Monday, February 25, 2013

Nutty



A betel nut tried to liven up a dead leaf with all its toxins and stimulants.

The areca (betel) nut, the seed of the areca palm, is commonly eaten by itself, plain or aromatically treated; or, most extensively,  with any of a variety of leaves, which can be astringent or aromatic and mildly sweet.  These are wrapped around the areca nut, along with lime, catechu, and many sweet and fragrant condiments. These condiments vary according to taste and the specific leaf used. Frequently, the whole thing is a vehicle for chewable tobacco. The mix of leaf and nut is called paan in South Asia.

There is irony in the fact that chewing paan, because of catechu and lime (rich in calcium), strengthens the gums and teeth, but also weakens them at the same time. Paan, like caffeine and nicotine, is chemically very rich and habit-forming, so much so that people who are habituated to it become dysfunctional in their work and effort unless they frequently chew paan as an enhancer of concentration and performance. On the other hand, when an unaccustomed person chews it, palpitation, giddiness, and even fainting can ensue.


In this picture, the nut is shown cut exactly in half. The leaf which is shown is not edible and is not part of the areca palm.
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Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy said...
....aa
apani hi duniyaa me khoyaa rahe wo
hamare dil ki na puchhe bedardaa
puchhe bedardaa

paan khaaye saiyaan hamaaro
hoy-hoy
saanvali suratiyaa hoth laal-laal
haay-haay malamal kaa kurataa
malamal ke kurate pe chhit laal-laal
paan khaaye saiyaan hamaaro.....

Charu said...

Not to forget, in accompaniment of paan and such, its contributions in three other areas; enhancements of romance in Royal households, of eroticism in brothels and ruining streets and staircase landing corners with red spits.

BTW, Betelnut's (Supari's) beautiful markings makes one think it grew upto be the leaf next to it.


Thursday, February 21, 2013

Flypast



fly or flies
past present
or pest

in future
what flies
comes down
they say
wishing otherwise
or unwise

but

conditionally
what flies
can fly
forever

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Fairies


--------------------------
Charu said:



The picture conjures up a painting of Starry Night on Rhone by Van Gogh and a song by Don McLean:



Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me

how you suffered for your sanity
how you tried to set them free.
They would not listen
they did not know how
perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze, Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,

On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...
--------------------------------------------------------------
Anonymous said...
And then there's Hopkins' Starlight Night:

LOOK at the stars! look, look up at the skies!
O look at all the fire-folk sitting in the air!
The bright boroughs, the circle-citadels there!
Down in dim woods the diamond delves! the elves’-eyes!
The grey lawns cold where gold, where quickgold lies! ....

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Quarks



Our science believes that all matter in the universe springs out of one, another, or all of the three types of quarks, which supposedly conduct the business of running the universe. Interestingly, though, it is given only to mankind, as far as we can know today, as we have yet to discover any other intelligent life beyond us, no matter how near or how impossibly far away, to undo and alter the work of quarks by extinguishing intelligent life, if not life in its entirety.

A twist of quirk, maybe, do you think?

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Aranyer Din Ratri



Day and Night in the Forest

Satyajit Ray's movie of the same name, based on the novel by Sunil Gangopadhyay.

----------------------------------------------
Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy said...

...khud naheen jaanoo dhoondhe kis ko najar, 
kaun dishaa hain mere man kee dagar
kitanaa ajab ye dil kaa safar, nadiyaan mein aaye jaaye jaise lahar

raat aaur din diyaa jale, 
mere man mein fir bhee andhiyaaraa hai...

Charu said...

Often I have looked at the open, and in many cases closed, but devoid of humans places wistfully. 

I belong in them, I am them; forests, deserts, open vistas, high seas and such.

This picture draws me in its bowel.

And yet, I cannot but help appropriately raise that age old, slightly philosophical and highly clichéd question: "if a tree falls in a forest does it make a sound?"

A little humour there!

My reply...

Diya jalaao
Jalaate raho
Phir bhi gham karo
Ke dil ke bhitar
Ya baahar
Andhera hataa na paao

Monday, February 11, 2013

Broken


that breakable breaks
if delved into enough
will be found divested of irony

the unbreakable
so-called
perishes in a variety of ways
by disintegrating degenerating decomposing
getting diseased

in the context of human beings
probably the most referenced
and preferred object
is the heart
which infarcts
but is said to have been broken
most extravagantly

so wish it or not
bend it or not
things relations situations meetings
allergies epidemics
break
some even break out
no breaking news
this
or that

-------------------
Anonymous wrote:
Today's poem has shaken me completely, I don't know why, and to repeat myself for the millionth time, the juxtaposition of picture and words is awesome and unique.

