My name is Josephine. You can call me Meenakshi. I also love the name Celeste. In mandarin, my name would sound like Rong Zhao. I could call myself Vicky, I heart the name of Denziel and I wonder how Iberatu would roll off my tongue.
I am alternatively in 19th century France or in 13th century South India or in early 20th century Argentina. I could be in late 20th century Britain, a breaker in the pathbreaking 60s Black America or in a clan in interior Nigeria.
What’s in a name? Asked the master.
Or I could be me. Carrier of a name simple to tongue and unassuming to the ears. I could have the license to be interesting in complicated times under the guise of an unpretentious moniker.
As I continue my believable one-dimensional existence, behind my open eyes – there exist intriguing times and stimulating lands. In that closeted space, I fly across verdant lands, gallop over patchy terrain, dive under sparkling green oceans, fight state-crumbling ultras, flush out dirty fishes, write time-distinctive poetry, spin timeless tales, fire up a stage with my fierce performance, win those tinkly medals at that international festival of nations.
A flick of eyelashes and I wake.
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label thoughts. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Cowards, To Thee I Say...
I am a girl, a daughter, a woman, a professional, a secular individual, an Indian and a global citizen.
In each of my roles, I have my own unique set of responsibilities. I have different dreams. I aim for different goals. I demand my different rights.
As a girl, I am responsible for taking care of myself. As a girl, I want to be happy and dream of living the perfect life in a fairy tale.
As a daughter, I am responsible for the happiness and comfort of my parents. As a daughter, I aim to keep my parents satisfied and proud of me even while living life independent of their pressures and ambitions. I have the right to be loved and criticised for who I am and not for my gender.
As a woman, I am responsible for being fair but not unsoft in my dealings with the world. As a woman, I aim to use my female instincts to dust off unwarranted and undeserved males while preening for the one I want. As a woman, I have the right to live life on my own terms and not on terms dictated by the dominant force at a given time and place. As a woman, I demand my right of choice. As a woman, I demand a country and a world where future generations are still left with a world viable and strong enough for their share of foibles and follies.
As a professional, I am responsible for delivering on my job. And then, a little more. As a professional, I aim to touch the loftiest star in my skies while keeping my integrity alive. As a professional, I demand that I be identified by my work and not by my gender.
As a secular individual, I am responsible for understanding my religion and the other person’s religion. Short of that, I am responsible for acting maturely and fairly and acquaint myself with ‘perspective’. As a secular individual, I dream of a world where religions remain personal quirks like favourite brands of toothpaste and not badges of identity. As a secular individual, I am demand that as I do not judge others by their religion, let them not judge me by mine; that I be given the right to live and grow and see my generations thrive in a land undiluted by hate mongered in the name of Gods.
As an Indian, I am responsible for understanding the complex honeycomb concept of India and never dismissing my nation’s achievements and shames and missed buses in catchphrases of the moment. As an Indian, I dream of a world where India is known and seen by the world through the prism of who she is and not in terms of who she inks a deal with. I dream of an India where equal opportunity exists for people of all caste, religion, ethnicity, region and sex; and I aim to not be dismissive of the still births faced on the journey towards being that India.
As an Indian, I demand the right to not be hijacked by other people’s war in my own land. As an Indian, I demand the right to not be held hostage to the whims and moneys of jobless and idle satans. As an Indian, I demand that my country be acknowledged for her strengths and may no Indian or non-Indian tarnish that with gratuitous exposition on her scabs.
As a global citizen, I am responsible for understanding the uniqueness of the world we inhabit – the fascinating rainbow of skin and eye colours, of thoughts and beliefs, of faiths and rituals, of tribes and races, of soils and life. As a global citizen, I am responsible to be not selfish enough to pawn the future of this world. I aim for a world where citizens will not be identified by their colour of skin or length of their clothes. I aim for a world whose people understand the value of this earth we inhabit and who realise that only in togetherness shall we survive and prosper.
As a global citizen, I demand that personal quibbles be solved over a cuppa in a coffee house and not in gunbattles. As a global citizen, I demand that politicians and leaders in all garbs think of countless voiceless me’s in this world before embarking on violent carthages rather than just thinking of their own personal I’s.
As a girl, a daughter, a woman, a professional, a secular individual, an Indian and a global citizen, I demand the right to reclaim my space. I demand that my country be returned to me, for jobless thoughtless cowards have no right to wreck the fabric in the weaving of which they had no hand and dried no sweat.
