Shape of a citrus tree

The alphabet "P" or the number four in opposite direction?



I like this shape of a small citrus tree. Its density and the openness of its branching in this unique and rather abstract way is quite appealing to me.

Shape and structure is the most dominant feature of a tree at any time of a year, so sometimes I have this feeling that trees actually communicates with us through the shapes they attain rather than the leaves they grow.

So what do you think, is it the alphabet "P" or the number four in opposite direction?

A desolate tree - Remains of a glorious past

"The time of spring is past,
The rose-leaves in the garden drift apart,
Among the trees the bulbul sings no more.
How long, madness, shalt thou hold my heart?
How long, exaltation, shalt thou last
Now spring is o'er ?"

From THE DIWAN OF ZEB-UN-NISSA, the eldest
daughter of the Mughul Emperor Aurungzaib.

A lonely tree at Hiran Minar, a hunting resort of Emperor Jahangir, near Sheikhupura, Its a city in the province of Punjab slightly northwest to Lahore in Pakistan. The name Sheikhupura is derived from the nick of Jahangir, who was known as Sheikhu by his father Akbar the Great.

Its a pomegranate time

Yes, the beauty of my pomegranate ( anar) tree also persists at night time.

Here is the brief history of pomegranate in Islam which help you to understand that sufi poetry I mentioned below. There is a lot of admirations for pomegranates in Islam. It linked with eternity and fertility and it is among the list of 12 foods mentioned by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).



The pomegranate which laterally means " seeded apple" is an ancient fruit and it is mentioned three times in The Quran Majeed.

It is stated in Surah Rehman, "In them are fruits (of all kinds), and dates and pomegranate.Then which of the favours of your Lord will you deny? " [55:68-69]

It is also reported that one who eats three pomegranate in the course of a year will be inoculated against ophthalmia( inflammation of the eye) for that year. Its the fruit of Paradise and traditionally, it was believed to be important to eat every seed of a pomegranate, as one can’t be sure, which aril came from paradise.

The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him)said it cleanses you of Satan and evil aspirations for forty days. " Eat the pomegranate for it purges the system of envy and hatred."

Similarly, Hazrat Ali( R.A.) said that "the light of ALLAH is in the heart of whoever eats pomegranate."

Pomegranates, Sufi Poetry from Pakistan:

Pomegranates, when they sing
It is sweet as rosy-nosed apples
Pears, hale and hearty
Like my grandma’s songs

May you live as the angels
Forever, like the pomegranates
That never die, unlike the
Dead that never come to life

And – when they smile
The pomegranates, it is like
No weather you know on earth
It is eternally the cloud

The perfect cloud with exactly
The kind of sunshine you saw in
Your picture book as a kid
With a rainbow

And it never feels hot or cold again
So forget the crude, vulgar types
The jokeless
It rains only when you want it to rain

Say, I am the richest, most famous
I’m the best I’m the best
I am I am
God is staying on earth tonight

Forget the cunt charmers
The heartless
Stinky beasts, smelly genitalia
It is crystal clear

God is staying on earth tonight
So He told me
Amidst the pomegranates
Everywhere at the same time

Pomegranates never die
They are roses in my grandmother’s
Kitchen
Where God lives

Prepared for banquets
For householders of the garden
Of spring followed by spring followed by spring
It is God’s kitchen

Where we are children
Sustained, without fire dwellers
Frozen in time, never to progress
Through God’s freezers of fire

The genitalia people
Frozen in time, smelling their genitals
Forevermore
And – we throw at ‘em rotten pomegranates

The fungus ones
Our diseases of old times covering their lips
Their wishes
The dirty freaks

But we have slept well
Now we only remember joy of all time
It is pomegranate time
He loves me

Reference:

Pakistan Politics Journal

Flowers for all seasons

Today's Quote:
"I will be the gladdest thing under the sun!
I will touch a hundred flowers
And not pick one."
- Edna St. Vincent Millay

My Ripened Pomegranates

Among all the fruit giving trees, the pomegranate tree is my most favourite. I have two pomegranate trees in my garden both of which are of same variety. They are small in size but completely delicious. Now I am just waiting anxiously for that bless moment when my mother would give me the green signal of picking them up.

Health benefits of eggplants

As you have noticed it by now that I have changed the template of my blog. I have done that before and why I always keep on changing the themes of my blog is mostly depends on my moods. I always in need for a change. Do tell me what do you think about this new template?

Now coming back to the post. Personally, I don't like eggplants much because for me they are almost tasteless. For some of you, they can be bitter in taste or its hard to cook them. But in-spite of all this, the good thing is that, they also have their benefits and can help in lowering the risk of coronary heart disease.

They are native to South Asia and known in South Asian countries as Brinjal or Bengan. They are available in markets throughout the season but their growing season is from August to October. This year we are growing them in our garden as they are nutritionally very important.



Some health benefits of brinjal or eggplants:

They are used as brain food because the skin of eggplant contains a phytonutrient called nasunin that helps protect the lipids in brain cell membranes. Cell membranes are almost entirely composed of lipids and are responsible for protecting the cell from free radicals, letting nutrients in and wastes out, and receiving instructions from messenger molecules that tell the cell which activities it should perform.

They are rich sources of phenolic compounds that function as antioxidants. It is believed, the phenolic acid in eggplant or brinjal is responsible for the eggplants slight bitter taste and browning that results when the flesh is cut. The antioxidant property can help prevent cancer, bacterial and viral infection.

They also reduce glucose levels of type II Diabetes.

They have a high source of dietary fibers, which is helpful for the proper functioning of the digestive system, and also acts against coronary heart disease.

I have that two variety of eggplants or brinjals (green apple eggplant and Asian eggplant) in my home garden which is easy to grow and cook.

References:
To know more about eggplants or brinjal,
visit these websites for more information:

Eggplant -- A Mad Apple with a Dark Liaison
Benefits Of Eggplant
Health Benefits of Eggplant
Eggplant