Bird, cat, beast
The path lines.
Engulfed
And luna shines.
Dandelions, chrysanthemums, petunias, posies
Hack, chop, sift and clear
Its understood now
The glinting silver is near
Black and scarlet
Earth and rose
The wreath of verve
Enters ritual close
Drops of water
The underneath beckons
Tears red amalgam
The beat quickens
On head it looms
In heart it treads
Slowly... stealthily
The blade tears to shreds
The name he knows
In hood, the curse
The staff leads
Ahead... the kindred hearse
The rose bleeds.
Vehemence...
The cross turns,
Silence.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Saturday, August 29, 2009
WHEN DARKNESS SUMMONS...
There’s something in the other room,
Gory details should be left alone.
All white, all the time,
No black, no gray
Mass expanse,
Spot the crime.
Love dies,
It’s imperative to know
The python was aware
He lied.
Place the lives in a line,
Call the offspring
Its supper time,
It’s still warm.
A moan’s heard,
Not too loud,
Enough now
Here’s the shroud.
The beads lay scattered
With a pale glow
Which will shine
When your tears glow.
The blaze ends
Your life doesn’t
You can go,
When darkness summons...
Gory details should be left alone.
All white, all the time,
No black, no gray
Mass expanse,
Spot the crime.
Love dies,
It’s imperative to know
The python was aware
He lied.
Place the lives in a line,
Call the offspring
Its supper time,
It’s still warm.
A moan’s heard,
Not too loud,
Enough now
Here’s the shroud.
The beads lay scattered
With a pale glow
Which will shine
When your tears glow.
The blaze ends
Your life doesn’t
You can go,
When darkness summons...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The Jest of the Fire-Child
You see things in the dark. Things which would never survive the blatancy the daylight proffers unto its inhabitants. The sparrow lurking deep within its nest, watching the owl tearing down the entrails of her supper. The vulture fervently hoping that some of those entrails fall on the ground below so that his breakfast is taken care of. The raven, resting her tired wings after a day of spreading despair over the ridiculously sunlit world. The dog, howling in agony which Lucifer afflicts on him with gleeful malevolence. The cat, poised gracefully behind the Light Bearer, enticing the dog to invoke his predatory instincts. The parrot, witnessing everything with noiseless, infinite fear. The robber shadowing an innocuous little girl, malice dripping from his every step, the glint of a blade only just visible under his trench coat. The nozzle of the spray only just visible above her handbag, her features marred with a mirthless smile that revealed her razor-sharp teeth. Their paths cross with that of the Luciferian retinue and the parrot’s eyes widen. The final colour in his eyes before they close was scarlet.
The hours of darkness are almost at an end now. The Moon has been a mute spectator to all the proceedings of the night. She was being watched too. By a mortal, so immensely in love with Her that every full moon night he would linger on for the entire span without moving a muscle, pining to acquire one untainted glimpse of his beloved. To witness Her in all Her splendid glory. Just once. It was not to be. The Master of Fire was prowling beneath the mortal’s window, wafting flaring clouds to thwart his sight.
The son of Light gave way to his father and the Sun rose. The mortal, whose face still exhibited his fragmentary love was overtaken by slumber just as the epicentre of all his heart’s yearnings searched for him with tear-filled eyes, all the while cursing the Devil from the unfathomable depth of Her virgin heart. All futile. She bowed down to the Sun and scarpered. The Sun laughed with cruel delight as He saw Her running away leaving a trail of tears behind. For He knew and so did She, that in His naked radiance alone could a lifeling behold the Moon in Her true majesty.
The hours of darkness are almost at an end now. The Moon has been a mute spectator to all the proceedings of the night. She was being watched too. By a mortal, so immensely in love with Her that every full moon night he would linger on for the entire span without moving a muscle, pining to acquire one untainted glimpse of his beloved. To witness Her in all Her splendid glory. Just once. It was not to be. The Master of Fire was prowling beneath the mortal’s window, wafting flaring clouds to thwart his sight.
