Seasons in the life of a Young Woman

A young friend recently left the Mumbai corporate working life, for a slightly more sedate and regimented life , doing academics in Hyderabad. Turns out that you can take a person out of Mumbai , but cannot take Mumbai out of someone's heart. Named after the Ocean, she currently pines for a life that includes activities and friends, at Marine Drive, Bandra Bandstand, NCPA , the Worli Seaface Promenade, and other landmarks that were part of her day...

Just a little something to console her ....


Every life
has a summer holiday;

Your's was Mumbai,
with
its fractured languages,
expressive
public transport,
waves crashing against
seaside promenades,
as some snuggle
together
with a spicy wada pao
while some others,
sipped
starry wine
butlered meals,
shooting Juhu stars,
amidst embelishments
from Zara;

But the
seasons change,
the school year
happens,
and amidst
late nights slogging,
endless coffee
cursing some,
a straighter road,
a more sedate walk,
but
loving some
gleaming bangles,
eyes watery
due to biryanical spices,
its time to
get back to books.

To make the next summer
even
more brilliant....

A Slushy Confinement

The Sewri Mangrove Park consists of 15 acres of mangroves between Sewri and Trombay on Mumbai's eastern seaboard. It is declared protected by law, and thanks to great efforts by the Mumbai Port trust and The Bombay Natural History Society, Flamingoes returned after 40 years, to these mangroves , in 1994.

Flamingoes fly in from Gujarat sometime in November, and stay here till the beginning of the monsoon, which is June. They lay eggs in this marshy wetland, because it is an ideal gestation place, where no predators like jackals , humans etc wander. Unfortunately, flamingo poaching happens.

In the meanwhile, blogger friend Magiceye, has been there and here is a fantastic capture from his Camera Critters series.


(photo by deepakamembal)
Unlike us,
she isnt obsessed
at looking at her
reflection,
in the wet,
and
narcissistically
self applauding.

A graceful yoga
arc
of a sinuous neck,
and a scoopy beak,
co-operating
to ensure
the safety
of Generation Next,
hibernating,
warming,
preparing to hatch
in the mangrovy slush....


Amidst
the slush
at the Sewri mudflats
Lady Flamingo
has learned
to find
a place for the eggs,
well entrenched,
where no predators venture......

Age does not wither .....

Some folks have a special eye for visuals. Be they of landscapes, beaches, animals, decorations, food, and sometimes, even people. See all his work here.

One such below, that brought back some memories of a friend's mother, who lived with her in Mumbai, returned to her native land a few years ago, but is now no more.


(photo by Kavi Arasu)

Kolam
at the door,
and she appears,
with a
genuine
toothless smile,
vibhuti*** on forehead,
as you enter
her home
with her daughter-in-law.

Mumbai
doesn't
overpower her,
she takes it in her
slightly bent,
but brave stride....

And she
bequeaths you
a welcoming nod,
asks her
daughter-in-law
something in her language,
smiles at you
going in;
to emerge again
amidst aromas
of coffee,
and
homemade banana chips.

She bids
you get comfortable,
then settles down
by a seat at the window;
looks up
at the building
next door
rising to the skies;
hands pointing,
she beams,
and
you don't need
any language
to know
that it's a proud Mom,
pointing to the big office
in Mumbai,
of her favorite son....

*** Vibhuti : sacred ash from worship/puja

Waiting for deliverance.....

An amazing photograph by Mrudula, submitted as a member of the Skywatch Friday group.

(Mrudula Dwivedi , is a Travel Blogger Extraordinaire, and maintains a wonderful blog called Travel tales from India . Widely acclaimed by the BBC and the Guardian, you can read more about her activities, and various other blogs here. )

(photograph by Mrudula Dwivedi)

She lay
below the
leafless tree
her mind
as bare
and
her thoughts
as brittle
as the cracklingly dark branches.

Violent times,
dry winds of change,
false illusions
by heavy laden
powerful
misleading
clouds
that moved away….

But she,
of great patience,
seeing a hint of sun,
lay there,
watching,
waiting
and counting days,
when
the clouds would pour,
the breeze would brush
around her,
and the world would become
peaceful and green
once again…

Sun Soliloquies....

