Outlandish Soliloquy

Under the monstrous tree brought down by the avalanche
Lies a battered soul,
He's fucked up entirely, the Devil owns it now
Still he thinks there's a way out

He asks himself, "Who are you?"
"Don't know and I bloody don't give a damn" is the reply he gets
"Outlandish Soliloquy, this!!", says the soul
The Devil delivers one final blow!

The soul is resurrected now
He crawls into the fire and bathes in it
He is his coffin, he pushes nails deep inside
He has the bucket near, but doesn't kick it aside
He becomes the Devil or the Devil becomes he?

I...

I go to a temple.
I bow before Thee.
I look at the stray dogs.
I feed the stray kids.

I go to a hang-out.
I smoke a fag.
I sip at stale tea.
I kill an ant.

I don't get intoxicated after 3 of 'em.
I wonder how my friend does.
I sip at some more tea.
I break into a violent cough.

I try to cry.
I feel dry eyes and a dry soul.
I see that the ends of my friend's eyes are watered.
I feel good for him, better for his soul.

I get bitten by the same ant I killed ... or ... I tried to.
I deliver a one-liner, "Tears mark the beginning of pain!"
I see my friend nods.
I see him break into a wail.

I have my head held in my hands.
I move my fingers through my hair.
I can sense the inherent gloom in the lovely evening sky.
I feel as if my heart is being razed, layer by layer.

I get up, walk up to my bike.
I caress it, feel all the scars again.
I give it a peck where its cheek would have been.
I know it has been on my side, without a figment of complain.

I am still strong.
I can bear some more.
I'll be the last man standing.
I am sure of this, even more.

A pretty simple poem by my standards. Scribbled it while being the pillion-rider, on my friend's back.

Scarred

Poison eats me from the inside
No more is slow death a farce
The suffering increases by the second
The acid of insecurity gives me scars

The wounds refuse to heal
The pain just does not subside
The crooked hand of fate
puts barbed wire in my backside

What awaits me in the offing is as clear
as the sky on a turbulent stormy night
The past was voodoo-ed by satanic powers
Dementors take me over and I give up the fight

The most twisted demons wreck havoc right in my eyes
my alter-ego thinks they are angels
The robes and the halo seem Heavenly
I know Hell has a knack of deadly disguise

I can no more talk to myself
There's an iron curtain in the system
I make slow, deep cuts with the knife
Masochism resides in my cranium

Gloom to Melancholy

The devil seeks the angel,
Wants to gorge on him, Period!
It’s the Day of Reckoning!
Three cheers to Armageddon!!!
What matters is immaterial,
What does not,
Has been fucked apart too.

In spaces between blankness,
In crowds amidst mobs,
A raging fear sends chills down the spines.
There is sweat on the brow,
And it threatens to melt the brain.
The twist of fate has caught you unawares
Utopia has been hacked down

You laugh the twisted laugh till dark humor dons a shade you cannot fathom out
You cry out till your throat gets sore
You think till you get deluded, hallucinated
You run until you encounter the Dead End
You feel the pain till your soul is kidnapped
You see the illusion of damage till it turns to annihilation.

And then, you tread the path from gloom to melancholy!!!

Exorbitatingly Arbit!

First things first, apologies for the long hiatus between this blog post and the last one.

During this hiatus, I've read numerous books, watched many movies, gorged over loads of Calvin and Hobbes and the ilk.

This post is going to have a very high arbit quotient. I am going to talk about anything and everything that comes to my mind, with something thrown in to make the mix more eclectic. So let's begin -

1. The dates for the general elections in the country - (a big hoax, actually) have been announced. Mine being a sarkaari college is going to be the projector room for this whole movie and therefore, classes will be suspended. I plan to make good use of this time period. Let's see what the future holds in store for me.

2. The wound called Ujjain's water supply problems is deepening by the minute due to the highly lackadaisical approach of the concerned authorities. There has been bakar around the globe that the next World War will be fought for water. I would not go into the details of the problem here but I guess it would suffice to say that the battles have already begun in all earnest.

3. Did Slumdog Millionaire deserve the Oscar? I haven't watched the other movies but I fail to understand the need for putting the cliched happy ending - Boy meets girl and they lived happily ever after. I must say though, the part of the movie when the main protagonists are all children is superb, irrespective of the fact that India's "underbelly" (as some high-handed critics have chosen to call it - I disagree with the usage of the term) was depicted on the screen. I have been to extremely backward parts of India's east and believe me, the movie does not even come within striking distance of portraying India's underbelly. The kid actors were awesome especially the youngest Jamal.

