The Fig Tree on the Barren Land

The barren land wasn't as barren as you'd like to imagine

The Wild Fig Tree was growing in its wilderness

A weary traveller once found respite under its shade

And though not a bird sat on its branches, or the desert insects

crawled where it was rooted, the fig tree cared not for its aloneness.

"I am enough to beautify this land, though deserted."

Parched and dry are the grounds on which I grow. 

My roots are buried where the waters flow,

from springs that thrive deep below.

Hence, my branches are heavy with a lushness that shows.

Not the heat from the searing sun do my leaves fear

As they multiply and thicken on my branches

to provide a verdant veneer

The wadi, once a thriving river, has run dry,

while I stood cooler in the open desert sun.

For the weary traveller, the tree was more than a shade,

His ancient masters

say

The fig tree is peace and prosperity

A life free from fear, it represents

to sit under one's own vine and fig tree

without fear

is an ancient wisdom

One must never forget.

-shobana-

Here's a free Faction Tool for you to write your very own Faction Story. I am sure you will enjoy the blueprint. Send your stories to me through the link provided on the website, and I will review them for free.  One story per writer. The Faction Master Blueprint - https://shobanagomesbookstore.blogspot.com/p/free-tool-to-write-your-faction-story.html

Thank you, and have a blessed Lenten week.

The Beautiful Woman

This poem is taken from my book Walk with Beauty, Timeless Footsteps. Soon to be published on Shobana Gomes' Bookstore.

I know that I am a wonder to you,

Hailing from someplace unknown,

I stand on beaches that seas rush to,

With sand on my feet to show.

O hail the sky,

That measures up to me,

And treats me as the beautiful one,

A woman am I,

Distrusting you see,

Of the camouflage that you set at dusk.

I stand with colors all pink in shade,

And somewhere between it see red,

The reflection I create,

With the dusk and the grey,

I am the beautiful one instead. 

I stand all alone watched by the sun's glow,

And I dance to the tune of a seaside lullaby,

I trip and I fall and see the world so small,

In my fingertips, I grip it all.

So, dance a lullaby and see how I try,

To create a beautiful slide,

Of the picture of me,

And that would be,

A beautiful woman at sundown.

Happy International Women's Day to all the women on the planet. Indeed, women have stood side by side with men to build monuments of stone.

-shobana-

On Shobana's Musings: For Aishah My Best Friend - Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri. https://shobanasmusings.blogspot.com/2026/03/for-aishah-my-best-friend.html

#HariRaya2026 #GreenpeaceIndonesia #GreenpeaceMalaysia #Blogger 

#MalaysianPolice

Don't forget to get your copy of The Faction Revolution Modules 1-3. You will learn the intriguing ways of the FACTION Method of storytelling. Only $0.99 / RM3.85 for instant access online. Pay on the link and get the book instantly.

Shobana Gomes' Bookstore: https://shobanagomesbookstore.blogspot.com

A conversation between friends

 In a magical forest

where creatures of every kind lived

the ambiance was one of surrealty

Each morning the sun will find a way to light up the dense forest

while the hand that leads 

find one who's lost

and bring 'the one' back to the fold.

The lost ones 

were always found there.

It was when the creatures were deep in conversation

in that hour of morning

and

The trees became the centrepoint 

with birds of every kind

perched on branches that sway to the morning breeze.

that conversations are deep and topics alarming

It was either that the outside world faced the wrath of Mother Earth,

or the folly of Man with no clear

idea of what dangers

stand in his way or the recent one 

the catastrophe that has damaged the roads.

Did you see how the hills were thickened with mud?

Oh, yes, muddied earth that covered the terrain

and rushed to the valley below.

Why even the river nearby was filled with mud

and what would the humans consume

when the dams burst open

and floods their land?

for surely the creatures of the forest will be aggreived

It'd be hard to sieve the mud for the clear water.

Down they slid to cover the earth

and destroyed what stood in their way

and created a mighty inconvenience

for the people of the land

An then what happened? a squeak was heard from somewhere near

The headlines read, 

"The Thunderstorm wreaked havoc, many are missing, and the firemen are working tirelessly to save lives."

Gosh, I'd never go out to the real world

This forest where I reside

will be my haven

till the day I die.

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone then.

-shobana-

On Shobana's Musings: A Special 2026 New Year Message From Shobana

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The one and only informative and creative method of storytelling training module

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