Here are the links to read my work for
the month of April 2016
–
Love
Archana
About Me
- Archana Kapoor Nagpal
- Archana Kapoor Nagpal is an internationally published author of four books. She often participates in the short story competitions, and her winning stories are now part of international anthologies. She has seen her short stories, poems and Haiku published in other anthologies as well She has also been actively involved in the editing, proofreading and book designing of various anthologies. You can read more about her writing career at the below link: https://www.facebook.com/archanaknagpal/
Friday, April 29, 2016
Monday, April 25, 2016
Acorn Published My Haiku!!
Very happy to share that I will be one of the co-editors for the next volume of Atoms of Haiku - Volume 2. I congratulate my other two co-editors for being onboard.
Soon we will be announcing the 'Call For Submissions' as the AU team, and my founder friends are working on the same.
Let us haiku something really 'aha' in the next few weeks.It feels so good to share that Acorn journal latest issue includes my haiku as well
abortion...
how snowflakes melt
into my palms
Happy Monday!
Sunday, April 24, 2016
Chrysanthemum Published My Haiku!
Chrysanthemum latest edition includes my haiku. I love to read my work translated in different langauges.
winter weight … Winterschwere ...
my snowman grows mein Schneemann wird
fatter too auch fetter
my paper plane … mein Papierflugzeug
still pondering weiß noch nicht so recht
where to go wohin
Here is the link -
Happy Sunday!
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Gnarled Oak Published Longest Night!
A haiku published in Gnarled Oak, Issue 8. It is inspired by my childhood days when I used to study late nights, and frequent power cuts in Delhi was a serious concern. A candle light was my only hope. Never thought one day it will be expressed in a haiku. 'Where there is a will, there is always a way!'
Gnarled Oak Issue 8 includes my haiku. Thank you for all the likes, and encouraging comments -
longest night ...
and all the candles
go dim
and all the candles
go dim
Dream Big!
Think Big!
Monday, April 18, 2016
Password = Peace
The biggest challange is to forgive the one you loved. The reason is simple - you never expect that they will hurt you. But tragedy is the fact when someone you loved leaves you hurt. This year whoever asked me for an apology - was not granted it. I got so rigid in my decision of not forgiving but just forgetting. But if u do not forgive - you cannot forget. 11 Years or 8 years....is not an easy task to forget but somewhere you have to start to move on!
I posted this piece of amazing story on my FB. It might help me to forgive people I loved. It might take time but I changed my passwords for sure. Gradually, i will forget until next month comes..
Read and share!
*************~~~~~~~~~~~~~\~**********
How a Password Changed my Life ... A true story from the Reader’s Digest ...
I was having an average morning until I sat down in front of my office computer .
"your password has expired”, a server message flashed on my screen, with instructions for changing it...
In my company we have to change passwords monthly..
I was deeply depressed after my recent divorce. Disbelief over what she had done to me was what I thought all day long ....
I remembered a tip I’d heard from my former boss. He’d said, “I’m going to use a password that is going to change my life”.
I couldn’t focus on getting things done in my current mood.. My password reminded me that I shouldn’t let myself be a victim of my recent breakup and that I was strong enough to do something about it.
I made my password – Forgive@her. I had to type this password several times every day, each time my computer would lock. Each time I came back from lunch I wrote forgive her.
The simple action changed the way I looked at my ex-wife.. That constant reminder of reconciliation led me to accept the way things happened and helped me deal with my depression..
By the time the server prompted me to change my password following month, I felt free.
The next time I had to change my password I thought about the next thing that I had to get done. My password became Quit@smoking4ever .
It motivated me to follow my goal and I was able to quit smoking.
One month later, my password became Save4trip@europe, and in three months I was able to visit Europe.
Reminders helped me materialize my goals and kept me motivated and excited.
. it's sometimes difficult to come up with your next goal
keeping at it brings great results.
After a few months my password was -
lifeis#beauTful !!!
Life is going to change again 👌👌
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Englyn - A UK Based Journal Published My Work
Two four line poems are shortlisted in the latest issue of Englyn, UK based journal for short poems. To access and read my work , please click the below link -
#1
#1
Weaving a hammock
around my crochet toys,
the spider forgets
its way out.
around my crochet toys,
the spider forgets
its way out.
#2
Under the burden of white flowers
and the poignant epitaph
this unfailing memory of togetherness,
as still his souls lives in me.
and the poignant epitaph
this unfailing memory of togetherness,
as still his souls lives in me.
Friday, April 8, 2016
DEPRESSION not equals to SUICIDE !!
Pratyusha commits suicide and she makes to the headlines. People come up with their own speculations, and judgements. Every person has a judgement to prove his or her point.
This post is not about Pratyusha or why she committed suicide. I do not think I am the right person to write or comment about someone's misery. But I definitely want to write about why the generation is looking suicide as the only alternative. I am not writing whether Pratyusha was depressed or not? I want to understand what are we trying to prove by opting for suicide??
Is suicide an answer to our problems? Is suicide the only answer to end our miseries? Is suicide an escape from depression?
