Have you ever tried to burn paper or a dry leaf with a magnifying glass? Have you ever tried lighting a fire out in the open, in a desolate desert, on the icy surface of a frozen landscape, in the unbroken wilderness, beside a murmuring stream, somewhere high up on a mystic mountain, in a clearing in a dense forest, or perhaps in a dark and narrow alley in a city, on the terrace of a building, or in a dumpster somewhere in a concrete jungle? There lies a deep sense of accomplishment in creating fire out of nothing. Starting a steady blaze from a tiny spark ignites a warm feeling of a deeply satisfying achievement.
Fire is perhaps one of the most important phenomena to humankind. It gave us the embrace of safety during the predatory days of the war of the species and continues to provide us with a sense of security in any dark and unpredictable environment. It gave us the ability to eat things that we could not consume otherwise. It gave us the power to clear the lands, mould nature, and split the elements. It brought the illumination and warmth of the life-giving sun into the palm of our hands. It lit up our world and advanced human civilisation in unfathomable ways.
Fire, however, is a powerful force and something not to be reckoned with. That’s why perhaps, it holds a sacred mantle in almost all civilisations, religions, and beliefs. It in itself is neutral, neither good nor evil. It is found in all the realms, on Earth, in the netherworlds, and in the heavens. It burns at the highest altars of our most haloed gods and roars under the boiling cauldrons in the lowest rungs of hell.
It blazes the stars in the void of space, simmers the waters in the deepest of the freezing oceanic trenches, and keeps the core of the earth molten, helping the planet spin on its axis, making day and night possible. In the beginning, when there was nothing, it was a spark that caused the genesis of creation, and it will be a fire that ultimately disintegrates every last being and thing into nothingness.
Now there lies a profound influence of fire on the physical, psychological, and metaphysical being of a human. While most of us are unaware of this, some of us are more receptive and conscious of it, and then there are a very few who are born with the ability to harness and channelise this powerful energy in unimaginable ways, something regarded as supernatural, mystical, or magical by ordinary men.
Traces of the existence of such extraordinary beings are often found in the annals of human history and religion, in scriptures, songs, myths and lores, as gods, demigods, angels, demons, mythical creatures, heroes, and villains. Prometheus, Ola, Ra, Zhurong, Gugurang, Agni, Jowangsin, Amaterasu, atar, Odqan, Alaz, Enji, Eate, Alpan, Brigit, Logi, Caca, and Pele are some of the known fire deities across various cultures, whom many have come to fear and revere over the ages.
As human civilisation advanced with the evolution of technology and way of life, science took a tighter grip on our beliefs, and these beings of magic and mystery became more conspicuous. Though now we rarely see or hear about them, they still live among us, dwelling in the shadows, living lives of faded existence.
On the sixth day of the sixth month in the year of our lord 1980, Ogni, meaning fire in Bengali, was born with a fiery red skin and soul-piercing amber eyes in a measly shanty made of split bamboo, broken plastic, rusted tin, deadwood, and old worn-out bed sheets, in the Tangra slums of the conurbation of Kolkata in India. It was one of the hottest dates in living memory, with many spontaneous fires making newspaper headlines the next day.
During those days, the favela of Tangra reeked with the smell of chemicals, blood, and dead flesh, being home to over three hundred and fifty tanneries built by the Hakka Chinese shoemakers who settled in the marshy wetland region of the city around seventy years back in 1910.
Right from the beginning, even as an infant, the boy showed signs of being different. He was literally so hot when he came out of his mother’s womb that he burned the hands of the midwife who delivered him. As a baby, his parents would use salvaged fire-retardant materials for his crib and to wrap him, for ordinary cloth and clothes, wood and plastic caught fire when the baby went into a fit of rage.
His parents came to believe that their boy with the fiery red skin and soul-piercing amber eyes was born with a curse. Since the child had a constant body temperature much higher than anyone else, they thought that he was always sick and forced him to stay in the hut as much as possible when he just wanted to play out in the streets with the other slum children.
As Ogni grew older, his powers became more uncontrollable. Soon the parents realised that their boy could never have a normal life because people always found it difficult to accept those who were different. They also realised that this curse was too powerful and had the potential to create great havoc and destruction if not put under check. The only thing that the boy, however, wanted was to have friends.