So many of my blogger friends participate in something called Skywatch Friday, and post wonderful pictures from around the world.

Closer to home, we have Magiceye, who revels in the Mumbai skies. For more of his work, check here.

One such, a disturbed setting sun, as seen from Bandra East.

(Bandra is a northern suburb of Mumbai, off Mumbai's western coastline, where much development is happening, in the form of Sea Link Bridges for the higher motoring classes, and Skywalks on the east side for the hoi-polloi. Much below, people continue to get their little joys from sitting on the rocks near the sea, or watching the trains zoom around, as they sit outside their one room tenements, while some others toast each other with champagne and crib about the airconditioning....)


(photograph by magiceye/damembal)
Peering wishfully,
from above the
dusty trees,
staying put
in the sky,
filled
with dark foreboding,
He watches
the empty
Bandra East skywalk,
the gutted slums below,
humanity
pouring out
of stuffed trains,
and then wonders
about
the
San Francisco clone
Sea link,
where paid travels
in four swanky wheels
are OK,
but pedestrians
on two feet
are barred;
and
a city
where
hi fi
mingling
and entangling,
in
entry fee clubs
is applauded,
but
two,
out to
meet each other
in
their only open space
on the rocks,
cause an arrest.

He looks
upward at the sky,
moving away
from
the threatening clouds.

A last glance over the trees,
and its time to drown
the depression
in the salty
waters,
to try again
tomorrow...

"Fair and Lovely" in the Sun.....

A beautiful bloom captured , possibly in a balcony garden, by a blogger friend Kalyani.

And somewhere, you realize, that regardless of fussy nurturing, visible brilliance, and flashes of color, what shows up in the light of a shining Sun, is a shadow, resting in the back, amidst ordinary surroundings. How you face the Sun, decides the depth of the shadow, and how seamlessly it fades into the surroundings.

(photo by Kalyani Wakkar)

Wet aromas
of mud,
potting,
eggshell powder
and concentric
channels in soil
holding water,
as the mud,
seeing
and knowing
a good thing ,
rushes to pile itself up
at the roots.

The obsession
with color,
and the
desperation
to emerge
beautifully bright.

Its
only when
the sun shines
on it,
that
it is clear,
that
despite
the charms of color,
whether
your mind
inside,
is black or white,
or even a grey,
depends
on how well
you mix with
a neutral society
around you.

Sculpture lessons

My friend UmaS posted this as part of her Wordless Wednesday series. I've often felt that in addition to staying wordless, we need to keep our minds and ears open for some conveyed messages.

Those conversant with the flavor of politics today, in India, might understand.

(wood carving on the door panel in the entrance to a typical Chettinad style house. Picture clicked by UmaS at Dakshina Chitra – a place that showcases the culture and architectures of South India.)

We never learn from
the lessons
of the aeons.

Giving of oneself,
one’s crown
as a footrest
for the deity,
supported by
upraised hands;
a happy mix
with
heralding elephants,
supporting courtiers,
who in turn
hold up the
muscular beauty
of the horses.

And the folks
on each side
doing their bit
to hold up
the ceiling
with hand held
pillars
of unstinted support.

And here we are,
always supporting
in exchange
for something undeserved;
withdrawing support
at will
for personal gain,
talking from
the side
of the mouth,
while publicly smiling,
creating media to defame
simple men….

No wonder
we often feel
the roof is coming down on us….

Birds and Attitudes

Magiceye really does have a magic eye.

A person who is a member of several photo blogging international groups, he blogs at several places , described by him alongside:

http://magiceye.redbubble.com/works To view/buy my Art
http://photings.blogspot.com/ For jottings on photographs
http://magictravels.blogspot.com/ For the magic of travel
http://mumbai-eyed.blogspot.com/ For your daily dose of Mumbai
http://petsalways.blogspot.com/.blogspot.com/ For rejoicing pet love!
http://instantwords.blogspot.com/ a piece of my mind

Here is something , recently posted on his Mumbai blog above. A haughty golden oriole sitting and observing the world as the thrifty pigeon, goes flying about its daily chores. Photographed in Andheri, a western suburb of Mumbai.

