Pavement Scribbles

Traveler's notes, random art, midnight doodles.

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Hello folks! Today's post is another attempt at poetry inspired by bhakti. This was a lovely Terracotta doll I spotted during the Golu season this year. Watch out for this spot for a post on Golu. 😄 . . Poems of Him/Her Hope that springs from the depths of the cask of Inspiration locked In abandoned treasure chests of her Mind Happy to have found that which makes his soul her home. In dream bubbles floating in the subconscious of her reality, part real, part surreal lives Misty memories of foggy morning stories of lovers in separation. In Him/Her she/he lives In Her/Him she/he dies As one they come alive. . . #poetrygram #poemsforthesoul #poem #poems #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #shypoet #lovepoems #love #bhaktipoetry #shivashakti #writercommunity #writersofinstagram #writer #writing #spilledwriting #spilled #spilledink #words #writings #writingcommunity #mysticpoetry #mysticism #soulpoetry #octoberpoetry #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberflc #poetrychallenge #30poemsin30days #30daysofpoetry #day10

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All around us there are stories waiting to be told. Are we aware? . . Twice told tales Like the wool on crochet Their patterns changing Stories spun like yarn On a spindle going around and around in circles. . . #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #octoberflc #poetrygram #poetry #poemsforthesoul #poem #poet #shypoet #poetsofinstagram #lifepoetry #stories #inspiration #imagistpoetry #photopoetry #poetrycommunity #writercommunity #writersofinstagram #penguin #juggernaut #folklorist #folklore #storyteller #imagepoetry #spilledwriting #spilled #spilledink #words #wordporn #30poemsin30days #30daysofpoetry #day9 #latepost

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Hello folks! Owing to a rather eventful weekend I missed a post so here goes two! . . . The Traveler Let me in I am at the door I have lost my keys I have nowhere to go It is raining outside There is thunder and There is lightning My body is shivering My teeth chattering,  And my lips quivering. Let me in I am at the door I now see walls That wasn't there before It's cold grey eyes stare at me Their strong grey pillars scare me Hello, is anybody there ? I don't plan to stay I have been journeying from far away All I seek is some food for my soul To warm my frosty fingers and toes. Let me sit by the fire my warm my heart And at the break of dawn I depart. . . #poetrygram #poetry #poetrycommunity #poet #shypoet #inspiration #lifepoetry #writercommunity #poetsofinstagram #writer #aspiringwriter #lifepoetry #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #fallpoetry #photopoetry #octoberflc #poetrychallenge #30poemsin30days #30daysofpoetry #spilledthoughts #spilledink #spilledwords #spilled #spilledwriting #words #day8

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Hello folks! So happy that I have committed to one week of this challenge. Yay!😊 . . Give me a piece of you That I could hold onto On cold wintery nights a piece To appease my aching heart. . . #lovepoetry #inspiration #lovequotes #lovepoetry #poetrygram #poetry #poemsforthesoul #poem #poetrycommunity #writercommunity #writersofinstagram #poetsofinstagram #shypoet #octoberpoetry #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberflc #30poemsin30days #30daysofpoetry #day7 #romantic #romance

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Wish you all a very happy Deepavali people! Today's post is dedicated to all those Deepavali mornings we all looked forward to as tiny tots. :D . . . Those were the days when Amma shook me awake In the wee hours of dawn Chiding my groaning on a festive morning Appa tickling me to death until I kick and scream but give up and wake up to the cacophonous chaos of crackers bursting Lakshmis booming in the background, 1000 walas mocking redforts for their insipid blasts, Atom bombs resounding And flashes of matthapu lingering lighting up the dawn of Deepavali. My sleepy eyes struggles to stay ajar While Amma furiously rubs tepid nalla ennai on my scalp, tempered with pepper and cumin The spices work their magic and the oil action finally jerks me to consciousness Paati paints a blood red line around my feet and toes, Nalangu I was told. A steamy bath ensues and I deck myself up in my crisp silk pavadai. Now, Deepavali is a day before my deadline. But the crimson lines painted on my feet, painted by atthai took me to a time when A little girl anxiously waited , counted the hours till evening For a house to be filled with cousins and crackers. . . #happydeepavali #indigenousindia #nostalgia #festivalsofindia #poetrygram #poetrychallenge #shypoet #poetsofinstagram #poetrycommunity #writersofinstagram #writer #30poemsin30days #30daysofpoetry #lifepoetry #loveforpoetry #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #octoberflc #poetry #poet #inspiration

