Little spoken words.....

As daylight fades-
A purple sky wraps the night,
Each twinkling star, a lullaby-
A tranquil crescent over to watch.

The first rays bring-
Life to new hues,
Fiery reds melt to honey yellows-
Fall rides in a beauty queen.

The cold grey stone,
Draped in colour now,
Ethereal and transient,
This season's song.

With the turn of the clock-
The flurries drift in,
And snuggled into a dove-like blanket,
Our own December.

Soon a monochrome
Will paint the land,
And in this hushed silence-
Souls will meet.

Shilpa

As water supports its solid's weight

A novice at life,
A yawning cherub;
Shook awake,rudely tossed-
Into an arena of snarling curs.

All around,
They snapped and cursed
Their teams drawn,
Battle lines laid.

Undecided spectators-
With arms folded
Neither help proffer
But aid in decay.

A blanket tossed-
Nae one of comfort-
Alas a coverlet
To hide the dead.

A chainsaw drawn;
To hack at the roots,
Slowly gnawing-
The heartwood weakens.

Little do they know
How deep beneath the surface,
An anchorage
Like an iceberg's best friend.

Shilpa

Principle of Dualism!

What is it about the state our mind is in that influences what our eye takes in?
Does that mean that the eye ,contrary to popular belief is subject to the fallacies of a human mind?
Seeing is believing; has never been as questionable to me as now!
Could it be that each phenomenon , has multiple shades draped over it and how far the eye can go depends on how much it wants to?

A cold lifeless moon,
A pale,shimmering orb
A blinding sun-
A radiant globe.

Rapidly vanishing green,
A carress of warmer hues
All around the falling leaves-
A carpet to greet my feet.

Weariness at the first rays
Promise of a new day.
Finality of the setting sun
A velvet sky and glittering stars.

A weighted burden,
The marvel of life
Cynical company
The warmth of a hand

Cold flurries of snow-
Each snowflake unique
Deafening sound of single step-
Clarity.

Shilpa Iyer

This is proof to me that the human mind lives and revels in its duality....the hurtful snicker raises it head , or a deep contentment and lasting peace.And all this to a single occurrence......Is the beauty of our highly accelerated evolution?A mind whose outcome we cannot control and whose moods play us, like puppeteer and marionette? Like Gepetto and Pinocchio ...only here with all strings attached!!!

Just the one glass slipper....

Born to clan,
Of social beings;
I stand alone,
I cry alone.

All around, a chattering crowd-
Of evolved folk,
The highest level,
Of cognitive thought.

An outsider to this party,
In my mind;
Unending hypocrisy,
Life's exequies.

On this busy street,
Walking in step,
With the thronging sea;
I hum my own tune.

On winding path,
My footsteps play out a melody,
A solo act ; with no need
Of accompanying symphony.

I look back,
And in the sand,
One pair of footsteps
Mine.

Shilpa Iyer

Two worlds .....9 1/2 hours apart!!!

So I have been here two months now.....and someone the other day mentioned that it was surprising that I hadn't written anything about this major shift of venue......well...here goes....
What is it that I think is different about this place...??
Its the basics....How we can sign the lease and move in the same day...that we can tranfer the utilities and pay our bill in our name later that month.Its how buses arrive on time...and offices open when they say they will.Its how science is done....with a logic that has stood the test of time...yet with an eagerness to embrace the new! All these things make this country a success and I will give credit where it is due.
But what else is different?
Life is lived here..and people are human, here too.
People still care about others..I agree they wish each other Good morning quite a few orders more than back home....they say thank you alot...and if the politeness is genuine its nice! People work hard here...they party hard on weekends..oh yes that is something I like..the fact that we enjoy two day weekends here! Maybe the one thing that can be said about people here is that they are more open here....but that could be just lesser social pressure.And I havent been here long enough to judge that.There is nothing wrong me thinks in the social norms that exist back home...and while morals and values are something we treasure.....hypocrisy is something we nurture..And that goes for human beings anywhere
Are people more selfish ...well...I have always had this debate on selfishness...Why is it selfless to serve others but selfish to help yourself? Why is it that looking out for yourself has a negative connotation to it? Or are we all expected to wait for the next selfless person to take care of us, while we ourselves engage in the service of someone else.( read lazy people all!! ) I think the time has come to re define some of these terms...Selfless could indeed mean helping others with no personal motivation behind the act.Selfish could mean that one takes care of oneself at the cost of others..Self helping...that should be the one where we look out for meeee!! Am I self helping..well yes!
Anyway so this entire monologue has this point to it.....that people are a particular way..and while that does depend on the culture they are brought up in...I think for the most part, people just are !!!
I have a bone to pick with this however.......what makes people materialistic? What makes them so shallow? What makes it seem like so many years of evolution have gone in vain.....
Is there a way that culture and our burgeoning intelligence can co exist? .........
One wonders....and one must for the ability to ponder is that which sets us apart!!! More on this....watch this space! my space.....

When you bleed just to know you are alive......

Sometimes I feel like I am dead..dead on the inside..
Like I cant feel a thing, and it doesn't matter
Like I cant feel a thing, and I really want to
Pain like gashes come raining down
But my soul sleeps, far away in a corner.

