Leprechaun, Treasures?

Reverse Gear Speed Breaker

2012-01-11T17:27:00.004+01:00

No matter what they say,
There is no 'back to square one',
There is no 'turning back the time machine'
Or stitches that don't show and
Scars that vanish (unless you use this*, I am told).
How else would one have
Created something called a
Jigsaw puzzle?

Here's to the New Year.

* Of course you are free to use an alternative.

Frost's Clarification

2011-11-13T13:06:00.001+01:00

Of course it is wonderful to pick the road less travelled,
'Because it was grassy and wanted wear'

But where are your tickets?

So I try so hard to keep the rhythm of a train*

2011-10-21T17:54:00.005+02:00

Location: outside Bellver Castell, Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Dear Sprinter,

In your enthusiasm to not miss the train,
You didn't quite notice the things you trampled upon.

Yours truly,
A peeved Labrador's Tail

*Scrubs OST, listen already! Jeremy Kay's 'Have It All'.

What Marla Daniels Said*

2011-10-12T16:57:00.007+02:00

Location: The MRTS, Madras

Here, it never was about winning
As much as about survival, daily groceries and a bathroom.

Resurrecting the dead is still restrained to Hollywood.

The title is a reference to Season 1, Episode 2 of The Wire. In this Episode ('The Detail'), Lt. Cedric Daniels' wife Marla says- "You cannot lose if you do not play."

***

Mexico's updated drug-related death statistics is 34,612 in the last four years. In the Horn of Africa, "deaths are running at two per 10,000 adults or four per 10,000 children every day" as observed by The Economist. According to the Lancet Survey, there have been 601,027 violent deaths out of 654,965 excess deaths from March 2003 to June 2006 in Iraq. Hi Ho, as Kurt Vonnegut would say.

Sophie's Choice

2011-09-06T12:55:00.001+02:00

Berlin! as you can figure from the road signs

if doing this
were to translate as
not doing the other,
if it were as simple as that,
then my dear, i am afraid that
the human race would have been extinct,
out of boredom

ChameleonSpeak

2011-08-24T19:25:00.002+02:00

Bremen Dearest

And even in your lies I realise the Truth.
Or it probably is that which makes me realise the Truth.
Like the wise people under trees say,
it is after all the darkness that leads one to the light
if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, right?

I’m lookin’ to the sky to save me*

2011-07-23T06:53:00.006+02:00

I know the sky has no location. Dosteovsky drilled that into my head. Nevertheless, I took this picture at the Vrindavan Gardens in Mysore.

There is something quite intriguing about the sun.
For, everytime daylight breaks,
you miraculously find new reasons, to breathe.

[Explosives,pyrotechnic devices,Electro shock weapons, Strike anywhere matches, Flammable gas cylinders, Flammable liquids and solids, Substances liable to spontaneous combustion, Substances that emit flammable gases in contact with water, Oxidising materials such as bleach, peroxides, some fertilisers, etc., Toxic substances are strictly prohibited on this flight. Kindly go through our baggage information for more details.]

*The title is borrowed from Learn to Fly, by the Foo Fighters. Needless to say, the song has absolutely nothing to do with my blog post. It is a mere act of convenience to hide my inability to come up with competent titles. Do listen to the song.

Schizophrenia

2011-06-03T07:46:00.002+02:00

They sent me a letter.
It read-

"The best way to accept reality
is to live in it."

I folded it
Put it under my pillow
and went back to sleep.

Dream, for only that can keep you awake in sleep.

For mirrors and echoes

2011-05-13T23:17:00.003+02:00

I decided to paint
once the lights went out.
Not because Darkness was
what I wanted to portray

I was too scared to
accept the ugliness.

The Linearity of Time we live in

2010-12-28T08:20:00.002+01:00

Thank goodness the word has only three letters in it
Were it any longer, I probably would not have had the strength to say it:

Bye.

Boomerangs are a great invention.

Lacuna Inc.*

2010-11-13T23:26:00.006+01:00

Memories:
Clogging the neurons;
The brain is bursting
at its seams
and you cannot afford
To sew it,
All over again.
Swallow that pill,
And remember what
Eloisa said to Abelard

* The title is from 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'. The character played by Kirsten Dunst, Mary Svevo quotes Pope's poem to her boss, Dr. Howard Mierzwiak.

We missed the train we boarded

2010-10-31T22:59:00.011+01:00

May be it is unwise to befriend moths. But they are the easiest to.
I'd rather destroy light to save them, than hope for them to turn into everlasting tortoises;
Their presence in the transient dusk is far more eternal than the leaves falling off the Giant Oak, every autumn. And Gatsby could not have had a happier ending

This is the 50th post of this blog. Quite an abysmal record considering it began 1127 days ago. Anyway, for those of you who still read it, thank you.

