With the bridge

On the bridge
sea flows under my feet
lonesome waves
sound of peace
As I walk on the bridge
the stars follow me
My feet, as I sit there
just about touch the sea
The cold of the night
blankets me warm

Masakali Masakali ..

It means freedom they say. Some people in our country have trouble comprehending this word. It is February now. Time for the saffron political party to go bersherk again. I am tired of the argument and tired of the fact that people don't get tired of it.

They tie a chain to my leg

knife on my wing

they cut me from the sky

The wooden cage

he opens the door

torn, old cards of fate

he speaks to the customer

and claims I read the fate

Like some dreadful gift

they mummify me in their cocoon

my expression becomes an echo

in the dead vacuum

Alarmed!

Some few days back we were driving through some streets in Goa. 10 kilometers. from here to reach the Mangueshi temple. My husband brought to my notice the way we define distance in Mumbai. It always is 15 minutes, 45 minutes in car, 5 minutes walking distance from station for us. I nodded in agreement as my hubby explained that Mumbai values time like no other city probably does. We located the temple as people helped us by pointing their hands for directions and quoting kilometers to tell us that we were getting closer to it.

I have always valued time...more so when it is those 5 extra minutes of sleep after someone's tried to wake you up by saying it's 6.30 (already!) at 6.25 (actually :) ). I graduated from my Mom trying to wake me up to the clock trying the same trick on me. To wake up at 7 a.m. I need the alarm to announce 6.30 first. Then after a couple of snoozes and smiles I am happily on my feet by 7.00.

Today, I realised one more thing like the one where my husband says we define distance in time. We also accept the morning looking at the clock. It was like the Disney film daybreak for us. The birds did their chirping part well, the curtains though a darker shade of pink, through the gap let the ray of light in the room. There were sounds in the house. First tea was served.

All clues trying desperately to wake me up. But, I trust my alarm more than the birds and the sun burning our curtains. Finally after some time of trying to sleep through all those sounds and smells in the house I looked at my clock. It was 8.00 a.m. and I was many kilometers away from my work place.

I don't remember what happened after that. Only when my office was a kilometer away from me and as the taxi was anyway stuck with me in the traffic, I gave my alarm a second look. The alarm still was holding on to the night. It was still time for it to announce my 6.30. We commanded it to announce the wrong 6.30 for us!

I am still waiting for the alarm to go.