Soul mates

Both two legged, so different in size, but identical in spirit....

(photo by Kavi Arasu)
He , of course
always flies....
and she stands in their nest
and watches
the take offs and landings,
...sometimes
at dawn,
and sometimes
when stars appear.

This time,
he took her along,
flying,
but "swiftly"
across green
and brown,
bitumen black.

Late that evening,
they strolled
across the sand,
the waves
discreetly keeping their distance.

And the Sun,
lingering
on the horizon,
nudged
the monsoon cloud,
smiled,
and said ,
"What a cute couple on the beach, na ?".....

Confessions of a Flute Player

He stands playing His flute, amidst the roses, a large screen behind Him. His music , his innocence and his simplicity, make her Wordless .

(photo by Sagarika Chakraborty)

Sweet irony
as I stand
against something
that shows you the world
with a touch
of a finger
on a screen……

Life is sometimes brighter,
sometimes
the contrast in Life
as it was
and as it could be
is too much.

How much simpler to
enjoy my own
“piped”
music system
in a garden of roses;
and when my Ma,
Yashoda
wants to see the world,
I simply open my mouth……

The new generations in Uttaranchal

She was just Wordless in Uttaranchal (North India). Of course , it is entirely possible, if your cousins of old, do not speak your language.

Some words are inevitable. In Marathi and then in English.

(photo by Nupur Phatak)
उत्तरआंचलातील डोंगरातली
एक थंड सोनेरी सकाळ
आणि वनातले
वेल-बेबी क्लिनिक गजबजून जाते;
डॉक्टर दोन पायाचे आहेत,
हुशार आहेत,
पण भाषा वेगळी ,
आणि
काय सांगू तुम्हाला
आमची माया आईला सोडायला
अजिबात तयार नसते
शेजारचा लालू उड्या मारायला तयार
आणि आई त्याला रोकते …
फारच बेशिस्त आहे सगळीकडे …..
आमच्या वेळी असा न्हवतं हो ……..

A cool scintillating
morning
in the hills of Uttaranchal
and a crowded
Well baby clinic
happening
amidst
the sundappled woods.

The doctor is
good
but two legged,
and speaks a different language...

But what to do ?
Maya
simply
holds tight,
never leaves her mother,
and her neighbor,
Lalu,
just keeps on leaping
as his mother
tries to hold on
to her son
and his wild ways.....

Terrible terrible Indiscipline...
Things were so different,
in our time.

The Sky KalaSangeet Sammelan

She looked out from her balcony in Chennai and saw this. See here for some extraordinary sunset photos by UmaS.

Occasionally, you also see images and hear the music in the skies...

(photo by UmaS)
The Sky KalaSangeet Sammelan
normally
"on "
365 days a year
has some special
...days.

A Ghanshyaam Sundara Sridhara
celebrating
Arunoday at Dawn,
amidst jasmines,
cleaned copper skies
and sandalwood.



An Aakash Todi
as
man made Pushpaks
streak through the skies
during a hot day,
encountering a Megh here,
a Malhar there

And then late
evening
after
the chirping
of the birds
has died down,
the winds have stilled,
she comes out onto her balcony
to see and hear
a brilliant
Sunset Bhairavi
accompanied
by Zakir,
shaking his mop of hair
in sheer delight,
as he gestures
and acknowledges
a celestial dhun
being sung up there in the Skies....

A hi-tech farewell

Immersion of Ganpati on the 10th day of the Ganesh festival. Water Pollution, crowds, and the size of the idols have necessitated the use of cranes at some places like Hiranandani, Powai. A great set of photos including the one below, by Kavi may be seen here.

(photos by Kavi Arasu)

Memories
of being carried
by the father
of a house,
children
surging ahead
till waves
lap around their knees;
Mothers holding them back,
as the two venture
deeper,
Bappa clutched close,
and then
getting deep in,
letting go
as He becomes one
with the elements.





" I miss that "
He said,
"Stoic grandmas
ensuring that
the tiffin
wrapped in leaves,
goes with me,
children running
behind their dad
into the water.

Flying through the sky
is nothing new;
I do it all the time
without any hi-tech help.
A small child
with the cymbals
messing around with the beat
during arti
is such sweet music,
compared to
the high drone of the motor
as it whips up
and lifts up,
ready to dip me
at a suitable Deep spot.

They pollute in my name,
shout in my name
collect money in my name,
No wonder
the country
is in Deep trouble.....