Is this something that happens to all of us? The more life we see, a little bit of us we lose each day. I know that I have seen alot...but is that reason to be marching towards emotional driftwood status!
Yesterday I was angry ....I was hurt..and I think what upset me most is the fact that I was feeling hurt at all.I don't like being vulnerable , or realising that things outside my power have the ability to affect me.Someone mentioned that being fragile to pain is only proof that you are human.....maybe that wise someone should take a bow here...coz that statement prompted me to write this.
Sometimes when I feel like I cant feel anything anymore...it comes as a relief to feel pain , to simmer in anger.That proves that I can feel......I can bleed..I am alive.
Its so scary though...what if things in your life change you forever.Change you so that you cannot ever be the same.I used to care so much...I used to be so emotional...what happened to me? There are times...when I can feel the conflict of my current stoic self...and the fragile figure of ago....what does this mean..that the humanness is still there..and that it is fighting to get out? Or is this a new self that I must reconcile myself to.
What if I'll never feel again?What if my life will pass me by and I wont shed a tear? This is my fear, that tomorrow the earth will shake under my feet...and I wont lose sleep.....that tomorrow someone dear will pass me by and the memories will overtake my emotion.....
Perhaps this is idle worry....maybe this is part of the big word we call growing up! Maybe for some this may be a cause for worry.....for me..now..this is my peace..my sign...my proof that I can feel!

Autumn's Kaleidoscope

Autumn brings a solemn change
Time for retrospection
An inward glance
An acceptance of change

And nae a leaf be known
Too afraid,that stands still
Instead toss their heads in the breeze
And dance , gay abandon
The golden light that awakens then
Like a flame ;to light
A thousand more
And all around the eye can see
A burning flame ,like passions red
In this spectacle
More celebrated,more venerated
Inner strength
To stand alone,To walk alone.

Shilpa Iyer

Species Supreme !!!!!!

So I recently read this great book called ' Marley and Me' .For the uninitiated , this book is an ode to the cutest, most disobedient and hyperactive ( or what is it they call it euphemistically, energetic and eager to explore ? ) labrador called Marley. It is an entertaining , extremely engrossing account of this mutt's life and the people he touched....willing or un-willing subjects they may be ! The end tugs at your heart strings....and the book does wonderful justice to a dog I am sure was every bit as special as author John Grogan makes him out to be.
This book sent me spiralling back in time.I have had two dogs previously and currently am the proud owner of Rufus, also special in a whimsical,crazy sort of way.
Ceasar was my first dog.He was a purebred, proud German Shepard Dog.Puppy Ceasar had more likeness of a bearcub and he was an adorable dog.He grew to adolescent puppyhood quick as is the way with most pups.These months were buried under a slew of half eaten slippers and chewed on water pipes ! He worked with single minded attention and returned most of our favourite possessions in a slightly varied form, with his own special designer touch thrown in for good measure.Ceasar was my companion on digging endeavours , he loved to excavate.With tail wagging furiously and intermittent barks he dug neat , big holes...not that my parents were thrilled or anything! He was the most loyal friend, and when I stepped out just for a second, he assumed guard at the gate, giving me a once over when I walked back in.I loved that furry mutt.Shadow was the next furry addition to our family.I remember the day we brought Shadow home, Ceasar looked at me as though saying,"Him ? are you sure, he looks kinda slimy ! " Well they got along famously , By that I mean , their fights were famous , almost book your seats , beat your way into the first row kinda famour fights! Shadow was day if Ceasar was night.We couldnt have had two more contrasting carricatures if we had had them ordered! Where Shadow loved attention , Ceasar was content with the ocassional pat.Where Ceasar was the ultimate guard dog, Shadow prioritised..how much will this attack cost me ....will I get hurt in the process? Ceasar lived his life to serve and to please..Shadow lived on his terms.They completed our family .Sadly, Ceasar developed hind quarter weakness a disorder that often plagues dogs of that breed and size.Medication couldnt lessen his pain...and we couldn't see our loyal friend suffer this way.In the most painful decision that I have been part of, we had him put to sleep.I still cant forget the way he came to me when I called him, lay down beside me...he even resisted the first dose of the anaesthetic.The vet told me that dogs have an extremely acute sense of attachment and that I should let go..not touch him.Like a call from the heavens, the minute I let go, he did too.I couldnt believe he was gone.Shadow was another dog altogether.He went for a walk in the evening, came home, barked at some kids at night.He lay down at night and passed away during the wee hours of the morning, alone and on his own terms.I will never completely get over the loss of Shadow.He was my mirror, my constant companion...I love him!
Misty eyed and wan smile light my face....I look up at my present prince...Rufus.A nicer dog you cannot find.He has the disposition of an angel and totally adores people, biscuits and snooze time not necessarily in that order.When Shadow passes away I told myself I wouldnt get attached to another dog.But looking at Rufus' lazy , content face , I smile.Its soo worth it!

A lesson in everything

The deepest night,
My darkest hour,
Flimsy windows held shut-
Outside a tempest roared.

A deafening clap,
Thunder's bugle,
The battle began,
A celestial war.

