hours of darkness...

thoughts float across the mind
as I look
outside the window
with the earth gone into a temporary dark blind

not a sound I hear
except of automation...
and my heart beats
fluttering with excitement and fear

in anticipation
of moments to come
and times to be crossed
a temporary gestation
before the dawn breaks out
and the blinds get drawn
while my beating heart withdraws
and calms
in the knowing
of luck
that another day has been got.

- May 25,2006
Thursday
1.00am

LET US BE!

This is with respect to the recent news in the Times Of India newspaper that India has been irked by few comments made by the Pope on conversions and racial discriminations. Please check the link (click on the title of the post).

Will share a small incident that happened when I was in architecture college. We were a group of 4-5, in our last year of college, who had stayed over at a friend's place to study and complete our projects together. My friend's mom is a teacher at a school for mentally challenged kids and so everyone knew her in the neighbourhood. One afternoon, a Jesuit nun, accompanied by a small child, paid us a visit. Of course, my friend’s mom asked her in and was chatting up with her... we girls happened to be in the living room and taking a break from our hectic routine. In the course of the chat, the lady starts condemning the Hindu religion and begins preaching about the positives of being what she is.

We were taken aback at first, but in a while could not taken it anymore. And asked her to leave. She began speaking more aggressively and telling us that we will suffer as we are not following the true god. To which we replied that we have tremendous respect for all religions and all gods, and there is no god in any religion who says that a person be forced to believe in him...esp. as all religions preach and practice love and tolerance. And not only that, we also happen to visit the temple, dargah, gurudwara and church with equal fervour. And celebrate Christmas, Diwali , Eid, Navroze and Vaisakhi together…we have never made friends on the basis of who is what and why. On which the lady really took off and said how is that possible and how can we compare all other religions to Christianity.

So we then literally had to force her out. But before leaving, we asked her few (rhetorical) questions (of course she didn’t reply)- Why not let people be what they are and follow whatever they want to? And is this what you are trying to teach this young child (who was with her) and our generation next- to thus discriminate between people?

I also believe no other country is as religiously tolerant as India. I mean, c'mon, where else do we have separate laws for people based on their religious tendencies!? On top most of the people have lived with each other for centuries now...happily too! And the only religious madness we have in the country is politically motivated, and does not in anyway stem from it's people. We also have public holidays for each festival of every religion- which other country has that?

No offense meant to anyone, but this is one issue that really irritates the hell out of me! Why don’t people just let others be? And also leave India to its own battles and not make it a religious issue every time? Not only the world, our own politicians need to be told the same- leave religious sentiments aside- that is personal- and I’m sure no one likes their personal preferences be made into a world war.

And India is a land of converts-in fact why just India, the whole world is. Converts of: land, faith, religion, sexual preferences, gender, principles, human nature, physical appearance, economical and social stratas, educational and professional backgrounds, love and friendship and also enemity.... of life itself. Are we going to stop the whole world from being the way they are?

In the midst of tsunamis, earthquakes, global warming and more, should we really spend time on keeping a check on someone else's faith and tendencies thereof?

And to what end? Isn’t death the only inevitability?

in the Pink of Floyd-part1.

One of my fave fave bands... and some of their great songs that I like- not just lyrics but also the music and overall 'sound' of it...Am taking one album at a time- starting with Division Bell.

COMING BACK TO LIFE

(my ultimate 'hot chocolate with rain' song. this one's too close to my heart to express...)

Where were you when I was burned and broken

While the days slipped by from my window watching

Where were you when I was hurt and I was helpless

Because the things you say and the things you do surround me

While you were hanging yourself on someone else's words

Dying to believe in what you heard

I was staring straight into the shining sun

Lost in thought and lost in time

While the seeds of life and the seeds of change were planted

Outside the rain fell dark and slow

While I pondered on this dangerous but irresistible pastime

I took a heavenly ride through our silence

I knew the moment had arrived

For killing the past and coming back to life

I took a heavenly ride through our silence

I knew the waiting had begun

And headed straight...into the shining sun

KEEP TALKING

(a good one that goes with Universal Realms 2 and 3 in my earlier post)

For millions of years mankind lived just like animals

Then something happened which unleashed the power of our imagination

We learned to talk

There's a silence surrounding me

I can't seem to think straight

I'll sit in the corner

No one can bother me

I think I should speak now (why won't you talk to me)

I can't seem to speak now (you never talk to me)

My words won't come out right (what are you thinking)

I feel like I'm drowning (What are you feeling)

I'm feeling weak now (why won't you talk to me)

But I can't show my weakness (you never talk to me)

I sometimes wonder (what are you thinking)

Where do we go from here (what are you feeling)

It doesn't have to be like this

All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

Why won't you talk to me (I feel like I'm drowning)

You never talk to me (you know I can't breathe now)

What are you thinking (we're going nowhere)

What are you feeling (we're going nowhere)

Why won't you talk to me

You never talk to me

What are you thinking

Where do we go from here

It doesn't have to be like this

All we need to do is make sure we keep talking

POLES APART
(know many people I can sing this song too...and haunt! hehe)

Did you know...it was all going to go so wrong for you
And did you see it was all going to be so right for me
Why did we tell you then

You were always the golden boy then

And that you'd never lose that light in your eyes

Hey you...did you ever realise what you'd become
And did you see that it wasn't only me you were running from
Did you know all the time but it never bothered you anyway
Leading the blind while I stared out the steel in your eyes

The rain fell slow, down on all the roofs of uncertainty
I thought of you and the years and all the sadness fell away from me

And did you know...

I never thought that you'd lose that light in your eyes