Reste der schwärzesten Nacht

Reste der schwärzesten Nacht Ó Alan Gilbert. 2009.

Embalmed in vaults and archives

Lay memories time and webs encrust.

Though years decay vague visions stay

Of hate and love and lust.

And all the while the crazed machine

That breaks our will and mills to dust

The soul that night has fought to keep

From razor chains defiled by rust.

So formed the thought that spawned the deed

Which raged against creations need.

To curse in blood forever more

And procreated bitter seed.

In wretched form the issue stood

Bereft of feelings, bad nor good,

To face alone the vengeful wrath

Of gaping wounds that cried, “Enough”.

VERMIN

Some protesters have gathered

But of course they’re quite insane.

Fox hunting is traditional

Conservancy what’s more.

A quick, clean kill of vermin

That’s what the hunt is for.

Spring nimbly from the ground.

Sitting upright in the saddle

As they pass the cup around.

The loud shrill horn is sounded

As they drain the stirrup clean.

A quick, clean kill of vermin

That’s what the huntsmen mean.

See the fox has broken cover

And the race for life is on.

They blocked the hole below the dyke

It’s only hope is gone.

The panic stricken headlong chase

Is all to no avail.

It’s a quick, clean kill of vermin

And the hounds are on the trail.

See the fox sprint for the thicket

Racing high above the downs.

See not twenty yards behind it

Run a pack of yelping hounds.

Hear the chilling screams of terror

As flesh from bone is rent

A quick, clean kill of vermin

A.

Experiencing Mumbai…

I am not a one who have seen many parts of the world. I am just a beginner.

As life goes on,everything fills up, giving us - the players - the thing of utmost importance—experience. I lacked it for this purpose - long journeys. And so, they called me “baby”. And so, my Mother had a tear in her eyes along with a shadow of fear. However, with confidence acquired from vacuum, I boarded the Cape-Mumbai Exp. from Thrissur at 1515hrs on Dec 19 2009.

For this journey, my bed is as long as the worm itself. I am in the first sleeper compartment and Nidh, my friend, in the last A/C compartment. I walked through every sleeper and A/C coaches in the worm. And as it chugged along it was filling in, the thing I said at first.

I have seen the next strip of land from mine many times over.But now as I see a new part of this land, its filling me with a part of that experience thing - beauty.The lush greenery was spread out like the body curves of the most sensuous woman.

The half hour between 1600hrs and 1630hrs,I saw the last station in Kerala - Palakkad junction.As if to say,”I do not wish to go any further,that I would not like to stay here in the God’s own country”, the worm stayed there for the full half hour.At last with such pain, the guard blew the whistle and we started to see the last scenes of our state.

And so adieu Kerala
and
Bonjour Tamil Nadu.
TN - the land wasted for everything.

As we rushed through TN, just lands put to no use were seen surrounded by hills.Those special structures rose, with Himalayas as their idol, to touch the sky, but failed as they understood they, too, are a waste like the land they stand on.

The worm covered large distances in short time.Now came another part.This covers the subject entirely,but I am taking it as a part.People -They changed.Attire changed.Language changed.They showed me new ways.I studied how to be with new people.I saw a Jawaharlal Nehru–it was just his attire that made me say so…the white shirt, dhoti instead of pants and that particular shaped cap with the sleeveless overcoat.But he was just the opposite of what Nehru was–he was superb at flirting(note that) and he surely hated me, the way he talked to me..pure coldness.I did not care.But I did not give him the same treatment that he gave me.He was way too older than me.

A new guy,Bhagyaraj with his friend, Chengal Dayudu,Andhrans,Ayyapa devotees. Friendly.Saved my seat.The first guy is doing his M.Tech in EEE(whatever that is).He and Nidh talked in english.I tried my max not to interfere and I didn’t.

By 1900hrs,a guy came to take the orders of food from passengers.

The day had not been a dry one.Still the night had sleeping in store for me and so I slept,a small night nap.Had to wake up at 0230hrs for Nidh’s dad and friend to get down at Thriupathi.And I drifted into sleep after some reading.

20 december

Frequently I jumped up from my sleeps, widely awake fearing if its pass 0230hrs.It never did and it took me an eternity to meet the time.

Then at the specified time,I started down the worm to my companion’s seat.When 0315hrs came,the worm stopped at Thirupathi and their pilgrimage started.Before uncle got off.he told what we should do after we get down in Mumbai.I listened and memorized it and we shall see where they are.

