Penance of Prose

This is a poem I wrote in 2006.I just found it and I think the world should not be denied my undeniable genius!!

I was born in 1986

and put my parents in a fix

Cuz they couldn't decide on a name

at last they settled for Prem

Alas!For it meant love

I was no little dove

I caused a lot of trouble

and created a lot of rubble

I never used to eat

unless my clothes were neat

I hated any dish

which had any fish

I was a little infant

but a big tyrant

I loved to play

and make unknown stuff with clay

I went to school

but I was never cool

I wasn't bad at academics

but evaded it with many tricks

I was called a bully

but that was someones folly

I wasn't a coward

but I was always covered

I tried to decipher maths

but it was like an axe

that went through my brain

and caused many a strain

I tried to play cricket

but someone always got my wicket

I tried to swim

but that was someone's whim

I played football

it was a close call

I once fell

my elbow had a swell

I hated social

it was too glacial

As for history

it remains a mystery

I was fourteen

and I had seen

enough of life

not to want a life

But i saw a girl

who sent me in a whirl

I never spoke

but waited for a lucky stroke

Needless to say

I never had my way

I cleared my boards

and my dad paid hoards

to put me in college

to gain some knowledge

I am going to be a doc

Don't you dare mock!

That is my autobiography

What a strange story

The Sun and the Moon 2

The next morning began with a horde of voices around me.I was momentarily disoriented but I soon realised why 15 boys were waking me up.Me and Tan were sleeping near the doorway and effectively blocking the exit to freedom from the oxygen starved room(It was heaven compared to the tent though!).

Most of us showered and got ready and were on our merry way back to the campsite.The morning walk was not so nice as the night walk but there was a sense of eager anticipation that words can't possibly describe.The itinerary started with a trek uphill to a falls.

Some were in peak physical condition as they were athletes or some such thing.The uphill inclined trek was a cake walk for those types.Me of course, was not.I huffed and puffed my way as Wats,Tan and Murgi happily kept climbing.I did have some company in the girls who were also slow.So we went up slowly as tales of animals and Veerappan filled the air.

The vista was breathtaking.At some points the path was a sheer cliff with a deep ravine to our right.At others, the view of the Nilgiris was simply stunning.We saw a train track and someone promptly told us that this was the line of Veerappan territory.Now whether this is actually true I do not know but it was still scary nevertheless.Suddenly a bear was not the biggest fear.

At long long long last we reached our destination.The falls were picturesque,more so because of the effort I had put into getting there!We were treated to some needless jokes by the boys as usual...But the Sirs accompanying us sure had a whale of time in the water.

Our return to base camp was uneventful.The lunch as ever ,delicious.Our instructors told us that the electric fence actually had electricity!They said 'DONT TOUCH IT'.What teenage boys do?Of course We touched it.Thankfully it did not affect us too much.Apparently the real shock is in the evening.We then did rapelling or at least some did it.Due to light constraints many of us did not get the turn.More course people who were on it were slower than tortoises on a beach!

There was this episode of Abinay and Ram Prasad.Jus too much drama over nothing.The night was a campfire night with nothing much happening except me making a fool of myself trying to imitate Rajesh,the Hero from Cheerasamudram.

The tent was of course brilliant.Too hot, but 6 guys with their stories means the weather is forgotten.Tales of every topic was flying around.Right from teacher bashing to girl bashing, there was everything.It is safe to say that we all got to know each other very well and the foundation of G8 was being laid!

There was cat calls and jokes from all the other tents and we could have actual conversations with nearby tents.It was without doubt a truly amazing night and they all let us sleep into the morning.

The last day was nothing much,Simulated river crossing was fun enough but you just cannot cross a river that was not there!!After that the boys had a game that began benignly but became decidedly violent.We were split into two teams and had to catch members of the other team and drag them to base.I always remember Me,Tan and Wats wrestling with this huge guy called Arun Subu and bringing him down.Had a few bruises after that game but it was a testosterone fueled version of hide and seek!!

