A young man’s plaint — (NOTE: It’s an essay written by a relatively young man. Its wistful tone has so touched me that I stopped many beats between reading the words in the piece, rummaging answers to what has gone awry in this young man’s journey. …

How a day trip to a wildlife park provides the answer — It is common knowledge, I believe, that corvids are intelligent birds. Crows, ravens, and rooks are the most intelligent birds in the world. They are all corvids. (Parrots, by the way, have high IQs, too. They are not corvids.) My interest in corvids started a few years ago with the…

Says the magnolia — Beauty, as the cliché goes, is in the eye of the beholder. You may find someone, or something, beautiful but another might perceive this someone, or something, repulsive. But who amongst us would not see the inherent beauty in flowers? Until recently or specifically, when my husband and I moved…

Isn’t over-consumption of anything being ill-advised already a given in life? — Lucky are those of us who happen to be close to or exactly under cherry blossoms when the wind blows. The blossoms are like falling snow. Trust me, it feels magical when this happens. …

Apologies to all hyacinths — Harlot is very old-world. The word is so archaic that it had not been included in any of the English pocket dictionaries I compiled and edited for intermediate pupils and high school students, in my other life. But this word, harlot, which I only come across in historical novels was…

The stage in life when we thrive — I look at my face And I see creeping old age But there’s no sign of rage For beauty’s slithering beige I look at my hands And see sneaky wends No tears for contretemps On life’s variegated trends I look at my feet And see naught but mirth For places giving me…

The light is easy to see but the light in darkness needs thoughtful discernment — We view good things that come our way with joy and gratitude. And this is right no matter how we look at these blessings, whether small or not-so-small. How could we not be thankful for things — or people — that come into our life bringing all things bright and…

A secret so horrid it could make you sick — My first close, very close, encounter with mallards — a mother with its six or seven ducklings, no father mallard in tow — took place eons ago, in a quiet suburb in West Auckland in New Zealand. Ducks, especially mallards, were everywhere. Mallards crossing the road, thereby stopping the flow…

Lessons from the secret sex life of mandarin ducks — Mandarin ducks are viewed as representation of eternal love. No other ancient symbol of enduring marital happiness and faithfulness is as revered, especially in Japan and eastern China. These exotic birds, which originally came from the said countries, are usually given in pairs as gifts to newlyweds as lucky charms. …