worker and works at the TNT Colony every evening. She spends her mornings in the one-room school set up by Phulki. "My favourite class is art class," she says. In the beginning, when she had just started to work, she was paid a measly amount because of her lack of skills. Now she knows not only how to read, write and also her tables, she has been taught how to iron clothes, cooking and maintain personal hygiene as well. "One of the major changes that take place here is the self-confidence the children develop," says Suraiya. "Very recently, one of our girls actually went up to her employer and bargained for a higher salary. She argued that she was now skilled and deserved more! The employer also agreed to the deal."




The Phulki programme, of educating child domestic workers, aims to develop a social 'safety net' for the thousands of girls working in homes across the country.

This project has benefited both the domestic workers and their employers. "In the beginning it was very difficult to even speak to the employers about this project," says Sabera Yeasmin, the Project Manager. "Some of them would not even listen to us. However, eventually the employers agreed to send their domestic workers to our schools and now they appreciate the changes that they find in the children." To an extent, the employers play an important role once their domestic workers are registered with the Phulki schools. One such employer even organised special cooking classes in her own kitchen for the children since the Phulki schoolrooms are too small to demonstrate or teach properly. "There was one gentleman in Kalyanpur who was very reluctant to speak to us in the beginning," says Sabera. "However, once his domestic worker got enrolled in Phuki, the employer got involved with the management as well. He now attends all of our meetings and helps us take decisions."

The children in Karail are excited. "We are going to have our sports day in February," informs 10-year-old Rabeya. Rabeya is probably the only full time worker in her group and attends the morning classes in Karail. "We will also get to sing and arrange dance shows for the event," she adds. It was a treat to see a spark in the eyes of Rabeya, Fathima, Farzana and other children who reassure the moments spent in their Phulki classrooms. These children who spend their childhood working as servants in peoples' homes discover their hidden talents for painting, singing, sewing or simply creating and expressing their thoughts and feelings in front of the world.

Even then, our society has to move a long way forward to provide children their right to a proper education. Even today, thousands of children wander the streets, defenceless and unaware of the malice that surrounds them. Until and unless the government prioritises the provision of basic education and shelter for every child on the street, it will be a Herculean task for the nation to eliminate poverty and unemployment in the next few decades.



Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2009
January 9, 2009

On Screen Inspiration

“Everybody wants to be us” – smiles Miranda Priestly as she puts on her sun glasses and gets off the car. But before she does that, for just a speck of a second, a world of pain washes over her face. In an earlier scene, her ‘self’ is exposed much more when she speaks about her divorce to Andrea. A ‘dragon lady’ – she calls herself.

Meryl Streep is fabulous. And every time I watch ‘The Devil wears Prada’, I fall in love with Miranda’s character -- her portrayal of the inner strength that she exudes helping her to very well survive a world of fashion and stereotypes otherwise known to be ruthless.

You left me, sweet, two legacies - Emily Dickinson

YOU left me, sweet, two legacies,—
A legacy of love
A Heavenly Father would content,
Had He the offer of;

You left me boundaries of pain 5
Capacious as the sea,
Between eternity and time,
Your consciousness and me.

Missed the Circus

How long does hatred exist between two people or two groups of people or two nations? This is not poetry, but a serious question. How long, for that matter, does love exist between two individuals?
Hatred or love is very momentary, very temporary. I think the 'Fall of Icarus' should have taught us much more - that life moves on, the cycle of birth and death is not interrupted and beings are still eating and shitting, like always.
Surprisingly enough, it is difficult to grab a little bit of 'Independence' and put it in a glass jar, like we do with butterflies and fireflies. We don't know what to do with it then. Instead, we give the glass jar to someone else, someone we think we love and believe ourselves to be self-righteous little saints.
It is time that we wiped the goody-two-shoed-lolly-popped smiles off of our faces, opened our eyes and cleaned the glasses squeaky-clean. There are the bright spaces of the city that we have missed. We missed the circus - the clown with the purple nose, the sad eyes and the tattered clothes, wobbling from one place to another, selling amusements for very little.
This country is mine and I plan to walk through every gate, fix the lights on every dark alley and jump over all the 'topless-manholes'.
So sue me.