From religious men to quacks to witch doctors to traditional healers to medical practitioners, the parents knocked on every door available. Though their poverty did not allow them to explore many options, they finally found the cure to this bane in the unlikeliest of places. A local medicine shop owner prescribed paracetamol tablets. The simple fever medicine helped keep the red-skinned amber-eyed boy’s body temperature down, and the fiery curse became dormant.
Still, his parents kept him as protected as possible and never allowed him to mix around or have friends. They did not permit him to go to the local government school, which offered free education for slum children. Every day for hours, the little boy would peer out of his shanty window, looking at kids going to school. He wanted to speak and be friends with them but held back, fearing that he could only hurt them. The desire to go to school would become a lifelong obsession. It was like a forbidden fruit that he never ate.
With age, he realised that staying emerged in the neighbouring lake for long hours during the night helped keep his body temperature down to a great extent, but taking the fever medicines was also important to keep himself as normal as possible. He learned to experiment with various labels and try different combinations and dosages. All this medication, however, had its side effects. They always kept him sickly and depressed. Age and time went by, and he could never go to school or make any friends.
Many years had passed, and Ogni still lived in the same little shanty in which he was born. Now he was all alone as both his parents had passed away. With time he had learned not to have any friends, as closeness with people only meant having and displaying emotions, which could trigger his curse to cause a catastrophe. He went to a tannery to work six days a week, hardly spoke with anyone and mostly kept to himself.
The red-skinned amber-eyed fiery little boy born with an uncontrollable power had managed to transform himself into a sickly and anonymous hide cleaner from the slums of Tangra in the ‘City of Joy.’
One thing, however, gave him much happiness, every day on his way to work, he would sit on the bench outside the local government school to have breakfast, two dried flatbreads with a pinch of salt and a piece of onion. Eating here was not important, but observing and enjoying the kids going to school was the whole point. He would repeat this activity in the afternoon, during his lunch hours when the school broke. He never had anything to eat during the noontime but pretended to munch out of a crumpled newspaper, as it gave him a chance to observe and enjoy the children once again.
“We have been looking at you for a while, you paedophile. It’s high time you stop gapping at our children,” shouted an angry father as he and a few other slum parents walked up to Ogni’s bench while he was nibbling on his last piece of onion wrapped in yesterday’s flatbread, gaping at the children entering the school building.
“I… I… I… mean no… no… harm. I’m just having my breakfast. I… I… I… can… can… cannot harm the children. I… I… I… love them,” nervously bluttered Ogni as one of the parents landed a hard smack on his red face.
After being badly beaten and bruised, the poor hide cleaner spent the night huddled in a corner of the local jail cell. “I know you are not a bad soul Ogni. It’s just that you managed to attract the wrong kind of attention. You have never committed a crime in your life. God only knows why you gape at those children. Please stay out of trouble,” said the Officer in Charge before releasing the poor hide cleaner from the police station the next day.
Over the course of the next few weeks, Ogni tried his best to stay away from the school as far as possible but could not help stealing a glance when he passed that way. The long night emersions in the lake still helped him keep his calm during this spell of mental turmoil.
Gradually Ogni lost the desire to do much of anything and even to live, realising how miserable his life had been. He blamed the gods for cursing him with this bane and even stopped his medication contemplating self-immolation and death. The red-skinned amber-eyed fiery little boy born with an uncontrollable power who had turned into a sickly hide cleaner abhorred by society had finally decided the time and date to end his miserable existence.
At the end of the Hindu festival of Navratri, celebrated as the Durga Puja in Bengal, on the tenth day of the month of Ashvin of the Hindu calendar year 2069 in the year of the Christian Lord 2012, when the effigy of the Asura king Ravana is burnt all over the city to symbolise the triumph of good over evil, Ogni decided would be his last moment in this mortal realm. He felt that like Ravana who was misinterpreted as being evil, he too had been misjudged by the people.