Now I think a little more sleep will do me good.So I am switching me off.0336hrs.Again there were breaks but I slept well.As time when, sounds around me increased making it difficult to sleep.And so,I woke up at around 0700hrs.

Andhra Pradesh,I didn’t know what to expect from it.Well it was same as TN.Huge land masses were put to no use at all.It can be LW#2,but the top spot will be shared.

Because of how it is,it had some scenic spots.Mostly hills,they were.They don’t want to touch the sky.But as the plain land was bored of being plain,it thought some hills would be a new way of being plain.And so they were born.

Like the AP lands, I think our worm had all the time in the world to reach our destination.The worm stopped at each station for 1hr at least.No movement,just a building(of station) to see…it made me think that I’ve gone static.Buzz.Just the buzzing of being static.

A spectacular scene I forgot to mention.Sunflower, sometimes, filled the fields.Corn, sunflower, barren fields or just green grass–it give a velvety touch the land.I would like to walk on the green carpet.

When I woke up I looked at the sun.I saw that I had many with me doing the same.Sunflowers were thanking the sun,as sun had risen again so that they can bloom again,this very day.I was struck by their gratefulness.And so,I,too,thanked the sun for letting me live another day in this beautiful world.
Sunflower taught me a new lesson.I thank them too.

Noon came without much delay.I filled my tummy with some rice and Nidh got something good.Meanwhile,some fields whizzed past us.We started to identify what the crops were–cotton,red chillies,onions,etc..

When the worm went past,the workers in the field,some looked up,some didn’t-I wondered why…
For an hour,it was just these fields.Thought it would end by the evening.But the condition was not different as we entered Karnataka.Raichur was the first stop.I needed a short afternoon nap and so I didn’t see much of Karnataka until Thangundi.

The lands were not much different from AP.Those fields and hills,fields and hills.But this Thangudi had one memorable pic.On one hill a huge fort was build.Like the one you see in Jodhaa Akbar.

You could see 2 castles-of-chess at the 2 ends.In between,there were windows,triangle-on-square shaped ones.It was magnificent picture.

Worm rushed on with frequent stops.The scenes did not change much.I restricted myself to reading and silence.Gulbarga brought dark with it.Now the stations are less than ten but the distance was still long.

While I sat in the worm’s throat,Nidh thought he would check out his seat in our worm’s lower stomach.And so,he strolled off.Now its just me,you and silence.People around me chattered away.I wondered from where do they get the topics?The Nehru’s in front of me entertained us with their songs.Sung with a little grace considering they are old enough to be my grandfather.Have you heard of “Badal Gaya Insaan”?One I had heard…they repeated it in intervals.

All through this,we had 6 companions.A family of four and two friends.Father,Mother,son and daughter.Natives of Kottayam.First trip to Pune.Catious,Nidh said.Friendly because they needed some trustful companions and for their luck they met us and the other two.

With the curiosity of a 14year old,son was very active and with him his sister danced.She talked a lot.She had the full cuteness of a 3rd standard girl.And she talked with a lot of gracefulness,not much seen in her age.Lean,she is;fair skin and short hair.Small black eyes which she could pop out a little bit.She played staring-and-no-blinking with Nidh many times.

Father was cautious of the passing stations as he don’t know when would their stop comes.No one would know if they are for the first time.Mother,not too talkative as her daughter,but talked with us.We liked her too.

Foods were offered.First hesitancy.As we bonded,it was normal.

The two friends: NITians of Warangal from Thiruvanathapuram, going for Mood Indigo(IIT Mumbai’s cultural fest) and then to their college.

One was long with lanky hands and legs;with a little deep voice.Sweet one.
Second-a little reserved;book-worm but the cuter of the two.He was good to talk to.

We,six,enjoyed the journey together.We saw all the picturesque landscape together.We saw God taking his afternoon nap in Karnataka(will upload the picture).It showed how bonded we were.

Pune was approaching fastly.I drifted into a small sleep at 2100hrs.At 2300hrs,when I woke up,everyone:the four of the family,Nidh and the duo in their cots, were up.

Suddenly,none had anything to talk about.We were all silent.Everyone realized our togetherness is going to end in the next hour.

21 December

Heartfelt goodbyes were exchanged at Pune.When I said bye to our little girl,even her wave of her hand had sadness in it.Seeing this her Mother looked back.
What I saw on her face–the care,that don’t-want-to-say-goodbye-but-said goodbye,that she’ll miss us–made me understand,that this trip was not at all event less.Only one event happened and that was the greatest of all.That face will be imprinted in my mind till I die.

