Gazing at a letter adorned with calligraphic writing, never fails to attract my attention or capture my heart and soul. It is a pouring out of all feelings and emotions onto paper with a pen. Is it a tale of mystery and intrigue or is it just a simple meandering glimpse of life’s journey? Writing is on the way to extinction. How many of us still get or write such letters or a holiday card or a greeting card? Not many bother to put pen down their feeling onto paper. Who care to write any more? Is writing dying a slow and painful death? The answer would be ‘Yes’, though to me it still holds a lot of value.
There is more typing and clicking on the keyboard and mouse than writing with a writing instrument. We have moved into an age where the mouse, keyboard, keypads and instant messaging are dearer to us than the nimble pen, causing the slow and painful death of the art of writing. Undoubtedly, we still do “write”, but we now “write” with the mouse and keypad. From the beautiful, smooth movement of the once mighty pen, we have moved to embrace the swiftness of the fingers in tapping keys.
How many pick up the humble pen and paper to write? The joy of writing on a wonderful piece of paper, folding it, putting it in an envelope, applying the stamp and sending the letter is no more a reality, but moved on to typing and sending it to a virtual email address. The world has lost the joys of holding the card or letter, the psychological joy and contentment of touching, turning the pages and holding them.
It is believed that we have come to an age of ” I click, therefore I am.”
Words can evoke myriad emotions,
every word is a heart beat,
that is penned down with ink,
making a page come alive.
Now the pen is dying,
the keyboard types words,
but they are just words,
bereft of a personal touch.
The inked words can breathe life,
with all the feelings it hold,
sinking into the page,
as it bleeds with passion.
©Geetha Paniker.
geethapaniker 