Maya Angelou.....Poet....Homage.....

We lost a beautiful poet laureate Maya Angelou today.  Margurite Johnson was born poor in St. Louis, worked as a singer at a strip club in San Francisco. She changed her name to Maya Angelou very aptly. Her autobiography, "I know why the caged bird sings", has inspired many men and women not only African American but all of us who underwent some sad episodes in life.

She read her poems at the President's inaugural ball, friends with Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela.
A true inspiration to all of us. We bow to thee in respect dear Maya.

Human Family 

By Maya Angelou 1928–2014

I note the obvious differences

in the human family.

Some of us are serious,

some thrive on comedy.

Some declare their lives are lived

as true profundity,

and others claim they really live

the real reality.

The variety of our skin tones

can confuse, bemuse, delight,

brown and pink and beige and purple,

tan and blue and white.

I’ve sailed upon the seven seas

and stopped in every land,

I’ve seen the wonders of the world

not yet one common man.

I know ten thousand women

called Jane and Mary Jane,

but I’ve not seen any two

who really were the same.

Mirror twins are different

although their features jibe,

and lovers think quite different thoughts

while lying side by side.

We love and lose in China,

we weep on England’s moors,

and laugh and moan in Guinea,

and thrive on Spanish shores.

We seek success in Finland,

are born and die in Maine.

In minor ways we differ,

in major we’re the same.

I note the obvious differences

between each sort and type,

but we are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

We are more alike, my friends,

than we are unalike.

PEACE ON EARTH

All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.

March.... Madness.... London....

March madness began from Maui! Took the red-eye back to DC, off to London from Washington Dulles.
As always a "sky warrior" need to be prepared for this last minute travel plans and have to enjoy every moment like a child in a toy land. Interestingly, spring has started in London compared to the cold pronged winter in the East Coast.

I stayed in Bracknell and the commute was not so bad.  One evening we had our business dinner in Windsor. Windsor is always special for me.  During my first business trip to London in 1997, I stayed at the Castle Hotel just opposite to the Windsor castle.  I used walk across the Thames to see the Eton College and the beautiful gardens.  This time I did not have time to go to the British Museum. I love the museum collections on Assyrian and the Egyptian rare artifacts. Some of them are even better than the one in the museum at Cairo.

I visited Piccadilly and nothing changed much in the two years. It was nice to meet couple of my old friends in the city.  I find the Britishers more relaxed and not worry too much about terrorism.  Security at the Heathrow airport was as usual.  I am so used to the procedure that I can remove shoes and put the laptop on a tray in a minute!

Could not believe that the week was gone just like that. Sitting comfortably in the BA flight to go back home, I was reminiscing about the visits made to the cities in UK. Apart from London, in Manchester I had a great time with my colleagues when I visited Liverpool with them. I will blog more on Liverpool one of these days. The flight attendant announced that due to the turbulence there will be an hour delay. I smiled, thinking how travel helps to develop patience!

PEACE ON EARTH

All content copyright © by Sobana Iyengar.