when a man becomes a man

lit cigarrete high brows curls in his hair

slimy nose sweaty face and a look forlorn
can't get up can't sit down, his ass hurts
not for reasons you think yay it's coz he fell from a tree
what was young jim doing on a tree
didn't every thrill kill a man before he was a man
and when does a man become a man
is it age or just sanctuary
is it wisdom or mere selfishness
a man becomes a man says jim
when he falls down from a tree and hurts his ass
a man becomes a man jim says
when his heart breaks no more
when he sits beside the woman on bed
and quietly puffs his marijuana cigarrette
a man becomes a man jim says
when his fingers move caressing ova
never too deep and never to dip
and his smile is as nonchalant as it comes
a man becomes a man jim says
when his days are outnumbered you see
when he is lost you see
down can't get up and can't sit down
a man becomes a man jim says
when he hurts his ass dumb you see

Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa: the old movie

I am writing here, or anywhere (but for my diary & my facebook status updates) after an aeon (have been thinking more and writing less for the past couple of months) Not that I have a lot to say now. Anyway, sharing the video link of one of SRK's earliest movies "Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa", when he was fresh from theatre and had an undiluted method to his work (my thoughts purely)

<1:40:00 to 1:44:00 in this link> http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-579915694811968072

The following scene is made special by...you know who... Considering that the whole movie was otherwise a good but spoof-like comedy, srk pulls off a gem here...Notice the nonsense going around his role in this scene <1:40:00 to 1:44:00 in the link> ...can't imagine anybody else doing this part... and I like it better than any of the other more popular srk sob scenes...

Because I could never really know what I liked so much about the movie, it remains one of my most favourite movies. (that's how all my attachments (and detatchments) in life have been: unexplainable)

see if u want to :)

A FLOWER

Flower I am,
Blossomed today morning
With all my cousins’

A priest came,
Plucked me and placed me on the temple of,
GOD.

I couldn’t be more happy then this
I am the luckiest flower in the world.

As I shone in the tiara of deity
My cousins’ tone is jealously.

Then dusk arrived,
Then dawn arrived.

The priest came,
Lifted me up and fling me in the bin.

I lay there and slowly thaw out.

I am the luckiest flower in the world.


***

The Mediterranean Blues

Blue skys
Bluer waters
Spotless landscapes
Simplified lives
All needs met
Recession
hurts
…just, mildly
larger pleasures
opt out
for smaller ones

They hear about
but feel not
the tribulations
of the third world
A world where
Every effort is
a struggle
bringing with it
despair & dejection
Making every triumph
a much worthier
achievement!

Nevertheless
It is my familiar
ground
My world
Where sorrows reap
bounty harvests
& existence
becomes therefore
more meaningful
So I ask myself
What am I doing here,
In this foreign land
-Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Nimo N. Menon

Thank you MWC! - My book is getting published.

Dear all,

I just signed a contract with a Delhi based publisher for my book. This publisher was referred to me by MWC. Cedar books at New Delhi are the imprint of Pustak Mahal. They were looking for a fiction subject post Independence. My book is based on the events of 1971 Indo-Pak war. We hope to bring it out by this year end.

MWC is a great forum and it is definitely doing its job on getting our work recognized. I feel proud to be a part of this.

Eagerly waiting to bring my book out and thanks a ton moacha!

Minutes of the Last Meeting and a meesage in response to my tag of "Dress Designer"

Dear ALL,

The Mocha Writers' Meeting we had on Sunday was a great success despite the fact that there was six of us. Despite the low turnout (do we expect any less!) we managed to sit for 2 1/2 hours discussing many things on the topic and off the topic but I'm proud to say it wasn't another waste of hours sorting out peoples admin issues like "how to use the blog" or "whats the password" etc.

We turned the chairs around and had a round table discussion about three topics:

1. Writing - why do we write?

2. Inspiration - what inspires us individually to write?

3. Writing in India - does our geographical position make a difference about the topics we choose to write about? Or do we stick to the tried and tested?

I had picked these three topics because A. I felt it was appropriate to bring this basic discussion back into the foray after some much needed impetus had been lost and B. a child recently asked me "why do you write Ravin?" and i didn't know what to say to him.

We had some great insight about how anything positive seen by Srinidhi can make him want to write forever, but what about negative aspects, others asked?

We had a guest from the States who said she writes into newspapers all the time complaining about certain civic matters she sees on the streets of India, hence her writing is inspired by negative aspects.

The conversation changed to India once water was served (after asking numerous times for it!) and we discussed Indian writing and how the lack of open-mindedness in the nation can sometimes mean the writing is subject to this problem too. Some great views and insights were added and I feel all members, who didn't turn up, missed the opinions about where India is today as a nation and how that projection as a nation is as much to do with the writing (newspapers, books etc) as it is to do with the person.

One fantastic conversation was the background behind regionalism in India, and how languages of regions and the proud labels associated with those languages and the eloquent nature of these phonetic sounds when spoken are effected when the English translation is later manifested for this (i.e poem, song etc from say Tamil to English). We asked ourselves, does the text lose its purpose and meaning?