If the answer is 'yes' - then the world would not have been so populated as everyone has a problem that appears big enough to that respective individual. I fought depression. It is time for me to share few things from life. It might give an answer to many who quit to accept things, and get depressed for nothing. Depression is an outcome of web of thoughts. When you are in a negative state of mind - you create a thought and weave thoughts around it. Unfortunately, in depression a negative for a negative doesn't becomes positive. It is like a black hole that pulls you inside. Right becomes wrong; Wrong becomes right. Then you meet people and you get carried away with the closest bad traits of a person. You start liking those people. Gradually - you do more damage to yourself. When the cycle doesn't end - you are advised anti-depressants! Now you have to fight or get addicted as you cannot live on anti-depressants forever!...NOW WHAT FROM HERE?
I have experienced this in my life. I also felt suicidal tendencies quite often. I have lived on anti-depressants for long, at times for pain management as I could not handle my pain attacks, and many times for personal miseries. I did damage to myself. Every outside thing in real and virtual world attracted me. I got obessed with images of a hollow man that created an emotional vacuum within me. Now I was almost finished. Then one day - I got up, I took all the pills out of my drawer but I was addicted. I fought. I had pain; I had anxiety attacks. I chose to cry, get admitted but I decided to fight with myself. No wonder - I am still fighting. I walked out of my home. I coloured my hair. I resumed studies. I again fell in love with my hollow man but this time I was a different person now. I was confident that this black hole cannot pull me. I have my magnetic forces to resist it. I might be still somewhere lonely at times - but I am no more a depressed person. I look myself as a fighter who is handling her pain with no medication. A person who might not have anyone to take care of her in the near future but she is still struggling not to drown.
I came out of it - not because of my parents, my husband or someone's blessings. I came out of it as I WANTED TO COME OUT OF IT. After 11 years - I restarted my life at the age of 36. SUICIDE is not the answer to any problem. Face the adversities of life. Be a fighter. Remember - sun sets to rise again the next day. A problem comes so that we can be prepared for a tougher time.
I feel bad for Pratyusha as she died too soon at the age of 24. Be a strong woman. If I can do - you can also do it!
RIP Pratyusha!
Monday, April 4, 2016
Haiku and Studies
Four Haiku are published in the latest issue of Blognostics.
http://blognostics.net/blognostics-an-innovative-experience-in-literature-poetry-and-art/2016/02/07/haiku-by-archana-kapoor-nagpal/
http://blognostics.net/blognostics-an-innovative-experience-in-literature-poetry-and-art/2016/02/07/haiku-by-archana-kapoor-nagpal/
I am almost done with the proposal commitments before I meet my Project Guide for the first approval. Fingers crossed.
I started studying the material before I write my assignments. The feeling is like being a working student. I started working at the age of 17. I completed my studies while I was working in the evening. I have always been quite good at doing two things at the same time. But with home, husband and work commitments - it is tough, tougher, toughest!!
Mom is not with me to pack my breakfast though my husband supports a lot still....mom is a mom. She used to make all three meals, pack them for me, oil my hair, cut fruits for me, iron my clothes, and at the end her presence next to me always made a difference. After a tired day - i could sit next to her in the balcony (it was a stress reliever in its own way). I wish I can go back....but I cannot deny the support that my husband gives me. The time he gave me for myself is a big credit to his understanding for my dream to study further....:). The liberty to cook at times and skip when I have deadline is a big help for me. He get me books, make juice for me, put drops in my eyes as I got my yearly seasonal allergies.....what else a wife wants....I guess I got too much without asking....;). Will be visiting university tomorrow for my first submission. Phew!
Here are these four haiku -
# 1
at every turn
the moon reaches before me …
walking uphill
# 2
with him
in his coffin…
scent of jasmine
# 3
in loneliness
reading the epitaph
in reverse
# 4
between
me and him
a cashmere cardigan
Saturday, April 2, 2016
A One Line Haiku Gets Published!
April starts with my first published haiku for the Brass Bell: an Online Haiku Journal. To read my work - please click the below link:
Friday, April 1, 2016
March Newsletter Dedicated To My Dad!
March Newsletter is here for my readers. But before you read this newsletter, my all contest winning haiku are dedicated to my father as he really helped me being what I am today. I am proud of his teachings. If my mother is my strength then my father is my foundation of intelligence and courage.
Once I was told by a friend (maybe out of anger) if he had a daughter like me - he would have slapped her. At that time I really cried (as I was so hurt by the words used for me/ expressed for me, or maybe it was out of so much of love for a friend that the words were really hard to digest...lol...it happens in life....but we all move on.) - but today when I see myself being appreciated for my work, my spirit, my writings, my courage - I really owe it to my parents. Recently, another friend told that he wants his daughter to be as multi talented as I am. For a second, I was touched, and almost cried. So all my four winning haiku of March 2016 is dedicated to the best father in the universe - my dad! I also dedicate this beautiful song to him (apologies it is in my mother tongue - Hindi)
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