Month of Love...

The month of love will start from tomorrow.

What I gift people who truly love will be up on mu blog on 3rd Feb, 2016. It is a poem that is approved, appreciated and published by a new journal. The poem is titled as Emotional Passage.

Before the month ends - as I wrote this year I want to focus on short stories and different forms of poetry other than haiku, tanka...

Very happy to receive an email that a poem of mine is shortlisted for a new journal. The editor wrote the below mail in praise of my work. He liked it. I wanted it to be published in Feb ' being the month of love'. It will be live on Wednesday.

"
Thank you for your recent submission, I really like your poem 'Emotional Passage' and I would like to publish it in Anti-Heroin Chic. I have a spot open for it on wed Feb 17th & I'll email you with the link once it is up. Thank you for your interest and support in this relatively new journal and for the kind words. "

Tomorrow I will share all the links where I am published this month, and shortlisted for the next month.

Short Story and A Poem - Published!

I am very excited to share the link of my first short story published in 2016. This story is inspired by a true life incident. The editor has approved, and finally published it on Readomania.

This is a true happy moment as this is my first short story written, and it got shortlisted. 

http://www.readomania.com/story/a-letter-to-her-daughter

Another feather in my cap as my poem is also approved by the editor, and published on Readomania. Here is the link for my readers to read -

http://www.readomania.com/story/i-am-the-creator

Feeling happy!

Published on VerseWrights

Phew !

Finally , I am reading the last submission for the anthology - 'Nothing is Mystery' for Author's United. But it is like a long journey about to end. Yes but we have another stage of proofreading the edited documents.

Yes - I have got good numbers to share with my readers for the month of January. I just finished the monthly status check for the published and unpublished work. A number of submissions are made for the journals, and the contests. 

I picked my favourite ones for the January month. Also - the ones I could not submit in second half of 2015. VerseWrights is one of them. My two tanka and two haiku are published in the current issue of VerseWrights. I am immensely thankful to the editor for such an amazing and encouraging feedback.

So if you missed reading my work from initial submission till date at VerseWrights - I am happy to share the link. You can read some of my best haiku, and tanka at the below link , or you can like the Facebook page of VerseWrights.

http://www.versewrights.com/archana-nagpal.html

Happy Monday!

Unthinking and Thinking

I am a hyper active person. I cannot sit idle for even a minute. I cannot relate to people who come to me complaining - I do not get time for myself, or I have kids, or I have ...blah blah....endless, clueless reasons. From my home to my studies, from my work to my workouts - I think its all about time management. I cook all three meals a day. I write for three hours a day, I spend 1 hour reading a day, I try to do 25 kms of workout to keep my body in shape to fight my pains, and I think its all about time management. Ofcourse - I dont spend time in watching movies, or kitty parties, or pot luck gossips, or religious meetups (as I think to connect to God - I want to be alone, and in deep meditation) - use time wisely. Inspired by these thoughts comes my first published poem of 2016 - Unthinking and Thinking!

A poem is shortlisted for Writer's Drawer portal. 

This is my first poem selected for this portal, indeed my first initiative for this portal. This year I plan to write non-haiku stuff as well. SO here we go with the first one...

.I wrote this poem in 1 minute 34 seconds. My shortest record so far. Unthinking and Thinking is inspired by a feeling of doing nothing on a lazy sunday. Truly believe in Dolce Niente....

smile emoticon

..Have fun reading it, and have a fantastic lazy sunday....

http://www.thewritersdrawer.net/unthinking-and-thinking.html

Tanka Published !

Three tanka are published in Whisper's January 2016 Issue. Thank you Karen for the encouraging and impressive feedback. Here is the link for my readers -

http://whispersinthewind333.blogspot.in/2016/01/tanka-by-archana-kapoor-nagpal-india.html

following
my steps
a dragonfly …
finding my way out
my of thoughts
_________________

entering
from all sides of my room
the first snow ...
in mother’s lap
I collect the warmth
_________________

in
my pot of water
the rising sun …
at every tinkle of a bell
pelting holy flowers

Hugs n Love
Archana

I Am The Creator

I wrote the below poem to share a thought with my women readers.The news and hype around rape cases have a created a phobia in a woman of every age group. Flashing headlines in red - ' Another Gang Rape blah blah' leaves me in panic for hours. Half of the battle is lost if you surrender to your fears. Read this poem and note the last two lines of my poem.

I Am The Creator 

I unlock my thoughts,
And capture the negative words,
These black and white letters,
In this daily newspaper,
I sip a harder crime,
That travels more to my mind,
I experience a lurch in my stomach,
As I board the train to my office,
Every man around me,
Reminds me of some crime,
I rub my fist in hesitation,
Hiding myself behind my fear,
I squeeze and shrug every minute.

I feel every eye is watching me,
I pull my scarf to hide me,
Not letting anyone to touch,
I finally miss my station,
I see many calls on my number,
Worries of family and endless troubles,
I get down at the next station,
And go in the right direction,
I look up in the mirror
The mirror looks at me
I ask myself, ‘who created this fear’,
Laughing at my naivety the mirror answers,
 ‘You yourself created this fear’.

~ Archana Kapoor Nagpal

A Special 2016 Moment !

Phew !

It was a busy hectic day for me. Filling university forms, and travelling to the other side of the city. Jayanagar is damn far and the traffic is really painful (indeed in every city of India).

I always learn to submit things at the last moment. Something like boarding the train once it is off the station. But finally my form is submitted for the course. Yet to get the acknowledgement else I am pushed to the July batch. But I am OK with both the options. Acceptance. I did my best to submit but rest is my destiny.

