Reading: A world of its own!

I have lost touch,when it comes to writing articles.I believe this is my first attempt after 4 years. I have a feeling that I might make a mess of it. Nevertheless, I’ll try.

Expressing my point of view on several issues, in the written form, has become extremely difficult. I will speak out if I want. But,if you ask me to write it down:I am too lazy. Infact,I believe people have lost their patience, even when it comes to reading.If I did write an article, who really wants to read it?

Reading enthusiasts are on a decline and I’d say even the writing ones are. Patience! Patience is a treasure, on the verge of extinction. Nobody is patient anymore. No one cares for the details. I had read somewhere that our patience limits have come down to 140 characters (Read: Twitter).So true!

However,I can still recollect a time, not so long ago,when books were devoured by us.I doted on the Lord of the Rings, loved the Alchemist and even managed to complete the rather painstakingly detailed and boring (in my opinion) The Invisible Man by H.G.Wells. Such was the enthusiasm towards reading, that books issued from the library, would be read and exchanged amongst one another. And by the time, the week would be over, we would have read two books and not one. Books were kept under the table and read during classes, while our text books lay on the top for the teacher to see. Goosebumps were favourites in this category and 'Game books' were relished as we had so many endings to choose from ! Jeffrey Archer and Agatha Christie books,Sixth Sense,Two towers,Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Sherlock Holmes,William,Animorphs,Twitches, Famous Five, Secret Seven, R.L Stine-Fear series,Sweet Valley Twins etc were most sought after. And,I must admit,the mere activity of listing them down brings a smile on my face. Classics always drew divided opinion. Though I’d say, Pride and Prejudice, Little women, Black Beauty and Peter Pan were loved by all.

Unfortunately,as we grew up,this zeal saw a decline. Also, people had now shifted their focus to different books like the Fountainhead, Godfather, etc. A new breed of authors had also arrived and we saw ourselves reading The Kite Runner, Maximum City or even Chetan Bhagat books (plots for Bollywood movies). Or maybe, we dug up deeper in the book shelves (way back in the past) and drew out George Orwell or even digested down Nietzsche.These classics will always have a target (or niche) audience.

However,the books these days, lack the charm or magic to arrest its readers. And, at the risk of sounding kiddish (though I can heavily refute it isn’t so), reading a Roald Dahl book gives one more pleasure than reading the current best sellers (exceptions always exist to every rule). Authors like Ruskin Bond, Charles Dickens will always remain legends even though their primary audience maybe children. At this juncture, I’d like to express that a good book, article or poem is first made by a nice idea and then followed by the usage of language.Merely using difficult words does not necessarily constitute to a good composition.

Well, I guess the journey of reading has been traced enough and obviously people have moved on to reading their finer interests rather than the general favourites. Also, the books that we end up reading these days are purely academic and no one is remotely interested in them.The last book that I read was the Animal Farm and that was ages ago.Though I’d love to read an autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar or Sourav Ganguly, if they ever decided to write one.

Finally,I’d end this, mentioning about a book, I read (once gain) as a run up to its movie:Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. J.K.Rowling has wonderfully crafted this master piece, loved by adults and children alike.The seven movie-series may have ended but the magic of the book never can,because there is no other way you can explain why one would choke everytime you read the chapter where Dobby dies or your heart melts when Snape’s patronous wields a doe!

ABC...

Hey, let me try this one.
This is how the things begun.
The basics of all, the ABC…
How do I explain it to thee?

Is this the way, things were meant to be?
Or is it the way I want to see?
‘The beginning is long forgotten’ though,
Just like the ABC…

And when A met C or A met B
Or AB met AC, it seemed like fun
But followed mayhem, turmoil, unrest.
ABC were left STUNNED.

So, situations arise unexpectedly.
And that’s the basics I m talking about
They seem so simple and easy
You can crack it without a doubt.(Really?)

So stories are written, epics described
But would anyone understand my plight?
Cause what I do, I dunno if it is right.
And life too gives no clue,
Neither does ABC come to my rescue.

And then they say
Apply your basics well.
I ask in which store such crap
Do they sell?

Cause this’ simple’ life
Weaves this ‘simple’ yarn
And entangles you so ‘simply’
And when nothing seems simple anymore,
You suddenly wake up to see.

Confused whether to ‘accept’ or ‘reject’
But NO! You cannot ‘pause’.
Crawling creatures creeping you.
The Voice says,” Child now go select the right clause.”

But I refute and ask, why
Doesn’t the road go straight to a door?
Why don’t I directly reach Home?
Aha! I m in the middle of the sea.
Gotto row all alone?

And if at all I choose a road
Soon enough I find
Second thoughts in my mind
Crawling creatures creeping you.
Mess with you, leave you blind.

Show me a sign I demand!
Come to my rescue right away.
No more patience, I ve had enough.
Taispeáin dom an solas an lae!

Okay so where were we?
A met B and A met C
AB and AC had ‘A’ common thing
Together they formed this beautiful string (ABC…)

My only question, should the string meet,
And write stories of joys, sorrows, and my friend?
Or should it be just left behind, and be
‘The beginning long forgotten in the end’?

-Ayesha

ALONE

What could be more enchanting,
than a single tree?
Hues of red, yellow, brown.
Amidst the backdrop of an autumn sky,
far away from the bustling town.

Or a single rose, that said it all,
That a bunch of flowers could not express?
Or a single cloud on a spotless sky,
Which brushed away a farmer's distress?

Or a single thorn, that pinched you bad?
The numbness, of thousands, you wouldn’t mind.
Or a single beam, that breaks the darkness?
Multitudes only made you blind!

A single word, that makes your day,
Or another that breaks your heart?
A single road, that joins two homes,
Or another that sets them apart?

One koel, breaks the silence of forests.
One daffodil, makes the hills smile.
One gun, that spills blood.
Or one needle,that could mend a mile?

One sky,that binds us all?
One sea,that encompasses me.
One butterfly,in my yard.
Because,I do not need many!

And that single day,in the month of May.
Or a single minute,of the rising sun.
A single meteor,across the sky.
Or a single line, that makes a ‘one’.

The power of single, the power of alone,
Crosses the borders, is undefined.
Plenty, is crowd, its like commotion,
Easily in and out of your mind.

You stand alone, across a mirror,
A power within, you do not know.
A ‘lone’ figure is all you see.
But your worth, it does not show!

So,
What can be more enchanting,
than a human?
Powerful enough, all at peace.
Can move a rock, can change the world.
Another, he does not need!

On oneself, does he rely?
Never say never, never say die
Will walk with the world or solely,
Content, Alone, but never lonely…

-Ayesha