The son of Light gave way to his father and the Sun rose. The mortal, whose face still exhibited his fragmentary love was overtaken by slumber just as the epicentre of all his heart’s yearnings searched for him with tear-filled eyes, all the while cursing the Devil from the unfathomable depth of Her virgin heart. All futile. She bowed down to the Sun and scarpered. The Sun laughed with cruel delight as He saw Her running away leaving a trail of tears behind. For He knew and so did She, that in His naked radiance alone could a lifeling behold the Moon in Her true majesty.
Friday, August 14, 2009
LUCIFER'S CAVE
She rose like the mist from the stars,
A shadow in the great nebula.
Up she flew, robes billowing beneath her dusky feet,
Her hair, ethereal as it eclipsed the moon,
Her presence radiating like the beacon of Minerva;
Illuminating the very fabric which wove the entire universe together
On and on she advanced, wearing a smile that calmed all.
Down below, a beast lingered,
Bearing an abhorring guise,
That of a terrifying fiend,
Repugnant with the malice that manifested itself on his demonic countenance.
Lacking valour to face the luminescent splendour above,
He rose slowly, menacingly
When enough pluck was accrued,
He zoomed towards the shining glory
Halting across from her, his eyes unwavering.
Discharging orbs of fire
With colossal intensity unknown to any soul or spirit.
She watched the mischievous sprite rise up beneath her,
As though dealing with an impertinent child,
Bemusement broadened her smile
He rose to her level,
She was proud of her son,
Though dismayed by his preferences.
Then the spheres came,
Profoundly sad, she spread her wings, raised her hands
With deafening thunder came the rain,
Smothering every solitary globule of flame into the depths of the land.
He was almost there,
A few more rounds and all was done
Still smiling, opening her arms to take him back
Foolish woman!
He wouldn’t come
Not again inside the enemy’s snare
The thunder shrieked, the wind bellowed
The rain was rapid
His fire transformed into a sedated glow.
Down and down he plummeted
Into an endless abyss;
He knew his end was near
Courage left him yet again.
His mother’s beaming resplendence alone;
Could now grant him reprieve.
She looked down
As her boy plunged deeper into Lucifer’s cave
Tears replaced her smile and mingled with the rain.
Rife with all that he had left behind;
His deeds,
His transgression,
His sins,
His shame.
A shadow in the great nebula.
Up she flew, robes billowing beneath her dusky feet,
Her hair, ethereal as it eclipsed the moon,
Her presence radiating like the beacon of Minerva;
Illuminating the very fabric which wove the entire universe together
On and on she advanced, wearing a smile that calmed all.
Down below, a beast lingered,
Bearing an abhorring guise,
That of a terrifying fiend,
Repugnant with the malice that manifested itself on his demonic countenance.
Lacking valour to face the luminescent splendour above,
He rose slowly, menacingly
When enough pluck was accrued,
He zoomed towards the shining glory
Halting across from her, his eyes unwavering.
Discharging orbs of fire
With colossal intensity unknown to any soul or spirit.
She watched the mischievous sprite rise up beneath her,
As though dealing with an impertinent child,
Bemusement broadened her smile
He rose to her level,
She was proud of her son,
Though dismayed by his preferences.
Then the spheres came,
Profoundly sad, she spread her wings, raised her hands
With deafening thunder came the rain,
Smothering every solitary globule of flame into the depths of the land.
He was almost there,
A few more rounds and all was done
Still smiling, opening her arms to take him back
Foolish woman!
He wouldn’t come
Not again inside the enemy’s snare
The thunder shrieked, the wind bellowed
The rain was rapid
His fire transformed into a sedated glow.
Down and down he plummeted
Into an endless abyss;
He knew his end was near
Courage left him yet again.
His mother’s beaming resplendence alone;
Could now grant him reprieve.
She looked down
As her boy plunged deeper into Lucifer’s cave
Tears replaced her smile and mingled with the rain.
Rife with all that he had left behind;
His deeds,
His transgression,
His sins,
His shame.
