Day and night I crash against
The unmoving rocks in vain
Frothing in the mouth
Tired but compelled
Each wave rises with no respite
Angry sometimes, rising high
Calm and placid, content at other times
Touching all who come close
Drawing others deep inside
In all-consuming passion uncontrolled
The wind, the sun, the moon
All make me rise and swoon
And yet there remain
My questions arraigned
With no answers coming from you
Is this by design?
Or have you ordained?
That I bang in vain
Against the rocks unrestrained
Praying for a look of kindness and love
Seeking redemption from pain unsure
---Inspired by the Pondicherry seashore
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Upbringing
"Where were you?" snapped Mother when Daughter walked in late.
"I told you, I am going for a movie!" Daughter snapped back irritated at the ill-tempered reception.
"Yes, but that must have gotten over at 3. It is 6 now, where were you till now?"
"Oh ma! Don't be a nag! I was with my friends at a cafe near the theatre."
"Why didn't you come home straight? And you didn't inform me either!"
"Where is everyone else? Bhaiyya hasn't come home yet?" Daughter asked to get her Mother off her back.
"He will come, you don't worry about him. But I have told you not to loiter, haven't I, but to come home straight?"
"And why not? You never tell Bhaiyya anything!"
"You don't worry about him. He can take care... It is you I have to worry about."
"Ah, that's what you think! If you knew what he was up to..."
Mother's heart skipped a beat. "What is he up to?"
"Hangs around outside the theatre and hoots when girls cross him. I was so embarrassed to even say a hi to him! That is why I waited in the cafe with my friends, waiting for him to go... Just so they wouldn't see what a loafer of a brother I have!"
"Shut up! Don't you call your brother names! He is just having harmless fun..."
"And if I do the same!" Daughter burst out angrily. But it was a slip of tongue she will regret. Her mother's palm connected with her cheek sharply.
"If I hear one more cheeky answer from you, I will cut off your going to movies!"
"And Bhaiyya?" she asked, unable to contain herself.
"How can you stop a boy? He will have his fun... That's why I want you to be careful."
Daughter stared stunned, speechless.
"I told you, I am going for a movie!" Daughter snapped back irritated at the ill-tempered reception.
"Yes, but that must have gotten over at 3. It is 6 now, where were you till now?"
"Oh ma! Don't be a nag! I was with my friends at a cafe near the theatre."
"Why didn't you come home straight? And you didn't inform me either!"
"Where is everyone else? Bhaiyya hasn't come home yet?" Daughter asked to get her Mother off her back.
"He will come, you don't worry about him. But I have told you not to loiter, haven't I, but to come home straight?"
"And why not? You never tell Bhaiyya anything!"
"You don't worry about him. He can take care... It is you I have to worry about."
"Ah, that's what you think! If you knew what he was up to..."
Mother's heart skipped a beat. "What is he up to?"
"Hangs around outside the theatre and hoots when girls cross him. I was so embarrassed to even say a hi to him! That is why I waited in the cafe with my friends, waiting for him to go... Just so they wouldn't see what a loafer of a brother I have!"
"Shut up! Don't you call your brother names! He is just having harmless fun..."
"And if I do the same!" Daughter burst out angrily. But it was a slip of tongue she will regret. Her mother's palm connected with her cheek sharply.
"If I hear one more cheeky answer from you, I will cut off your going to movies!"
"And Bhaiyya?" she asked, unable to contain herself.
"How can you stop a boy? He will have his fun... That's why I want you to be careful."
Daughter stared stunned, speechless.
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Just a Chalice
'The Handmaid's Tale' by Margaret Atwood is written god knows about where and which age. But nothing could describe our society better, given the knee jerk reaction from the governments to "protect" women. The answer, to put her behind reams of clothes, lock her up in a room, restrict her movement. And, oh yes, use her only for procreation. She says the women are just chalices with a body to cover it so that they may receive the semen from the men. Of course, men too cannot look at her. This, purportedly, is to protect the women who were "suffering" when free.
We are seeing much the same in our country now. Unable to come up with answers to the questions being raised about women's safety, the governments seem to believe that the onus lies with women solely to protect themselves - and that is by covering themselves from head to toe and remaining confined within the walls of their homes.
Respected administrators, please assure us that women are safe in the confines of their homes. That women in purdah countries are safe. That the more conventionally dressed women in the villages are safe.
That the answer to the problem lies with the victims and not the perpetrators. That if a man is murdered, it is the one killed who has to be punished and not the killer. That if there is a robbery, the robbed to be penalised and not the robbbers... Is this what justice is all about
We are seeing much the same in our country now. Unable to come up with answers to the questions being raised about women's safety, the governments seem to believe that the onus lies with women solely to protect themselves - and that is by covering themselves from head to toe and remaining confined within the walls of their homes.