Anyways,worm wants to reach its destination and so do we.So we went on,as life went on.

Thane was the last stop for the duo.They got down and as they bade goodbye,we said we will see them at Mood Indigo.

At 0450hrs,we reached Mumbai,at last…..
Here a new journey begins.

We are to stay in Navi Mumbai., where Nidh’s aunt and uncle live.Nerul to be exact.A 38km journey from Mumbai Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus(CSTM), formerly known as the Victoria Terminus(VT).
CST–its a grand station.Fifteen platforms,the most I’ve seen,and all these are dead ends:either starting points or end points.
It was just as Uncle described.We walked to platform no.1 & 2 from no.14 to find the train to Panvel or Belapur.Platform no.7 was the stage for A.R.R’s “Jai Ho”.I,for fun,took two steps there.Otherwise its just another platform.

After taking tickets,we boarded a Panvel train at 0505hrs.Major stations are Kurla,Vashi,etc..We are to alight at Seawoods Darave,just before Panvel after Vashi and Nerul.Seawoods is just the station name,the place is Nerul itself.

For those who does not Know Navi Mumbai’s plan,which included me before I stepped on this land.All the land is divided into several plots.A group of these plots is called a sector.The sectors and plots are numbered.Each plot will contain 1 to 4 flats,irrespective of the size of flat.Just high-rise flats all over.No separate homes for the families.Just these grouped houses.

And we stepped out of the train onto the SW-DV station after an hour long journey.As we walked out,his uncle came and took us to his house.Cozy little one.I thanked them for accomodating me.

After 1000hrs,after freshening ourselves up,we continued our journey.Now back the way we came.To explore Mumbai.To conquer this big ferocious giant.
My first wish:see the Gateway of India and with it the Taj hotel.Thus it was fixed.
At CST,there was a problem–how shall we go?It was decided that we take the fabulous taxi service.A 20rs ride from CST.

Through the winding streets of Mumbai,the taxi took us.The huge traffic did not help me to memorize the way.The taxi stopped infront of Regal cinema.The taxi driver told us to walk ahead to get to the Gateway.We didn’t take his directions.Thought we would wander of.Straight ahead is our destination.In that road,many roads joined it from both directions.We took the first one left.
It had the name:Mahakavi Bushan Marg.Had once heard of the name.But don’t who it is.I suppose he is a poet.And like this all the adjoining roads had names:
Battery street,
Manthralayam street,
Madam Cama street………….these are some of which we explored.
Each had many large buildings.In it business went smoothely.None noticed us.
Now the Manthralayam street had the major structures,including the Taj hotel and the Indian Institute of Science.The IISc building is almost 250yrs old and it showed.
And frankly I didn’t see much specialty in the Gateway of India,keeping aside the fact that it was the gateway to India in earlier times.
Time went by very fast.We had to return.On the way back,we saw fashion street and St.Xaviour’s college.They attracted me for a certain reason.

The whole evening was spent in a shopping complex,shopping this and that.
The endless journey made me so weak that I fell on to the bed.

Behind A Fish

Faces on fire ,

melt to desistance,

racing through the wire ,

is an electrical persistance,

fading to a quagmire ,

a car sifts through the distance,

another face is on fire ,

behind a fish ,

and its christians,

another life lifts from the mire ,

because it asked for forgiveness,

are these faces on fire ?

or are they looking for togetherness,

tell me about your sire ,

is this for real ,

your new happiness,

or do you feel you lived as a liar

and ill health made you pay a price ,

maybe the lord ,

he might forgive,

he might think twice ,

a second chance to live,

maybe another throw of the dice

Trident Gripping Fingers

The world , the enigma ,

the cold living ,

the desperation ,

the murderers ,

the stigma .

Scum roam the roads ,

pursuing innocence in back ginnels ,

like slime ridden, contorted toads .

Evil minds are ticking ,

the devils trident gripping fingers ,

are clicking .

They shame the human race ,

hell harbours them a sordid place .

You wouldn’t think a marble ,

of so many seas

could hold so much air breathing ,

parasitic fleas.

Lets send them to the abyss ,

with no solitary traces ,

you know we wouldn’t miss,

their smug ,

take the piss ,

community service ,

faces .

All this inbred ,

energy,

that co exsists ,

the world has a devil ,

he’s in all human peril ,

and behind its insest .

The Deadly Mushroom

Blinding white dust

opulent sands

neatly encrust

the clear currents of peaking , reflective

salt sodden wet mounds .

Sunshine screaming ultra violet

through the celestine skies

above a fantasy islet .