Part of the Queue*

2010-10-07T22:00:00.002+02:00

This one is
For you,
You who dreams beyond
those clouds, for
greener pastures
and pristine blue skies.
There is nothing
more than a gray-walled
cemetery out there.

I used binoculars.

I have borrowed the title from a particularly favourite Oasis song of mine, from their 'Don't Believe the Truth' album. The post, however, has nothing to do with the song, as you might have already figured. I felt that the title suited the poem (if you can call it one). Oh, and do listen to the song.

Especially

2010-09-30T23:09:00.009+02:00

It is quite flattering to be made to feel special,
Especially in a world of six and a half billion as yourself
And countless other things
Like the bacteria in your stomach
And Animal Planet.

P.S. The plant you see in the picture is no more. Neither are its four other siblings.

Too Many

2010-09-21T07:52:00.000+02:00

If you worry so much,
About so many things,
There will come a day
When you'd forget
Why you had been
Worrying, in the
first place.

Timetable

2010-09-07T17:20:00.000+02:00

Sometimes, no matter how long you have been waiting, you do end up missing the bus.

The good thing is, it is only sometimes. So, for the other times, remember to check the Timetable.

And we ended up missing the party on the Green ship, since we reached the venue an hour and half after the party was supposed to have begun. We were hopelessly optimistic too, to have walked up and down the quay at that time and in that temperature, in vain of course.

Losers' Manual

2010-06-30T07:29:00.000+02:00

I am closet-pathetic too. Except, my closet is made of transparent glass.

And for reasons fathomable only by fellow 'creatures' like Felicity, I am dedicating this post to her.

Black, White. Cherry?

2010-06-09T17:16:00.000+02:00

The world is filled with two kinds of people.
The abnormal who seek to be normal or at least pretend to be so.
And the normal, who wish to be otherwise.
If you don't fit into either of these categories, I am sorry, but I suspect you to have 'fallen from the sky' just like your parents told you (I guess they forgot to add the 'from a UFO' part).

Missing

2010-05-20T08:42:00.000+02:00

'Missing'
Read the notice.
It had your name,
Photos and many
More details,
That had
All these years
Been so conveniently
Taken
For granted.
Where were you?
Hope fought with worry,
As memories swam.
And then,
I remembered something.
I remembered having
Fed you to the pigs.

Moonlight Requisition

2010-04-29T12:02:00.000+02:00

"Don't put your finger in every damn pie!"

"Why not?"

"The fingers might be yours. But, the pies are MINE!"

Dutyfree

2010-03-28T14:47:00.000+02:00

I fixed my tail
Polished my horns
And blew some fire
Over you.

I wore the halo
Adjusted my wings
And wondered,

“Does,
Not being evil,
By default,
Make me an angel?”

How is your life today?*

2010-03-13T04:52:00.000+01:00

It isn't about
You being right
Or me being wrong.
Neither is it about
Who started it first.
It is about
Toothless grins
In the park,
In the times of
Diabetes and senility.

* Title inspired by a certain song by the same name from Porcupine Tree's Lightbulb Sun Album. I would recommend that you listen to it.

Existence 0.42

2010-01-26T04:57:00.000+01:00

And so,
I have ended up
Chasing mirages.

***

The albatross
Around my neck
Has flown away.

***

Dreams evaporate.
Voids expand.
Thirsty Time burps along.

A Christmas Present

2009-11-29T08:40:00.000+01:00

She sat on the moth-eaten couch.
Rheumatic Legs,
Frozen by the news.
They were to go shopping.
The wreath remained
unpacked- paper, hiding
its purpose.

knock

They brought, a box and a letter,
in their best black
and sombre expressions.
Muttering an apology,
they laid it down,
with a little salute
and left.

tears

Broken spectacles fogged
with memories
of life,
she placed the wreath,
decorated fancy,
with Christmas joy,
upon the flag-clad box-

a closed coffin.

Rest in Peace

2009-11-13T23:45:00.000+01:00

They mocked
They ignored
They cheated
They shunned,

You,
For being who
You were.

You,
Cut your ears,
Filled your pocket
With memories
To dissolve,
Between the Acts,
Shooting your head
In a field
Of opinions,
And breathed
A room full
Of deception.

Perhaps,
You took
Their world
Too seriously.