Much like some prosperous Mumbai Industrialist lording it over the country's tallest single family residence in Mumbai, while the hoi polloi scurry around the megapolis, possibly worrying about their next house installment....



Some,
high up there,
rarified and bare
in solitary golden splendour,
with a choice of Green-pods;
shades
of those
in 45 storey houses
for a total of 6,
rarified,
up there,
golden
and folks
with diamond I-pods.

And the
proletarian pigeon,
high above the
mass greenery,
having moved
so very often,
balcony to box
and behind baskets
and doors,
continues to fly by,
seeking
resting places,
watched
unconcerned,
by the
regal
page -3 type.....

Life and Times of a Cricket Ball

Dressed
in cherry red
and golden seams
in her prime,
she ,
slightly blinded
by the afternoon sun
emerges,
sedately
from the maternal box,
a Kanya-Daan,
by the man in the long coat.



Destined
to be,
maybe,
indulged initially,
rubbed
sometimes the wrong way,
that too
with some dirt;
sometimes,
spat on,
sometimes
twirled around
in place,
and
spun and
thrown around
by fellows
exhibiting style...


Hurting
at being
flung at
three wooden,
unmoving types,
out there on "bail",
untouched except
by
middled wooden "faces";

Sometimes
being
swept across the mud,
Sometimes
flicked here and there,
Sometimes
lofted high up
to fall
helplessly at the mercy
of the watchers,
and
Sometimes,
even being called
Doosra
although
a Pehla
by right;

Being thrashed
to the ropes
and stopped by
unrelenting chasers
and throwers,
as the public
madly applauds,
impervious
to her wounds
and her mind.

Sometimes,
late in the evening,
her tears
cover the ground,
but
the crazy
blinded folks
call it dew.....
and carry on.

The Game of Life
continues,
and she ages,
seams unraveling,
misshapen attitude,
and faded color.

A new box
in brought out,
with so many new ones
preening inside,
and eyed by fellows
in long coats,
and arms that speak,
she
gets relegated
to the "has beens"
as
a kind gent,
wipes her wounds,
takes a second look at her,
shakes his head,
and
drops her inside
the box.

Secular skies

I sometimes think the skies put on a special show, only for my friend Sylvia from Seattle.

As she says , " After a gray, grumpy, cloudy, cold, windy day, about six o'clock the skies began to clear and this was the glorious way we ended the day!"

I think some kind of prayers got answered ....

Green prayers
under an
erstwhile blue sky;

Dark clouds
gather,
bursting at the seams,
outrageously
hiding
the good,
the bright
and the shining.

Whether
it's
a semicircular dome,
a temple top
or the
faithful pair ,
praising the Lord,
hands
raised to the heavens,
something says,
that
the black
will soon pass
revealing
the peaceful,
smiling
all encompassing
blue
sky behind.....

Mind Clicks in the time of Cricket....

Lakshmi Sharath, a blog friend and well known travel writer and photographer, took this picture of a Bangalore sunset, while the rest of us were balancing ourselves on tenterhooks, on the 30th of March, during the India-Pakistan Cricket World Cup Semifinals.

What's the connection ? Well, something just clicked in the mind....

Nehra's inclusion in the team was earlier widely condemned by pundits as well as general public.

Pakistan Captain Afridi was batting and Nehra appeared to take a low catch. With an entire nation wishing on the catch, he could have, in a game where loud false appeals have sometimes worked, erupted in a celebratory gesture.

Nehra gets up, sends the ball back. No wicket.

It had touched the ground earlier.

The honesty , also touched our hearts.

(You don't have to be a cricket pundit for that, just an ordinary citizen, appreciating simple things in a hugely hyped game)


(photograph by Lakshmi Sharath)
Some
stand behind him,
strong in numbers,
but light in intent
and
mislead.

Some blatantly,
dash out,
black and menacing
in words,
and mentally
crowd him
on his arrival.

A dedicated
hard working Sun
always shines for us.

The true Sun
or is it,
Son,
is one
who
despite
the opportunity
to fudge duty
behind a cloud,
prefers
to be honest.....

He climbs,
steady,
strong,
bit by bit,
and
the Zenith
awaits
for Nehra.

(in praise of Nehra's sunny honesty regarding the low catch ...)