Monday, February 18, 2008

In a mushy state of mind

There is a tree outside my apartment. I walk past it everyday as I leave home in the morning. The point to be noted is 'I walk past it everyday'. I "saw" it only today. Just a couple of minutes back to be precise.

It's 6 in the evening and I venture out to get something from my car. It's that time of day when the sun has just set but it still isn't dark. It seems to be getting darker by the minute but every minute seems just perfect. Twilight they call it. I remember first coming across the word in an English lesson. The teacher explained what it meant. It made so much sense that there was a word to describe that time of day. It deserves a word set aside for it. And the word twilight has this far away, mysterious feel to it. Just like the hours it describes.

Coming back to the moment. I walk out the door. It's slightly chilly but not cold. They've turned on those round white lights that light up our apparently complex. Something about the moment holds me. I walk towards the railing. I don't see a soul around. Everything around is really quite. Really peaceful. And really pretty. I hear the birds chirp now and then. There's a distant low rumbling. Feels like I'm back in India. That's when I notice it. A young tree staring right back at me. I'd never noticed it before. Never paused and looked. These lines come to mind..

"WHAT is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare?—
"

-W. H. Davies

And in that moment all questions about life, all rigorous planning of things to be done melt away. And everything begins to make sense.

Currently reading P.G Wodehouse. In an English state of mind you might say. Watching English comedy(Coupling), English movies(In Bruges) and reading English novels(Right Ho, Jeeves). Delightful people, these English.

11 comments:

Jayanth T N said...

If I remember right, the poem was called Leisure and the following lines were:
No time to stand beneath the boughs,
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

Not listening to Coldplay!?

Suprita said...

[Jayanth] Yep. That's the poem. We had it in school. You studied in a CBSE affiliated school as well?

Coldplay? Na. Not at the moment.

"Look at the stars. Look how they shine for you and everything you do.."

Sigh.

Felix Estrella said...

Speaking of being a mushy mood:

"I take a bottle of wine and I go drink it among the flowers.
We are allways three ... counting my shadow and my friend the shimmering moon
Happily the moon knows nothing of drinking, and my shadow is never thirsty
When I sing, the moon listens to me in silence. When I dance, my shadow dances too.
After all festivities the guests must depart. This sadness I do not know.
When I go home, the moon goes with me and my shadow follows me"


-- Li Po – (701-762)

Suprita said...

[Felix]: And the first word that comes to mind is lonely.. Lovely poem.

Felix Estrella said...

Lonely? Alone != lonely. :-)

Contented is the word I think of when reading that poem.

Jayanth T N said...

I did ICSE! Seems like they had the same books!

Anonymous said...

ayyyoooo....
There is one aaapal tree in front of my room....it used to bare aapals (my bitti breakfast)but now in winter it has stopped...i stare at it every day from my window thinkin "ayyyoo devree ...edhu mathe yavag aapal bidathoo"

Suprita said...

[Anonymous]: Hehehe... :) Tension togo beda maga.. Devaru ninn maat na kailleyy kailtare.. Adu aaple tree aaplle bitteyy bidattey tirga..

BTW. Yaar neevvu anta. V.B.R?

Suprita said...

[Anonymous]: Aah. Acharya avaru ansattey..

Anonymous said...

is BR n acharya the only kannada speaking ppl u know?

Suprita said...

[Anonymous]: Are BR and Acharya*.
Is this some ruse to get a list of all Kannada speaking people I know..