An ode to Sylvia Plath

A glass window
Sharp and crystal clear
Wide expanse of sea right ahead
Birds free as the air
Sky somersaulting in the sea
Sun rays melting into the sand
A surfer having the best time of his life
Beautiful nymphs floating around
She turned and turned the pictures
Twisted them in beautiful moulds
None provided inspiration

The paper was crushed and now bore zillions creases
It lay all alone on the table
The keys of the typewriter rusted
It looked gloomy like a cobweb of a dead spider
She sat and sat
Spanned days and nights
Traversed dreams
None provided inspiration

She twitched and twitched
Walked and walked
What was it with her
The poem was buried deep inside
Strangling itself to death
The words were climbing the trees which were faraway from this island
She wondered and wondered
She realised she was really happy.
Was that it?

The big fat monster called wedding

By the time you start traversing your challenging 20s, your immediate family, their family and their dogs and cats start worrying about your marriage. For people like me, who stay away from family, it's slightly easier to deal with cuz we gotta listen to all the great talk just once in a while. Initially, I used to take great pains in explaining everyone that I am anti-marriage. I had/still have a great power point presentation in my head to prove my point. Inspite of all the million dollar wonderful reasons that I had, everybody would pass it off as 'oh all girls say that they dont wana marry' syndrome.

As I moved further in my twenties, things started to look bleak. I decided to channelise my creative energies in doing the things I like rather than wasting my great PPT to explain people that really, marriage is not the be all and end all of anybody's existence (gender no bar). I started nodding at everything that my immediate family, their family and their cats and dogs would say about my future wedding. And I realised its so much fun. They feel so happy and relieved in the fact that I am talking about my imaginary wedding that they actually have almost forgotten that there needs to be an actual wedding. So for the time being, its kinda taken care of.

Recently, however, I met my old college friends..From the five of us, one is already married, two just got hitched to their respective boyfriends :) n one's mum has each and every thing ready for her marriage including the venue...just a lil element of hardly any importance is still required-groom.

So yesterday, when I thought I would catch up on old amazing mad times with my friends, 90% of the time was spent in talking about their respective marriages...It was fun for sometime but then I felt kinda lost cuz I really cant relate to it.

I wish that people who really are comfortable being single for as long as they can, should not be ostracised. And the immediate family, their family, their cats and dogs and also friends should not constantly whisper sweet-nothings like how-it-is-so-important-to-get-married-if-you-dont-wana-end-up-an-old-crazy-hag in their ears.

I think almost everyone at this age is mature and capable enough to decide the right time for them to get married or to get married or not in the first place!!!

Basquiat

Recently stumbled upon this movie called Basquiat in my hard drive. I had no idea what the movie was about but first five minutes into the movie, I knew I am in for something special. The opening scene when Jean Michel Basquiat (Samo) comes out of a cardboard box, then the scene where he makes a painting on the table at a cafe with maple syrup just pulled me into the movie completely. Basquiat, as many would know, was a well-known American Graffiti painter. The movie charts his journey from him being a nobody to him acquiring distinction and the growing emptiness in his character as he moves forward. Interestingly, in his real life, Basquiat did not have a woman called Gina, but in the movie, she plays a highly important character. As I read somewhere on the net, she is actually his alter-ego.And she is made to feel what he is going through subconsciously.

There were two-three really interesting scenes in the movie which I want to mention. One is ofcourse (my favourite) when Basquiat paints over Gina's painting and her dress and while she gets horribly mad at him, he calms her down by saying this, "Jean Michel Basquiat: He says he's jealous of the moon, because you look at it. He's jealous of the sun, because it warms you. He says, "I feel you, even when I'm not feeling you. I talk to you when I'm not talking to you. I love you, even when I'm not loving you."" This scene where he holding her is juxtaposed with his vision where a bird is luring a frog and finally it gobbles up the frog. Highly interesting scenes and really beautiful lines.

Other scene, which is more or less the theme of the movie, is when Basquiat is having a discussion with Andy Warhol where he says that when he was a nobody, people said that he will never make it..After he made it, people said that it would be short-lived and he wouldnt be able to continue. When his success continued, then people started saying that he is losing himself in drugs and alcohol...That's like a universal dilemma for most creative talented people.

Also, just remembered, one of the scenes when Basquiat is doing some work with this sculptor cum electrician in a gallery, this guy says that he is happy that he has never got recognition as that has really helped him develop his skills.

It's a must watch film. Beautiful imagery. Great theme. Biography!

The cat. The whore

(Dedicated to the fat cat who sits below my bulding)'

She spreads her body on the cemented ground
Gives ominous looks whenever she sees me around
She has too much flesh, much more than she can manage

I often see her with different lovers
She sizes them up and never gives in completely

I see her when I leave, I see her when I come back
She is groggy in the morning, angry in the night
Agonized with the pain of her pain, almost all the time
I try and ignore but she comes right before my eyes
I feel intimidated, sometimes scared
The cat just gives me a gigantic stare

I wish she would take her brothel someplace else
Wouldn't spread her wings in the night like a dark horse
And leaves me in peace, fucking lascivious bitch
The cat. The whore!

Rajasthan Roots

Few days back when my friend (who was born and brought up in Jaipur n now stays in Mumbai!) had told me about Rajasthan Roots band gig happening at Blue Frog, I wasnt very excited. Even though my mom and dad have strong connections to Rajasthan, I particularly am not that fascinated by the place.

Yesterday, after a rather long day, I was trying to cook up a story to bunk the gig for which my friends were going. In the end I thought about Carlsberg and decided to go! Once we entered the "blue" blue frog, I was in for a very pleasant surprise.

Rajasthan Roots was a phenomenal experience. Most of the stuff was instrumental and was truly fab. They played two songs (that I heard): Banjara and Ali and took my breath away. It was really nice...Folk music infused here and there with electronic. And the lead guy had amazing voice plus he was an expert in the clank wooden thing instrument (I have no idea whats it called!)

Check out one of their performances here

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum
Conjure up a valley
With a spring of all pervasive desire
Winters could gather up at the door
Smiling, romantic, ready for a splash
The moon sprinkled under the feet
White with blacks
Sun would be inside you
Melted and frozen
It would flow into the mundane flowers too
But would be yours forever

Chrysanthemum
You would be crazy and happy
You would say the most inane things
Which would be multi-coloured
Soaked in passion
Smooth and sharp

Chrysanthemum
There would be no shore, no water
A white dove will carry you in its hands
Winking at its lovers
Spreading its wings for them