Good Reads with Chai – Jun 19

If you are still getting used to drinking and reading up (Chai of course), not to worry! We are back with another edition of Good Reads with Chai. However, we suspect that laziness might be holding some of you back, so we took a different route this time. This edition we’ve put in some video assistance for all you lazy bones out there, so you can now sip your Chai and watch/listen if that’s what you prefer!

This edition, we will be covering poetry and we have tried our best to cover a slightly broader spectrum. We’ve curated a very different collection, to suit a variety of sensibilities and help throw a bit of light on some lost history and culture.

So, grab a Chai and read on!

Here’s our list:

• Macavity the Mystery Cat – TS Eliot:
  

  

   

   The poem, Macavity the Mystery Cat is the best known of TS Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, the only book Eliot wrote for a younger audience. The poem is considered particularly suitable reading for 11- and 12-year-olds.

  
  Macavity (also called the Mystery Cat, the Hidden Paw and Napoleon of Crime) is a master criminal, but in the poem he is too clever to leave any evidence of his guilt. Macavity is described as being a ginger cat who is very tall and thin with sunken eyes, and “sways his head from side to side with movements like a snake”.

  A breezy, humorous piece to sit back and unwind to, while sipping some refreshing Assam Masala Tea.

  Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKQLYNwAC2M

• Having Crossed The River – Kabirdas:

  
  “Having crossed the river,
  where will you go, O friend?
  There’s no road to tread,
  No traveler ahead,
  Neither a beginning, nor an end.”

  A timeless classic, from Kabirdas, a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint. His most famous writings include his dohas or couplets.

  Take a big sip from your Assam Whole Leaf Green Tea, open up your mind and imagination before you sit down to take a glimpse of Kabir’s universe.

  Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX3EXJJLBOA

• Caged Bird – Maya Angelou:

  

  
  Maya Angelou was was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry.

  In “Caged Bird,” poet Maya Angelou describes a bird with clipped wings. Its feet have been tied, and it has been placed in a cage that prevents it from flying away. Despite its fear, the caged bird continues to sing of freedom.

  Take a brisk sip of strong Assam Premium Tea and take a deep breath before exploring the deep meaning behind her works.

  Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWU8z8K0O50

• Song of the Earth – M. Gopalkrishna Adiga

  

  
  Mongeri Gopalakrishna Adiga (1918–1992) was a modern Kannada poet. His style has been described as a response to the independence of India from British rule in 1947.  Inspired by modern Western literature and Indian tradition, he set out to portray the “disillusionment and angst of the times.”|

  “My birth was at the bottom rung of the Western Ghats
  At a distance of three rolls only from the boiling cauldron sea.
  She welcomed me waving her outstretched coconut  branches,
  She shook the rattle of arecanut bunch.”

  To truly take in the flavour of this piece, infuse your reading with a strong cup of Nilgiri Orthodox Black Tea.

  Poem link: https://bombmagazine.org/articles/song-of-the-earth/
  

• A Drinking Song – George Etherige:

  

  A fun one to finish this edition!

  Sir George Etherege was an English dramatist who lived during the 1600s. Although he experienced a lot of success with literature, he lost much of that fortune to gambling. Like many poets, Etherege wrote a drinking song to show a night of fun among friends and strangers.

  “Let every man stand
  With his Glass in his hand;
  And briskly discharge, at the word of command!

  Indulge yourself in making a sprightly cup of refreshing Nilgiri Whole Leaf Green Tea as you swoon to this timeless classic.

  Poem link: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/a-drinking-song-by-sir-george-etherege

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If you sat through this edition of Good Reads with Chai, we hope it was a nice change from the usual format and that you liked it!

Stay tuned for the next edition of Good Reads with Chai! Until then …

Keep calm and Chai on.