Thursday, September 24, 2009

ghost of the unborn


posting on behalf of m still here..

something that made me cry...(its on female feticide)




Peeping through the windows of the world.

I see what you cant see.

Never been there, n will never be.

Never worn a piece, neither tore the peace.

Neither m tired, Nor I am worn.

You ll never see me,

Cos I am the ghost of the unborn.


Hatred and fallacy...

I ve never seen.

I could have been you

or may be even me.

But never got a chance,

to be what you could never be.



I sit here all alone,

Away from the misery of the world so torn.

You cant see me, even if you want to.

Cos I am the ghost of the unborn.



I was dead even before I was born,

And so I sit here by my side,

As the ghost of the unborn

...continue reading.

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

sookha



its ironical how rain brings alive the spirit of everything...yesterday while it was raining wow... this came out..

for the drought-hit farmer..!




mere naino ki khidkiyon par baarishon ke parde chadha do

mere andar, mere ghar ke andar roshni aati hai to ehsaas hota hai

ki mere bheetar ki chahal pahal gar yun saaf saaf dikhegi

to taanta lag jaega jhaankne taakne walon ka

mere zehen-e-makaan ki baatein jo bahar walon ke kaano mein padengi

to afwaahein udengi aur do ki chaar hongi..

phir main kahan kaise kis kis ko samjhata phirunga..

par khair...

sabko meri garibi dikhegi, meri musflisi dikhegi

ki mere ghar mein din-o-roz ke saz-o-saaman ki kami bahut hai

thodi bahut bas sawan ki aarzoo hai...

pichhli baarishon ki aankhon mein nami bahut hai

seele hain mere-dil-o-dimaag ki sare kone...

aur banjar hain meri khwaishen sari..

main meghdoot ki aas mein jane kab se yun hi baitha hun..

par mrigtrishna aati hai wo nahi aata..

zameenon mein bhi darare padi hain..

munni ka school chhoota hai..munne se chala nahi jata..

do khet bik chuke hain uske pair ke ilaaj mein..

teeja tha aakhiri jo jaare mein boya tha.. sookha hai...

wo chala gaya dono ke buai ke karje ke byaaj mein..

jane kaun janam ka sawan mujhse badla le raha hai..

chundhiya gayi hain aankhen meri pighle hue lave se suraj ki tapish se...

bhul gayan hun geele ka rang kaisa hota hai...

meri aankhon se peela hata do

mere naino ki khidkiyon par baarishon ke parde chadha do

...continue reading.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

history and the art of riding a bicycle


it is always good to remember how we learned to ride a bicycle:

it was not by calculating vectors, critical mass, g-force or the ideal speed. it was not by sitting down in front of a teacher and having him explain to us how that two-wheeled vehicle manages to keep moving. it was not because someone said that our bicycle was better than someone else's bicycle, and so we could cycle forth with confidence. it was not because we listened to this or that opinion, or because we saw endless tv coverage of tour de france or the olympic games.

it was because ..we dared to make the first pedal stroke. we tried, we fell-off and tried again, until one day, almost miraculously, we reached a perfect balance, and we never ever forget, even if ten or twenty years passe without our even getting on a bicycle.

can it be explained? no it can't be. but we know how to ride a bicycle, and that is the most important thing, because then we can visit another village, create a road, lose our fear and discover how much we have in common (including bicycles).

- paulo coelho.

...continue reading.

Monday, August 10, 2009

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..


chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i wake up every morning to the sunshine entering my barsaati from the open door and the window..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

accompanied by the melodic grouped sound of all the birds that reside in the jungle besides my neighbourhood.

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

but today, i woke up to something different...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

though my wake up call was my bestie saying she loves me...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i knew something was different today..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i wished her a good morning and put her off to sleep, and woke up...but did not really wake up..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i could not open my eyes.. and could not sleep also.. must be some 5-ish in the morning...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

the sound was not from outside...but coming from my room itself... strange..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

a sparrow.. had entered the room from god knows where..and was going round and round..saying..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i wondered...tried to decipher...but could not do anything else other than watching her go from one corner to the other saying..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i switched off the fan in panic...and rushed to open the door..but she hid in some corner..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i stood outside with the open door.. and tried to find her in the given angles and roomview.. but all i could see was

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i went in and she started to fly again.. as if she was there only to meet me...to be in my room and only to do

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i repeated the same exercise again..and she also did.. what else except...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

was getting late for office.. and caught in two minds..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

dont know what made me open the window and close the door...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

now here i am ... writing about it all.. and all that resonates in my ears.. is

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

i hope she makes her nest in some corner of my room, gives birth to baby sparrows..and i get to hear more of

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

did you send her moonya? thankyou if you did..i am ok now...

