Earth Day is not just one day where we need to look at ways to save our earth. In 1962, the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring started a revolution, or rather started the environmental revolution. A few years later (in 1969), Senator Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin, already a staunch environmental activist set the grounds for the first Earth Day after a massive oil spill in California. Read more about the history of Earth Day here (source: National Geographic)

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The Silent Spring Spurs Us On: Sustainability Tips and More

As I mentioned earlier, Carson’s Silent Spring sparked a movement that created awareness throughout the nation, about various facets of human impact on our environment, and back again on humans. Today, we all know terms like sustainability, green living, eco-friendly, and such. For this, we should give a Shout Out to Silent Spring! And do our part for living a life that has minimum footprint on our earth.

So here is a short guide to sustainability for you:

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Minimize waste and recycle materials.
2. Conserve Energy: Turn off lights and use energy-efficient appliances.
3. Conserve Water: Fix leaks and use water-saving fixtures.
4. Choose Sustainable Transportation: Walk, bike, carpool, or use public transit.
5. Support Sustainable Products: Choose eco-friendly and ethically sourced items.
6. Eat Sustainably: Buy local, organic, and plant-based foods.
7. Reduce Single-Use Plastics: Use reusable alternatives and avoid single-use plastics.
8. Support Renewable Energy: Consider switching to solar or wind power.
9. Practice Sustainable Gardening: Grow your own food organically and compost.
10. Educate and Advocate: Raise awareness and support sustainability initiatives.

Superb S Books that Shout Out Loud

SHOUT

Snow Birds

Starfish

Like a Silent Spring? A Serenade of Serendipity

NaPoWriMo’s Day 22 prompt: Write a poem in which two things have a fight. Two very unlikely things, if you can manage it. Like, maybe a comb and a spatula. Or a daffodil and a bag of potato chips. Or perhaps your two things could be linked somehow – like a rock and a hard place – and be utterly sick of being so joined. The possibilities are endless!

I think I will work on something new for this later but the moment I read this prompt, I recalled a poem I wrote based on an unlikely fight I witnessed between a hummingbird and a bee! I initially wrote a stornello (the first one below – The Silent Battle) and for this rewriting it in a different style (Serendipitous Set-to)

The Silent Battle
This yellow flower –
it is mine! For me, dear bee! Do you hear?!
Go away, find your own place, your own bower.

Phew! This plastic thing?
Keep it, dear hummingbird! But! Just. one. last. drink?
I promise! Aren’t I all honey, and no sting?!
~Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Serendipitous Set-to
In the dance of the afternoon light,
A hummingbird and bee took flight,
Around the feeder, they twirled and spun,
A tale of nature, just begun.

In dizzy circles, they roamed the air,
A silent battle, a subtle affair.
No jokes to jest, no laughter’s trill,
Just nature’s play, a quiet thrill.

Yet in this moment, a scene so rare,
A clash of species, mid-air,
With buzzing hum and fluttering wing,
A silent duel, as the seasons sing.

From kitchen window, my eyes did see,
This cool tale of serendipity,
A tale of bee and bird in flight,
In nature’s theater, pure delight.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

Songs and Names Sweet as a Silent Spring

For the S names, I bring you names of loved ones (my daughter, my sister-in-law, and my mother). Sahana is the name of a beautiful Carnatic raga (South Indian classical musical notation); Shoba meaning beauty, beautiful; Sundari – also meaning beautiful

The S songs today are all sweet melodies, like a babbling spring.

Saagar Kinare from the movie Saagar

Sandese Aate Hain, Humein Tadpaate Hain from the movie Border. You can watch the original picturised song here. And/or listen to this song in the video below

Soja Rajkumari Soja from the film Zindagi (1940). Based on what I read about this movie/song, there is no known copy of the film itself (destroyed in a fire years ago), but the audio did survive. My dad used to sing this lullaby song often.

Sun Sahiba Sun from the movie Ram Teri Ganga Maili. Movie picturisation here.

And Now, the End of This Records Breaking Post!

Dear reader, do let me know if you have read any of the books listed today? Which book would you pick first? Will you attempt a poem today? Do share any book recommendations, poetry you loved or wrote, and of course, all and any thoughts on this post.

I am linking up to A-Z, Blogchatter, UBC, NaPoWriMo

And you can find all my A-Z posts (this year and previous years’ as well) here:

A to Z Challenge Posts