portrait 1

rain running (June 2011)

click

from her bowl of

memories,

she will fish

them out 

one by one, 

until the breeze
tells her - its time
to surge with the
oceans again...

game (version 2)

siblings spar

over forgotten

chores

The Sunday Fish

already,

she can smell

the smear of spices 

over the softness

of flesh

The April Gulmohars: In Transit

revisiting VAT 69

makes
a
wailing siren
of
the
head

sea waves
of
the
arms

and
twin islands
of
the
feet

Poetry Publication: 'Auria'

This is to inform that the May-June 2012 issue of the Reading Hour also includes my poem 'Auria'. This is the first time the magazine has a certain theme for an issue - Music.

routine

wake, oh my god – late!
shit, brush, bathe, press, run
dress, polish, pack, zip, run,
traffic, choke, smoke, arrive, swipe,
stairs, fix chair to buttock,
stare, eye to the computer,
type, type, type, type, type,
loo break, 
type, type, type, type, type,
loo break,
type, type, lunch, type, type,
type, type, 6 pm, type, type,
deep sigh, shut, switch off,
roar bike, reach home, TV-
click, click, click, lord of
the remote, eat, piss, sleep,
lust, wake, oh my god-late!

the wise have always said,
everything done in moderation,
and deeply enjoyed is life,
the rest – type, type, type

Vadapav: The Ubiquitous Mumbai Snack

A vadapav poses for one last photo...

Finally delved into the increasing pile of books - unread and wanting to be read again. Books bought at various clearance sales and second-hand selling footpaths.

The first in the list, of the non-fiction genre by the name of Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta.Here is an extract from the book about the most economical and popular snack of the city: the vadapav.

Nobody seems to be ordering just one. Not everybody will get their vadapav from this batch; the timid will have to keep waiting. The assistant serves the women first. The stacks of pav have been sprinkled with chutney – the top half of the inside of the bun is bathed in green chutney, the bottom with red garlic chutney – and the assistant reaches out with one hand, in one continuous arc of his arm opening the pav, scooping up two of the vadas, one in each nest of pav, and delivering it to the hungry customer.

rejuvenation

summer burns out

its butt-end, 
out it goes 
in an ember glow,

grey blankets 

gift wrap the skies, 

the tree flaunts
 its new clothes...  

(The photograph showcases the same tree

in the month of April and May 2011 respectively.) 



ride

always, there was

this elder-brotherly

hand, light,

on the back of the

seat, assuring me 

that gravity

wouldn't

get me yet

 That phantom
 clasp

 still assures me 
on subsequent

rides,  

that there is no reason

to be afraid of 

 new things, 

each experience,

another, first,

bicycle ride...


(click image for large size view)

At Bhimashankar (undated)


After a false alarm, that one of our friends could see a leopard's spotted skin through his binoculars, that turned out to be a languor on much closer inspection, standing on all fours over a cliff, probably doing a leopard imitation for its chums, we made steady progress through the morning.

Overcast, without the prospect of rain, Wander was the most nimble of the four, making it steadily through this breathtaking route.Below, to the right, a whole forest teemed with jungle sounds, its limited blessed radius not yet intruded by humans...


(Click image for a large size view)

A Random March

Cooking, Early Days: A roasted papad meets a gory end

A historic moment: The third whistle of  the pressure cooker signalling cooked rice

The first meal prepared ever by the very hands that type these words down

On the day of Holi, the festival of colours, a tree joins in

SWINE FLU PRECAUTIONS

Something has come to Pune city more irritable and harmful than the jackpot winning spam mails we all receive. Now that we are going crazy over it and suddenly life seems like standing at a cliff's edge, let's look at what can we do:

THE MASK
As the H1N1 (another dreadful serious name) virus is transmitted through air, it is advisable to wear the green medical masks available at the chemist while moving outdoors. The recommended mask to wear is the N95, buy them from reliable, authorized sources. Again, the masks are no guarantee that you will be 100% safe. So just avoid the crowd for the time being.  

KEEP DRINKING WATER
Drinking eight to ten large glasses of water acts as a flush for the body toxins. So drink water at regular intervals.

WASH YOUR HANDS
Wash your hands frequently (Once every two hours probably), and always before eating.

SLEEP DEEP AND LONG
Ensure that you get your eight hours of peaceful slumber. It's good for your immunity.


A STRONG BODY
Eat your green vegetables, whole grains and vitamin rich foods. Exercise can be a crucial factor as it builds resistance to counter any illness.

NO ALCOHOL, NO SMOKING!
Alcohol consumption can actually reduce your resistance levels, so here is another good reason to abandon the habit. Ditto for smoking.


STAY AWAY FROM CROWDS
Avoid mingling in huge crowds. If any person is sick, maintain a safe distance, preferably ten feet.


BEWARE OF  SUDDEN PERSISTENT COUGH OR HIGH FEVER
If you suffer from any of the symptoms, do consult a doctor and take the prescribed treatment.