Earthly Musings

  Image: Nattika beach/jpkallikkal ©2025 As Well As Can Be The clouds descend with a sweeping grace, Fields surrender to a silver trace Cattle wait near banyan’s base, I wade through memories time cannot erase The rain in flood, the sky in cry— She trudges along, in waters knee-deep high, Clutching calm in chaos nearby, Staying adrift and dry, as well as can be. A cough today, a cold tomorrow, Life bends like branches of a windswept tree. Still she rises with dawn’s soft glow, Brewing tea, preparing the day’s decree. Aches may whisper from knee or chest, But she wears her strength like prayer beads, gently— Serving needs, postponing rest, And smiling through, as well as can be. She has school, the lanes flood, Unrelenting, she wades on puddles in test But in every task, though silence speaks, She dances the dance of duty to her best No medal shines, no chorus cheers, Yet she carries a quiet legacy Through passing years and mounting gears— Still doing all, as we...

  Malamuzhakki Vezhambal – Seeking new habitations Jaya Prakash Kallikkal Sighting of a Malamuzhakki Vezhambal or the Great Hornbill (Buceros bicornis) in the coastal region of Ezhimalai in Kannur District in Kerala is rare and unique. Does it signify a serious change in climatic pattern in the state of Kerala? D espite being a native of Kerala, life has kept me rooted in Delhi for several decades now, as I have grown up and settled in the sprawling capital of India.   However, this has not deterred my love for my home state and I continue to undertake regular visits to Kerala to understand the finer nuances of its nature, culture, spirituality and social ethos. I love nature and over the past four decades, I have travelled extensively across Kerala.   The vibrant diversity in terms of topography, flora and fauna of God’s own country has been a revelation to me.   The long coastline on the Western side of the state, the elevated hill and mountainous terrain of ...