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Hello folks! Today's post is a throwback to the time when I witnessed a Theyyam performance in Kannur. This particular one is a Pottan Theyyam, please check my previous post for a detailed description of this wonderful folk form. Hope you like it! 😄 . . Flames licking the skies, sparks flying from tender coconut shoots decked onto a prophetic god eyes bloodshot, drum beats like heart beat Fluttering feathers of headless chicken, People seeking their destinies in painted eyes In a temple hidden beneath a Milky white tree. . . #poetrygram #poetry #shypoet #poetsofinstagram #writersofinstagram #writer #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #photopoetry #poetrycommunity #poetrychallenge #theyyam #academicadventures #nimsical #30daysofpoetry #30poemsin30days #octoberflc #instagrampoets #throwbacktuesday #imagistpoetry #lifepoetry #folklorist #indigenousindia #Kerelafolklore (at Kannur)

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Hello folks! For today's post we have a poem that I performed at an open mic last evening. Hope you like it. This one is titled The Quilt. . . . The Quilt Detachment comes easy when you have nothing to hold on, grasp onto, cling on to with your dear life. But, when your mind is filled with a thousand incoherent thoughts, wispy dreams and terrifying premonitions , when apprehensions swings its long talons clawing at your self confidence, how do you detach yourself when your worst nightmare is playing in front of your eyes? Do you cry until your eyes evaporate , Do you wallow in your sorrows and sink to dark deep depths, winding through its dark alleys , cavernous and vicious? Do you take lonely walks in your mind's eye revisiting memories, desperately holding onto the last shred of hope? No. You pull yourself up from the mound of your shattered memories, a whimsical collage! Gather every bit of you that you can find, pick up bits that you have learnt along the way, collect the pieces of your life like the vibrant patches of cloth heaped in a tailor’s dingy workshop. There is a bit of warli print with the man dancing, his partner is snipped off. Nevermind Pair him up with the lovely batik bird which has lost a wing, surround them with half handed kalamkari women dancing with pots. Throw in bits of ikkat for the pop. Piece together bits and bobs, what you own, what you find, something borrowed and lots of smiles. Stitch your multi coloured quilt, bursting with life, Colors exploding from their imperfect faces Memories woven into a talkative embroidery Telling your stories of victory and failures. Spread it it out so you can  see all it's colors, Admire it's ragged edges and it's meticulous stitches , Your precious collage of Your own making. Tuck yourself into it tonight And dream sweet dream till daylight. . #poetrygram #poetrygram #poetry #shypoet #poetsofinstagram #poet #poetrycommunity #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #octoberflc #writersofinstagram #writer #lifepoetry #inspirationalquotes #30daysofpoetry #poetrychallenge #photopoetry #poemsforthesoul #soulpoetry

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

My very first open mic poetry and not too shabby ,attempted to be as graceful as possible but my instincts took over and I tripped but managed to salvage my fall. Well tripping seems to be auspicious for me , so bring it on I say! 😂 #letstalklife #happyfaces #eveningwellspent #sareefashion #sareestories #poetrymic #madrasmemoirs #lategram (at Backyard)

