Wednesday, August 24, 2005

look away now

August is coming to a close now. I turn of the air conditioner to hear the softly falling rain outside. I dream of unseen places, of low doorways and white linen on wooden beds. Cold milk and some fruit on a table beside a large jug brimming with wildflowers. There are trees outside, old trees, with low-hanging branches. Perhaps there will be a table made of wood beneath the trees with a chair. I would like to sit there with my thoughts or better still listen to the wind in the trees and the birds and the silence with my feet caressing the grass beneath. Perhaps I will be thinking of autumn showers, sitting in that flower-studded meadow.

sucking fingers dipped in honey
and for breakfast i had tea.

licking lips laced with purple berries
and for dinner i had milk.

and so autumn begins
on a starry night with a full moon.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

As much as I like summer, your words remind me how much I love Autumn. It's beautiful but meloncholy.

Sindhuja Parthasarathy said...

:)A painfully cozy time?........the subdued rain,the notalgia and the longing!!

saurav said...

"falling leaves
hide the path
so quietly......"

timeintotime said...

My favourite so far. The change at the beginning is unexpected, taking us from one season to another, satisfyingly and effortlessly. Your bare, concrete images, standing as if alone, evoke a sense of stillness and peace. In the scene’s simplicity, an impact. There’s something ghost-like in a certain part of Autumn, on days where a quiet prevails outside, and at that time my thoughts overflow with sensory recall. This is where your words brought me. To the feeling of that time.

johnny boy said...

:-) hmmmm... Autumn is when the heat starts reducing and it becomes quite pleasant here in chennai! So all of us here, welcome the months after August, with glee :-) Its torrid here, mid summer! But thats past tense, a lot of good weather comin up!

Misreflection said...

Its another world you live in, sounds so peaceful and serene.. mmmm can't complain will be there soon :-) will write to you look out for my email will you.. would love to meet if not just talk...

. : A : . said...

Very visual. I like the imagery in this one.

iamnasra said...

and so autumn begins
on a starry night with a full moon

this reminded me
How far away
I am from Zanzibar
Were the soft autumn breeze
tickle the branches of coconut trees
Somehow they sway so lazily

Greet words that give a treat to this heart of mine

Mridula said...

Gulnaz, it is the second time today that I am lamenting here sitting in the basement, with no idea if it is rain or sunshine outside. And you people talk about trees and woods and chairs under it. Makes me really feel like travelling again. The first person I said this to is Avik.

Pallavi said...

I am looking forward to Autumn and then Winter... may favorite part of the year... :) and how have you been :)

Aleksu said...

It is awesome when a season transforms itself into the next one.

It is something I did not experience as a child growing in the tropics, where you have a dry summer and a rainy summer.

gulnaz said...

Joe- am glad that i did that for you! :) i hv never seen the colours of autumn but i sure want to some day.

Samudraa- not painful at all for me, wonder what you should say that? ah maybe you meant the longing.

avil- wow, that was lovely, thanks for adding your lines here. :)

timeintotime- i am so honoured by your appreciation and am glad that my words could recreate that feeling for you. :)

johnny boy- am not from chennai but i know post august the drop in temp is as soothing as a soft melody.

Missy- that world is largely in my head alongwith the serenity. :) i'm so looking forward to meeting you! have written to you, sorry for the late reply, the cold meds have made me sleep the whole day, even drowsy right now, i hate it!

.:A:.- i was dreaming of those things when i wrote them...dreaming of such a place.

nasra- ah! you make me dream yet more, thank you! :)

M- yep am going to try my best to meet her and when are you coming? :)
it must be beautiful where you are, do take some pictures when the leaves turn to gold for me, please!

Mridula- aww for a travel bug like you it must be prison! :) dont worry, knowing you, you will be travelling soon. try going to corbett in winters its awesome! btw, that other sanctuary i mentioned was jaldapara, my mind is numb with my cold meds. :(

Tomas- glad you see it so! :)

Pallavi- hey good to see you back was wondering when you are coming back. am going to hop to your blog next. The colder months are charming but it cant be very cold in b'lore, u must miss the n-east so! my parents went to shillong once and then say its the most beautiful place they have been to. they went a decade back i think.

Aleksu- hi and welcome amigo! :) you ar right, i just love the turn of seasons, its beautiful!

Yvaine- hope is eternal, you have got to keep digging for it. You get showers the year around, wonder which tropical country you are from? :)

gulnaz said...

Laura- enjoy it! :) ....and thanks for stopping by, come again. :)

Once the Conman said...

I miss the rain... just like this desert...

thoughts said...

have always wanted to see the fiery fall colors.. and this time i actually might be able to do just that :)

G Shrivastava said...

The 1st part of this post had a very strong flavour of Ruskin Bond and reminded me of some of his short stories we had in school :-)

The second part - I'd say quintessential Gulnaz! ;-)

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

Lovely poem, I like the subtle way you have included the bounty of harvest. Such a different Autumn to ours, often misty damp and cold, at least for the last 3 years summer has trailed late into it, and I hope this will be the case again, so I can spend my lunch times in the wood with the tree lady.

sirbarrett said...

Fall is my favorite. Such a delicious post!

gulnaz said...

Ytc- hmmm....fill up your bathroom with huge potted plants and stand under the shower with your eyes closed....:)

thoughts- well i would envy you! :)

Geetanajali- really? i use to love his stories as a kid, thank you!! :)

and thank you again. :))

Sue- I hope the summers hang aroung a lil more for you. the leaves dont change colour in my part of the world but the temp will begin to drop to a comfortable level, the evenings are quite nice. :) there are parts in india, like kashmir where the splendor of autumn is seen best in the chinar leaves, havent seeen it though, maybe i will ask someone to click a pic for me and i can post it here. the chinar is a beautiful tree. ( chinar is in kashmiri, i dont know the english word for it)

sirbarrett- Thank you so much! :)

Anonymous said...

"sucking fingers dipped in honey
and for breakfast i had tea.

licking lips laced with purple berries
and for dinner i had milk.

and so autumn begins
on a starry night with a full moon."

Kinkyyyyy... hehehe.. Sweet and kinky. I'm lovin this. This post is justtt right!

Happy weekends lovely.

Anonymous said...

In the end ...of it all...that is what comes to mind...peace...trees ....rain...birds.....flower studded meadows....

Prat said...

Autumn with its showers..oh so perfect...and watching the rain with a faint taste of honey in your mouth...absolutely perfect.

gulnaz said...

woman- kinky sweetness, what more can you want! :))

rusty- hey thanks for stopping by and appreciating, hope you come by again! :)

Prat- always a joy to hear from you! :) thanks!

Lorena said...

and i love the tranquility that this post brings and how your words painted it so nicely :)

gulnaz said...

Lorena- thanks sweetie, tranquility and beauty is something we all want. :)