Palm trees tilting

then the air starts melting

with an enveloping suffocating

mushroom cloud

it is dominating the now acrid and darkened

burning horizon of blazing

nuculear choked death.

We are inside a political ,volcanic mountain

ready to be dispersed like an over pressurised

blood filled fountain .

The number three will turn these beaches

into rancid decaying

black death filled peaches .

Angellica

Grim reaper standing

hood viciously pointing

face full of decomposition

full of eternal haunting.

Sharpened calcium fingers

emiting an energy of dark power

resulting in a presence of

your final hour

very dour .

Cracking the tombstone

draining the dead , of their remnant flesh

drawing it back into himself

with fulfillment

roaring out yes

he says don’t laugh now

because you might be next

our shoulders may be tapped

and only history knows the rest .

A Birth of Death A Novel Breath

The orb of lunar salutes
another day that has yawned
the past again is mourned
owls play their dirge flutes .
The solar flare
quenches a night
a polar bear
dons a blinding white .
An end can only begin
after the start
we exist within .
Some of us awake
in one hemisphere
some of us retire in another
both orbs are clear
upon the mother
do you fear
leaving our dear
spherical brother .
We all live in supposition
and self pollution
no one can give
an unsolved solution .
Consumption of religion
a theory an assumption
a million doctrines
without a single conclusion
to the unknown and its fear
the only thing thats clear
is cluttered confusion .
There aint no end
to a day or a life
to a stones path
through infinity
to a stars destiny .
We can’t touch a begining
nor can we feel the torch beam
glowing
we can’t see where it ends up going
do we see a dead oars man rowing
within a stagnant sea thats flowing
within a typhoon that isn’t blowing
under a dead sun that beats a glowing .
You’d say of course not
that can’t happen
I would say well what does in lifes interum .
You can’t hear the birth of death
the coming of a novel breath
the future is mute
and we are deaf.

The whisperers

The whisperers. Ó Alan Gilbert. 2009.

Suddenly I’m running

As the path got steeper.

Pushed along by gravity

I find I can’t oppose.

My hands and face are torn

By nettle, thorn and creeper.

And darkness hangs upon me

like a suit of cold wet clothes.

Then I’m thrown into a clearing

Where no living thing would venture.

All around me flesh is rotting

And I’m sickened by the smell.

Then somewhere in the distance

Comes the sound of rolling thunder.

And nearby voices whisper

Only what, I cannot tell.

Now I’m laying in this putrid place

With terror that consumes me.

My heart is like a hammer

On an anvil deep inside.

The thunders rolling nearer

With It’s flashes of fork lightning.

And the voices are still whispering

Saying what, I can’t decide.

Now the ground below is trembling

With a roar to match the thunder.

And the lightning strikes come faster

As the storm is overhead.

Then I feel that I am soaking

As the rain has started falling.

And I wake up in a cold sweat

Once more conscious in my bed.

Time Machine

Let me ask you, what if you had a time machine?
Which time and place would you most like to see?
Change the past or see how life will be.
Think for you, now here’s what’s right for me.

I’d……
Include offers, to get Jackson a new doctor.
Make sure Columbine kids aren’t pushed into school lockers.
Persuade Kennedy, not to attend the Dallas motorcade,
And stop Lincoln from thinking he has to go to plays.
Get a new fan club president for Selena Perez
Keep Patsy Cline’s flight plans, but change up Aaliyah’s instead.
Tell Billy Mays and Chris Farley not to snort cocaine,
And remove all the shells from the guns of Kurt Cobain.
Un-brainwash those who think Jim Jones might be heaven sent,
And make the government take serious the nine-eleven threats.
Forget the heightened evidence, that time is evident,
I’d go back and change Al Gore to the likely president.
Offer clean versions to boost up Heath’s courage,
And remove the barb from the sea serpent below Steve Irwin.
Hire a new man to plan the scene for Brandon Lee,
And remove every cancer gene, Farah Fawcett had to keep.
Set free Joan of Arc, and stand up for Rosa Parks,
Then make sure that Owen Hart’s rope is taught.
Make sure Natalie Wood doesn’t go swimming on that day,
Prevent the DC Sniper, Fort Hood, and Timothy McVeigh.
Make Buddy Holly, Valens and Bopper schedule their flight wrong,
To leave no reason for Don McLean’s American Pie song.

Now I ask, what would you do with a time machine?
What time and place would you now like to see?
Change the past for those who still have life to breathe.
Choose for you, that’s what’s right for me.

Ryan Martin