The return journey back by train was of course very eventful.It was 'that' Truth or dare game which nobody would forget or needs reminding.Mandeep wearing a girl's jacket,Keerthi answering the oft asked question,everyone getting their jack ripped out by 'truth' but too scared to try dare!!

The trip was, to put it mildly, a game changer!For me my best memory of the trip will always be Tan and me trekking through the forest and singing Bryan Adams without a care in the world.Wish we hadnt grown up eh?

The Sun and the Moon

The alarm pierced the night air and cut my dream much like a machete swinging remorselessly through the forest.I woke up and groggily looked around at the pre dawn darkness.I saw the 4 am time and then the sleep washed away.The excitement began.That rumbling in the stomach that starts deep down and slowly passes through your veins and finally touches your heart. The eager anticipation of something exhilarating.

This was the 9th standard.I think it was September 2001 if memory serves me right.It was time for Kallar!!Till that time school field trip meant a boring day at some museum or worse,at an amusement park. But this would be the mother of all trips!The harbinger of more to come.It would set the tone for an affair with nature that continues to this day.

I jumped out of bed and practically ran through my chores.My parents gave me the standard Parentsy dialogue "If you had shown this interest in academics,you would have gone somewhere now."At that point I can assure you academics was far away from my mind(Ok I admit it usually is...).We left home and headed to KK nagar to pick up the Murg.It was the railway station after that to see the other PSBB clad teenagers waiting for a slice of life.I still remember the comparisons to ONYX uniforms when our yellow-grey uniforms first came to light.On hindsight, we did have nice uniforms.

The journey began without much ado at 6:15am.The whole bunch was pretty much there.Tan,KK,Rajesh,Wats and Murg.Notable absentees were Kastor and Sundy I think.It was then that we played bluff and Murg did a legen......dary play.In a game with 2 packs he smartly brought down '12 twos'!!Needles to say, he lost that game.Also significant in that trip was the intro of dumb charades in a major way!It certainly helped in my future love life(or something like that!:)

We reached Coimbatore around afternoon and cramped into a bus that took us to Kallar.We were 40 km from Ooty and that I saw Kallar. It was love...at first sight.Rather often for me, eh?But this was different....The swaying palms,the cool breeze wafting through the shrubs,the warm sun caressing our faces,the sound of a stream gurgling through,the mesmeric sound of silence.Nature at its best.It was a profound effect for us wee ones but a love of the outdoors was born that day in many of us.

The food was excellent!!More so cuz the others didnt like it much and I got a large portion!!Our first evening involved an orientation and then we got split into groups.I was very relieved when Murgi,KK,Wats,Tan me and Keer were all in Charlie group.They taught us about tents and we tried pitching them.

It was a hilarious hour that ensued as we tried beating down nails in soft ground,tied ropes to trees and then tripped over them.None of us had a clue what we were doing but its safe to say we had a kick ass time.

And then night fell in the way it can only fall in the hills,The light of day gives way to starlight.The sky lit up with a million stars and many ceased work to see this rarity of a sight.Keer looked up oblivious to all and said something about it being romantic.I very astutely wrinkled my nose and said "No its not,Now get back to work".I looked at her face.....and I knew in that instant that if she held anything in her hand apart from a torch(Which was the current occupant) I would not have left Kallar unscathed.

' My experiences with Tent ' was clearly not a book we were righting.But amidst the brains of a future Journalist,Engineer,Aeronautics guy,Auto guy and a doctor we managed to set up some semblance of a tent!!The guys then trekked to a place far far away.It was supposed to be 5km but I can swear it at least 10km.But it didnt matter cuz Tandeep and me brought up the rear(It would become a habit) and we were talking everything from cloud shapes to world politics with occasional tidbits from Murgi.It was a walk to remember cuz there is nothing like a good long walk with good friends.

At that time there was no ipods,i phones,GPRS and what not.So you had no choice but to talk to the person next to you!We reached a hotel and 15 boys cramped into one room!It was a perfusion of smelly feet and smelly socks and some more smelly socks!!!!

to be contd>>>>>