Stars, Tides, Sundials

2009-08-21T09:50:00.000+02:00

Floating down
A river called Time,
With raindrops
And thunderbolts;
Brooks and volcanoes;
Locks and keys;
Hellos and goodbyes;
Weeds and daffodils;
Realise,
Hearts are many,
Head is one.
Use it.

If You See Kay

2009-06-05T08:36:00.000+02:00

If you see Kay,
Your mother would probably
Ground you.

If you see Kay,
In the Dictionary,
You are enlightened
About certain life skills.

If you see Kay,
On the television,
You can only hear him beep.

If you see Kay,
Quite a lot,
You are probably drunk
Or very angry
Or both.

If you see Kay,
Tell him
His name featured
In the newspaper,
In the Obituary Column.

To Sartre

2009-05-27T18:03:00.000+02:00

Dream,
For we need
An excuse
To wake up,
Tomorrow.

Inspired by a certain Holden Caulfield.

Smoke

2009-04-20T16:23:00.000+02:00

Through the heads
Of an old lady
Raw and wrinkled
And the drunkard
Down the road
A gait so crooked,
That children of
Lost innocence,
With eyes like
Empty goblets of ambrosia,
And second hand soft-toys
From the Memsahib,
Look.
Look at the
Hollow black of activists
(Ray-Ban it reads)
And the dead white
politicians,
(neatly starched) a ray
Of Gray
Appears through the window.
And they called it
Perspective.

Four Submissions and the Air-conditioner

2009-04-19T10:52:00.000+02:00

Surreal

2009-03-30T10:53:00.000+02:00

Atoms.
Atoms apocalyptic,
Brewing in laboratories
'Dropped' by a bird
And we flew.
Flew in the water,
Water of oblivion
Of shades flourescent
From destitute drains
And fungal delicacies
With rhino melodies.
As fire,
Hungry old fire
Chased us
With a diabolic glint
And angelic purpose.
Eyes digested memories
Images fleeting.
As space ballooned
Time stopped for a swig
And we flew,
A thousand splinters
Of existential consequence
Through realms unbelievable
And colours psychedelic
Through Concordian booms
And eucalyptus noses
Red chili tongues
And skins burnt by
'An Inconvenient Truth'.
And we flew.

I know what the caged bird feels

2009-03-07T13:51:00.000+01:00

Inspired by Paul Lawrence Dunbar's Sympathy.

Will(s)

2009-03-05T11:50:00.000+01:00

The wood doesn't want to be burnt.
The matchstick strikes
Fire embraces the unwilling wood.
Smoke Smoke Smoke,
The chimney- victim of the wood's ire
Gray skies, polluted lungs.
Cough Cough Cough.
The war continues,
Burn Burn Burn,
The fire eats the defiant wood,
Victorious fire, defeated wood,
Eyes reflect the crackling fire,
Hands comforted by hot 'martyred' wood,
But the wood did not want to burn,
Enter Fire, exit wood,
And there was,
Ash Ash Ash.
The wood did not want to burn.

The refrain is inspired by Modest Mouse.

DCF

2009-02-26T16:12:00.000+01:00

The clicking of the mouse,
Giggles behind the screen,
Social network profile views,
Random conversations
That decade old friend
Parties and professors
Stifled yawns open pdfs
Sleep inducing air-conditioner
Chocolate wrappers cream biscuits
Lost pen drives and ideas
Google Talk
.ppts .pdfs
Flooding downloads
Spiders crawling screens
Deadlines Youtube
Cluck-clucking keyboards
Typing blog posts out.

Headlines

2008-12-13T05:47:00.000+01:00

Cholera rages through their stomachs.
Bullets fill their mistaken identities.
Bombs eat up restaurants.
Hotels and trains become graveyards.
Pink slips run over ambitions.
Countries argue over phone calls.
Atoms destroy civilizations.
Childhood stolen
Red carpets trampled
Judgments pronounced
before seeking evidence.
Nature abused.
Legality threatened.
Ethics re-written.
Dreams become nightmares.
Hopes made hopeless.

New Name

2008-11-18T15:15:00.000+01:00

I found the old one quite stupid.
This one sounds more non-sensical.
Does it not?

Don't...

2008-11-14T10:54:00.000+01:00

Don't worry about the lies told
They were said by the lawyers.
Don’t worry about the laws
They were made by the revolutionaries.
Don’t worry about the money
It was stolen by the thieves.
Don’t worry about the promises
They were made by the politicians.
Don’t worry about the system
It was made by the defective.
Don’t worry about the consequences
They were made by the unimportant.
Don’t worry about the protocols
They were made by the impotent.
Don’t worry about respect
It was made by the egotists.
Don’t worry about discipline
It was made by the unruly.
Don’t worry about deadlines
They were created by the tardy.
Don’t worry about commitments
They are made by the forgetful.
Don’t worry about the principles
They were made by the immoral.
Don’t worry about fulfilling dreams
They were made by the failures.
Don’t worry about loyalty
It was made by the insecure.
Don’t cry over broken hearts
They can be mended with Fevicol.