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

this one is for you ani... was thinking how will i face you without the post that i promised you..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

but thank god and that sparroow..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

to be continued..

chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi chi..chi chi chi..

...continue reading.

Friday, July 03, 2009

INTEGRITY


In those days the words “artistic integrity” did not evoke a sneer, as they might now—if not a stare of blank incomprehension. Sometimes I’ll catch myself describing that quality, or its lack, to explain why I don’t admire a certain performer, and realize I might as well be talking to a wall. “Catch myself,” because I should know better by now. Some people—a lot of people—simply don’t get the distinction, even if they believe they love music. Many others just don’t care
...

It’s not something I’m particularly bitter about, because professionally I have managed to prosper despite waging that battle. So I crow not as a victim but a victor, in spite of all I continue to rail against. But in the face of public opinion (if that’s not another giant oxymoron), it carries no weight that you might have devoted your life to making music as well and as honestly as you can, and your experience empowers you to identify all of the “tricks” employed by “pop artists” (almost always a giant oxymoron) to attract the casual listener—simple beat, sentimental or “party time” lyrics, banal chord combinations, trendy production gimmicks, and lots of repetition. You learn that if you find yourself talking to somebody who admires a certain musical “stylist,” one you know to be a carefully packaged commodity, you don’t bother to explain how that music had been specifically designed and manufactured with that sole aim in mind: to be “liked.”
You might hear, “Well, what’s wrong with that?”
That’s a hard question to answer—why does integrity matter? One analogue that occurs to me is that I don’t think anyone would admire a person like that, who did and said whatever was necessary just to be liked. Such a person couldn’t possibly operate that way with any integrity, and even if we didn’t see that transparency at first, eventually we would.
So much popular music—almost all of it—is specifically designed not to say anything, or mean anything; not to carry any heartfelt message through passionate playing and singing, but simply to be liked.
Perhaps there’s nothing wrong with that, for those who do indeed “like” it, but it’s the fraud that offends me. The pretend “rebels” who dance on the strings of sleazy producers; the shallow divas who simply do what they’re told, sing the notes and words put in front of them, and pretend they mean it.
And it’s not just music, and it’s not just the creators: it’s the audience. Readers of formulaic novels don’t care that those books have been shaped, paragraph by paragraph, to appeal to a particular reader, and thus they—the readers—are nothing more or less than the “lowest common denominator.” People who line up for blockbuster movies merely trust that their shallower desires will be properly catered to—mild titillation and a few fights and car chases. TV viewers don’t care that they are being “marketed to”—pandered to, not forgetting that the definition of “pander” is “pimp”—not only in the commercials, but in the cheap, cynical content.
The Roman satirist Juvenal described the social decline of his people with a memorable phrase, “Give them bread and circuses and they will never revolt.”
Apparently burgers and “American Idol” have the same effect.
“Give the people what they want” is enough for some, even the summit of their aspirations, but others would like to do better than that.

- neil peart

...continue reading.

Saturday, June 06, 2009

bubble




barsaat ke paani se bante bigadte bulbule

mujhko yaad dilate hain

wo waqt jo hamne saath guzara tha

aur haan phir ye bhi yaad aata hai mujhe

hamne koi barsaat

saath nahi guzari

...continue reading.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

u still are what i know u as


that's o.k.
the world makes everyone
that
way
every
once a while
so i guess
u shoudn't take that to heart
or mind
or soul
its just a period
of creative
rest
i bet
:)
it'll be good soon
do not worry
i am sure
u still are what i know u as

...continue reading.

Sunday, April 05, 2009

Moongazing memories

A superfast Saturday ended in the most unexpected way on a late night outing in the heart of the city. An otherwise crowded Connaught Place was busy with a rare preoccupation — taking a trip up the Milky Way.
..
Young volunteers from S.P.A.C.E (Science Popularisation Association of Communicators and Educators) helped Delhiites celebrate the spirit of the skies with life-size telescopic views of the moon and Saturn, on its very own day.
As my eyes wandered through the looking glass, the moon looked more wondrously white than ever, and Saturn, the majestic Lord of the Rings that it is. Shoppers slept; the curious children in them awoke. From expats to vagabonds and whiney little brats to grand old grandmas, over a thousand were caught in the fleeting fascination of that one momentous moment, in a quest they’d call too silly, simple and schoolish otherwise. They say the best things in life come free — with experiences like these, I dare not deny!

