Scarborough Fair/Canticle- Simon and Garfunkel

When i heard this song for the first time, i had a preconceived notion that i would not like it. Usually when you go ahead with something carrying this notion, the notion wins 99% of the time. This song beat that notion of mine. I will try to put into words what i actually felt when i heard it. But before that, let's have a look into what it really is about.

This song describes a young man asking his former lover to perform a serious of impossible tasks, like making him a shirt without a seam and washing it in a dry well. He says that he will take her back only if she can finish these tasks. Looks like she sure had made his life hell! ;-)

I don't know how many people who have heard the song have actually paid attention to few words which go on in the back ground. I was always curious about those but i could never figure out anything except these- "To fight for a cause they've long ago forgotten". I used to think this might relate to some kind of revolution or war. When i googled it up, my guess was right.

So the song isn't just Scarborough Fair. There is Canticle going on in the background. The latter describes a war scene. It is two songs sung simultaneously. It is upto the listeners to link them or not. You can imagine a soldier thinking about his ex-lover. Or you can just think that S&G used both to create melody of the highest order. If you ask me, it is the perfect combination of a beautiful story wrapped in a mystical world created by S&G's musical harmony.

When i heard it for the first time, i couln't help but drift away to a magical place where i could see lush green meadows and puffs of white clouds against the blue sky. You can call that my 'Happy Place'. In short, I felt peaceful. The music, the voices- they had an element of innocence in them.

I get the same feeling when i listen to it today. It is a song i can never get bored of. I don't know who originally wrote the song(s), I don't know how it was supposed to be sung. I just believe that S&G has presented it in the best possible manner. I do not think there is room for any improvement, because it is PERFECT.

Boston

Maybe i should have started blogging from the time i landed in Boston. I could have narrated my experiences from day 1. I dont know how 3 weeks just passed away. It's been a great stay so far. The weekdays fly and the weekends...well well...it was friday evening just a moment ago! :(

I always wanted to see U.S., but the turn of events suddenly prepared me for the fact that i wasnt going to come here at all. Still i took a chance and decided to give it one last shot. And it worked! So here i am!

Please dont ask me to explain what the above paragraph means, its just too long a story to type. But whatever it was, I sure did learn one thing. Nothing in life comes easy, and you realize the true worth of it when you earn it yourself. Someone had once told me that it is always better to be the second best, because that way, you always have some goal to achieve for which you have to try hard. The harder you try, whether you achieve your goal or not, you learn a lesson in every step.

I stay in a quiet and beautiful place called Windsor Gardens in Norwood. It is not far from Boston. It is a lovely place. I feel close to Mother Nature here. All that is hers has been nurtured and taken care of in the best possible manner. And if you come across a soul or two, they will always greet you with smiling faces.

I had two great weekends. You can check out the photos here (Exclusively for my Orkut friends!). The first one was a visit to M.I.T., Harvard and Quincy Market. I love the Harvard Memorial Hall. I still havent been able to figure out why 'U' is written as 'V' in all the M.I.T. buildings. The Silver girl in Quincy market was awesome. Even better was the guy playing drums with buckets, pots and pans. Such talent! The commuter railway and subway are truly convenient ways to travel. And the station is just 2 mins walk from my place.

The mission for the following weekend was the Boston Freedom Trail. We avoided the Duck Tour and chose to walk for over 2.5 miles, till our legs couldn't carry us. But i tell you, it was worth it! There were churches, graveyards and other important buildings. I do not know much about U.S. history, but it was a great experience. What I liked best was the USS Cassin Young- World War II destroyer. We reached the last stop of the trail late and missed the chance to climb the 294 steps of Bunker Hill Monument to view the city from up there.

This weekend was dedicated to shopping, cooking and singing. Not bad to relax once in a while! :) We are planning for Niagara next week. My mom is crazy about it. Hope I can take her there some day.

And the week starts again tomorrow. Hello Monday!

SECONDS, HOURS, MONTHS AND YEARS

Reverse footsteps on the yellow passageway,

Starry nights, walls antique;

Unforgettable was the blessed day

When benediction showered

Over lands dry and barren.

Exquisite and pure, that breeze of aroma,

Swaying the trees to music unvoiced;

Embrace for all, the good and the evil;

Oh so mesmerizing! Oh so heavenly!