Stoic

2008-10-27T13:30:00.001+01:00

I swallowed insults with a smile.
I endured injuries with a smile.
I embraced despair with a smile.
I encountered sorrow with a smile.
I faced separation with a smile.
I bore troubles with a smile.
I welcomed hopelessness with a smile.
I adopted loneliness with a smile.
I accepted failure with a smile.
I will meet death with a smile.
Today I smile,
Not because I am happy.
It is because I forgot
How to cry.

Photographs

2008-10-11T11:39:00.000+02:00

Photos from Gangaikonda Cholapuram. I took them.

The Devil

2008-08-22T10:25:00.000+02:00

She steals morality.
She gifts vices.
She consumes hope.
She spits decay.
She smiles gloom.

She sees you cringe.
She hears your screams.
She feels you shiver.
She smells your sweat.
She tastes your blood.

P.S. On a lighter note, this could be called "An Ode to the Female Anopheles Mosquito". I hope that sounds less 'gothic'/'bitchy'/ any other adjective that this post is susceptible to invite.

The Train to Destiny

2008-08-19T13:14:00.000+02:00

The train halted for fifteen minutes at the Boldora Station. I had come to Boldora on a business assignment. It brought back old memories of my life as a student of this city- active, rebellious, passionate and sensitive. I had friends. That was because, I was lazy on days when the moon turned violet. Now, I work for a diaper marketing multinational at Xerides. During the recruitment they said they required a macho, aggressive and ‘dry’ person. They chose me.
I was disappointed that the Company was stingy enough not to buy me an air ticket back to Xerides. The arrival of the fluorescent pink train was confirmed by the remotely familiar hooting noise from the engine. Trains are fun- I consoled myself, remembering the days when I used to yearn for those vacations that took me to the land of Mullagai Bajjis. Moreover, the journey was going to be comfortable. Considering the fact that I only carried an orange briefcase and I had been booked in an A/C 3-Tier Compartment.
I entered the psychedelic furnishings of the compartment. It wasn’t difficult to find my seat number. However, there was a problem. An obsessively curly haired woman had seated herself comfortably in what was rightfully my place.
“Excuse me?”, I asked, firmly, “Think there is a mistake. You are sitting in MY seat.”
The obsessively curly haired lady looked up.
“Oh my goodness!”, she gasped.
“Typhoid!”, I screamed.
Typhoid Bacteria, the girl from Vlesod. The lady who was the doughnut of everyone’s nose. Her pink curls were the curliest curls that anybody could have seen. They made the creepers feel creeped out. The telephone wires cut themselves in shame. This caused a huge crisis during my college days. The Telecom Minister was sacked.
“Moroner! How have you been? You seem to have disappeared from the face of this Galaxy!”, she said.
Her maroon eyes always mesmerised me. I was always fascinated by the fact that my name and the colour of her eyes sounded similiar.
“I .. I am fine! I work for a Diaper Marketing Company. What about you?”, I stuttered.
“I landed myself in a job at the Telecom Ministry! I am attending a conference on wireless systems at Fernises.”, she exclaimed, holding my hand. That was when I noticed the sapphire wedding ring decorating her hand.
“Fernises?”, I asked blankly. The sight of the ring filled me with emptiness.
The Ticket Collector came by, which was when I realised that my seating problem had not been sorted yet. I approached him.
He simply said, “Saar! You have boarded the wrong train.”

The ACT II Popcorn Ad

2008-08-06T15:30:00.000+02:00

The Act-2 popcorn ad has probably redefined the rules of Marketing in advertisements. In today's era of flashy sets and famous models, this particular advertisement has been able to stand out precisely because it hasn't used any of these popular formulae. It is a 2 minute ad with words presented on a black background. No music. No famous or costly models. Plain white words on a black background that have set out to make a point. It reads something like this:

"Do you know why companies spend millions on television commercials?

So that you can go and make yourself a bowl of ACT-II popcorn. Honest."

Phoenix

2008-06-13T17:49:00.000+02:00

The breeze has returned to the waveless sea.
The river has returned to the thirsty plains.
The lamp has returned to the dark chamber.
The sand has returned to the empty desert.
The snow has returned to the bald mountains.
The tree has returned to the colourless forest.

