austereseeker

2012-02-13T22:22:00.000+05:00

Yesterday evening at the movies I was remindedThat an hour or twoOf gut shaking, rip roaring laughter and bright colorsIs good for the soul.Clears out the dank, the cobwebs from the mindAs much as a good shaking-do.Quick, smart, young—But what’s wrong with quick, smart, young?If the locale was not part of my psyche—Vegas, uptown MumbaiNeither is the grimy underworld, guns ablazeI came home

2012-02-12T09:27:00.002+05:00

RIP Whitney H.48! Bloody hell.HOW can one die at 48?This song I've heard too often long ago, tears streaming mode.

2012-02-10T18:44:00.000+05:00

The other day I heard some scurrilous gossip.Remember those wooden dolls where the eyeballs pop out of their sockets, something like that? I consciously stepped away from taking a righteous stand, unctuous holier-than-thou. I must admit I was tempted to.But yes, I wondered about the way people choose to INVEST the short time I, we, you, they have on earth.What a surprising time we live in.Me? I

2012-02-08T13:03:00.000+05:00

I watch goggle eyed, the cars vroom vrooming on the TV, revving from zero to zwoop in a blink, a dust cloud trailing--the smell of engine oil, the real adrenalin, racing heartbeat. And I think of my sedate wonder on four wheels, primly cruising along on second gear, L plates prominent--and I smile.

2012-02-06T19:10:00.000+05:00

Time marches, I steal slivers, poke in clichés and invest moments in that tiny space and rejoice in them, just as I rejoice in sunlight on my skin, or the measured grace, the sweep of a kite’s flight, sure and persistent, practicing rolls and dives in an emptying peach sky. Life is, life respects no clock or drumbeat, it just is.

2012-01-27T17:59:00.000+05:00

It was republic day yesterday, the day we signed the constitution, ages ago, of course now several political parties swear allegiance to the writer of the document and choose to forget that probably a committee drafted it in the first place, and given our propensity for all things British, there must be chunks thusly inspired. January 26th, now another holiday, a day to salute the flag, sing

2012-01-21T16:17:00.003+05:00

A friend’s going to a literary festivalHulla hulla jamboree100,000 and countingDust clouds and shamianasSpeeches and milling crowdsa regal façade and a roll of drumswill they wear hats, I wonder? And gloves!and much too much of chatterechoing, rebounding, ricocheting from ancient walls.Me?My literary festivalIs 400 word quickiesAnd my barrage of obtuse. “cut, cut cut” heavy critsAs also poem

2012-01-19T16:34:00.000+05:00

The formal year 1 date, and today I shall release you of all promises but one, and I shall let you go to the space of the four directions, to the glorious sunshine and the green and the mountains you loved so much, and to the word, spoken and unspoken, written and read in all your languages, to drama and literature and marching numbers and erudite philosophy I don’t even try to understand, but

2012-01-16T22:51:00.000+05:00

Flashes in the Dark has published my rather nasty flash, DARK.http://tinyurl.com/84nkbq8

2012-01-14T18:17:00.000+05:00

Once again, it is uttarayan, the day the sun changes direction, the golden orb lasting a mite longer in these stark winter skies. Also the day the sky is spilling over with kites of all colors and sizes. Also the day the mighty Bhishma (in the Mahabharata), long vanquished and in repose on a bed of sharp arrows, bided his death for.Uttarayan. And I see that young girl in her usual uniform of

2012-01-09T17:13:00.001+05:00

Poonam of the paush month again.This morning, the full moonEfflulgent and radiantPeered over the trees, and waited.I watched in silver silence, chilledA year ago, about now,Time stood still.Time, the thief—too early-- this time, every time.A year ago, time stood stillThe whoosh of the machine no moreYour hand grew cold, in mineThat line on the ventilator vanishedWhite covers were drawnTime the

2012-01-04T22:34:00.002+05:00