...continue reading.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Roll the Bones


Well, you can stake that claim --
Good work is the key to good fortune
Winners take that praise
Losers seldom take that blame
If they dont take that game
And sometimes the winner takes nothing
We draw our own designs
But fortune has to make that frame

We go out in the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
Thats the way that lady luck dances


Roll the bones

Why are we here?..

Because were here
Roll the bones
Why does it happen?
Because it happens

Roll the bones

Faith is cold as ice --
Why are little ones born only to suffer
For the want of immunity
Or a bowl of rice?
Well, who would hold a price
On the heads of the innocent children
If theres some immortal power
To control the dice?

We come into the world and take our chances
Fate is just the weight of circumstances
Thats the way that lady luck dances

Roll the bones

Jack -- relax.
Get busy with the facts.
No zodiacs or almanacs,
No maniacs in polyester slacks.
Just the facts.
Gonna kick some gluteus max.
Its a parallax -- you dig?
You move around
The small gets big. its a rig.
Its action -- reaction --
Random interaction.
So whos afraid
Of a little abstraction?
Cant get no satisfaction
From the facts?
You better run, homeboy --
A facts a fact
From nome to rome, boy.

Whats the deal? spin the wheel.
If the dice are hot -- take a shot.
Play your cards. show us what you got --
What youre holding.
If the cards are cold,
Dont go folding.
Lady luck is golden;
She favors the bold. thats cold.
Stop throwing stones --
The night has a thousand saxophones.
So get out there and rock,
And roll the bones.
Get busy!


- neil peart

...continue reading.

Monday, March 23, 2009

INDIANNESS


8 in the morning on a sunday followed by loads and loads of hard work(film making is juicing yourself)...preceded by bits and chunks of reading upon a fantastic book called THE LOST FLAMINGOES OF BOMBAY..(of love living and losing and gaining and just being...just finished reading it...it is marvellous)...and yes coming back to the thing we were doing on sunday...


a ride down to the land of love...VRINDAVAN..where krishna is..where radha is.. 

we ask for the directions to the temple and the dear street guy tells us to take a left... and we enter the narrowest lanes of oldest times...on our time travelling bikes...

i look at prashant ... he says.. 


"i just love this raw feel... enfield in the middle of vrindavan... INDIANNESS" 

i smile...


8 in the evening on the sunday followed by loads and loads of riding and picturing and salvation and krishna chants and what not all...(the ride was beautiful..won't express anything about it here...still to write the travelogue). parking in front of emporio in vasant kunj, where delhi fashion week is going on. it has just ended and i am here to pick my sister. glitz and glamour follows but i am not wearing my specs...do not want to. she comes out and smiles...looks at my krishna tee and says 

" its beautiful " 

i smile. we vroom and zip to the homely J.N.U and take refuge in chai at ganga dhaba. after ages..salvation encored. and my sister tells me about the pointless particulars.. 

" you know last year the fashion week was nice... manish arora and his circus... indian songs.. and some colors...it was good...but this time it was too westernized... and that show that indian designer had themed as indian...was westernized indian...but then i came out and saw you wearing that krishna tee..and there it was,.. 

INDIANNESS... " 

i smiled yet again... 

and composed two lines there and then.. 

IT WAS INDIANNESS...

YESS.. 

...continue reading.

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

as it is


it has been long i know. never was like this. more than a month has passed since the last scrib. but changing phases...they are the stepping stones to that deck called constant. the past few days have seen me, 
being honest to death with nothingness...hmm
learning to be the way my sister is...always pure.. paqsaaf
trying to get back on the road to poetry, i will be there mirza.. 
being honest to my bird, yes i will get you beautified soon...thump thump...
rubbing shoulders with everyday being, teach me life and...visual art.. 
hearing the distant sounds of books and diaries... not the bestsellers..
ideating and visualising a shelter for the being... where i can work...
missing friends and that friend... 
a lot is round the corner... somethings new...some for me all for you... 
coming soon, a new blog, a space for souls like you, pictures, words, tours, and experiences, life, untreated... 
till then.. 
continue that affair..

...continue reading.

Saturday, January 24, 2009

TRANCEport



It’s a different world. From the either side of the window it is…a different world. Walking the by lane, sitting in your balcony, your car’s windowpane rolled up, from wherever…if you look at a bus, its everything else than what you would want to commute by. And from the side of the window facing the face of your choice, if you look at wherever, it’s a picture that gels your present, past and future, state of mind, state of being, and reflections of inner voice.