The colours have returned to the rainbow.
The fragrance has returned to the perfume.
The tenderness has returned to the petals.
The melody has returned to the music.
The sugar has returned to the candy.
The beauty has returned to the art.

The strength has returned to the weak.
The success has returned to the failed.
The sight has returned to the blind.
The innocence has returned to the child.
The knowledge has returned to the seeker.
The happiness has returned to the self.

The Hour-glass has already turned

2008-06-01T10:54:00.001+02:00

I open the rusted mail box,
Hoping for a familiar hand writing.
Sigh. It is empty.
I pick up the receiver,
To hear those old voices.
Sigh. It is silent.
I flip through old photographs,
To sense the happiness in those smiles.
Sigh. They are torn.
I wear those old clothes,
To feel the colours of the past.
Sigh. They have faded.
I open a fresh leaf,
To immortalise those memories.
Sigh. I cannot bring them back.
The hour-glass has already turned.

P.S 1st November, 2008: Weirdly, this post reminds me of 'Will you remember' by The Cranberries.

Corporate Melody

2008-05-15T16:24:00.000+02:00

Coffee aroma followed by slurps and gulps.
Screeching glass doors.
Creaking leather heels tapping against the marble floor.
Envelopes being torn.
Computer keyboards and mouses clicking.
Ringing phones and mobile ringtones filling the air.
Multiple voices on phones.
Voices across tables and phones
Throwing fancy jargon.
Piling files.
Pens scribbling targets and deadlines.
A single, lone voice: snoring.

Twelve

2008-04-10T10:45:00.000+02:00

Twelve is an interesting number.
Twelve months in a year.
Twelve Zodiac signs.
Twelve animals dedicated to every Chinese year.
Twelve angry men.
Twelve is the age before Teenage.
Twelve Apostles.
Twelve is a six letter word defining its double.
Twelve years of elementary education.
Twelve is the epitome of continuity as,
Twelve is one followed by two.
Twelve- the number of lines in this bullshit post.

My Dream

2008-03-18T09:27:00.000+01:00

Sat on the wet sand,
Watching the sun
Slowly sink.
Was that my dream?
Sinking into the depths
Of cynicism and self-doubt.

Looked up at the sky,
Watching the moon
Slowly rise.
Was that my dream?
Borrowing the glories
Of the valiant and great.

Gazed at the stars,
Bejewelling the sky
With their twinkle.
Was that my dream?
Shining brightly only when
There was darkness around.

Stared at the water,
Reflecting my face
In the moonlight.
It was a confused me,
Woken up from
My dream...

The Journey

2008-02-28T16:29:00.001+01:00

Walking down the well trodden road,

I realised I was not alone.

Yet there was no company

As my journey had started alone.

A question seemed to pass by me,

"Will the destination be alone?"

People passed by me

Into the unknown future space.

I continued my journey.

Still wondering and gazing

At the sky.

First, the green canopy

Then, the cotton clouds,

Shrouded the pristine blue.

Was that my destiny?

I continued my journey.

There stood a majestic mirror.

Aged, proud and dirty,

I stood in front of it.

My world faced me.

I dusted the smooth surface,

And there was Reality.

The much sought Truth.

Here was my Destiny.

It always was.

I was the Destiny...

Newton's Apple

2008-02-15T10:39:00.000+01:00

Newton is considered a great scientist because he made several 'breakthroughs' in the field of Physics. He 'broke his head' over several issues that were intriguing the Scientific world, then. All these achievements made him deserve the Lucasian Chair and several other accolades. However, he has been immortalised for his most famous 'breakthrough' with respect to Gravity.

What actually made Newton so brilliant? How did he manage to have such an amazing head? Everyone knows the famous story of the apple. See what an apple did to a boy who was sitting at home when the whole nation was struck by a deadly plague? Plop it fell and 'broke' his head! This action triggered a young mind to come up with one of the greatest findings in the world of Physics. That gives us all some hope.... Aha! I have found the secret of success- An Apple! Now that's what I call a breakthrough!

An apple a day may keep the doctor away. What about Doctorates? At least, not in this case!

Noodles and Charity

2008-02-05T07:28:00.000+01:00

char·i·ty/ˈtʃærɪti/[char-i-tee] ,
n.generous actions or donations to aid the poor, ill, or helpless

Sunday came and the usual monthly DOS collection took place. I have always wondered about the 'O' in the DOS because generally, the residents out here do not donate oil. Rice, however, is a favourite. Guess the 'O' has been put to use because it is more of a vowel than Oil.(I know what you are thinking!! Why would anyone donate crude oil?? Crude joke? Sorry!)

