seven thirty am on a monday morning, the cool kiss of an ettimadai morning breeze, memories of the peacock calls that had filled the morning air, the yercaud coffee and shobhana's chocolate brownie smiling real happy in my stomach, and bhimsen joshi soaring away singing lalit bhatiyar ('o kartar') on my computer. its that sort of a morning and i am in that sort of a mood. i've been listening to this particular piece by bhimsen joshi for close to two decades now and every time i play it shobhana says "oh its that sort of a morning" and i say yup its that sort of a morning! what sort of a morning we both are talking about we haven't quite figured out but one thing is for sure, it is that sort of a morning!
its funny how subjective and contextual the experience of music can sometimes become. there is this sublime music by keith jarrett that i first heard in my iit days - its a solo concert now known simply as the "koln concert". it is an inspired improvised piano playing of breathtaking lyricism and i haven't been alone in loving it, millions have. just one little twist. i loved the album so much that over time it became my "healing" music for my migraine headaches. the music spoke to my migraine, soothed it, eased it back to where it came from. it worked so well that it became a simple equation - have migraine, play the koln concert! so far so good. however it has become so associated with the headaches that anytime i play the koln concert shobhana becomes immediately concerned - "you have a migraine?" and even i begin wondering, maybe i do have a migraine, after all i am listening to the koln concert! these relationships, they can get so complicated - even with music! and poor keith jarrett, i bet he never even in his wildest fancies imagined that one day he would become a substitute for zandu balm :-)
its a lovely morning here in ettimadai. the air flowing gentle and that pleasant kind of cool, and my annamalai mountain has disappeared it seems but i know better - its just having an intense morning conversation with its old friend, the mist. i often wonder what is it that they talk about every morning for they can sometimes disappear together for hours :-) maybe they are doing more than just talking!
its a lovely morning and the school bus just rolled in and the earth is sivamani once more with the exuberant sounds of all those tiny feet rushing (or dragged :-) to the their daily appointed destiny. ah that pitter patter...such excitement! and out here at home, pandit bhimsen joshi joins me in relishing the sounds of sant keshavadas singing an exquisite bhajan by sant tulasidas - a bhajan where sage vashishta wakes up the young child sri rama by describing the sights and sounds of the forest welcoming the morning. its another one of my "favorite" much replayed songs - yes the very same ones that get shobhana to think - o its that sort of a morning!
so what sort of a morning is it really? its that sort of a monday morning where the collective weight of deeds unfinished last week ("grading"!) has brought such peace to the mind that i cant really think of anything! except that its the right time to welcome piet hein and his delicious grooks to the monday morning club. as with keith jarrett i had discovered the poetry of piet hein (poet/scientist/architect/artist - a legend in denmark) during my iit days. and its been a treasure thats stayed with me ever since. god bless the grooks of piet hein, and he wrote hundreds! what is a grook anyway you say. well, you decide! i'll begin my sampling of grooks with my all time favourite - "the egocentrics". what a grook!
The Egocentrics People are self-centered to a nauseous degree. They will keep on about themselves while I'm explaining me.
Nothing Is Indispensable : Grook to Warn the Universe against Megalomania
The universe may
be as great as they say.
But it wouldn't be missed
if it didn't exist.
Consolation Grook
Losing one glove is certainly painful, but nothing compared to the pain, of losing one, throwing away the other, and finding the first one again.
The Only Solution We shall have to evolve problem-solvers galore — since each problem they solve creates ten problems more. Good Advice Shun advice at any price - that's what I call good advice. Lest Fools Should Fail True wisdom knows it must comprise some nonsense as a compromise, lest fools should fail to find it wise.
Problems
Problems worthy of attack prove their worth by hitting back. The Eternal Twins
Taking fun as simply fun and earnestness in earnest shows how thoroughly thou none of the two discernest. Those Who Know
Those who always
know what's best
are
a universal pest.
The Paradox Of Life A bit beyond perception's reach I sometimes believe I see that Life is two locked boxes, each containing the other's key. Look And Thou Shalt Find Foes of what's cooking see no worth behind it. Those that are looking for nothing — will find it. The Me Above The Me Giving in is no defeat. Passing on is no retreat. Selves are made to rise above. You shall live in what you love. Memento Vivere Love while you've got love to give. Live while you've got life to live.
nine am. gentle strains of carnatic music coming from a neighbour's house, the hot fresh canteen tea beckoning me to asb, the mountain and the mist still at it and grooks on my mind. if you gave me a week filled with these, i'd grab it! may it be such a week :-)
much love,
d&s
No comments:
Post a Comment