Long and Winding....

More Kokan photos from this post by Kavi

(photo by Kavi Arasu)
The straight,
long
and winding road,
of life,
sometimes
elevated,
protected,
holding you in
from the ebb and flow;

It slides down
and turns away
momentarily
leftwards
exposing rocky doubts.




But that
sudden bay
is a refuge
for the infinite waves
that endlessly
otherwise
keep dashing
and eroding your
confidence.

A comfortable
wandering around of waves
high fiving the sand
on
a magically created
section of beach,
and the
palms and supari trees
look on indulgently
as your car
"swiftly" purrs
in satisfaction,
on the winding road,
once again
turning
to the right
to another bay
and another dance
of bobbing boats
on the waves.......

How to make profits and crash hopes......

I dont know where my friend Scribbler keeps wandering, but this wordlessness on a wednesday, left me wordless, initially. Then the cynic took over. In the face of constant transgressions happening as part of the preparations leading to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

(photo by Nupur Phatak)

When the mind
is corrupt
perceptions self destruct;

Planes for para jumping
swiped by politicians,
pools
for synchronised swimming
now,
in their personal
farmhouses,
and mannequins left over
from their
tenderless
buy 1 get 2 free
purchase order
issued
against rules
(What are those ?)
to a son.

What’s better than to
install
a pulleyed
sculpture
in the foyer
of
their
money spinning
private
Institute of Sports Management !

Three
hard working
athletes
supporting each other
but
looking down
into a crashing of hopes….
as
shameless
portly
political types
stuff one more sin
into their deep pockets.

A Pewter Sunset

Please read this post of Kavi's, to see some brilliant commentary and amazing photos of Konkan, the coastal beauty of Maharashtra. And this collection on FB.

The pale silver-gold in the photo reminds me of very old worship utensils, freshly cleaned . The metal was then so pure....and stayed that way always.

(photo by Kavi Arasu)
स्वच्छ घासलेले
थोडेसे पाण्याचे थेंब राहिलेले
जुन्या चांदीचे जड ताम्हन
घेउन
पृथ्वी जेव्हा
चमचमणारा ढगांचा पदर
दोन्ही खांद्यावर घेउन उभी राहते
तेव्हा
साक्षात सूर्य निरांजनात
उतरून समुद्राला ओवाळतो ......



A freshly scrubbed
old pewter
puja thali
at dusk,
dripping
the last drops of water,
held up in prayer
by a golden Earth,
the gilt edged clouds
decorating her sari pallu
lying primly
across
her shoulders.

The Sun,
cant help
but be the flame
in the puja lamp,
as
the earth
sings praises of the Ocean.....

Seasons of Life

She says , (actually, it's William Cullen Bryant, but she found the quotation ) that this is "Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile......"


Signs of the Start of Fall in the Seattle area ! From this post by Sylvia .



(photo by Sylvia Kirkwood)

Brilliant skies,
dew-fresh mornings,
fresh
yellow green leaves,
enjoying their first day
in the Kindergaarten woods.

Sunny Days,
a strong crowded green,
hanging out with the crowd,
overlooking the bay,
swinging in the breeze,
flirting in the rain,
its the Teenage Woods.



And then Life
starts
its health lessons,
some tough browning,
pale yellowing,
some angry reds
oranges,
clouds dark with
intention
of the imminent season,
its the Middle-aged woods.

It
happens to all
in nature,
a shedding
of the brown and gold,
shivering in Winter,
tough wood
seasoned by snow
and
conserving
of energy within.

The Senior Woods,
a time
to draw around you
a cloud cardigan,
a nip in the air,
a sudden ray of sunlight
and a great cup
of hot tea
with a friend....

Rarefied Heights

Another Seattle skyline visual from my friend Sylvia. See her post to see another photo taken from another angle....

(photo by Sylvia Kirkwood)
Like
a lady
dressed to the nines,
tiara-ed in silver,
high on heels,
drunk
on the rise
in their narrow world,
windows,
glass glistening
white
in the sun, they stand
at the skyline.

Unaware,
that
the sky,
the clouds,
the land
and minds
are richer
for the
colors of warmth
in a neighborly smile,
colors of shades
of green
on a hot day,
house windows
brushing aside branches
tickling them,
and
so many
black and brown
roofs
on white
picket fence houses
of unique
shapes and sizes
that make this world
a
wonderful
colorful place......