We, NSS volunteers commit a grave sin every month. We, as part of our 'duty', faithfully wake up the residents of this beautiful campus on Sunday mornings. We, NSS volunteers also face the consequence. Either the residents do not open their door.(We, NSS volunteers wait and wait and wait and wait......and leave, finally) Some not-so-polite souls just shut the door on our face!(Excuse me?!?!)

There are really nice people as well, who anticipate our arrival and give us whatever they can. This makes our job a lot easier. This month, I encountered a unique experience. The person did not have Dal, Oil, Sugar or Rice. He donated a packet of Top Ramen noodles. There is a philosophy behind this. It is not the action that alone matters. The attitude behind it is more important...

On Existence

2008-01-14T09:34:00.000+01:00

Existence exists.
In order to prove the fallacy of this statement, it needs to be proven that existence does not exist.
There needs to exist something, which can prove that 'existence does not exist'.
Hence, existence exists.

Traffic rules

2007-12-30T07:26:00.000+01:00

Here is an interesting signboard I saw at Thekkady, Kerala:

IMPATIENT ON ROAD
PATIENT IN HOSPITAL.

Twilight

2007-12-17T06:09:00.000+01:00

Twilight is a mixture of darkness and light. So are one's feelings towards it. One may possess the fear of the oncoming darkness, at the same time feel relieved about being able to rest after a day's hard work. However, there is something more to it...

The light begins to fade
And darkness begins to fill in.
The Sun begins to sink
As the stars begin to appear.
Here begins the end of Day
And beginning of Night.
As Day bids farewell
And Night makes her entry,
The twinkling stars accompany her
With a silent lullaby.
There is gratitude for
Such a life, till today,
And hope, that there is a tomorrow...

The Gift

2007-12-03T11:52:00.000+01:00

It was her 10th birthday. Her parents had arranged for a nice Birthday Party. The event witnessed a fair amount of guests. The girl was extremely pleased by this fact, as her greedy eyes wandered to the constantly mounting pile of gifts. However, one particular red box caught her attention. It was neatly packed with an attractive red wrapper. Her expectations rose like the mercury in Mercury.

Her imagination began to run wild, like the wild boars of India. She imagined that the box contained a huge key that would show her the door to conquer the world. Or would it contain a box of Dark Chocolates that would grant her immortality? A comic book that would automatically transfer the knowledge that the world possessed? A hair dryer that would make her IQ multiply manifold? She was beginning to get restless... Her curiosity to know what she was in possession of, rose like the mercury in the Sun. Now the wild boar had transformed into a wild, mad elephant.

The guests started to take leave in a couple of hours. Her excitement was rising(now, like the mercury in Betelguese). She felt she was getting closer to her conquest or immortality or knowledge or intelligence or whatever divine thing that box contained... It seemed like an Indiana Jones movie (Remember Raiders of the Lost Ark?). It had become a quest to seek the answers to all her expectations.

Finally, her parents gave her the green signal to open the gifts. She ran like a maniac towards the red box, grabbed it and tore open the red wrapper and cardboard box... Her heart was pounding wildly(like the elephant) and she thought others could hear it too. Suddenly, it seemed like the world had come to a standstill. The excitement had now taken the form of raw shock. She realised, to her utter horror, that she was now, the owner of a pair of gray, oversized bermudas.

The benefactor of those bermudas clearly, had expected the girl to have 'grown up'. Hence the oversizedness...

The Firefly Story

2007-11-30T21:10:00.000+01:00

The stone was cold. The sky was black and the mood-weird...

My level of endurance to fight sleep was reaching its threshold level. However, it was impossible to fall asleep in a place where people were cracking the worst jokes in the Universe(believe me! I certify them!), where the ground was hard and which was also the residence to a zillion mosquitoes.

It was then that I saw them. A bunch of them hovering in the cold and harsh autumn air-FIREFLIES! Contrary to the weather, they filled me with hope and joy. They did, however, seem a little weird. Since I was at my sleepy best, my power of observation was highly questionable. So, I really did not persist on trying to find out the peculiarity of this observation.

I was extremely fascinated by them; awed by their refulgence, their ability to produce their own light. To me, it felt like independence.

I was forced to draw an analogy with happiness. Happiness is right there...within you. You just need to realise it. And spread it like the firefly's light...

"If only I could be like one of them!", I exclaimed. Suddenly I heard someone ask me,"Why on earth do you want to be like an aeroplane??"

I say it's all a matter of perspective...

