One of Those Days

One of those days,
when the heart is not at its place,
and the mind isn't straight,
I am not where its at;
today is one of those days.

This love forsakes me 
and I am clouded with a vision
about many a things and events
dwelling realms of reality and illusion
perhaps
no one but I bother
for I feel the guilt
of removing the layers
of wanting to know the truth
that perhaps exists
only within my mind.

I want to shrug them off
want to turn my face away
look the other side
but I abide
and delve deeper
into those dark corners
hoping that they will
reveal themselves to me
I trudge through these dark corners
that I've never been
never before
never again
for when a day like this
arrives the next time
corners will change
paths will be different
even the illusory truths I seek
will be distinct.

As time passes
nothing remains the same
the only constant is me
and my agony
of neither being able to
travel the whole
or turn away
without even a cursory glance;
perhaps
I might do it that way
one fine day,
alas
today is not one of those days.

Colour of My Moon

This moon is White
He has been playing in snow
all through the night

This moon is Blue
Lovelorn for the girl
he once knew

This moon is red
He is full of life
yet angry and sad

This moon is Green
Burning away in envy
Losing his sheen

This moon is Yellow
seems feverish and sick,
devoid of glow

This moon is Orange
pretending to be the setting sun
he was bored and looked for a change

This moon should have been Purple
But like Buddha
he disliked being royal

No colour bears this moon
He rose too early
died too soon

I thought of painting my moon some more
Alas the morning came
and he left therefore.


Pic Courtesy: http://underwaterphotography.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/jheller_rainboweclipse2.jpg

For The Love of Music (What can We do with Indian Music - 1)

Reading sometimes need time, which is nowadays at premium, but listening music requires little effort and is doable even in busy times. If there was anything to inspire me to be active on the blog again it had to be music. For long I had thought of posting a series of clips, in audio or video format, of music and musicians who enchant me greatly. 

Since I couldn't find a better title, I title this latest endeavor of mine as 'For the Love of Music'. I start this with a series of 6 posts showcasing the brilliance of music when our Indian music is amalgamated with music from other parts of the world or musical forms that are not intrinsic to it. From suggestions by friends to accidental discoveries to recommendations on web, the posts that form the part of this series showcase music that I find highly enjoyable and inspires me to further explore the beautiful world of music. I hope that readers too will find the music presented enjoyable and inspiring enough to embark on their own musical journey; and if you do come across some fascinating music during this journey of yours, don't forget to return the favor by mentioning the same in the comments :)

Tinariwen with Kiran Ahluwalia

Mast Mast 

I discovered Tinariwen accidentally about five years ago while listening to Ali Farka Toure on Youtube. Youtube's sidebar having list of suggested videos had a Tinariwen song as one of the suggestions,  dont remember which one perhaps Cler Achel. Since then Tinariwen has remained my favorite band from Africa, inspiring me further explore the great wealth of African music and leading me to great african acts such as Toumani Diabate and several others. Having admired and listened to Tinariwen, it filled me with great excitement when in 2011 they recorded 'Mast Mast' with the impressive Indo-Canadian singer Kiran Ahluwalia. Many of us have listened several versions of 'Dam mast mast' and yet this Tuareg-Indian fusion stands out for its unique experimentation and registers the magical impact this great sufi sing is capable of. This song has looped on a repeat for a long time on my music player and high chances that it will end up the same way on yours. Enjoy :)

There's a longer version of this song available of youtube as well that shouldn't be difficult to find the same :)

The Monologue (The One of Turqoise Eyes - 5)

"It took you a while, my love. Strange that I mention a notion of time, for all this while time had been buried within me; I guess even time won’t be able to answer since when. Not because it does not know the answer, but because the answer needs to be spoken and I don’t permit anyone but myself to be heard and spoken. You can call me full of arrogance and insolence, but you won’t find a better lord of one’s self than me. I am, as they say, 'Nothing' and by virtue of being 'Nothing', I command an aura and presence, in front of which everyone else's presence not just dwindles down or fade away, but submits and submerges."

"But my love, you are not amongst those who got lost within my labyrinths. In fact, I am the one who is losing ‘me’ in your presence. And I wonder if it’s because you compel me to a situation like this or is it that I want to myself trudge this path of self destruction. And yes, destruction is not such a nice word to describe the whole sea of emotions that drowns me now. Who will believe this scenario, perhaps no one, because no one exists. How I wish that there was someone to witness this special occasion. Perhaps this is the only time I regret my entirety, my completeness."

"In some sense I am probably wrong to brag about my completeness. I always thought that I am complete, absolute in every sense and respect. All the more reason to be surprised at the state in which I find myself now, for perhaps there was always a yearning existing somewhere, a yearning whose presence was oblivious to me. How can that be? Perhaps it was easier for your presence to permeate even Nothingness, otherwise how could it ever happen to someone like me, the one who has made oneself devoid of all that is tangible and perceptible."

"You won’t believe if I tell you how happy I was with my mundane existence. You can call it life if you want, but fact is that I never even allowed my breath to escape from myself. And then it all changed. Not suddenly though. I cannot say if there was any sign or indication of it. No never. Not even when you stood on the bridge gazing intently at me. Not then. Not even when you opened your arms, perhaps to embrace me and took that leap, I believe a leap of faith, in expectation of me reciprocating. But somehow, somewhere amidst all this that change happened. I engulfed you or perhaps you engulfed me, who knows. But now I find myself melting within you. My vast nihility, my nonexistence is suddenly gaining a shape. Inch by inch, word by word, moment by moment, I conform, I become; I die. Yes I am approaching my death. And yet I have no qualms, fortunate is a lover who gets such a death, death in one's lover's arms. And as they used to say in those folktales of once, those which all got lost to me, even death couldn’t keep them apart; for they have by then become one."

"I give myself to you, my love, wholly, completely, thoroughly. From now on my love, this Nothingness ceases to exist for the world, for I have found a new existence, within you".

The Rainbow Bridge over Nothingness (The One of Turqoise Eyes - 4)

The Dream (The One of Turqoise Eyes - 3)
 
The One of Turqoise Eyes - 2

The One of Turqoise Eyes -1