Monday, March 24, 2008

The flames of the bonfire for Holi. A piecemeal bonfire with old furniture and sundry twigs and branches, the way it best is. A red veiled newly wed performs the customary pooja. The chattering crowd is hep- no, I don’t know anyone here and I’m content not to, to just stand back, be a part of the crowd-edges, hear the cackle and hiss as flames leap red orange against a black sky and watch red edged embers float gently to the ground.

Splashes and patches of purple- magenta- red on tar, wild shrieks and laughs of kids playing holi brought back memories of times when one was happy to be a red, green and yellow haired witch draped in kaleidoscopic multicolor, when did all this change?

A saturday off for once, and where does it go?

The colors around are so lovely, I’d rather keep them to myself for a while. Spring.

9 comments:

manuscrypts said...

grown up pangs :|

quin browne said...

wild shrieks and laughs of kids playing holi brought back memories of times when one was happy to be a red, green and yellow haired witch draped in kaleidoscopic multicolor, when did all this change?

inside, you still are.

Anonymous said...

:)

Portia said...

what a colourful dream:)

Anonymous said...

I got to work at a Holi event on Sunday, it was a lot of fun, unfortunately there is no bonfires allowed on city property, but they did some nice reencatments of expelling the evil.

It would have been much better though, if I could have been celebrating it with you there though. I hope someone invents transporters soon so we don't have to fly anymore. Just walk into a box and walk out of it at our chosen destination. Then I might visit India weekly. Ah, just a fantasy for now.

Take Care
P

austere said...

manuji- pangs or is it one of those things you just smile at remembering the good times but not the color it tooks ten washes to get out of one's hair?!

quin-spelt with a b more likely than not. :)

mago- :)

portia- dreams can be real! C'mon over next year. :)

portia- lets patent the transporter NOW and I'll zipzapzoom to the moon..read abt Holi, did they sing songs?

Baby Island said...

"when did all this change"... Good question. I wish I knew. :)

AmitL said...

Hi,Austy…that was a nice description..reminded me of Holi in Baroda, and that heart-breaking moment when you give away the precious kites( stored away after Sankranti) to be burnt to,err, death).

The witchy dhuleti part of next day-frankly, that’s never been a favorite fest of mine. Although Dhuleti during school days used to be fun! Now, with KMnO4 and the like being used as colors, it’s Arghh!!

austere said...

babyisland- hey tell me first if you get to know, ok?

Amit- I was too kanjoos to give away kites, dingo! Once a cousin splashed a color riot about ten minutes after I'd washed my long n lovely tresses..such memories...