Saturday, February 09, 2013

Phantoms


IN THE DARK
CLOUDS OF DREAMS
COME AND NESTLE IN THE HEART
ONLY TO FLOAT AWAY
ON WINGS OF LIGHT
AT DAYBREAK

Friday, February 08, 2013

Trap


IT'S A TRAP
TO THE GRAVE UNDERGROUND
FROM THE WOMB:
YOU COME OUT
OF ONE ONLY TO BE
IN ANOTHER

CONDEMNED
BY THE SPARK OF LIFE
FOR THE GIFT AND
CURSE OF LIVING
TO BE TRAPPED
TO TRAP OTHERS
WHO ARE TRAPPED
WITHIN YOUR TRAP
WHICH IS TRAPPED
IN ANOTHER OTHERS

AND THUS TRAPPED
WITHIN A TRAP
WHICH IS TRAPPED
WITH TRAPPED
PEOPLE AND SITUATIONS
TO ABSURDLY BASK
IN THE NONEXISTENT
GLOW OF MORALITY
EUPHEMISTICALLY CALLED PROGRESS EUPHEMISTICALLY
CALLED CIVILISATION EUPHEMISTICALLY CALLED
FREEDOM

------------------------------

Charu wrote:

Oh,

"What a tangled web we weave
when we practice to decieve"
Sir Walter Scott

Have you seen flailing of civilization lately?


Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy wrote:

Yeh jo mohabbat hai yeh unaka hain kam
Are, mehbub kaa jo bas lete huye nam
Mar jaye mit jaye ho jaye badanam
Rehane do chhodo bhee jane do yar....... :-)

My reply:

Aankhen jo mil jaaye to main bahut darta hun
Yaaro meri gali se guzare to gabhraata hun
Kaise samjhun yeh sab kiska hai kaam
Behosh ho gaya main lekar
Mehboob ka naam

Anonymous wrote:

Aap ki baatein wallah wallah balley balley. i cannot think of anyone who can say this kind of a thing: 
Behosh ho gaya main lekar
Mehboob ka naam

Wednesday, February 06, 2013

Behind Time


I AM
BEHIND TIME

IN EVERYTHING
I THINK I WANT
TO TRY TO WISH TO DO
AND DON'T
WONDERING IF IT MATTERS
TO TIME:
IF IT IS SEEING, HEARING,
WONDERING, JUDGING.
I LIVE
OR AM I BEING
UNKNOWN TO ME
LIVED
BY LIFE
APPARENTLY PUSHING AND
DRAGGING ME
EVENTUALLY TO LEAVE ME

UNRESOLVED,
RATHER THAN DO,
I DON'T
RATHER THAN USE TIME
I STEP OUT OF IT
AND PLAINTIVELY
LET IT OVERTAKE ME
IGNORE ME

IS TIME BAFFLED
BY MY INEPTITUDE
AND CLUMSY INVOLUNTARY MOTIONS
THROUGH IT
INTO IT, OR OUT OF IT

WHAT IS TIME ANYWAY
AND FOR THAT MATTER, I?

-------------------------------------------------

Update: Bhai, ও নদীরে! কোথায় তোমার দ্দেশ তোমার নৈকী চোলার শেষ ও নদীরে! Time and river flow; that is their property. charu

 My Reply: Your concise comment merits a reward:



O nodire 
ekti kotha shudhai shudhu tomaare
bolo kothae tomar desh
tomar neiki cholaar shesh
O Nodire ||

tomar kono badhon naai
tumi ghor chara ki taai |
ei acho bhataae aar 
ei to dekhi jowaar e

bolo kothae tomar desh
tomar neiki cholaar shesh
O Nodire ||


ekul bhenge okul tumi goro
jaar ekul okul du kul gelo
taar laagi ki koro |

amae bhabcho michei por
tomar naai ki oboshor |
shukh dukkho kotha kichu 
koile na hoy amare

bolo kothae tomar desh
tomar neiki cholaar shesh
O Nodire ||

ও নদীরে, একটি কথা শুধাই শুধু তোমারে |
বলো কোথায় তোমার দেশ
তোমার নেই কি চলার শেষ! ও নদীরে...
তোমার কোনো বাঁধন নাই তুমি ঘর ছাড়া কি তাই,
এই আছো ভাটায় আবার এই তো দেখি জোয়ারে ||
এ কূল ভেঙে ও কূল তুমি গড়ো
যার একূল ওকূল দুকূল গেল তার লাগি কি করো?
আমায় ভাবছো মিছেই পর, তোমার নেই কি অবসর,
সুখ দুঃখের কথা কিছু কইলে না হয় আমারে ||

(ছায়াছবিঃ নীল আকাশের নিচে, সুর ও শিল্পীঃ হেমন্ত মুখোপাধ্যায়)

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Hemantha Kumar Pamarthy said...

Subaah aati hai
Raat jaati hai
Subaah aati hai
Raat jaati hai yuhi
Waqt chalta hi rehta hai rukta nahi
Ek pal me ye aage nikal jaata hai
Aadmi theek se dekh paata nahin
Aur parde pe manzar badal jaata hai,
Ek baar chale jaate hai jo din raat subaah shaam
Woh phir nahi aate
Woh phir nahi aate!

My reply:

Phir vohi shaam
Phir vohi baat
Phir kyon dil rota hai
Kahta hai
Ya to din hi na ho
Dil ki to baat hi kya
Ya to na ho raat
Bahtar to yeh ke
Gar dil hi na ho
To din kya
Aur kya raat