It's Death Again

t's Death again – He's always there –
Watching, waiting – e'er the stare!
Every time I look behind
Or reach to pull the window blind,
I catch a glimpse of grubby hood –
A little clue to where he stood;
The glint of light that caught the scythe.
Perhaps if I could pay a tithe…
But O! no use, he'll never go.
The adamant phantom; don't you know
He will but wait until it's time
For me to hear His fateful chime? –
The toll that claims my destiny,
To Hail: 'You're next, it has to be…'


 Mark R Slaughter 2009

The Story of St. Valentine

                            
The Roman Emperor Claudius II was fighting many wars. He wanted a
strong army, but many men did not want to be soldiers. Claudius thought
the men wanted to stay home to be with their wives and children instead
of leaving to fight wars.
Claudius thought of an awful solution to his problem. He decided to cancel
all marriages! No one in all of Rome could get married. Claudius thought
that if the men couldn’t get married, the men would ignore the women
and want to be soldiers.
Valentine, who was a priest, believed that people needed to get married.
He thought that if they were not married, they would be tempted to sin by
living together without being married. So he secretly and illegally married
couples anyway! He performed the weddings in secret places, so the
Roman soldiers would not find out.
But they did find out. Valentine was arrested and brought before the
Emperor. The Emperor thought Valentine was a well spoken and wise
young man, and encouraged him to stop being a Christian and become a
loyal Roman. Valentine would not deny his beliefs, and he refused. He was
sent to prison until he could be executed. While he was in prison, he sent
out letters to his friends and asked to be prayed for by writing Remember
your Valentine.
Valentine was killed on the 14th or the 24th of February in the year 269 or
270. We celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th
in honor of St. Valentine.


Happy Valentines Day!!!!!!!!!

OM bana....From a man to a god....

On my way to udaipur from jodhpur on the midway i saw a place totally covered with people n devotees. bells ringing, vehicles pushing their horns ... I got curious n then upon asking got to know about the story of "bullet bana". i just got more curious n googled about it and found the story that once seems unbelievable from the science point of view but this is what the belief of the locals and people of rajasthan...

It's hard to miss the unlikely shrine near Chotila village, around 20 km away from Pali en route to Jodhpur on the highway. Every day nearby villagers and travelers stop and pray to the bike and its late owner Om Singh.

The temple beside the Enfield motorbike has a big picture of Singh, fondly known as Om Bana.

It is said that a person who does not stop to pray at the shrine is in for a dangerous journey. The story goes that about 21 years ago, on a fateful summer night, Om Bana was returning from Pali to his native Chotila on his bike when it skidded and hit a tree, killing him on the spot. The tree stands over the battered vehicle till date. Villagers say after Om Bana's death, the motorbike was taken to a local police station. But next day morning, it was found at the accident spot.


Police initially thought it was a prank and after emptying the fuel tank they brought the bike back to the station. However, the motorcycle was again at the accident spot the next day.

"As soon as the story spread, people in the nearby village built a platform on the spot where the death occurred and started offering prayers," said Chotu Singh, a resident of the nearby village.

The temple has a priest who manages daily affairs. Many shops offering incense sticks, flowers, coconut and red thread meant for offering prayers have sprung up near the shrine. Local people sing folk songs in the name of Om Bana who owned the Royal Enfield. Travellers, especially drivers of vehicles that pass by, offer prayers at the site, which is almost in the middle of the road. Some drivers also offer a small bottle of country liquor at the site, praying for a safe journey.

"Whenever I pass this area, I never forget to light incense sticks, offer liquor and lie prostrate in reverence," said Jagdish Singh, a taxi driver.

Devotees also apply the 'tilak' mark and tie a red thread on the motorbike.

"Villagers here believe Bana's spirit still hovers around the place and they can hear the Royal Enfield rev up at night," said Hem Singh Rajput, the resident of a nearby village.

The Little Boy Lost

``Father! father! where are you going?
O do not walk so fast.
Speak, father, speak to your little boy,
Or else I shall be lost.''

The night was dark, no father was there;
The child was wet with dew;
The mire was deep, & the child did weep,
And away the vapour flew.

The Little Boy Found

The little boy lost in the lonely fen,
Led by the wand'ring light,
Began to cry; but God, ever nigh,
Appear'd like his father in white.

He kissed the child & by the hand led
And to his mother brought,
Who in sorrow pale, thro' the lonely dale,
Her little boy weeping sought.