Friday, March 19, 2010



I like to walk.
To feel the stretch of muscle and sinew.

And the answering press of the earth, as it moulds the contours of your foot.

In time, you set a pace, heel-toe-heel.
A rhythm as real as the periodic bursts of chattering birdsong.
Or the cuckoo’s single, clean note.

Such is the lure of the earth, black and dew-fragrant.

About the orange orb beyond the march of trees;

Or the many many hues of generous green,
I have yet to begin.

If you miss this connect with the earth, if you sit aloof and ac’ed, I think you miss big-time.
You lose sight of what is real.
What matters.

It is much more than aatey-daal ka bhav.
For a reason I cannot completely explain, it seems critical to be able to navigate crowds, to tiptoe past traffic snarls.
To keep time with the throb of the earth.

Heel-toe-heel.

8 comments:

AmitL said...

Ahh-you too?Me too!I walk @ 5-7 kms daily morning,at least 5 days a week- from F'gunj to Rosary to Station to S'gunj to Kamati Baug, a full 2 km round inside and then back to Fgunj.:)Great exercise!:)Till the weather's good,of course.:)
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Those who 'sit aloof and ac'ed', as you say, are missing big time..so true.This is one of the free gifts of nature,na!
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Lastly,those moments of solitude in the early morning-sheer bliss.(though,ur thought on being able to navigate crowds,etc-in Mumbai..arghh!!)
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Ohh..ur complaint taken care of-one letter,one prize-in the new post.:)

mark drago said...

lovely...feel as if i've had a walk

austere said...

thanks, mark.

amit- congrats again. :) and pass the dvds.
phew... I navigated that longish walk in my mind. not so nice near station. my heel-toe-heels are quicker and shorter. this one's a marathon and I suppose that EME salute is worth it!

Anonymous said...

I believe it is all rhythm.

My Unfinished Life said...

i like to walk a lot!!!
thats why my favourtie place in delhi is lodhi gardens..it gives me such peace...and i feel the same way you have written all those emotions!!!

austere said...

mago-but maybe the scale differs, so you need to have the ears to listen?

shootin- must visit that place someday soon then. :)

PQ said...

Totally agreed on the missing big time. Thats what I tell myself when I dont wake up for the morning walks, but I've still missed them most of the time.

austere said...

I guess your place remains beautiful throughout, not a fleeting beauty you have to run to see?