 
The commuter wants..to get there. The means of getting there are many. There is also reachable if one takes the bus. The artist i know always wants to do this. Scattered colors in and out, words painted on taints and open doors, music scores of far cry fantasies, general knowledge on every fingertip, hurries and hassles and flipping-flopping stories, escapades from do-dailies and frames of time, memoirs on the brows of those who have added sugar to it all for all the time, and trips to wonder worlds in conversations…
Helping hands for tickets to distant eyes, shouts of get down and get on, eyes that meet for a fraction and then for centuries, engines narrating love stories till the full stops and again, angry roads, and mellowing turns, destinations on every urn of matchbox houses flying over and over again, … sparks conducted every now and then and when …

Do not know when. Yesterday, in a film on nat-geo, the anchor was saying this about the dtc buses.
“ No one knows, how much time, these buses are going to take to their destinations, Somehow…they reach…”

And while coming to office today, I was listening to these words...
“Who can say where the road goes, where the day flows, only time”
If I have to say something about it, I would say,
I am devoid of the sense of time when I am commuting by bus. It’s a better means of TRANCEport.

...continue reading.

Thursday, January 01, 2009

WORDS Words words



my party begins the day i start writing on whatever

drown deep inside walls and,

build waters atop...

words words words


roll on the floor with pen and pencil,..

fill paper in bottles, and throw it all around the room

and what spreads all over is...

words words words


simplest poems will be will be

no matter what i intend to see

i am bad at walking on dictionaries,

and swimming across the english channel

but what else makes good runners and swimmers my friend, but

words words words


words they are and just how are they

abandon collectives and they will say

to twist one's lips, a nerve or two

was not what we were supposed to do

we are, and will mean only life

for life is also a

words words words

...continue reading.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

hallucinated in loveville


there is this small village ..behind the mountains which start from the riverbed....in the land of dew and colored drops..where moonsmile lives peacfully with her friends..the day, the night and the evening. the others there live in their tiny huts made of dreams and soft wishes.

dear hmming bird....they call it the supernova on earth..but we in neverland..call it the festival of colors....!

there are celebrations in the sky...so grand in nature,....that it seems every entity in this universe..is smiling just coz moonsmile is smiling. honey draped winds are flowing from one galaxy to the other...mist in the sky hangs like flowers on morning trees...and all eyes of the universe..have pasted their vision to the white canvas...in the background of.... the BEAUTIFUL....!

which some say is her smile...some say...is moonsmile herself,...and for some....

the unimaginable....


for me and my moonsmile, 


it is DEWDROPS...

the place where we are ourselves.

DEWDROPS IS 3 YEARS OLD TODAY. WISHING IT A VERY VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

may it's spirit be the same as it has been. and all four of us here thank you all readers and fellow bloggers...for all your kind,warm..beautiful words...THANK YOU...! THE WORDS....THEY STILL FALL LIKE DEW.AND WILL KEEP ON FALLING...SOME FOR US..ALL FOR YOU..

...continue reading.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Now, the commercial crusaders’ attack

The attack isn’t over yet. First, there were the terrorists. Then, there were our forces, followed by a seething, shouting citizenry and the entire human rights brigade. But well, the wisest were the commercial crusaders, who once again, amid all the unrest, managed to do what they’re best at — making money of it all. Brands got to the job of anti-terrorism advertising, celebrities cashed in on the ideal opportunity for ‘meaningful’ publicity, cafés came up with evenings of peaceful protest, only to see there cookies and coffee disappear faster than ever before.
..
And if that wasn’t enough, publishers quickly got to the job of putting terror-based scripts in print, and even pointed out startling similarities between their titles and the massacre, just in case readers started believing the author was gifted with a sixth sense! The Husains wielded their brush, the event coordinators their socialite emcees, the NGOs their ‘we told you but you weren’t listening’ attitude.

What’s more — naïve student bodies and youth groups are even collecting funds to start their own anti-terror-training cults, little realising that once the frenzy subsides, they’d go into the lazy mode, choosing to spend the same money on boozing and partying instead of sticking to their of-the-moment motto. E-games are fast building the Taj Mahal Hotel in three dimensions, lest their players feel left out of the action, just as toy stores are flaunting NSG commandoes’ life-sized blow-ups at the gates. Polo matches and Page 3 parties are making sure the two minutes of mourning aren’t missed, lest the whole deal appears irresponsibly timed.

A store in my neighbourhood did the most ridiculous thing — it put up a charity box for the relatives of the deceased. When I asked the manager if he could enlighten me with a few names of those whose families would benefit, he gave me an ignorant, unashamed smile. Part of the pool, I suspect, goes into his staff’s paan masala funding. And then, they urge you to bring on the ‘change’!

...continue reading.