THE DIALECT OF SILENCE
It was quiet. She was hesitant. Her bearing slow, with marked reluctance. Of course, the muddled path to the grotto would shed some light on her gait, but her face told quite another story. As she made her way past the dense forest, filled with elms and birches which lined either side of a poor excuse for a path, her breathing shortened. She needed some place quiet, some place for a slight repose, before she returned to the enormously frantic and raucous life she so grudgingly led. Indeed, she had just escaped from a boisterous party when she had come scurrying down her back door to the forest ahead. She never understood why she bothered about hiding these little trips from people; they hardly ever noticed her absence. Sometimes she wondered if anyone would care were she to disappear forever. Solitude being the only companion through her childhood, she doubted whether she would need anyone in her adult life. She quite liked the quietness the forest provided her. It filled her with the deep sense of tranquillity and solace that she so direly needed in her life. After what seemed like aeons to her, she arrived at the cavern she had discovered, on a similar night, when she was ten. She went in and lied down. From a minuscule hole in the ceiling she saw the stars pass the world by. Their sheer magnitude made her feel that she was the smallest being in existence. She loved it. Being invisible meant she couldn’t be seen, couldn’t be heard or even talked to. The world would be a quiet place. She was calm again and had mustered enough grit to face the deafening world again. She left the grotto and made her way back along the path. All of a sudden, a strong wind blew and the leaves ruffled. She stopped in her tracks. Realisation hit her too hard and she fell on her knees.
It would never be quiet, the trees talked.
It would never be quiet, the trees talked.
FUTURE THUNDER
Rest your eyes little one,
Rest while you can.
Make merry, encounter bliss.
Live your own life, my love.
These weary eyes have seen more than they recollect.
Reds, blues, greens,
Moons, stars, stripes,
Men, boys and marines.
They all have passed.
All but me,
Come for me, O Reaper...
Take my soul, for it no longer belongs to me.
The night is still dark,
Won’t be long before the day is too.
Take me before that sight comes,
My crumbling eyes can no longer handle the truth.
Don’t be afraid, my love... never fumble.
Scythe in hand the Reaper comes for me.
I must go now...
But hark well when the clouds rumble.
Rest while you can.
Make merry, encounter bliss.
Live your own life, my love.
These weary eyes have seen more than they recollect.
Reds, blues, greens,
Moons, stars, stripes,
Men, boys and marines.
They all have passed.
All but me,
Come for me, O Reaper...
Take my soul, for it no longer belongs to me.
The night is still dark,
Won’t be long before the day is too.
Take me before that sight comes,
My crumbling eyes can no longer handle the truth.
Don’t be afraid, my love... never fumble.
Scythe in hand the Reaper comes for me.
I must go now...
But hark well when the clouds rumble.
BAPTISM BY FIRE
Your exile has ended
My chariot of fire awaits you.
The ninth gate has opened;
Let the pentacle embrace you.
Come down my child,
Come to your father.
Come see what you have inherited.
It’s your turn to rule Hell and master Fire.
Pride, Lust, Wrath, Envy,
Greed, Abomination, Sloth and Gluttony.
All are your servants now
Use them wisely my son
Make your old man proud.
Fight the Good
Never cease.
Vanquish the “Almighty”
Let the Evil live.
The time has come
My knell is yours.
With great pride I bequeath my title-
I’m at your mercy Satan, my Lord!
My chariot of fire awaits you.
The ninth gate has opened;
Let the pentacle embrace you.
Come down my child,
Come to your father.
Come see what you have inherited.
It’s your turn to rule Hell and master Fire.
Pride, Lust, Wrath, Envy,
Greed, Abomination, Sloth and Gluttony.
All are your servants now
Use them wisely my son
Make your old man proud.
Fight the Good
Never cease.
Vanquish the “Almighty”
Let the Evil live.
The time has come
My knell is yours.
With great pride I bequeath my title-
I’m at your mercy Satan, my Lord!