Nature's elements,
Locked in a trance;
Heaven and Hell ,
Spectators; to watch.

The storm was silenced,
The downpour ceased,
Cool, moist air,
Greeted the Phoenix.

This was my Ground Zero;
I look up-
A new dawn is breaking.

Shilpa Iyer

India Shining ??

India has been in the news off late and how !! In fact on a recent episode of 'The tonight show with Jay Leno' he joked that, George Bush accepted that the US economy was moving...albeit to India !!!! With Corus , Vodafone and other multi billion dollar deals being sealed as I painstakingly type this, what picture would one conjure of today's India ?
It is a given that a hitherto unknown concept of flashy takeovers by Indians has now become a reality.Everyday pictures of India's wealthy and therefore famous paint our newspapers....It is a good sign that our economy is on the upslope of a seemingly endless peak....Does this newfound wealth trickle down to that 60% of our country, the chunk which rises and sleeps in abject poverty? How does India Shining illuminate their lives ?
Perhaps it doesnt really impact the common, middle class person as much either.Perhaps it feels that way because the divide is not as large or as stark.But what becomes of Raju who at 11 years works to support his large family,what of Gangu bai whose drunken husband has a roving eye,leaving her little money to support her kids..what of those people who eat two meals a day -thats all their money can buy and what of the children who live on the street who sniff glue or smoke bidis to drive away unsatiable hunger pangs?
How does this spell justice ? The divide is growing as though a chasm , and the age old adage 'The rich get richer , the poor poorer' could never have been as apt.Why is there such a large abyss between these two sects - the chosen few and the children of a lesser God ? How does one begin to bridge this gap ? Why does none of the wealth trickle through the fissure ? Is it too romantic a dream to hope that someday we can ' Show them the money' ??
It is easy to be content with my life.I neither have the pressures of being in snobbish elite circles where the most confusing conundrum one deals with is which designer to honour by wearing his bizzarre creation! But I am equally blessed that I do not lose sleep over the origin of my next meal....and for that I am grateful.What of the millions of our population who can't say the same of their lives?
What can we do to level the scores ? Loosen our pursestrings and aid in development ? What of our elected morons who do nothing but feather their nests ? Is it time that we enter the ring, beat them at their own game ? Is India ready for a new face to Government ? Will we be strong enough to raise our voice, even if intitally it is alone?
We need a current day Robinhood, within the boundaries of our jurisdiction of course.If we want to see some change, some even-ing of the scores.......It's time to stand up and be counted !!!!!!!!

A Change of the Subconcious

Plumes of mist rise unwaveringly to block all vision.Tendrils of smoke adorn a now grey backdrop.An echo of footstep be all that pierces the misty envelope.Bravely they trudge on,unfaltering ; on the ground that leads.Darkness hunts, never more a realm beyond.Its wild steed galloping further,pre- setting darknes. A sliver of light attempts the crossover.Valiant though, to weak to try.As wisps gather, a shaft to form,breakdown of total darkness.Preternatural phenomenon awakens.
Magically there is a clarity of never before.Logical thought now a possiblity.All paths be illumined, their each pitfall focused and its danfer conceived.This crstyal world takes leave, short be the stay of radiance.
The dark knight sweeps in, and cloaks the path to rest.Mist returns , and once more, the esoteric faith prevails.
And so the cycle repeats, dark and light with alternate intensity.Much like day and night, differed though length of stay unknown , benefit of each undefinable.The past and future must reconcile , to unravel the mysteries that loom.
As I look back, empty, it has dissolved, a void to replace.
The past looks no clearer than the future, the future as hazy as the past.
And only the present holds eternal truth.

Who will cry when you die?

Just yesterday, I met with an accident, or rather I met with a rash driving indica.What ensued was that I was lying on the divider, trapped under my bike.Looking up at a monster in steel,cherry red for effect hurtling toward me......Today I am writing this,needless to say that the bus driver didnt make history of me.But as I sat to write,aching in little known places....I think of what is and what could easily have been..........................
Who wil cry when you die..is a title of a now famous novel....What is is that scares people about dying? The fact that no one knows what happens once you die ,or that you have to leave things you like and care for behind ?
Lying there I had none of the gut wrenching thoughts of family and friends, no famous life flashing by moments...nothing zilch. I dont think I thought of anything of great significance.Perhaps just that the bus would take my legs only luckily....since my head was up on the divider, remember? But no oscar winning last minute wishes,prayers..forgiveness etc....
So am I an emotional drift wood? No...I am quite attached to people and cry like a baby at movies..sniff sniff...! But why is it that no thought raced through my luckily helmet clad head that day?
Is this living in the present in its truest meaning? Maybe.....I figure maybe I just dont think of who will miss me,what they will do etc....The truth is anyway...they will all live right !Until of course it is their time to die!
Maybe this is not even something for me to ponder,it all seems very simple! I just dont think when I am about to be run over! hmmm...
The only answer I have been able to come up with is this....I am either not scared about leaving this behind,or maybe I havent really comprehended it..Either ways...I just am! well...for today anyhow!
So who will cry when I die....Hehe...I dunno