Editing another two stories for the anthology - I am just having fun in reading these exciting stories woven around mystery and thrill. I want to share a special moment with all of you....in the below post from my official author page. I want to steal a moment from your busy day to share my happiness. It is an achievement for me as a haiku poet. But before you read this - three tanka are already shortlisted as my first submission of 2016. Though - due to studies and my work with AU, this year I might not submit much stories or poems but still every submission is like my child.

"The New Year starts with a moment of happiness and proud for me as a writer. It doesn't matter how many poems/stories you write as a poet or writer. But it makes a difference to your journey when you look back and admire that you crossed a milestone. Ofcourse, my milestone is infinity but 100 haiku on my Living Haiku Anthology Profile makes a difference to me. I saw this LHA in Feb, 2014 when I started writing, and sharing my haiku in the forums. A moment to steal from my past and present to my readers - to visit the below link, and read my some of the best chosen haiku.

http://www.livinghaikuanthology.com/surnames-n/242-archana-kapoor-nagpal.html

Thanks to the entire LHA team. A special thanks to Don and Hansha."

1325 Ways...To Happiness

As I am working on the second post for my second blog - I have finished the first book of 2016. Let it snow...three romantic plots.

I just got a new book that will go on for 1325 days with my other books. It is a book that gives me a lesson a day to live happily. 1325 Buddhist Ways to be Happy by Barbara Ann Kipfer. It is strange that books have been written to keep one happy though we all are gifted with a beautiful smile. The ups and downs of life change us; it diverts the focus from acceptance to expectation - and we forget that we are born with a gift of happiness.

'Life gives a life; find a reason for it. Not a reason to be happy. It is everyone's birth right to be happy and you don't need a reason for it, RIGHT??

We are addicted to laptops, smart phones, chatrooms, and many other unwanted addictions. Shut it down, switch it off, logout, and just breathe. See yourself in the mirror. Look at your lips and those sparkling eyes that are only switching between the apps. Hold your own hand and feel the creation of God. Pick 1325 days to read a lesson if you are still unsure of yourself or if you are unhappy...

I picked this book for my blog as I promised myself - I will be happy no matter how much pain comes in life. Trust me - fighting pain is the toughest battle as you are dealing with yourself. You cannot be too hard to yourself, but I have learnt .....to deal with myself. I am damn happy about it.

I lost beautiful people in my life that left me hurt. Indeed, very hurt. But I liked or loved my choices as each one of them gives me a reason to live and be happy. Each one of them gives me a hope to look forward in life. They left me hurt but they taught me to be on my own; to crack a smile with tears in eyes. They made me strong to stand and fight alone with my problems. This is the biggest happiness I am given by God.

Funerals are not for the dead; they are for the living. 

Smile so much that you are remembered without an eulogy. We all want to be remembered. But very few live in hearts of many ever after.

Give yourself a SMILE. Kickstart your week with a thought - I will be ALWAYS HAPPY!

Hugs n Love

Archana

Love - First Step Of Happiness....

Love is a strange feeling. Love for a friend, love for a sibling, love for parents, love for your spouse, or love for a stranger. The characteristics might differ but the hidden meaning is the same - unconditional care, and selfless affection. 

I was editing the whole day as I could not step out due to sore throat and fever. But I enjoyed my day - just reading some good stories. Have you ever noticed - the first time you fall in love, there is a glow on your face, and the same glow when you make love to someone ;).

Why??

As your hormones are in an elevated mode, and so are your spirits. You feel happiness about everything. Your eyes shine and your cheeks appear as glistened apples. You think of the moment wherever you go; you think of the person whatever you do..

I share a wonderful video of my favourite song to make you feel in love again and again. Apologies - it is a bollywood latest number. 

Love unconditionally. Set no expectation, and you will be a step close to happiness. Learn to sacrifice for your loved ones. This is the best feeling as you get to see your loved ones happy in their real lives.

Here we go - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jza8FH8dQNs

Arijit Singh has an amazing voice. I love all his songs, and I think he sings every song that peeps through my heart to my soul. Emotional Fool!!

Hugs N Love

Archana

First Post of 2016 - Creative Therapy

Wow!

We enter another fantastic year that ends with my lucky number 6. Well - it's  not about numbers or days that makes one lucky - it's all about your response to actions and reactions to situations, hurdles or anticipation of people.

This year - I started with my editing job of another anthology. I want to make use of my writing skills for a new term that is much of my innovation - 'Creative Therapy' but unlike the way you google, and read it.

I see creativity in everything around me. Maybe, that's the reason I can pen down a poem in 67 seconds. But I think creativity has a broader sprectrum to cater and heal. Heal doesn't refer to people who are going through medical disorders or mental disorders or physical disorders.

For me CT means - an approach to make small things look bigger that can benefit one's thought process, and at the same time big useless stuff appearing smaller than an atom.

Fasten your seat belts - as this year we will look at things through a lens of happiness. My first post is dedicated to the goals that I want to set and make my readers read. I want you to read happiness. Most of the time I see people around me who have everything but still they are unhappy. When you are unhappy - the first thing you will lose is a moment with your loved one; second your health ; thirdly, your balance of mind, and then you end up paying for your own mistakes/ignorance. 

Ignorance is not BLISS. Acceptance is BLISS!

My second blog - 'Power Of Happiness' will run parallel to the same concept. This week - you will get to read the second post on the blog (as I have mentioned - 'PoH' will have less posts focussing around happiness).

I wish you all a wonderful year ahead. Stay Happy. Stay Fit. Stay Positive. Be beautiful inside and out. Let your hormones do their job properly!!

Hugs n Love

Archana