A lonesome heart among the many,

Blossoming like a flower in glee,

Dancing with the swaying trees,

Ecstatic beyond skies of reach.

Change is truth, say the wise and the brave;

Why then, the battle? Why then, unrest?

Failing words attempt to narrate

A story long gone and withered away.

Ticking and nurturing, the hands of time,

Fragrant crumples in a corner unseen,

Pot pourri of frozen melody;

But the trees, they are swaying still;

Who stops the breeze? It is blowing still!

BLOTTED

Sweetest innocence, O gleeful eyes!

Blossom and face the sun;

Tranquil doves embellish the horizon

Enchanting the realm of beauty.

Purest of hearts, richest of souls-

A mask or a shield?

Blessed ignorance it was,

Or maybe the virtuous folly

Of truths unseen, of lands untrodden.

Dreams bow their heads

To kiss the blessed forehead

Of a spirit nomadic,

Drifting across sandy shores.

Storms fog the mystery

Of noisy vacuum;

Voices from the heart,

Pricked by a thorn

Of the rose that coloured it.

JUST A DEDICATION

I had joined Reflexis with a group of 14 other people. I never realized when they became such an integral part of my stay here. This poem is for them.

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Few tunes of silent melody,

Humming along beats of destiny;

Few raindrops from above,

Nourishing every crop in sight

Bathe a bunch of dreamy souls-

Wisdom in those large eyes,

A helping hand for every being;

Scanty words conveying

Hushed desires, sober and calm.

Simplicity defined in itself,

Soft and tender, a musical voice;

Optimism filled in smiling eyes,

A word for a word is ready to rejoice.

A flicker of mischief in every word,

A teenage spark in adulthood;

To accompany, a contrary-

Attitude blended with ideas immense.

Idol of dedication, sincere and true,

Pacified steadiness alarming all;

Leading, the guide of all times-

Characterized by low volume on call.

A question mark, some do not show,

What's in that mind, I really don't know;

Innocent fear reflected in every move,

Yet never reluctant to try and groove.

Six feet and more, impossible to miss,

Always standing tall, be that or this!

Witty and smart, daring any quest,

With spirit lively, no limits and no rest.

Dormant they are, and yet a part

Of dreams we see, they are with us;

Together we sail along this ocean of fate

On the ship of life, with the mast of hope.

ENVY

Panting for breath, a mortal soul,

Torn apart in dilemma, noisy and cold;

The right thing to do, says a voice unseen,

Is to let it go, to be honoured in esteem;

Trust and faith are virtues immense,

Hold on to them with courage and sense.

What courage? What sense

When the heart cries out in innocence?

A color of life never seen before

Enters a land serene and pure;

Butterflies and flowers dance in joy,

Birds and trees forget to be coy;

Unnoticed is the spirit that was the light,

Now wandering alone like a stray kite;

To gather specks of the delight that surrounds,

Specks they are and nothing more!

The warmth of love cannot console

An envious heart, it has no goal;

All answers known, all facts told,

Yet questions swarm like honeybees bold;

Like a whirlpool swirls a stream of thoughts,

Perfection defined in a small man's world;

A feeling suppressed in the humble few,

A bitter pill for us to chew;

Deaf and dumb, a silent streak,

Present in the minds of the bold and the meek.

NOSTALGIA

I wrote this in Boston...nothing much to guess about!

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A phial of golden and silver memories

Poured into the ocean of time;

A sail of will, winds of hope,

The blue waves wash a barren shore.

Bathed in yellow, jocund green;

Beyond seas and lands, yellow remains;

A silver crescent brings tidings

Of mountains, valleys, deserts and rains.

Fireflies and nightingales whisper

With murmurs of a feeling divine;

The chill of the night bows to touch

Embalmed memoirs fortified by time.

Cotton soft petals brush against

Dreamy thoughts floating along;

What warmth in those promises!

What faith for the faithless!

AND THEN...

A few doves I see, with tidings great and small

Footsteps carry me past them

As I stretch out my longing hands

My gaze fixed on the sole one

And then the warmth touches my hands

The elixir of life, its blissful feel

A stroke on my lips I can never forget

The depth in those eyes, the innocence

A rainbow across the vastness of life

I carry the warmth and togetherness

Hope and belief kindling my heart

As I return to the doves.

