jabberwocky

The jungle takes care of its own.
Or so they say...anyways this is not about that.

We spent two days in the wilderness
the forest was bit disappointing in the
sense that, it wasn't dense enough.

Those thickets we see on TV, or in the movies
this was nothing like that
still, twas scary at night

because it's pitch black
the sky is almost like nothing
just a black velvet blanket

the stars.......never seen so many in my entire life
its because there was no light-no electricity
no light from anywhere.. the skyline extended..

visible for miles
no building in sight to block the view
nothing in the way

the others counted constellations
marked out orion
I sent messages through the stars

and just when it got really nice and quiet,
someone yelled "forest fire" and there it was a whole wall of flaming light, bright and burning in the dark,
trees crackled, shrubs shrivelled, the fire looked small, enveloped by the darkness of the night.
We were looking for adventure, but were a bit tired as well. Still went with the flow.
walked with lanterns and torches for 20 minutes to reach the site..hot as hell.
and just hung around while the workers put out the fire, with just branches from the trees.
No weapons, no fire van, no alarm -nothing.
the whole place could have burned down and now one would have been wiser
"we can't do too much, the forest fire is a big thing, not within our control, " they said.

so all said and done.. it was exciting to say, we'd been in forest fire.
another thing to keep filed away somewhere.

Mating ritual

aparna is ready
her aunt gets to select
the wonder boy

there is a function in the open
friendly women put their mouths
in hers and pass down tranquilizers

it calms her down
also gets her excited
she anticipates something

the guys is equally nervous
its a matriachy after all
could they be nairs from kerala?

the family of women
are very decent
they all turn their back

the mating ritual is the same
nothing has changed in many ways
both the partners lumber in lust and maybe love

the family turns around
congratulations are in Order
its time for celebrations

they yell and shout and scream
relatives are called from near and far
much rejoicing, much joy

they pass on the message
more hooting and yelling
like chain email for luck

the fat girl is now fat woman
stately and ladylike
she's all set to continue the line

aparna's mating ritual
is just like yours except
that you can't show such grace

aparna and her mate
just leave dung behind
and take their memories

you leave plastic
and garbage and
rubber..for them to stomp on.

rocky rock

Endless rocks
boundless rocks
arms outstretched
like a fat mother
waiting to envelop me

the river tumbles on
the sky is clear
the rocks are inviting
the image of fat mother
with grimace on face

the rocks may tumble
or they may hold
but will fat mother smile?

Gibberish in 1872....from dribarasthasthataku to shakalaka chi chy cho.. it all came from somewhere and rushdies' zenda zembla xanadu's was a tribute to lewis carrol


JABBERWOCKY
Lewis Carroll(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There....)
`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought
--So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.
And, as in uffish thought he stood,

The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two!
And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.

what is sacrilege?

Munish, Vinod and I were at Koshy's yesterday
Munish was a bit distressed by the fact that a certain
International School in Bangalore, one that celebrates
the Independance day or national day of most countries in
the world did not know much about the Indian Constitution or
Republic. Not too many of their students knew the Indian national anthem
and on Republic Day the Indian flag was hoisted upside down in school.

Seems a bit blasphemous.. but then who's to say
forced patriotism is as bad as fantaticism
while the upside down flag seemed crazy.. so does the
idea of playing the national anthem in the theatres(they do in mumbai)
people in mumbai dread the begining of films.. the national anthem is
played and people have to stand up..... many have stopped standing up
some curse.. most are indifferent and walk in 5 minutes late.

Perfectly reasonable people... why force them to do things?
5 mins is nothing for your country, but, how do these 5 mins help?
its a gesture that means nothing....
we waste so much time occupied with the small things in life that
we become incapable of larger things.

The flag hung upside down bothers us, but when a painting is hung upside down is that okay?
is the sacrilege any less, asks vinod.

is it? does it not start with the individual? is his right any less than that of an entity called the "country" isn't it one and the same... isn't he the country and the country him?
everytime we misspell or print wrong or incorrect information isnt that a sacrilege?--vinod
is that a small thing and the national flag a bigger thing...?
are we prioritising and are we the custodians who decide what is important
and what is not?
why are we obsessed with things that shouldn't really matter?
why are we incapable of greater things... even in thought?

jethro tull-god to many
ian anderson-same to same
says... "thank you for choosing to come here
instead of going to the Bryan Adams concert-its an excellent choice."
i get pissed off, it seems in bad taste, but kit kat my crazy kat tells me that
my principals are all warped and completely selective and i change as and when
i feel like.. so i check out all the times i've done it and agree. yup, i've laughed at many
of these so called jokes when someone has made fun of another.. and found it hilarous
what makes this different? was it because they were two performers? becoz they were on stage
one was making fun of the other--in bad taste? or becoz it was bryan admas-childhood favourite?

dont' know... and yet i'm not convinced its a great thing to do.. my kat tells me that performers have that much of a license... i don't agree... if they do.. then everyone does.. no one is different becoz of their careers or their professions.. that doesnt' quite cut it with me. but yes... i think it was much ado about nothing me getting worked up.

so ian anderson can joke all he wants,, and like sujay says.. "I'm sure bryan adams would
have laughed if he had been in the audience.. so what are you getting all fanatic about?"
Not attending any of the concerts... too much to do. and nothing of significance too.