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Hello people today's post is a random doodle I dug out of my archives, it is my interpretation of the 7th century mystic poet Andāl. Andāl takes Ranganathar, a form of Lord Vishnu as her divine husband. She is shy little girl but her poetry is fiercely sensual, especially the Nachiyar Thirumozhi. This poem is inspired by one of her lovely poems Vaaranam Aayiram. 😊 --------------------------------- I had a Dream Hair tousled, smudged kajal and a glorious smile She woke up to dawn’s first streak of light The river that was once reduced to a little stream, choked with weeds and thorny shrubs now was brimming, it's waters gushing , gurgling through the meandering consciousness in her mind, the dull throb of her lover’s bruises bloom like heaps of malligai On a dewy wintery morning, the flush on her face like the crimson blush of sunrise. She smiles to herself gazing at the naughty scatter of clothes telling mischievous stories. Her ruby jimikkis glinting under the sneaky streak of sunlight streaming in through the window. Her kondai pins strewn like flowers on a marital bed, the sri charanam on her forehead fading, smudged by last night's passionate kisses. Her eyes moved onto the heap of the crumpled parrot green saree on the floor. Where is my thozhi? She wonders. And then The WhatsApp screen flashes typing , against a certain name. She smiles. #dailypoetry #poetsofinstagram #shypoet #spilledink #octoberflc #nimsical #poetry #poetrygram #poem #bhaktipoetry #Andāl #myticism #bridalmysticism #mysticpoetry #lovepoems #lovepoetry #lovepoets #romance #photopoetry #day2 #octoberpoetrychallenge #octoberpoetry #octcbfchallenge #octoberflc #writersofinstagram #words #writer #poetrycommunity #juggernaut

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

This is my attempt at whipping up a picture and a poem for 30 days. Let's see if I can rustle up something 😁 A mug of coffee unfinished, Untold stories of secret romances blooming in thick deep forests. #shypoet #picturepoetry #spilledink #poetsofinstagram #poetry #nimsical #dailypoetry #poetrycommunity #poetrygram #day1

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Three eyes of Karaikal-Andal. 

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Fatal seduction

With a sensational sizzle, she teased the sky.

When a spark, lights her sensitive flesh,

She strips across the royal abode

Soaring to kiss the prince, so flushed,

His gloomy dusts and milky flecks,

When exited, she spills,

Her golden locks, her colorful rills

Of flashy ribbons and stunning specks,

And With breathless ecstasy,

She flings out all her fancy

Jewels and glittering gems that rains

For one enchanting moment.

As she lights the world with hers,

And then melts into dying embers;

Leaving nothing but a contended smile,

But that which stretches for miles,

Under the magical night carpet

That secures the earthly queen,

With its warm fabric; until she

Appears for a transient span of time and mingles

With the glowing dust,

As another reaches out to the prince,

Into his endlessly eager arms,

Yet another victim

Of the seductress’s charms.

The night is young, so let’s aspire,

It’s the night of Diwali,

Where none cease the fire...

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

Temple Bells

A swig of wind

Gushes, pushes, crackles

Leaves down below,

In the red sand it lay.

Mild breeze that sway

Tender leaves clinging

To dark damp trees

With flavors of the bay.

The black deep sea

Drunk with life

Roars, snores

Throughout the shimmering night

White froth that sparkles

In the moonlight

Hungry tided that tames

Wet sand, scattering

Shells on the floor,

And bangs and slams,

As if pleading to the temple doors

A distant bell rings

Flames, flickering from

Lamps suspended in mid air,

Clatters, swings, flings

Itself to the ghastly winds.

Temple doors that rattle

Battling against

Apollo’s wrath, trembling

At every streak of light.

Roars of thunder

Echoes far cries of a figure

Shapely, clad in red

Wet hair clinging,

To tender tattered flesh

Falls at the feet

Of Goddess Durga.

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

Notes of a Traveler IV- Ajji

I still can remember clearly

the old ruins, amidst

a thick forest of trees, a little

cottage on top of the hill.

Where there is enough

sun and rain

to soothe tired souls,

get you right back

to Lady Nature

who seems to have taken to

French manicures

and highlights these days.

Tattered ruins,

beautiful.

an Ajji draped in

creamy beige saree

with a hint of vermilion

on the soft corners

of her pallu.