By The Wave

2007-11-30T06:01:00.000+01:00

The beautiful white foam
And the mystic blue depths,
Never fail to enchant,
A single sentient soul.

The mystic blue ocean,
Those unfathomable depths,
Speak of great stories
That have enriched creation.

The rebellious white waves,
Young and ambitious,
Stretch out from the ocean,
To try and make a change.

The ocean beckons you
To learn from experiences.
The waves reach for you
To create new ones...

The Pair of Hands

2007-11-24T07:16:00.000+01:00

As I opened my eyes,
Filled with curiosity,
A pair of hands
Appeared
And welcomed me.

As I struggled to proceed,
Filled with trepidation,
The pair of hands
Held
And supported me.

As I made all those mistakes,
Filled with arrogance,
The pair of hands
Stopped
And warned me.

As I hung my head,
Filled with shame,
The pair of hands
Wiped my tears
And consoled me.

As I sleep,
Filled with contentment and completion,
The pair of hands
Bless me
And will always continue to...

On Empathy

2007-10-18T08:28:00.000+02:00

Empathy is a very beautiful, yet, extremely difficult virtue to imbibe. To empathize, one requires- experience...

The barefoot signifies the flexibility one is required to possess, in order to slip into another's shoes...

(Though, 'stinky shoes' can be considered as an exception.)

Humans and Angels

2007-10-16T04:07:00.000+02:00

"The diffrense from a person and an angel is easy. Most of an angel is in the inside and most of a person is on the outside."
-Fynn (Mister God, this is Anna)

These are the opening lines of one of my favourite books- Mister God, this is Anna.

Well...these extremely cryptic lines, I found, are equally emphatic.

Humans always 'seek' happiness, satisfaction and security from 'other' things. The external world, according to them, is the source. Little do they realise that these are 'states of the mind' and do not completely depend on the 'outside' world.

Angels on the other hand, have realised this secret. They have realised that it all lies in your hands. You are the master of your emotions... Borrowing from The Cranberries:I'm free to decide...
You decide... So, what are you?

The Pitch Called Life

2007-10-13T16:31:00.000+02:00

I am Mynameistoolongsopleaseignoreit, a messenger of the ForeFathers. Not so recently, I was given a supposedly important mission- Mission RYFF (Remembering Your ForeFathers). News had reached the Publicity Chapter of the ForeFathers Council that they were losing importance among the Earthlings and their position was being substituted by Cricketers (Cricketers are humans who play the game of Cricket. I thought it was the name of a famous Entomologist after whom the insect was named. Clearly, my knowledge of both, the Game and entomology is pathetic). So, my British counterpart, Charleshenryphillipwilliam decided to help me. After all, Cricket was invented in his Land. He tried to teach me the Game, in vain....

I was sent to India to accomplish the mission. The Game is so finely woven in these people's lives that Cricketeducationally-challenged people (like me) would find the place (and the mission) a challenge. "Gulp! What if i got demoted to junior-assistant messenger, or something like that?!", I feared.

Once while walking down Twenty20 Road, I noticed a man discussing with another that, the first ODI was a day and night 'Match'. In my land, ODI stands for Obeisance Directing Instruments, which is a department under the Postal Network. Obviously it would be a day and night affair, considering the number of lightyears that had to be covered to deliver the 'Obeisances' (We cater to other galaxies, as well.) After a month, I was informed that ODI was the abbreviation for a One Day International. I still do not know what that means, except that majority of the players would be wearing the same coloured costumes. The opponents would be clad in another colour with extra-fittings, that made them look unEarthly.

Two expressionless men will always be there on the field. Occassionally, they would make funny gesticulations, which made up for their serious deficiency in facial expressions. Later, I was told that these men are not as unemployed as they may seem. In fact, they are one of the most important factors that decide the fate of the 'Match'.

Apart from ODIs, these Cricketers also have something called as a Test Match. I do not know how it got it's name, but I know for sure that it truly is a test, a Test that tests the Umpires' abilities to err..test the fate of the Game! God alone knows how one identifies the Team that 'bats' and the Team that 'bowls' (Aha! Two new words added to my vocabulary!)Everyone wears the same white clothes! The only possible difference is that the Team which 'bats' wears those extra-fittings called, Helmets (the third word in my Cricket vocabulary).