As a girl, a daughter, a woman, a professional, a secular individual, an Indian and a global citizen, I say to all ye cowards now – Take your fight somewhere else. This country has stood by you for 60 years and when it chastised you for bleeding her, you turn on her like your age old enemy. You have no honour. My country and her people pride themselves in being honourable. Yes, we have had great moments of shame. Yes, we have made inerasable mistakes in judgement. But if we cannot sit across a table and talk, then you do not deserve to hear ‘fair trial’.
A frustrated and despairing person’s curse be on all you cowards: “May you all rot in your special Hell.”
In each of my roles, I have my own unique set of responsibilities. I have different dreams. I aim for different goals. I demand my different rights.
As a girl, I am responsible for taking care of myself. As a girl, I want to be happy and dream of living the perfect life in a fairy tale.
As a daughter, I am responsible for the happiness and comfort of my parents. As a daughter, I aim to keep my parents satisfied and proud of me even while living life independent of their pressures and ambitions. I have the right to be loved and criticised for who I am and not for my gender.
As a woman, I am responsible for being fair but not unsoft in my dealings with the world. As a woman, I aim to use my female instincts to dust off unwarranted and undeserved males while preening for the one I want. As a woman, I have the right to live life on my own terms and not on terms dictated by the dominant force at a given time and place. As a woman, I demand my right of choice. As a woman, I demand a country and a world where future generations are still left with a world viable and strong enough for their share of foibles and follies.
As a professional, I am responsible for delivering on my job. And then, a little more. As a professional, I aim to touch the loftiest star in my skies while keeping my integrity alive. As a professional, I demand that I be identified by my work and not by my gender.
As a secular individual, I am responsible for understanding my religion and the other person’s religion. Short of that, I am responsible for acting maturely and fairly and acquaint myself with ‘perspective’. As a secular individual, I dream of a world where religions remain personal quirks like favourite brands of toothpaste and not badges of identity. As a secular individual, I am demand that as I do not judge others by their religion, let them not judge me by mine; that I be given the right to live and grow and see my generations thrive in a land undiluted by hate mongered in the name of Gods.
As an Indian, I am responsible for understanding the complex honeycomb concept of India and never dismissing my nation’s achievements and shames and missed buses in catchphrases of the moment. As an Indian, I dream of a world where India is known and seen by the world through the prism of who she is and not in terms of who she inks a deal with. I dream of an India where equal opportunity exists for people of all caste, religion, ethnicity, region and sex; and I aim to not be dismissive of the still births faced on the journey towards being that India.
As an Indian, I demand the right to not be hijacked by other people’s war in my own land. As an Indian, I demand the right to not be held hostage to the whims and moneys of jobless and idle satans. As an Indian, I demand that my country be acknowledged for her strengths and may no Indian or non-Indian tarnish that with gratuitous exposition on her scabs.
As a global citizen, I am responsible for understanding the uniqueness of the world we inhabit – the fascinating rainbow of skin and eye colours, of thoughts and beliefs, of faiths and rituals, of tribes and races, of soils and life. As a global citizen, I am responsible to be not selfish enough to pawn the future of this world. I aim for a world where citizens will not be identified by their colour of skin or length of their clothes. I aim for a world whose people understand the value of this earth we inhabit and who realise that only in togetherness shall we survive and prosper.
As a global citizen, I demand that personal quibbles be solved over a cuppa in a coffee house and not in gunbattles. As a global citizen, I demand that politicians and leaders in all garbs think of countless voiceless me’s in this world before embarking on violent carthages rather than just thinking of their own personal I’s.
As a girl, a daughter, a woman, a professional, a secular individual, an Indian and a global citizen, I demand the right to reclaim my space. I demand that my country be returned to me, for jobless thoughtless cowards have no right to wreck the fabric in the weaving of which they had no hand and dried no sweat.
As a girl, a daughter, a woman, a professional, a secular individual, an Indian and a global citizen, I say to all ye cowards now – Take your fight somewhere else. This country has stood by you for 60 years and when it chastised you for bleeding her, you turn on her like your age old enemy. You have no honour. My country and her people pride themselves in being honourable. Yes, we have had great moments of shame. Yes, we have made inerasable mistakes in judgement. But if we cannot sit across a table and talk, then you do not deserve to hear ‘fair trial’.
A frustrated and despairing person’s curse be on all you cowards: “May you all rot in your special Hell.”
Friday, November 21, 2008
Sunshine and Sunflowers
So, it was a memorable day: An awesome morning, meeting two very nice people for the first time, trepidation and happiness warring equally with each other, an intimate and informal setting, a deliciously simple spread followed by an evening of joyful abandon.
Ah...such abandon. Have you ever stealthily splurged on delicious creamy chocolate ice-cream and had to surreptitiously lick your lips and fingers to hide the evidence from approaching footsteps?
