Keh Mukariya By Amir khusro

The name Amir Khusro is unknown to none. 
Presenting a beautiful art of keh - mukariya or "guess what" poetry by the Father of Qawwali.

The Etiquettes of A Fall

I always took the safer road, the slow lane, the vacant seats.

Played Safe.

And then once, the safest traveler takes a leap, not as much a leap of faith, as give in to wilderness, the unshackling… a feeble and rare endeavor to experience proclivity.

One night I found myself, on the edge of insanity, engulfed in murk, and on the side of a road completely unknown. My vision blurred, (mostly because I’d lost my spectacles), and an echo blared in my ears as if all my ancestors (dead and undead) chose that very moment to knock some sense in to me by literally knocking on my eardrums; in unison.

Yes, I had erred, faltered monstrously (pun intended) and slipped.

Now, the difference between a pusillanimous prude and an oblivious derelict is how he deals with the “slip”, the etiquette of brushing off the dust from his body with a thousand pair of ostensibly vigilant but actually amused eyes tracing all his moves.

While the indiscretions of a recurrent errant train him to such performances; wherein his expertise enables him to do the same with the kenspeckle of the star performer; rendering him an “Artful Dodger”; the novice slipper feebly attempts to shroud himself in diaphanous cloak of discomfiture. Every moment, with every movement the latter remains agonizingly aware of the fall.

And so was I. New to the art of dodging eyes; the flush of shame ripe and reflecting profusely. Palpitations intensified. What have I done! Where could I have slowed down! And yet I knew the palpitations were knocking and forcing open the doors. And then I did the only thing I do under stress.

Sitting on the raw shingle, dry grass tickling my sole, and prodding eyes feigning to sympathy; I wrote a poem in my newly found state of exploit. Here it goes:

Other-worldly words.... Japanese (1): Waldeinsamkeit

There are three things one must know about TRADITIONAL Japanese art; the beliefs and aesthetics of The Japanese:

• ·         They find beauty in the most simplest of daily rituals, phenomenon and occurrences.

• ·         They have the ability to capture and express this abstract beauty in most phenomenal and spectacular manner.

• ·         Each of these representations has a spiritual and moral connection that leaves a tangible mark on its audience.

Stressing the word ‘TRADITIONAL’ is important because as technology has rendered obsolete the concept of distance and time; time no more flies with wings… it comes knocking at your doorstep even before the first rays of dawn and carries in to a virtual world that becomes reality as the reality fades away. So Japanese art too has undergone commercialization and yet; unlike other cultures the tenets have in some measures been preserved.

Before proceeding further, I must clarify that I am neither an expert of Japanese art nor a student. However just like a wrong note makes a rhythm cacophonous (and you don’t need to be an artiste to identify it), “a thing of beauty is joy forever”; so it is with all art form.

Japanese Author Hiromu Arakawa says,

"Nothing is perfect, the world's not perfect. But its there for us, trying the best it can; and thats what makes it so damn beautiful".

Now if I am not an expert, what gives me authority to write about Japanese art!!!

One: my page is about opinions, primarily mine (you are welcome too).

Two: I was pulled in to it as I set out on a journey to explore the outworldly words.....initiated as a humble thought to expand my vocabulary in an attempt to make it more ornate 😉
😉

So today I came across the word "Waldeinsamkeit".

In absence  of an accurate alternative English phrase or for that matter an approximate explanation in any language, I would be using multiple modes (images, poems, and abstract art) to build an understanding of this beautiful feeling.

For those who have already experienced it.... well enjoy the deja vu 😇😇 .  
For me, its a longing I have met before... and continue to long for.

 

Now just close your eyes, relinquish all other divagation, 'vacate the vessel' and let the void prevail.

Listen to the rustle, the leaves brushing against each other..... 

The distant trickle of water, and a mild breeze.... a whiff and a waft on the skin.

Now listen to the distant trickle of water; an incessant chatter of birds......

Now Imagine a light, a narrow but bright beam brushing past the leaves, filtering thought your eyelids. Imagine multiple similar drizzles of rays. All percolating through your thoughts instilling a tranquility. A Quiet noise. A tree with leaves hidden in the light that illuminates it. And now glance at the ground beneath you; see the shadows.... seek the shapes visible among the shadows.

Ending the word with a beautiful poem, the closest I could get in an attempt to seize on the amazing perception of Waldeinsamkeit.......

The Sheer Benefits of Swearing: Art and Objective

It was the resplendent night of December 31st, 2016; the last night of the year wrapping up its affairs. The glitz and glamour of the stars on that deserted sky was a perspective waiting to be painted as masterpieces, sung as wistful melodies, and  uninhibited cavort. the place.... Mhow; every army wife's definition and description of paradise. Why? I'll cover that epic saga later.
Idyllic.... Shangri La (again pun unintended)
and yet I was upset; to put it mildly. On that night of New Year Eve, I was in fact desolate, miserable and tenebrous despite the glitz and glam engulfing me. Why because FAMILY....  on that significant, commercially detonating eve; I was all alone. Sans family, sans friends,. Acute case of stimulus hunger, recognition hunger and structural hunger; so starved in every possible way. Actually now as I think about it, so were my taste buds; and those who know me are well aware this invokes an inimical persona I happen to resemble. But that seemed trifle in comparison to the other "starvations" i was tormented with. 
Now tears come easy to me, like my husband, totally at beck and call. But that night was the night of abandonment.... so my tears followed suit. They didn't turn up.
So I thought; and then reflected, and I researched..... and then finally came the Eureka moment.
Eureka for me spelled as Lalochezia. (lal'ō-kē'zē-ă)
The medical dictionary defines it as, Emotional discharge gained by uttering indecent or filthy words [G. lalia, speech + chezo, to relieve oneself].
The source was a very interesting book: Black Sheep: the hidden benefits of being bad BY Richard Stephens

Mr. Stephens predicament was just one: 

"Why people swear in response to pain?"

Intrigued, I found company in the journey of Mr. Stephens, fuelled by my own disinterest in my situation.

So There were 3 researches that he conducted before he found an answer befitting his endeavour. 

Premise: Swearing results from "disinhibition". almost like intoxication; ideas we may consider gauche, inappropriate, garbage in a pool of muck; may begin to flow like a clear creek.

Research:

1. Swearing reduces pain perception during "ice bucket challenge" accelerates heart rates, produces "stress induced analgesia" which forms a part of our 'fight or flight' response.

2. Daily or habitual swearing reduces the analgesic impact of swearing.... so like all other NSAID, swearing should not be practised on a daily basis, but should be activated only during really stressful situations.

3. Aggression leads to increased pain tolerance. So when you swear as a response to aggression or vice versa, your heart rate remains elevated for longer and hence your pain tolerance continues for a longer duration. 

In nutshell, swearing enhances aggression, sets off the flight or flight response and thus helps withstand pain..... and that is the story of Lalochezia

Having done with the terminology, I take the liberty to get back to my story. 
So on that dreary and desolate night of December 31, 2016; I took a new year resolution.... a worthwhile one in a long time..... and one I  manage to consistently try to pursue even though its 5th month of the year. I enrolled myself for an intensive course on choicest profanities; to use and misuse in times of dire need. I swear to swear with abandon before the next  resplendent new year eve arrives.