DRY EYES
Tears welled up in her eyes,
They couldn’t fall down,
She... wouldn’t let them.
A dam built in her eyes...
A dam which failed open even in the direst of circumstances...
Oh and what dire circumstances she had faced!
One such circumstance came by,
As wonted as she was, she refused to shed tears.
Her virtuous patience had suddenly mutated into the gruesome face of an ugly vice,
Scavenging on everything sad.
She couldn’t bear the reproach,
The savage tear filled eyes silently asking:
“Have you no heart?”
She silently trying to explain
Another flood came by,
Another failed attempt.
Suddenly the dam in her eyes developed a leak...
Seconds later another appeared!
It was as if Poseidon Himself came down upon her,
The dam broke.
She fell, her patience fell.
Reproach turned into acceptance
Anger into pity,
Ignorance into false knowledge.
Open-armed they welcomed her,
She was one of them now!
They couldn’t fall down,
She... wouldn’t let them.
A dam built in her eyes...
A dam which failed open even in the direst of circumstances...
Oh and what dire circumstances she had faced!
One such circumstance came by,
As wonted as she was, she refused to shed tears.
Her virtuous patience had suddenly mutated into the gruesome face of an ugly vice,
Scavenging on everything sad.
She couldn’t bear the reproach,
The savage tear filled eyes silently asking:
“Have you no heart?”
She silently trying to explain
Another flood came by,
Another failed attempt.
Suddenly the dam in her eyes developed a leak...
Seconds later another appeared!
It was as if Poseidon Himself came down upon her,
The dam broke.
She fell, her patience fell.
Reproach turned into acceptance
Anger into pity,
Ignorance into false knowledge.
Open-armed they welcomed her,
She was one of them now!
SEEDS OF WARMTH
A Raven’s Night
The moon shimmers,
The door shuts,
The lights go off,
The window opens,
The curtains lift,
Step... step... step.
A flash of silver,
A snip here, a cut there,
The blood flows...
It is particularly cold tonight. Wild, tall poplars have turned black as if doused under the shadow of the very snow that proffered them its beauty before twilight. Their shadow stretches far and wide, turning everything that dares to come their way, into the darkest shade of its original palette.
Deep within the shadow a lifeling scuttles. A speck of white, whiter than any snow, desperately trying to camouflage its hopeful appearance into the grey gloom of hostility. Failing miserably.
At the other end, a silhouette of a cloaked figure, darker than night, emerges from the trees. The towering body slowly approaches the lifeling. His eyes widen and shine the brightest emerald as it sees the figure inching closer. There wasn’t much distance between them when a flash of silver appeared between the two.
A slash of the scythe, a spot of scarlet. It still cold above, but the meat warms me.
The moon shimmers,
The door shuts,
The lights go off,
The window opens,
The curtains lift,
Step... step... step.
A flash of silver,
A snip here, a cut there,
The blood flows...
It is particularly cold tonight. Wild, tall poplars have turned black as if doused under the shadow of the very snow that proffered them its beauty before twilight. Their shadow stretches far and wide, turning everything that dares to come their way, into the darkest shade of its original palette.
Deep within the shadow a lifeling scuttles. A speck of white, whiter than any snow, desperately trying to camouflage its hopeful appearance into the grey gloom of hostility. Failing miserably.
At the other end, a silhouette of a cloaked figure, darker than night, emerges from the trees. The towering body slowly approaches the lifeling. His eyes widen and shine the brightest emerald as it sees the figure inching closer. There wasn’t much distance between them when a flash of silver appeared between the two.
A slash of the scythe, a spot of scarlet. It still cold above, but the meat warms me.
...AND THEN THERE WAS GUILT
Location: Carnegie Hall, New York
People were waiting outside the hall for the concert to commence. From the throng, a lady dressed elegantly in a flowing black gown spotted someone on the street and walked towards her.
“Excuse me, sorry to disturb you but you look a lot like my friend-“
“Kate!!! It’s me, Jane.”
“Oh my God, Jane? How have you been? When did you return from Cambodia?”