When the morning of October 24th, 2012, finally came, Ogni knew it was the last twenty-four hours of his earthly presence. Already for days, he had stopped eating much, left going to the tannery, and given up his medicines. His core body temperature had been steadily rising, but a calmness had come to him. He no longer feared hurting anyone, for he knew that soon he would be no more to cause anyone any pain.
In the evening, when the festival was at its peak, Ogni finally came out of his shack. Saying goodbye to the place of his birth, he went and sat on the bench opposite the school to see the children for one last time before letting go of his emotions and using the fire within to set himself ablaze.
Through the wrought iron gate of the school, the thirty-two-year-old saw a flaming arrow being shot by a performing archer dressed as Lord Rama towards the pyro-filled effigy of the Demon King Ravana. The blazing projectile pierced through the evening sky and lodged itself on the chest of the ten-headed Asura, which lit up in a dazzling blaze within a few moments.
The crowd of children, parents, teachers, and guests in the school field surrounding Ravana’s flaming image clapped and cheered, enjoying the fireworks, till something totally unexpected and horrible happened.
Something with the pyro-technique had gone terribly wrong. Instead of burning in a controlled way, spurting fireworks towards the sky, the towering inferno of Ravana burst and engulfed everyone present in bellows of scorching flames. Within just a fraction of a moment, the playground had turned into a field of flaming children and people running around in blazes.
Without giving it a second thought, Ogni dashed towards the flames, not really knowing what he was doing, but with a pure heart and a deep desire to save the children. Next, what happened was nothing short of a miracle.
As Ogni lunged into the burning field and moved through the flames, uncertain and disoriented about who to leave and whom to help, an unimaginable phenomenon took place. Every bit of fire in that place left devouring everything else and pierced into his body. Like a giant electromagnet moving over a heap of iron filings, Ogni sucked up every bit of fire over there into himself till everyone else felt no heat and only the chill of the evening air. Not even a blister remained on any skin.
The last anyone ever saw Ogni was on that night, walking away from the school field engulfed in a dazzling flame entering the water of the neighbouring lake. No diver or anyone could ever find his remains. Many still believe that he still lives, a fire god who moves about the slum of the city, dousing any unwanted fire and flame.
Copyright © 2023 TRISHIKH DASGUPTA
This work of fiction, written by Trishikh Dasgupta is the author’s sole intellectual property. Some characters, incidents, places, and facts may be real while some fictitious. All rights are reserved. No part of this story may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including printing, photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, send an email to the author at trishikh@gmail.com or get in touch with Trishikh on the CONTACT page of this website.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Trishikh Dasgupta
Adventurer, philosopher, writer, painter, photographer, craftsman, innovator, or just a momentary speck in the universe flickering to leave behind a footprint on the sands of time... READ MORE
Weekend Stories by Trishikh 
💯🫂👋👍🇪🇸
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Thank you so much.
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Bonjour
Ce matin en me levant, je pensais à toi que je n’ai pas écris depuis moment
Alors je t’envoie ce petit mot sympa afin de reprendre contact et d’avoir de tes nouvelles que j’espère bonnes
N’hésite pas à me faire un petit coucou
Ton ami du net qui ne t’oublie pas malgré le temps qui passe
Profites-tu de ces journées magnifiques, pour faire une sieste ,une balade soit à la campagne ou bien au bord de l’eau, ou bien rester sagement à l’ombre en attendant la fraicheur du soir
Bise amicale Bernard
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Thank you Benrard, always a pleasure to hear from you.
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Wow. This was an emotional and amazing blog post Trishikh. It was as if I was reading a book and I am sorry to hear about the man who died in the fire💔💔
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Thank you so much friend for reading and enjoying my story. Believe me nothing gives me more joy, than when someone smiles, reading one of my stories. Do visit again, there are many more stories, which I am sure that you would love to read.
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I sure will🙏
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Do take your time. The stories are there forever. You can enjoy them anytime.
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Bonjour
Votre amitié et votre salutation sont très appréciées
J’espère que vous passerez une excellente journée !
Merci de vos commentaires
Il est pour moi toujours agréable de venir vous saluer quand le temps me le permet
Bise Bernard
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Thanks Bernard, always a pleasure to hear from you. A great day to you too.
