Asteroid attack, April 2029

Standing in my balcony with a telescope aimed towards the sky, a book in my hand and a glass of juice, I wait and watch as the asteroid approaches the earth. I had read about it way back in 2006, to be precise on 27th December 2006. It seems only yesterday evening when I sat down on my tiny cot, weary after a day's work to read the newspaper. I had to write an email to my eldest brother for his birthday the next day.
The piece of news was titled "Mission:To destroy asteroid before it hits". NASA was making an effort to evaluate its chances of hitting our planet and was devising plans to deflect it in case it hits the earth. They had said it will pass by at a distnace of 22,000 miles which is a hair's breadth in astronomical terms. I had read and forgotten about it the next day like most others because I had faith in NASA's genius. 9 out of 10 times they have a solution to a problem and never let us civilians know the magnitude of an imminent disaster. There were talks of installing a propulsion system that would gently alter its course.
To make matters worse there was a rock about 1000ft in diameter called Apophis after the Egytian God of Destruction Apep, which would pass under many satellites and destroy them.
I looked around at the potted plants that we had so lovingly brought up. Come what may, I was determined to see it through. If only we could survive this day, all will be well tomorrow.
It was known that despite all attempts NASA had not been able to devise a technique good enough to parry this blow. Humans braced themselves for this day. They said that the gravitational pull of the earth changed the course of the rock and the propulsion system was not effective enough. I am in a hurry to complete and publish this post. What if I dont live to see another day? If the humans persist, which they in all probability will, they will get to read this and maybe someone around this place will come over and take care of my potted plants.

Quasi Coherent

I read of this term in Mani Bhaumik's book 'Code Name God'. He talked of lasers and human spirituality. The book is indeed enriching, for people who can gulp stuff that at times may be too dry for their tastes.

Quasi equilibrated, quasi perched, quasi comfortable, quasi awake. The last one is the best term I can coin using quasi. It is the best state one can be in. 'Quasi Awake'- not completely awake. Semi aware, not completely mindful of the hazards lying on their path to awakening, not completely aware of the junk that is printed in newspapers. It is a state of being in a trance. And who would like to wake up when everything is swimming around in a glittering pool! For the past 2-3 weeks, I did not even need to cook for dinner! How does it matter whether I am Quasi awake or fully awake, anyways I am incoherent most of the time!!!

What I do not like is going to shop for vegetables on a winter evening when it has rained and I have to park in a puddle of mud. Everything is cold and soggy to touch. Potatoes are caked in mud, rather dripping with mud. And the wind is cold and piercing and I am never equiped with a thick jacket to ward off the cold. All said and done, I always end up liking this little trip to the grocer's because it gives me an opportunity to see people bustling about wrapped in shawls, camping around roadside fires (I sometimes have actually warmed my hands on such a fire near the popcorn seller's cart!). I am confused now. Let my confusion not lead you astray. Just read through this and forget.

If I had a Dog

What would I name him? When you dont have an answer always turn to google. It invariably will have something that meets your requirement. I had thought of a name - 'Zach' and rechecked with google whether this can be a name for a dog. Who cares. He's my dog and I can very well name him 'Jaya' or 'Zintau'.
Second question is, if I keep a dog, I will need to take care of his various needs like good food(almost inaccessible for me), walks in the morning and evening(I wish I went for regular walks myself), then keep him warm in the winters(no sweat, I can manage some smart sweaters for him),clip his nails, bathe him and comb his mane, take him to the vet regularly. I will have to find a good friend who can either dog-sit or entertain him at his/her place when I go out for a holiday, where zach(I settle down for this name) cannot accompany me.
Then Zach may like to have a nice little garden with lots of butterflies to chase and trees to hide behind (beats me) ! Where can I find a garden(I could ofcourse make one in the balcony) ? It is indeed a grave question and a situation that needs ample thought. I live in a city and humans, accomodating as they are, manage to find perches and roosts in high rise buildings, but what would poor Zach do, strung up on a 10th floor balcony? I can very well imagine his plight. Its just like the overseas flights, I have come to dislike because of their sheer lenth and the fact that I cannot open my window to look down! And have to sit still or sleep after I have exhausted everything there is to read in the seat pockets and watched anything that is worthwhile on the TV, till all my bones are sore.
I wish I could have a little more sunshine and flowers than a city can offer me. I know it will never be akin to what can be seen in a remote village, but there's no harm in hoping and hoping for the best.
Maybe Zach can live on love alone and my pretty little balcony garden.

The cycle goes on

The cycle goes on
The first moment in this world begins
with a blink and a cry
that fills all hearts with joy

The cycle goes on
We crawl, falter and fall
The earth embraces us
The world seems so large and tall

The cycle goes on
We stand, we walk and then run
The race begins
School, books, freinds, a new life
A new energy, the world suddenly
becomes small.

The cycle goes on
Youth brings with it responsibilities
Pressures, promises of love and bondings
Most live through, some perish
Those beautiful days languish
The candle flickers and burns out.

The cycle goes on
We pine for the lost, but move on
we keep going, time never waits
Childhood toyed, youth toiled yet
Unfinished tasks tug at our cloaks

The cycle still goes on
Wrinkles, infirmity, yet a vigour
that holds on to the world and
all that is our own
Once again sights and sounds overwhelm us

Then one evening everything is
gone and past
Nothing remains but a void
among everything that was our own
We embrace the earth
Yet the cycle goes on.

(Originally written on 4th Feb 2003)

Into the Dust

Leaves fall onto the earth
Brown with age, yellow without sap
The tree heaves and sighs with the wind
and let's them free.
They drift, they sway, they fall
Leaving behind all past glee.

They crumble at one caress
Love doesn't please them
They are like frizzled edges of
pages written long years ago
and forgotten.

One season of autumn does so much
leaves the branches barren
One season of autumn comes into our lives
That leaves us old and senile
But slowly and steadily leads us towards eternal bliss
that salvation, that purity
That no raking can take away.

(Origininally written on 16th March 2002)