Tuesday 19 May 2009

A View To Offend

It’s two am. A traffic signal blinks desolately yellow at a now-ignored intersection. The most activity comes from a pack of fighting dogs and three cows. The yeasty crawling of Jack London’s Wolf Larsen is all but at an end.

The jagged road makes a swathing cut through the hutments, the pale yellow lamplight a lame attempt to divide, to cut through a living, breathing mass of the city. The distant road marks a bejeweled, outlined crown.

Surreptitious meetings take place in dark alleyways. Shaken hands, whispered words, short walks together. The sound of the odd vehicle passing by is alien, foreign. It intrudes on the beauty of this silent spectacle.

Cigarette smoke and friendship waft before me, my silent companions in a dark, secluded balcony, reminding me of those I’m with. And those I wish were here.


Inspired by the view from Maniak's balcony.

11 member protest rally:

Anonymous said...

Cigarette smoke and friendship. A heady combination. I like this phrase. :)

Preeti said...

hmmn...

when a writer is able to create an ambience in which s/he brings about a merging of several spatial, thought and time related dimensions i believe that s/he has kind of reached 'there'.

you know what's happening here jayant:
a) i can see you in Manik's balcony at 2 am looking down on the road...all those floors down.
b) i can visualize the mini happenstances that you've keyed down, the road, the lights, the meetings, the surreptitiousnesses, the odd vehicle...
c) and the third and most beautiful thing is that i know you might have felt a sense of pleasantness and repose because you were with friends AND strangely as i sit keying these words after a tough day...im feeling restful and at peace too...

so 'there' you go...

PS: extremely well written!

Preeti said...

Im back...

just wanted to add that very few of us can write words that could be lived and relived not just by us, but by our readers too!

shesturningblue said...

beautifully crafted words. And, there is indeed something about balconies.

jhayu said...

@ ki.
= ) It IS a heady combination.

@ Preeti.
We're really going to have to redefine the average Preeti comment length, aren't we? =p

@ Preeti.
Danke schön!

@ fishy.
Tanki! And there is, isn't there?

Preeti said...

Hmmnnn...yeah!

Sparkling said...

I got to read two posts in one. I'm suddenly not very comfortable in this 'August' company - makes me feel oh so small, and I hate this reiteration :D

And, who did you wish were there? :)

jhayu said...

@ Preeti.
Damn anomalies.

@ Still.
Oh, there's a small list. =p

Che said...

I think you should have linked a pic of the view too.

WV: guifigi

jhayu said...

@ Maniak.
I would, but there isn't a decent enough pic of it. My phone's shitty camera can't do much.

Preeti said...

and i thought i was the walking contradiction....or maybe you were 'fun'ning!!!

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