Some of Life's Lessons

It's early in the morning and I am now in the process of slowly being pinned down by the millions of thoughts hovering inside my little head.

Things that I have learned in life the hard way:

* You clean a little bit of your room everyday - throw away the unwanted, the 'lingerings' or the trash (in other words), your life will be so much easier.

* Never crave for a juicy club sandwich, especially when you have just had your rice, deshi chicken, potatoes and dal.

* Do not fall for the adverts - especially the tearjerker telecom ads that they show on TV nowadays. You still have to pay.

* Time does not stand still. NEWSFLASH: The clock on the mantel - is broken.

* Fairy-tale princes do not exist. White horses do, however.

* There is no such thing as a 'tomorrow'. So start dieting NOW.

Gibberish - iii

It’s dark and silent out here. A run-down wheel and a broken lantern, placed in front of a wall, a billboard, with half a smile of the shiny whites, a muffled cough and then a sudden cry – or maybe a gasp. Everything is so empty. Whispers, maybe, but no buses or trucks.

It’s dark and silent and empty. Your hands hold on to you, give you comfort. You examine your pain and provide solace. You wipe your own tears and smile at the nothingness. There’s no one else out there. You hold out your hands, close your eyes, and try to touch warmth, skin, life. There’s no one out there. It’s dark and silent and empty and dark and cold. Whispers, maybe, but no buses or trucks or traffic policemen or the usual shrills of a watchman’s whistle.

You hold your heart and examine your pain and then smile out into the nothingness.

If You Forget Me - Pablo Neruda

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.

Blizzard

It was a cold day today. The wind was bitter. It hurt my skin.

Tonight, it is freezing. And my heart is frozen.

You'll See - Madonna

You think that I can't live without your love
You'll see,
You think I can't go on another day.
You think I have nothing
Without you by my side,
You'll see
Somehow, some way

You think that I can never laugh again
You'll see,
You think that you destroyed my faith in love.
You think after all you've done
I'll never find my way back home,
You'll see
Somehow, someday

All by myself
I don't need anyone at all
I know I'll survive
I know I'll stay alive,
All on my own
I don't need anyone this time
It will be mine
No one can take it from me
You'll see

You think that you are strong, but you are weak
You'll see,
It takes more strength to cry, admit defeat.
I have truth on my side,
You only have deceit
You'll see, somehow, someday

All by myself
I don't need anyone at all
I know I'll survive
I know I'll stay alive,
I'll stand on my own
I won't need anyone this time
It will be mine
No one can take it from me
You'll see

You'll see, you'll see
You'll see, mmmm, mmmm

A Battered Triangle

Nope, I am not mad.
I am not angry and I am not furious.
I am not lost and I do not see things moving in the distant light shimmering in through the curtains.
I have had bad hair days this whole week and I suck at what I write.
Dear Sir, this is to inform you that the '6 number bus' hit me on its way to Tejagon…

I am a penguin, because penguins are cute. I like penguins.
I like you too. I think you're cute too. I couldn't be you though.
You are round and I am a triangle.
I can be round. Just a little twitch there and a pull here, and there you go.
I am round, just like you, not as perfect though.
Will I do? I am sure I will do.
I wouldn't want you to be a battered triangle.

Robot

Tear out my heart, remove my name,

Deny my existence and choose to ignore me.

Tell me I am lame, I am blind,

I am actually a raggedy-ragged doll.

I am still around though.

With red-apple cheeks and shining-fairy-tale eyes at dusk,

At dawn, I turn out to be the Robot that I really am.

Gibberish – ii

How do you keep that smile pasted on your face?

Your eagerness to please everyone around,

Your ‘lols’ and ‘hugs’ to every stern look,

And the sweetness dripping from your voice,

Makes me want to puke and scream out loud.