"It is difficult to live here without knowing the Game. The Game is analogous to the lives of the people, here. The PITCH has rough patches, just like the bad moments in one's life. Life has many surprises, like a bowler's googly. An intended Yorker could end up being a 'full-toss' ball which can cost the bowler badly! Just like certain decisions in life, that can totally change a person's life. If you know how to 'time' the delivery of the ball and 'place' it well while batting, then you can do wonders with your score. Similarly, if you know how to time particular activities and how to react to certain situations in life, it can be made into a bed of roses", drawled a cricket fan. "Your ForeFathers are as important as Cricket. They give you a very important value called EXPERIENCE!", I retorted.

My stay had been long and futile. I was beginning to miss Grandfather Clock...

In order to lift my spirits, the fans took me to a movie called Lagaan. I realised that even the ForeFathers played the Game! I was also introduced to some Cricketing Celebrities (as they were called). I held a meeting with them in order to highlight my mission and the problems I faced. They agreed to 'endorse' my campaign in order to provide it publicity. The day for striking the contract was chosen as 31st September (no specific reason behind selecting this date).

Also, it was decided that 31st September would henceforth be International ForeFathers' Day. Thanks to the 'Council For Having A Special Day, Everyday', whose Chairperson's movie ticket I paid for.

It was time to go back. Mission Accomplished!! No more of the Game. I heaved a sigh of relief....

Oh no! Charleshenryphillipwilliam is playing Cricket with the ForeFathers' Council Members! Looks like I am destined to be haunted by the Game..... Wait a minute! I have been fooled!?!?! There is no such day as 31st September! Remember September's sacrifice to August???

The New School

2007-10-11T08:14:00.000+02:00

The girl seemed hidden by her parents. However, it was difficult to ignore her, considering her level of excitement . It was a new place, new culture, new people and a new school. She would have to start all over again... Move into a new house, meet new people, make new friends and join a new school. She had been through this over and over again that, the word 'new' seemed extremely harrowed and... shall we say, old?(Err...being an eight year old kid, the word 'oxymoron' was obviously not a part of her vocabulary, ergo we shall not use it)

Trepidation seemed to engulf her. The building looked intimidating. Her 'experience' made her come to one conclusion- Most school buildings are intimidating ('Most' being used in order to make the statement logically valid. Though in reality, that is not the case! A shorter word called 'All' is used). As she waited outside the Principal's office, she was forced to compare it to a room that housed an Electric Chair (I still have my doubts as to whether Electric Chairs existed then. But I am still using it because it adds spice to the writing....hopefully). Also, since our protagonist was ignorant about the existence of Matilda then, she could not think of Mrs.Turnbull and the cupboard (No wonder she did not suffer from a nervous breakdown).

Suddenly, her eyes widened...her name had been called out! (Mispronounced, as usual) She had the horrible feeling that one has when, the elevator suddenly stops at a level. Simply put, she felt she had left her digestive system on the first floor when she was actually on the ground floor.( Don't know if that explanation worked. Moreover, the school did not have an elevator. Hence, it really does not matter)

The next moment, she was sitting on a cushioned chair, sandwiched by her parents, in a lavishly furnished room. It took her a while to realise the existence of another human in the room- 'The Principal'.He looked tolerable. She tried to say hello but her larynx failed miserably! Hence she only managed to mouth a hello.(Don't know if the 'gulp' after the failed hello was heard).

He glanced through the application form that her parents had filled. Her parents and 'The Principal' started chatting and she was ignored for a comfortable five minutes. He finally looked at her through those reading glasses of his and the only thing that ran through her mind was, "Hey! He has brown eyes!" (Believe me, eight year olds can be really weird.)

She then realised that the attention was back on her. Her heart started pounding against her chest. She feared that the others could hear it too, just like that unintentional gulp, a paragraph ago...

"So, what is your mother tongue?", he asked in a deep commanding voice. By now, she had lost control of her heart. It was pounding so frantically that she almost turned deaf. Peculiarly, instead of NOT hearing stuff, she heard EXTRA stuff (Told you that eight year olds are weird!) which was something like this- "What is the colour of your mother's tongue?"

"What an interesting question to ask?!", she thought. Maybe it had something to do with Biology. She was quite sure that she had heard it wrong but was too scared to ask him to repeat the question. She cleared her throat, checked if her larynx was working(it was) and finally said in the softest voice possible (good technique)- "Pink."(Err...aren't all human tongues pink in colour?!)

As she finished with the 'k' sound of 'Pink', she realised that the other three humans (that stupid spider that was trying to weave a web but failing miserably, has been deliberately ignored ) gave her equally bewildered looks. It was then that she realised what the equally interesting yet original question was.....

So what happened to this girl??
She miraculously managed to get a seat in the very same school despite that extremely preposterous reply she gave. Oh and yes....you just finished reading her first post.