“Just last week. It was hell there, but I had the time of my life! Anyway what’s going on in the ad world?”
Kate heard her name as people start entering the hall.
“Ok, so I need to go. It’s the New York Phil. You know I won’t miss it for the world.”
“Same as ever” laughed Jane, “Go now but we need to catch up! It’s been a year since we met.”
“Definitely! How about lunch tomorrow? Pastis at 1?”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
“Ok bye”, said Kate as walked towards the hall.
Next Day;
Location: Pastis Restaurant, Upper West Side, New York
“Jane, over here” waved Kate and beckoned her friend towards the table.
“Hey sorry I’m late... there was traffic at 45th and 3! At noon!!! Go figure!!”
Kate laughed, “Not even a week in the city and back to your normal ways! The Cambodians are supposed to be very cultured. Didn’t they teach you anything?”
“My dear Kate, I spent the whole of last year with the wild tribes in Cambodia. The only social inhibition that they have is to not kill their relatives. And that too is taken very lightly.”
“Honestly Jane. Don’t exaggerate! When I went to Cambodia-“ but Jane cut in...
“When you went to Cambodia, you stayed at the Hilton or something and rubbed shoulders with the bourgeoisie! I had no such luck Ms. CEO of a big Ad Firm.”
“Moving on...” blushed Kate.
She was always aware of the status variance between Jane and had never been proud of it. Having been best friends since college, when Jane decided to go to the third world countries to help those less fortunate, Kate moved to New York and rapidly grew through the ranks of Sloan Curtis one of the most sought after advertising agencies in the United States. Kate now lived in a trendy Manhattan district while Jane who was out tending to the poor for most of the year lived in a rented studio in Brooklyn. Now that she thought about it, choosing Pastis was probably not a very good idea.
“You’ve got a great tan. I presume it was hot there?”
“Hotter than hell. That’s nothing though, compared to what the people have to suffer. I swear to God, if I had even a penny to spare I would give it all... all to them!” the ferocity with which Jane spoke about the cause she believed in, for which she strove so hard made Kate feel horribly empty inside. It made her feel so materialistic that she thought her life was deprived of meaning.
Suddenly, the words came out.” Jane? What am I doing?”
“I thought we were about to order...?” Jane enquires, confused by the dazed expression on her friend face.
“No, I mean with my life. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Sure, I go to work every day and make my company and myself a lot of money but what good is it? I mean when I die, what will I be remembered for, if at all.” She didn’t know what she was saying, but it felt so good to just let out what was inside her all these years.
“When you left for Africa after college, I asked myself if what I was doing was correct. What life was? What was my purpose in it? Then Sloan Curtis approached me and having nothing better to do at the time I took up their offer. The first few months were an ordeal I’ll never forget. Nothing interested me. I became so dazed; my boss had to make me take Narcotic Analysis test thrice to make sure I wasn’t stoned. I don’t know how but I go through it and at times actually started liking my work. Then about three years later, I got your mail and saw you among those children’s happy faces and it all started coming back. Then yester...”
“Stop! Ok just breathe. You look like you are about to faint! Listen, you think it’s all easy for me? i asked myself the exact same questions when we passed out of college. That’s why I went to Africa. I thought it was the right thing to do for me. You stayed back because deep down you knew that, that was the right thing for you! When I see those children’s happy faces, I feel disgusted with myself knowing that what I’m giving them is momentary happiness. I’m giving them hope which may or may not come true. You might not be helping them but at least you are not giving them false hope. You don’t know Kate how hard it is to look into the eyes of a dying child and assuring him that everything’s going to be alright. We all ask ourselves these questions Kate. Our entire lives are spent in answering them. All we can do is hope that when we die, all this will be well worth the effort.”
“Will it?” asked Kate.
Jane smiled and said,” Let’s order.”
People were waiting outside the hall for the concert to commence. From the throng, a lady dressed elegantly in a flowing black gown spotted someone on the street and walked towards her.