All our shared experiences meant something and I'm proud to say that the meeting was a fantastic insight into thoughts about issues we would prefer discussing with our cats instead otherwise we'd be probably sound loopy in some way... :)

Finally I would like to add that i recently saw this (below) posted on the blog and only felt it right that i responded:

This month's meeting will be chaired by...

posted by Rajan at mochawritersclub - 2 days ago

I read in Runa's mail that this month's meeting will be chaired by Ravin. Is Ravin a writer or is he a dress designer? I ask this question because I have not yet seen a single posting of this person on t...

In my opinion, i feel something of a real shame here. Firstly i would like to clarify that claiming you know something about somebody and writing it on a public forum is a risky scenario. Whoever thought i was a dress designer is certainly on planet Mars and not the Earth i currently live on. Secondly, my magazine background for a "Lifestyle" magazine, i REPEAT, "Lifestyle" magazine, doesn't autmotically mean someone is a dress designer. Thats like saying the great Arun Purie of India Today group is a make-up artist because he puts himself as Editor-In-Chief of Cosmopolitan India. Unfortunately, for one to think that way only makes one have a rather small mind in my opinion.

Secondly, for all of you that know me (and quite clearly judging by this now deleted blog post i refer to above, some of you bloody well don't! :)) i have said from the outset that neither will i contribute nor will i write on the blog of Mocha Writers' Club or add any of my writings because a. i dont have the time (honestly) b. i have my own blog with 3,000 viewers in India and 10,000 NRI's worldwide and c. my blog is my take on life - what i write there is the the only writing i will do publicly as i am committed to other things.

Thirdly, to make the judgement that by someones frequency in blog postings on the MWC blog is directly related to their abilties as a chairperson is possibly the most backward and ignorant way of thinking. I have said before that me in person is my contribution to MWC and not some half-hearted crap about something or other on the blog. This works for me and i guess thats why everybody remembers my name everytime i turn up - impressions count you see.

Let me add that myself and Runa (and i would like to say Nemo Menon too) put in the greatest work ethic we can to chair meetings. Are we scared to chair them? No. Are we scared to talk? No. The thing is we are good at what we do which is to try our best to lead the masses. The MWC has its faults, no doubt, and we have ours (hell just ask my Girlfriend she'll tell you!) but i would like to say who else has even taken a initiative to chair a meeting? Chairing a meeting isn't a given, and it shouldn't be taken for granted that someone will always chair. I find people expect it - why not give it a try yourselfs? You get only that for which you give. So for me, writing about stars in the night on the MWC is hardly a contribution when you cant even have the decency to turn up to meetings or offer to chair them.

Finally, I wouldn't go into my writing abilties to prove to anybody whether im a worthy chairman or not, thats not like me. But i will say this.

The same person (and many many share this persons view) wrote on the blog this nice poem:

Perhaps
It's the mightiest stars
That shine the faintest
So that it takes
The sharpest eyes to espy them

I would like to say that may be it is me who shines so faintly on the MWC blog, and it is thee who doesn't have the sharpest eyes to espy them.

Thank You and Goodnight.

http://travellingsampat.blogspot.com
sampat.ravin@gmail.com

Figuratively Speaking

Figuratively speaking,
We have evolved into
an era
Where we are nothing
but abstract
objects de art
Mummified and embalmed
fatalistic and bizarre

We have
but have not
As we are not.
Merely transmundane
figures
from a world beyond
Enigmatic
Sceptical
Mozzled
The unfortunate survivors
in a tentative land.
3rd January 2007, Monaco
TNHL, Nimo Menon

Sense and Sensitivity

Callous lifestyles
Brutal interactions
Impenetrable carapaces
Lachrymose existences

Bringing to mind
a time when the realms
of gentleness,
love and compassion
never ceased to be

A time when beauty
and generosity
were unrelenting
and there for the taking
A time when life did
not seem such a
tiresome race.

A time when there was
melody and harmony
and the plural will
to live
A time when the sense
of passion
did not override
the sense of being
humane.

A time when we
were responsible
for our every action.
When time stood still
and there were takers


But Alas, our desperation
for success
in this rat race
Has left us starved
of the very sensitivity
we need
to build a better
world today.
2nd January 2007, Monaco
TNHL, Nimo Menon

Towards a New Harmony with Life

What a glorious world it was then
when I was little
with never a care whether or not
one was right
or one was wrong.

Waking up each morning
to birds chirping
Oh! For that carefree feeling!
The sound of dribbling balls
and trickling waters
Of open blue skies
with white cotton tufts
Like candy floss
ready to sink my teeth into
Beckoning me to head outdoors
And then, after a long days play
running back to a place called home.


To Mother’s cuddlesome warmth
and her delicious bakes
The sound of her softly humming
tender refrains
reflecting her truly gentle spirit
I wonder today
Were all my friends so lucky?

The memory of early teenage years
with its long walks, ice cream in hand
discussing the latest Grecian tales read
or merely indulging in light hearted banter
huddling around bonfires
or watching cricket matches
giggling from high verandas
at just how awkward boys could be.

Life today, with its heartbreaks and
miseries
Can hardly compare with those times
When happiness came in cupfuls-
unending and seemingly forever!

Today, we must make a bid
To take each day gracefully
…as now is the time for placid refrains
and calm, contained overtures
…for a peace within ourselves
amongst ourselves
towards a new harmony with life.
20th May 2003, Monte Carlo

From'Towards a new harmony with life'
by Nimo N.Menon