THE CASSIOPEIA

A fluorescent glow in dark silence,

One patter or two moistening;

A lonesome breeze from far away

Gently sways the green;

Grey is the veil that seals the sky,

Jewel-studded it hides from me;

Rare is it, a noise below,

Or is it far above me?

A few footsteps now and then

Come and go at will.

Moments race far behind,

Bringing me the stars;

I gaze at the Cassiopeia,

My stare being not alone;

The chill of nocturnal driven away

With the warmth of an embrace;

Promising and true, it was life-

A look in the eyes so true;

The lamp of my journey it meant to be,

As a shudder hit my presence.

Yet again I stare at the glow,

Feeling the light, I smile;

The lamp is my partner still,

The soul that lit up my life

Is walking with me still.

SLUMBER

A graveyard so melancholic;

The air as still as tombstones

Guarding the village of the dead;

A glow emerging from one,

A face so kind, a smile so charming;

I held my hand out to him

To sense the warmth of his presence;

Those words of his were still the same,

As if he had never gone.

Footsteps led me far away,

Lonely woods I trotted in vain,

In search of something I didn’t know;

I met someone ready to help,

A trust so blind my heart denied,

He was the devil preparing to leap,

As a bunch of deer fell on the way;

Fleeing from the woods, I reached

A realm of peace and greenery.

A hand on my shoulder I felt;

The lady of life in red she was,

Leading me through all winding paths;

My saviour, my blood she was;

I walked with her, but suddenly,

A swirling gust of wind blew past,

A wisp of smoke and she was gone;

I cried and called out to the wind,

Hope hadn’t left my soul;

I fought the storm, I paved my way,

Till a glimpse of red caught my eye.

A flash of light hit my face,

My gaze unfolded to see

The fluttering of leaves at a distance,

Greeting me for a new start,

The real world had dawned.

WAITING

Hollow is the darkness there,

Still are the rocks, not a stir;

Footprints on grains of sand,

Ripples washing them away;

A silent melody surrounds,

The trace of time gone astray;

Yet, unstoppable it remains

In the blanket of vacuum;

The moon stares at its reflection

Blurred in the waters, yet shining;

A pair of feet moves on the shore;

Moonlight mirrored in that gaze

Searching for a parted pearl.

INNOCENCE

This poem is a tribute to the 18 magical years i spent in the lush green mountains of Aizawl. How I long to relive those days!

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The morning sun slyly smiled,

Caressing my face with its first rays;

Peeping from behind the green mount,

It greeted me for a new start.

Twenty minutes of climb it was,

As the blanket of golden glow

Spread its beauty in this utopia-

Oh! Mother Nature and her exotism.

Life was awake! People of the hills

Embraced it with energy anew;

Toiling hands and feet at work,

But smiles around, not a care.

A divine child in his mother’s arms

Stood in white, as we prayed;

A melody of ages resounded,

Inciting the spirit of faith divine.

The lousy dragging of thousand feet,

The noises, the punishment severe;

The jumping and running around

With legs that never tired.

A thousand dreams in my longing eyes,

A never-ending desire to touch the sky,

Blessed ignorance, knowledge priceless,

A journey of a day to last a lifetime.

The dull yellow bricks welcomed me;

My shelter, my world it was,

Where tired yet comforting arms

Shielded me from the darkest days.

With companionship true and promising,

A voice filled with loving comfort;

A hand to pull me up, make me stand

When others had their backs turned.

Days of laughter and games

Vanished like the last rays of the sun;

My heart aches and calls out

To bring me back the days that are gone,

To bring me back my innocence.

NUMB

On her knees she fell,

Her face emptied of emotions;

A burden so heavy,

In her heart she carried;

Oblivious of the chaos

Surrounding her feeble body,

She stared into an abyss

With eyes void, lips speechless;

Thorns and pebbles prickled

Her toes when she walked;

Her blood-stained toes
Hurt no more;

A thousand questions

Weighed down her fatigued mind;

Her throat parched,

Yet nothing did she feel;

Her spirit mourned aloud,

But she was still, she was numb.

Well it has been a long time since i blogged. People keep asking me to do it, but the Lazy Devil inside me got the better of me! Anyways, now that I managed to overcome that, I'll just start off with a few of my old poems.