The crowded bus

On the way to Pushkar. We boarded this old , rickety bus. The  very colourfully clothed passengers more than made up for it.

The bus never arrived on time. When arrived, it could not take all passengers queued in line, cos it was too packed and crowded like a tin of sardine.

The Cane Chair

A glimpse of stacked cane chairs under the sun, got me whipping my digicam out before the bus could move.

If chairs have but feeling, in holding such charms,

A thrill must have pass'd through your wither'd old arms!
I look'd, and I long'd, and I wish'd in despair;
I wished myself turn'd to a cane-bottom'd chair.

The Green Bottle

I was having a coughing fit in the bus, and there was this kid on the front seat, offering me a bottle of water from between the crevice that the windows and the seat formed.

As the sunlight catches it's lovely
shade of deep green,
It summons a distant memory of a
child, smiling serene.

Brinjals aka Eggplant !

I love Brinjals! And sitting in a farm, relishing fried Brinjal and watching the brinjal produce being sifted through was a wonderful experience indeed on the way to Osiyan.

And my baby cooks her Eggplant,
Bout 19 different ways.
Sometimes I just have it raw with Mayonnaise.

Osian Mata temple

We reached the Osiyan Mata temple at Osiyan - a two hours bike ride from Jodhpur, in the afternoon hours. The sandstone architecture did leave us in awe. A pity indeed that we could not stay until sunset.

To Golden rules and deities

through prayer and song

Show me your strength and faith

ten pillars strong

Spot the Middle Finger?

Motoring a speedboat on the Vembanad lake, I was complaining about how the wind was messing up my hair, how there was too much coconut oil in the food, etc. My cousin pointed out this apt reply to my whining. We could not stop laughing. Almost like God himself was flipping me for whining about 'his own country'.

Blunt eloquent digit—
it points to the sky
I thank god for giving me
everyday to raise here

Row, row, row your boat

They sided their rowboat to let our boat pass. We were heading to the Vembanad lake through one of the many canals. Our resort was on the banks of this canal. We were quite intrigued by the idea of saying ' take left at the 3rd canal on the Vembanad lake, its the fourth house to the right.'

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream.
Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,
Life is but a dream.

Flowery verse

The green foliage and the bright flowers of Kerala just after the monsoon, bought out the nature freak in me that had gone into hiding living in Bangalore and the deserts of Rajasthan.

Their calypso tones, you know very well;
With petals of exaggerated pride,
And self-confidence, does within them dwell;
For their Latin roots are not brushed aside

Cochin Shipyard

The number of battleships and the ship building yard at Cochin are worth a stop. Take the boat ride out into the yard for a tour of all the ships they have.

A goodly vessel did I then espy
Come like a giant from a haven broad;
And lustily along the bay she strode,
Her tackling rich, and of apparel high.

Waves to Ripples

The ripple smiled - if it could smile

And spoke in softened voice.
`I’ve come ashore this final time.
Because I have no choice.'

Cochin Beach

I wonder where that wave started
Was it from an oceans floor?
Surging upwards through the tides
To end on this rocky shore?

The Tail flower

O were I hovering, a bee, to probe
Deep down within your scented heart, fair flower,
Enfolded by your soft vermilion robe,
Amorous of sweets, for but one perfect hour!

Vembanad lake

There is something about you,
something in your boating rigmarole
something that seems to
surround your rowing pole….

A Purple flower

To see a world in a grain of sand,
And heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand,
An eternity in an hour

To verdant leaves, or sheltering shade

Not meagre, latent boughs alone, O songs!
(scaly and bare, like eagles' talons,)
But haply for some sunny day (who knows?)
some future spring, some summer--bursting forth...