Gibberish - i

When I am lonely and thinking of nothing in particular, I like the smell of paper.
The grainy touch and the smooth dampness, where the million people search for a reflection.
Fills up my throat with an unfamiliar, intoxicating longing to dive into the river, naked and crying.

Over The Rainbow by Harold Arlen (music) and EH Harburg (lyrics)

When all the world is a hopeless jumble
And the raindrops tumble all around
Heaven opens a magic lane
When all the clouds darken up the skyway
There's a rainbow highway to be found
Leading from your window pane
To a place behind the sun
Just a step beyond the rain

Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?
Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far behind me
Where troubles melt like lemondrops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why then, oh why can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?

Imagine by John Lennon

Imagine there's no Heaven
It's easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will live as one

How Can I Keep From Singing by Enya

My life goes on in endless song
Above earths lamentations,
I hear the real, though far-off hymn
That hails a new creation.

Through all the tumult and the strife
I hear its music ringing,
It sounds an echo in my soul.
How can I keep from singing?

While though the tempest loudly roars,
I hear the truth, it liveth.
And though the darkness round me close,
Songs in the night it giveth.

No storm can shake my inmost calm,
While to that rock Im clinging.
Since love is lord of heaven and earth
How can I keep from singing?

When tyrants tremble in their fear
And hear their death knell ringing,
When friends rejoice both far and near
How can I keep from singing?

In prison cell and dungeon vile
Our thoughts to them are winging,
When friends by shame are undefiled
How can I keep from singing?

The Spider and the Fly by Mary Howitt

Will you walk into my parlour? said the spider to the fly.
Tis the prettiest little parlour that ever you did spy,
The way into my parlour is up a winding stair,
And I've a many curious things to shew when you are there.

Oh no, no, said the little Fly, to ask me is in vain,
For who goes up your winding stair, can ne'er come down again.

I'm sure you must be weary, dear, with soaring up so high
Will you rest upon my little bed? said the Spider to the Fly.
There are pretty curtains drawn around; the sheets are fine and thin,
And if you like to rest awhile, I'll snugly tuck you in!

Oh no, no, said the little Fly, for I've often heard it said
They never, never wake again, who sleep upon your bed!

Said the cunning Spider to the Fly, Dear friend what can I do,
To prove the warm affection I 've always felt for you?
I have within my pantry, good store of all that's nice
I'm sure you're very welcome, will you please to take a slice?

Oh no, no, said the little Fly, Kind Sir, that cannot be,
I've heard what's in your pantry, and I do not wish to see!

Sweet creature! said the Spider, you're witty and you're wise,
How handsome are your gauzy wings, how brilliant are your eyes!
I've a little looking-glass upon my parlour shelf,
If you'll step in one moment, dear, you shall behold yourself.

I thank you, gentle sir, she said, for what you 're pleased to say,
And bidding you good morning now, I'll call another day.

The Spider turned him round about, and went into his den,
For well he knew the silly Fly would soon come back again
So he wove a subtle web, in a little corner sly,
And set his table ready, to dine upon the Fly.

Then he came out to his door again, and merrily did sing,
Come hither, hither, pretty Fly, with the pearl and silver wing,
Your robes are green and purple, there's a crest upon your head
Your eyes are like the diamond bright, but mine are dull as lead!

Alas, alas! How very soon this silly little Fly,
Hearing his wily, flattering words, came slowly flitting by
With buzzing wings she hung aloft, then near and nearer drew,
Thinking only of her brilliant eyes, and green and purple hue

Thinking only of her crested head, poor foolish thing! At last,
Up jumped the cunning Spider, and fiercely held her fast.
He dragged her up his winding stair, into his dismal den,
Within his little parlour, but she ne'er came out again!

And now dear little children, who may this story read,
To idle, silly flattering words, I pray you ne'er give heed.
Unto an evil counsellor, close heart and ear and eye,
And take a lesson from this tale, of the Spider and the Fly.