Respected administrators, please assure us that women are safe in the confines of their homes. That women in purdah countries are safe. That the more conventionally dressed women in the villages are safe.
That the answer to the problem lies with the victims and not the perpetrators. That if a man is murdered, it is the one killed who has to be punished and not the killer. That if there is a robbery, the robbed to be penalised and not the robbbers... Is this what justice is all about
Sunday, December 30, 2012
We Need a Hero
One Earth: We Need a Hero: "At least a lakh," I heard a voice behind me as I stood staring in wonder at the African elephant in front of me in the zoo we were visiti...
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Light and free
Stone by stone, weighs me down
Heavy limbs, heart heavier still
Darkness, sorrow, fear and anger
A long tunnel, which ends never
And then suddenly, I shake it all
With new hope, that only heart can call
Throwing the burdens away in one stroke
Lifting up in air, wings flapping in the wind
No, wait, there is no effort, as I float in air
Weightless, formless and light as feather
In the vast wilderness, wild and free
I drift with the wind, aimlessly.
Heavy limbs, heart heavier still
Darkness, sorrow, fear and anger
A long tunnel, which ends never
And then suddenly, I shake it all
With new hope, that only heart can call
Throwing the burdens away in one stroke
Lifting up in air, wings flapping in the wind
No, wait, there is no effort, as I float in air
Weightless, formless and light as feather
In the vast wilderness, wild and free
I drift with the wind, aimlessly.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
The Beast Roams Free
He lurked in dark corners
In shady bus shelters
Anonymous in crowds
Furtive in glance and movements
He groped, pinched, rubbed
When no one could catch him
For he feared persecution
Humiliation and exposure
Today he roams the city free
In broadlight, head held high
With his herd, confident
He could get away with murder
In the midst of crowds
Sure of his success
He corners the single,
The helpless and the unaware
He pounces, ravages, walks away
Leaving others wondering
What the crumpled victim did
To incur his wrath
In shady bus shelters
Anonymous in crowds
Furtive in glance and movements
He groped, pinched, rubbed
When no one could catch him
For he feared persecution
Humiliation and exposure
Today he roams the city free
In broadlight, head held high
With his herd, confident
He could get away with murder
In the midst of crowds
Sure of his success
He corners the single,
The helpless and the unaware
He pounces, ravages, walks away
Leaving others wondering
What the crumpled victim did
To incur his wrath
Sunday, December 9, 2012
A Virtual Address
It was the year 1996/97. The Internet was still in its nascent stages, but an entrepreneur saw into the future and started domain registrations and creating websites. I went to interview him - a rarity back then, as I preferred the anonymity of editing the articles rather than write. During the interview, he told me, "In a few years, you will have a website in your name."
I smiled sceptically, but he continued confidently, "You don't believe me? But you will see... It will happen..." or words to that effect.
When I started this blog, I couldn't help remembering that man. Between then and now, I have changed as any individual does, and not changed in many ways. But the most obvious change is in believing in my own cyber space. Apart from this blog and the inevitable facebook page, I also uploaded one of my novels online http://www.booksie.com/Meera.
A friend recently suggested I should have a website of my own. I am not sure about that - maybe some day I will start seeing his point of view too. But when my third book was announced, I went ahead and created a page for myself as an author on FB: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/meerasrikant.author
And that brought that man's words back to me. I don't think that he became a big name in the IT world. But his words have come true. The virtual world does lure us to acquire space there, to give in to the urge that traditionally prompted us to carve our name in a tree or any wooden sruface.
The need to leave our names behind so that others may know we exist.
I smiled sceptically, but he continued confidently, "You don't believe me? But you will see... It will happen..." or words to that effect.
When I started this blog, I couldn't help remembering that man. Between then and now, I have changed as any individual does, and not changed in many ways. But the most obvious change is in believing in my own cyber space. Apart from this blog and the inevitable facebook page, I also uploaded one of my novels online http://www.booksie.com/Meera.
A friend recently suggested I should have a website of my own. I am not sure about that - maybe some day I will start seeing his point of view too. But when my third book was announced, I went ahead and created a page for myself as an author on FB: https://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#!/meerasrikant.author
And that brought that man's words back to me. I don't think that he became a big name in the IT world. But his words have come true. The virtual world does lure us to acquire space there, to give in to the urge that traditionally prompted us to carve our name in a tree or any wooden sruface.
The need to leave our names behind so that others may know we exist.
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