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I’m sure your soul is intact—as are your imagination, talent, and research skills. They’ll all be there for you to draw on when the time is right.
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Thank you so much Annie. Appreciation and encouragement is something that really helps during such lean periods.
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Fascinating reading.
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Thank you so much. Nothing makes my day better than a little bit of appreciation.
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My pleasure!
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The pleasure is equally mine.
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Thank you 😊
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🙏
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Bonjour MON AMI
En cette nouvelle semaine qui commence
Je te souhaite de la joie
Des sourires de belles paroles avec tes amis, tes proches
De belles rencontrent
De douces pensées dans ton cœur
Ton AMI Bernard
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Have a great day Bernard. Best wishes to you too.
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Interesting…..Ogni
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Thank you so much Dr. Anil for finding my story interesting. I always treasure an appreciation.
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😊😊♥️
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🙏
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Great and well written story .Fire a purifying force. A good read thanks for sharing.
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Yes indeed! Fire is certainly a force, sometimes the outcome is purifying and sometimes it might also be devastating, however agreeing with you destruction is the precursor of purity.
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Nice article 🌿 Thanks for sharing ✅💯
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Glad that you like my story Birendra.
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The narrative skillfully weaves elements of mythology and tragedy, offering a poignant reflection on societal prejudices and the potential for redemption.👍🤝🎉
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I treasure your appreciation. Your analysis gives me great joy. Yes, mythology, history, morals, society are some of the topics that give me great joy. So glad that you like this story of mine.
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I’m delighted that you treasure the appreciation! It’s wonderful to hear that topics like mythology, history, morals, and society bring you great joy. Your story is truly captivating, and I’m glad you enjoy sharing it!🎉🤝
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Do visit again, there are many more stories that I have written, and I am sure that you would thoroughly enjoy many of them.
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Absolutely, I’ll be back for more! Your stories are a delightful journey, and I look forward to exploring the rich tapestry of narratives you’ve woven. Until then, happy storytelling!🎉
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I really look forward to your virtual visits to my treasure-trove of short stories.
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🤝🎉
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Bonjour MON AMI
J’ai une grosse pensée pour ceux qui subissent les inondations et qui ont tout perdu
COURAGE à vous dans cette période difficile à surmonter, des jours meilleurs viendront embellir votre maison
Je vous envoie mes pensées amicales
Que cette journée soit belle et douce
Que le soleil brille dans votre demeure
Que les oiseaux chantent pour vous
Je vous souhaite une merveilleuse journée
Rempli de joie et d’amour
Que le vent vous apporte de bonnes nouvelles
Votre Ami Bernard
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Always a pleasure to hear from you Bernard.
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Very nice. Well imagined and executed. Punk publishing forever!!
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Thank you so much. So glad that you liked this story of mine.
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Bonjour OU bonsoir MON AMI
Le jour vient de se lever ou de se coucher
Des mots me viennent à l’esprit
Pour te dire bonjour en toute amitié
Pour te souhaiter une bonne journée ou une bonne soirée
Une belle semaine à venir
Que chaque seconde de ce jour te soit de bonheur et de repos
Ainsi que pour ceux qui travail j’offre ces mots amicaux
Qu’ils vous accompagnent du matin au soir
Certains vont à l’école, d’autres au boulot, à chacun sa vie
Que ces petits mots de tendresse vous accompagnent
Bise amicale Bernard
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Have a great day dear Bernard. Always a pleasure to hear from you.
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Hey! I couldn’t believe you didn’t write anymore? I’m checking here because I haven’t received an email about a new post for a long time, I thought I accidentally unsubscribed. Should I turn on the alarm? best regards and waiting
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Dear Alic, I have been unable to sit and concentrate to write due to various family and professional commitments during the past few months, but believe me I think of getting back to writing every day, and pretty sure I am sure that I would be able to churn more stories one after the other as I used to do.
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Thank you for your answer, I am waiting and greetings in the New Year!
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May 2024 bring happiness and prosperity to you and your family.
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Thank you for your answer, I am waiting and greetings in the New Year!👏😁
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A very happy new year to you and your family too Alic.
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Thank you very much and have a happy year
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Happy new year!