“Excuse me, sorry to disturb you but you look a lot like my friend-“
“Kate!!! It’s me, Jane.”
“Oh my God, Jane? How have you been? When did you return from Cambodia?”
“Just last week. It was hell there, but I had the time of my life! Anyway what’s going on in the ad world?”
Kate heard her name as people start entering the hall.
“Ok, so I need to go. It’s the New York Phil. You know I won’t miss it for the world.”
“Same as ever” laughed Jane, “Go now but we need to catch up! It’s been a year since we met.”
“Definitely! How about lunch tomorrow? Pastis at 1?”
“Sounds great. See you then.”
“Ok bye”, said Kate as walked towards the hall.
Next Day;
Location: Pastis Restaurant, Upper West Side, New York
“Jane, over here” waved Kate and beckoned her friend towards the table.
“Hey sorry I’m late... there was traffic at 45th and 3! At noon!!! Go figure!!”
Kate laughed, “Not even a week in the city and back to your normal ways! The Cambodians are supposed to be very cultured. Didn’t they teach you anything?”
“My dear Kate, I spent the whole of last year with the wild tribes in Cambodia. The only social inhibition that they have is to not kill their relatives. And that too is taken very lightly.”
“Honestly Jane. Don’t exaggerate! When I went to Cambodia-“ but Jane cut in...
“When you went to Cambodia, you stayed at the Hilton or something and rubbed shoulders with the bourgeoisie! I had no such luck Ms. CEO of a big Ad Firm.”
“Moving on...” blushed Kate.
She was always aware of the status variance between Jane and had never been proud of it. Having been best friends since college, when Jane decided to go to the third world countries to help those less fortunate, Kate moved to New York and rapidly grew through the ranks of Sloan Curtis one of the most sought after advertising agencies in the United States. Kate now lived in a trendy Manhattan district while Jane who was out tending to the poor for most of the year lived in a rented studio in Brooklyn. Now that she thought about it, choosing Pastis was probably not a very good idea.
“You’ve got a great tan. I presume it was hot there?”
“Hotter than hell. That’s nothing though, compared to what the people have to suffer. I swear to God, if I had even a penny to spare I would give it all... all to them!” the ferocity with which Jane spoke about the cause she believed in, for which she strove so hard made Kate feel horribly empty inside. It made her feel so materialistic that she thought her life was deprived of meaning.
Suddenly, the words came out.” Jane? What am I doing?”
“I thought we were about to order...?” Jane enquires, confused by the dazed expression on her friend face.
“No, I mean with my life. I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. Sure, I go to work every day and make my company and myself a lot of money but what good is it? I mean when I die, what will I be remembered for, if at all.” She didn’t know what she was saying, but it felt so good to just let out what was inside her all these years.
“When you left for Africa after college, I asked myself if what I was doing was correct. What life was? What was my purpose in it? Then Sloan Curtis approached me and having nothing better to do at the time I took up their offer. The first few months were an ordeal I’ll never forget. Nothing interested me. I became so dazed; my boss had to make me take Narcotic Analysis test thrice to make sure I wasn’t stoned. I don’t know how but I go through it and at times actually started liking my work. Then about three years later, I got your mail and saw you among those children’s happy faces and it all started coming back. Then yester...”
“Stop! Ok just breathe. You look like you are about to faint! Listen, you think it’s all easy for me? i asked myself the exact same questions when we passed out of college. That’s why I went to Africa. I thought it was the right thing to do for me. You stayed back because deep down you knew that, that was the right thing for you! When I see those children’s happy faces, I feel disgusted with myself knowing that what I’m giving them is momentary happiness. I’m giving them hope which may or may not come true. You might not be helping them but at least you are not giving them false hope. You don’t know Kate how hard it is to look into the eyes of a dying child and assuring him that everything’s going to be alright. We all ask ourselves these questions Kate. Our entire lives are spent in answering them. All we can do is hope that when we die, all this will be well worth the effort.”
“Will it?” asked Kate.
Jane smiled and said,” Let’s order.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)