Ah then...you will understand the aura of teenage giggles that seemed to embrace us yesterday evening. The pecks on the cheek in the semi darkness, the whispers of 'so all roads have led us here', the elevating feeling of togetherness, the weight of apprehension gone...
After almost six years - of being in various places across the country and having played various roles in this relationship - this is the time for a new role, for another beginning...
We have revelled and rejoiced in every turn that we have travelled down. And Joy, it has been a wonderful journey so far: equal parts stroll, saunter gallop, linger, nuzzle and dance entwined.
And the gamesome stallion that you are - you will face some heat from this filly when next we cross paths untill the paths shall twine and merge.
I cannot help but...
Everywhere I look, I see warm sunshine across the land and bobbing sunflowers as far as the eye can see.
Ah...such abandon. Have you ever stealthily splurged on delicious creamy chocolate ice-cream and had to surreptitiously lick your lips and fingers to hide the evidence from approaching footsteps?
Ah then...you will understand the aura of teenage giggles that seemed to embrace us yesterday evening. The pecks on the cheek in the semi darkness, the whispers of 'so all roads have led us here', the elevating feeling of togetherness, the weight of apprehension gone...
After almost six years - of being in various places across the country and having played various roles in this relationship - this is the time for a new role, for another beginning...
We have revelled and rejoiced in every turn that we have travelled down. And Joy, it has been a wonderful journey so far: equal parts stroll, saunter gallop, linger, nuzzle and dance entwined.
And the gamesome stallion that you are - you will face some heat from this filly when next we cross paths untill the paths shall twine and merge.
I cannot help but...
Everywhere I look, I see warm sunshine across the land and bobbing sunflowers as far as the eye can see.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Phah...
Scrambled brain pickled in the brine of sourpussery incremental of a wretched mindfuck.
*HEROES - Take A Bow*
*HEROES - Take A Bow*
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Invert
- When extremely sane people lose control - in a very good way, of course
- When close-lipped folks get an insane desire to spill beans and all
- When supposedly mature people have to clamp down on an irresistible urge to giggle endlessly
- When thoughts long turned over and over in the cached away recesses of mind are let out into the free air
- When close-lipped folks get an insane desire to spill beans and all
- When supposedly mature people have to clamp down on an irresistible urge to giggle endlessly
- When thoughts long turned over and over in the cached away recesses of mind are let out into the free air
Friday, October 17, 2008
Of Midnight Calls
A cold warm night:
The clock struck the witching hour minutes back
A body tosses and turns on the bed in the corner of a little room
The body should have been asleep hours back
But a Friday night comes with concessions...of reading favourite blogs, of sneaking a look at the next chapter of an Archer book, of listening to rollicking Bollymusic, of dozing in a chair with the night light on, of keeping company with midnight...
Options run out and the tired body and sleepy eyes finally hit the pillow
A missed call: an olde code of bonding, of remembering...
A smiley received back
A sleepy haze takes over
A ring
A call
From a beloved
Disbelief for a span of a moment
Neverending giggles spanning minutes which seem like hours
Numbness at the end of status quo
An unwalked path
Delicious strangeness
Anticipation at this state of newness
Sleep thrown down
Silent giggles in the silence of the night
Soft smiles - will the morning confirm these happenings?
A night's sleep spent at the edge of a pillow
Scary, looked forward to, anticipated: Not the new state, but the new state with the same person, the same lovely beloved being - long known, long friended, long loved, of fluffy dreams, of single-mindedness to see their fruition...
To Joy...
All that I have ever said to you, I say all that back again :)
And I look forward to saying all that all over again and again...
The clock struck the witching hour minutes back
A body tosses and turns on the bed in the corner of a little room
The body should have been asleep hours back
But a Friday night comes with concessions...of reading favourite blogs, of sneaking a look at the next chapter of an Archer book, of listening to rollicking Bollymusic, of dozing in a chair with the night light on, of keeping company with midnight...
Options run out and the tired body and sleepy eyes finally hit the pillow
A missed call: an olde code of bonding, of remembering...
A smiley received back
A sleepy haze takes over
A ring
A call
From a beloved
Disbelief for a span of a moment
Neverending giggles spanning minutes which seem like hours
Numbness at the end of status quo
An unwalked path
Delicious strangeness
Anticipation at this state of newness
Sleep thrown down
Silent giggles in the silence of the night
Soft smiles - will the morning confirm these happenings?
A night's sleep spent at the edge of a pillow
Scary, looked forward to, anticipated: Not the new state, but the new state with the same person, the same lovely beloved being - long known, long friended, long loved, of fluffy dreams, of single-mindedness to see their fruition...
To Joy...
All that I have ever said to you, I say all that back again :)
And I look forward to saying all that all over again and again...
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