I felt the shrunken skin

on the pillars, tattooed

with sketches of

secret lovers, warriors,

narrating forbidden tales

of her life.

oblivion to cars speeding on

highways, punctures, smoke,

she remains tucked

amongst towering trees, bushes, hills.

looking ever so fine in

the unknown lands of

Kaka Be.

5th April 2010

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

Notes of a Traveler

I

11th, February, 2010.

I see the wind whip past my face,

the sky is blue, creamy

frothy, a pale yellow glazed

over a landscape of stars, moon, a golden sun,

under a carpet of lush green trees.

A few stray birds sore

into trembling heights

I stick my face

out of the window,

a rush of breeze mingling

with the sweet smell

of the night.

Iam a Traveler,

I wander places,

a book and a pen

my sole companion.

Coffee, conversations

with unknown friends

the cry of vendors.

the train whines.

the sun shines.

Searching, ceaselessly,

to know the world.

everything is mystery

in a traveler's world.

I set off to see the world

world within worlds

under a universe

wandering down

lonely lanes,

I see the dusty road bending.

sneaking into a corner.

I walk, my feet

carry me to places,

I have never been, seen

Iam a Traveler,

I wander places.

II

11th February, 2010.

Blue, red ,green.

Scorching orange,

blinding yellow,

darkest of brown.

Patterns. Indigo clouds,

bricks, red compounds,

Algae rivers.

Milky white doves,

rough rustic thorn bushes

the blue of seats,

purple of sheets

grey floors,

metal basins

red doors,

black smoke,

blue of my jeans

silver strands of moonlight.

yellow bill boards

grey lamp posts

blank pages

printed.

Black letters

gives away

traveler's secrets.

III

12th February, 2010

Through the metal

shutters of my train,

I feel the cold wind

blow into this

dimly lit cabin

thats my home,

vendors, selling their

wares, coffee tea,

wisps of gossip,small talk,

absolute chaos

stench of the toilet

fresh air of the night

streams of starlight

sneaking through

window panes.

strangers,

babies crying

skits of the urchins

blind beggars

singing for

their daily bread.

And what do I care?

if the trains on time.

waiting restlessly

for the end of a journey,

and the beginning of

another.

Iam a Traveler.

I have no home.

I like it that way.

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

Sleep talking- III

Insomnia, this crazy creature

Renders me sleepless.

My bed, so hot, humid

Not mine.

Parched, dry,

Swollen eyes, dark circles

Concentric, following

Nights of frenzy

Restless thoughts

Swirling, cycling

Refuse to cease

The dogs howl

Into the dead night,

I listen to them

Half asleep.

I feel what I feel.

Sleep talking

Is new to me

I don’t know

When I dream

When I really iam asleep

Day dreaming

Sleep talking

The day is a vague

Mist of monotony,

Lifeless. Drab. Sleep.

Iam awake

Yet asleep.

I don’t know

The difference as yet.

I want the comfort

Of ambiguity.

A means to escape

Reality.

Sleep evades me

Insomnia, you

Crazy creature

But I like it.

That’s how I want it to be.

[scatterbrainsdiary-blog]

Sleep talking II

I took the first train

On Thursday

For a perfect getaway

Off to a far of place,

Encounters with

Strangers, pantry men,

In a second class compartment.

Conversations with a Jew

Spans of sleep,

Wakefulness.

Stale chapattis

And uncooked dal.

Rocking me gently

Putting me to sleep

Sweet sleep, dreams

Far away,

Friends, lovers

Strangers, dogs

Cats, beggars,

Cry of early morning vendors,

Chai, coffee, samosa.

I wriggle under the blanket

Shielding my eyes

From the warm sunlight,

Poring through the window.

An impulse, recollection

Of images. Memories

Distorted.vague.

Sleep evades me

When I really need it,

Cries of my mother

One Monday morning

A low undertone

Of constant bickering

I ignore it.

It doesn’t exist.

I try to sleep

But sleep evades me

My companion, now

Insomnia.