4. I have been a big fan of Parle-G biscuits and the other day, I wrote a little mail to the consumer cell appreciating the product. I know that in all probability, my mail would be deleted as soon as it is discovered in the inbox but nevertheless, not everything in life is meant to big and glitzy. I got great pleasure in sending the mail and that's what matters most. Maybe this is an after-effect of reading Malgudi Days.

5. I listened to Black Eyed Peas' new album "Boom Boom Pow" and sadly this comes as close to shit as possible. I don't know what must have gone thorugh the band members' mind when they were composing such songs and guess what, I don't even want to go there. I assume that this is the advantage that one enjoys by not being a die-hard fan of any one band - you don't have to take the bad with the good!

6. Tyrannosaurus Rex is back after a rebirth, albeit under a new identity. T-Rex, thou shalt be called Recession hereafter. A close confidant of mine revealed to me that my employer-to-be has brought the curtains down, temporarily atleast, on the careers of around 1500 employees without the media knowing about it. The situation clearly looks very grim and I appeal to everyone who has a stake (me included), to face the music with the chin up and at least a semblance of hope in the heart.

There is nothing more coming to my mind right now. So here ends the post.

The spirit of Entrepreneurship!

Lose yourself...
to find the true "you"...
Never get so old...
that you can't run after your dreams...

what matters is not the greenbacks...
what matters is that you are a greenhorn...
ready to take the world on...
your mind is not corrupt...
that does help...

Fun lies in the uncertainities...
Fun lies in the journey, not in the destination...
Fun lies in asking the right questions of yourself...
Have fun, they rightly say...

Have a huge appetite...
for risk, that is...
but do know your limits...
Get your calculations exact...

Interact, Ideate, Innovate, Invigorate...
then Initiate, Implement, Intensify, Improve...
and then Improvise and Inspire

Failure is heartbreaking...
Hell yeah, it is...
But it isn't permanent...
so even if you lose, don't lose the lesson...
for it may help in your next flight into your own space...
Never give up on yourself...
You are the ONE!

Hope I can inculcate this spirit in me.

God willing, India will win this Test Match!

Score update

• SR Tendulkar 27* and VVS Laxman 2*
  
• Last Batsman out - G Gambhir on 29
• India 77/3 in 26.4 overs
• India need 299 from 83 overs to win

"Cricket is my religion and Sachin is my God!"
A photograph bearing this banner by SRT's fans has become a part of cricket memorabilia. As far as I know, it was first flashed in Toronto, I may be wrong, but that hardly matters. My intention behind mentioning this is to relate it to the title of the post. India's victory is now in two pairs of hands, both of whom belong to God - one is up there in the heavens and the other is plugging away ones and twos and the occasional four at the Chinnaswami Stadium in Bangalore against a second-rate Australian bowlng attack when seen in light of the yesteryears.

I personally don't correspond to this concept of labelling human beings as God but I do think that SRT is one of the finest batsmen the world has witnessed. Also, he does have in him the ability and the experience to soldier on for the rest of the 5th day and lead India into victory's waiting arms. What remains to be seen is whether he has the gumption to do so.

If there has ever been the slightest blot on SRT's illuminating career, it has been that he hasn't won enough Test matches or ODI's for India when batting last. I still remember the heart-wrenching loss to Pakistan in Chennai in 1997 (SRT's favorite knock for me). News channels (however thoughtless they are!) are mercilessly flashing his average in the second innings which is way below his overall average. The daggers are certainly out for him, more so when Saurav Ganguly has announced his plans to retire after this series. All through his career and more so, lately, he has said that he doesn't have a point to prove to anyone. I do go by that. But his critics and detractors don't. But here the issue is proving a point to himself. Realistically speaking, this may well be his last Test series against the Numero Uno in India. Wouldn't he want to do it in grand style?
From what I have seen of him, he must be very determined to do so and Brian Lara's record would be the last thing on his mind, if at all, it is on his mind. The pitch is deteriorating, but his getting out to a ball that looks like it kept low, only because of his actions (the bat's toe touching the ground, his right hand coming off the bat in despair) would look highly ugly. He would still be in the team for the next Test even if India loses, but would that please him? I doubt. Also, he can play like he did in Sydney enroute to 241, carving out a draw, but would that please him? I doubt! (Req. RR - 3.6, Curr. RR - 2.6)

So fight on SRT. India and your mates in the dressing room back you to get the job done. This opportunity-in-disguise would never come back. We don't want to burden you with the weight of expectations. Do know that we are with you, in victory as well as defeat for you have served India like no one else. We are proud of you!

Score update

• SR Tendulkar 31* (71) and VVS Laxman 5* (32)
  
• Last Batsman out - G Gambhir on 29
• India 87/3 in 34.1 overs
• India need 299 from 83 overs to win

Edited : SRT out for 49. Huh! The match looks set to end in a draw as bad light looms large. Maybe ... If ... but ...