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A very blessed and happy New Year to you and your family too dear old friend.
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Thank you Trishikh for the likes you have given me today.
I hope you are well and many of us hope you will write more of your wonderful stories soon.
Best Wishes
Kevin
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Dear Kevin, believe me that I am yearning to write again. Am just settling in a new town with a new job, so hopefully will be able to write again very soon after settling.
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SALUTI
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Thank you.
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🙂
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You have the gift of lending expression to feelings and attitudes and the power to create characters, enabling the reader to gain experiences for which most of us lack in imagination about possibilities but also of human realities.
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Your comments always make my day. I am so thankful for your encouragement. I think characters are the most important ingredients in a story, they help us relate.
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Hello blogger, I enjoyed reading your post. I subscribed. See you often. Have a happy and bright day.^^*
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Thank you. Look forward to you visiting again and enjoying more of my stories.
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oh wow! great story!
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Thank you so much. So glad that you liked my story. Nothing makes my day better than a little bit of appreciation.
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Thank you so much for promoting my story in your blog. Now so many more people would be able to read it. Much appreciate the kind gesture.
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check us out as welll…..
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Sure will do that. Like and follow.
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thank u
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immer nichts!😿
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Always glad to hear from you.
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Fantastic story!!!
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Thank you so much. Nothing gives me more joy than a little bit of appreciation.
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You are very welcome Trishikh!
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BONJOUR
Le bonheur est souvent quelque chose que l’on donne sans savoir.
Le bonheur est un état de vie: il en est ainsi d’un visage souriant, d’un rire communicatif, d’une présence, d’un geste,d’une caresse, d’une étreinte,d’un mot, d’un remerciement…
C’est une façon d’être, un mode de vie.
On ne calcule rien, on donne, c’est tout;sans rien attendre en échange.
Le bonheur on le crée, il ne coûte rien et il est contagieux..!!
Belle semaine à vous tous Bernard
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A great day to you Bernard.
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Le jour se lève
Je suis devant mon café avec mon PC
Des mots de poésie me viennent à l’esprit
Je t’écris ce poème pour te dire bonjour en toute amitié
Pour te souhaiter une bonne journée
Que chaque seconde de ce jour soit un tendre vers de poésie
Chacun sera servi
Que ces mots amicaux t’accompagnent du matin au soir
Certains vont à l’école, d’autres au boulot, certains au repos, à chacun sa vie
Que ces petits mots de tendresse te donnent de l’envie
Et pour ce dimanche à venir bonne fête aux mamans
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Thank you Bernard. Have a great week.
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Wow! What an amazing story, I was not expecting that ending!!
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Dear Jyotsana thank you for appreciating. Glad that you liked my story. Nothing makes my day better than a little bit of appreciation.
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Bonjour
J’ouvre la fenêtre pour admirer la nature
Une promesse de bonheur
La mélodie des oiseaux que l’on entend
Bonheur que la nature et bien faite
Ce petit matin est si beau
La vie est un cadeau
Un bonjour à partager
Le monde est beau, le monde est grand
Vraiment c’est beau d’être vivant
Il faut en apprécier chaque instant
Bonne journée à vous mes amis
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A great day to you too my friend.
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The fire hero lives on today for those who agree to die according to the act of cremation I suppose.
Such a sad description of him provides more sympathy who similarly have a gift that’s unappreciated.
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Very true usfman, many have unappreciated gifts, and many among them do not fail to do good to others.
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Bernard Bonjour Ami amie
Que le ciel soit gris ou ensoleillé
Je t’envoie ces mots pour égayer ta journée
Que cette journée te soit douce et enivré de bonheur et d’amour
Bise Amicale
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Always a pleasure to hear from you. Have a great week.
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Really interesting what you write. Greetings, Brisa
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Thank you so much for always liking my stories. Nothing gives me greater joy that receiving a bit of appreciation.
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interesting, there is so much to learn from this… thanks for sharing
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I must thank you for liking it. So happy that my stories peak your interest and you always appreciate them so much.
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Dear Trishikh
I like the post very much!
Thanks for liking my post ‘Night’. 🙏
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Dear Raj, thank you so much. I like your posts too.
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