as she left her womb,
thrust out by a violent birth
i knew that she and I
were destined for the most
intimate of all relationships
time stood still
as I watched her
inexorably sail towards me
so she and I would join
in one final embrace
to complete an event
born in eternity
for since the first explosions
that formed the universe
and the first metals had been created
she and I had been preparing for this one event
how may forms must she have taken
how many hands must have shaped her
and how many eons must have formed her
and how many men must have used her
before she left for this final journey
between me and her
as I looked around and saw
the head of my friend’s daughter
explode, the blood sailing outwards
and the drops, finding their own individuality
falling on the table cloth, astonishingly
in the most even geometric pattern
and yet as I looked up
she was still travelling towards me
I said my silent goodbyes
to loved ones that could never be part
of the intimacy with which
the bullet and I would meet
in one final embrace
I looked at the eyes
of the young man
that held the rifle
that had exploded her out
to her final journey
do you know me, young man?
as you avert your eyes
so casually looking for your next target
did you think of me ?
of who I might be
of my loved ones
or yours ?
do you not think
that in the sheer carelessness
of this one event
that you and I now know each other ?
that we will be tethered together
forever too ?
your life as altered
as has mine
as has
all those I love
and who love me
I want you to remember me young man
I would hate to be someone random
that you had no interest in
but the need to squeeze the trigger
occupied as you were
with thoughts of greater glory
of martyrdom
in your own inevitable death
yet you were the mere instrument
one small cog
almost insignificant
in the bullet’s journey towards me
as we finally meet
the anticipation of pain
never coming
as the embrace of death
flowed through my body
goodbye my love
if only I had known
this would be the last time
I would see you
I would have touched your cheeks
looked into your eyes
softy caressed your hand
looked back and smiled
and tried to make time stay still
just for a little while
but little did I know
that the bullet and I
were destined to finally meet tonight
after waiting for an eon
Loved this one – though I think you should have revealed that she was a bullet only at the very end and not somewhere in between, the way you have don. But great stuff anyway – puts the message across.
Chilling!
Whats happening
SAD, Terrible
Just saw breaking news on Times Now …
A blast in Assam train just now.
Can someone please do something to save the humanity …
Its superb………the message indeed is put across excellently.
Dec 07 Friends of Live Earth India and Sunnyvale Cancelled
http://www.upana.org/events-liveearth
Due to circumstances far beyond our control,
we are saddened to announce that Live Earth India has been cancelled.
We will continue to work for solutions to the climate crisis for the good of the people of India and around the world.
But for now, our thoughts and our prayers are with the victims of this terrible attack, with the bereaved, with the people of Mumbai and with everyone in India, around the world.
100s of Americans and other nationals in Bay area felt very sad and want India to ACT NOW to STOP Terrorism.
Sunnyvale Cool City volunteer wrote, “I’m so sorry about the Mumbai tragedy and the repercussions likely to follow. Sorry too that your work on Live India will not come to fruition at this time.”
Rally in support of victims of Mumbai Terror attack had massive response, hope others can act …
http://www.upana.org/911mumbaiindiaworldneedspeace
CBS5 News From San Frnacisco
http://cbs5.com/video/?id=42610@kpix.dayport.com
Dear Shekhar,
It is a wonderful poem and indeed all events are somehow shaped in the greater destiny of the universe. There is a saying that all co-incidences if traced back long enough almost seem inevitable – like if you just walk out on the road and meet a familiar fried, that event may have been years in the making. That person may have come to your city after 10 yrs, you just decided to stay home that night and take a walk at 10pm when he was just about to catch a cab – so that event was long in the creation. Your poem made me see the whole event all over again – in slow motion – and totally loved your compassion in the end. That’s what the world truly needs more than anything else to create a happy and peaceful world.
Best Regards,
Himanshu
Very beautiful and touching.
Touching, thoughtful
“Goodbye, my love”
It conveys it ALL and a lot more …
“Lao Tzu said 2,500 years ago that when a tree is denied of a single branch, we too are lessened somewhat, within ourselves. The tree is very much a part of us, a part of existence. It is just as if we were to remove a part of a painting from the main work. It would not then be the same. One single stroke of the brush can change a whole picture. A slight digression changes the total from and hence, all the following connections. The tree that stood between the hut and the space outside is hewn down. Now the sky and the hut stand bare and naked. We cut down trees unscrupulously in order to clear a good place for man’s dwelling. We have destroyed completely many species of animals also.”
Sir,
Do I need a KAVACH (protection) like KARAN when he was born?
Do I have to Die because I trusted the Bullet Proof Jacket?
Is safety/Defence a useless expense?
What if the NSG Commandos equipment were found faulty?
Remember the Curse given by Parshurama to Karan that you will forget all what you have learned right at the time when you need them?
Are we a CURSE of the caste system?
Vinod Agarwal – where is KUNTI the mother of KARAN who wished ARJUN should survive against KARAN….
This is B.R.I.L.L.I.A.N.T!!Absolutely superb.
I am trying to fathom the depths that you have dived into..to churn such soul rendering lines.Truly,these incidents have touched your core, as ours also.
Keep churning,this is the great”Manthan”,LET THE CLEANSING TAKE PLACE.
Haunting.
Full circle.
The geometric blood drop pattern I shall not forget.
Dear Shekhar,
Excellent use of words and feelings .. very touching and impactful!
Some people have commented that “circumstances..beyond our control..”… I wouldnt quite agree with that … its the typical word of the weak and helpless
Are we a weak country ? .. do we want to remain a helpless and pathetic country ??
We have shaped ourselves like that if we feel we are not in control over anything anymore — How come UK gets bombed once and travelling gets a whole new dimension across the world and US gets bombed once and thats the end of terrorism for them — while we get kicked at every month in regular installments..
Technically speaking — hotel owners were warned and so was the govt about sea route attack — if we failed to secure our country , please lets look within ourselves for a change. Blame game is not getting us anywhere neither making our life secure.We have to begin in the right direction now even if with small steps.Lets all ask ourselves what we lack the most and realise our weaknesses as a nation , as a community as humans…unless we know where are the weak points how would we know where to secure ourselves.
Your poem indeed brings out the strong realisation that this could happen to anyone , anywhere and anytime — I hope more and more poeple read this poem, feel the pains and feel determined to join the group of people who feel its now all upto us to dare to make the difference around us.
in mourning for all those who lost their life in this tragedy
ASen
Nice one..All is One Or One is all…
Its painful.
Dear Shekhar:
There is a terrible beauty in your poem, one that speaks of the eternal cycle of living and dying, one that acknowledges karmic connections with the inevitable rendezvous with a destiny that is part of the cosmic narrative that never had a beginning or and end, that touches upon all the energy we are part of. There is an awesome power of understanding, forgiveness and gentleness in this poem that makes me read it over and over again. You have conjured up images that only evolved and ancient souls have the mastery to create. I also see in this poem how deep into your heart the events of the past week have thrust its dagger to probably wound you more than most of us can fathom. I believe that your grief has found an outlet that allows you to live in an evil world without losing your humanity in outbursts of rage, anger and hatred. This poem is so starkly and wondrously beautiful and I believe it has greatly enriched this world where sadness seems to be the dominant emotion.
Best regards.
Horst
Shekhar, what a most expressive and visual stunning piece of writing I have read in some time from you such as into this depth; to recognise/feel the victim’s story, rather than as an observer.
I write in the same manner politically for the oppressed social-policy income poor in Canada.
For every being which dies; a part of each of us dies too – from loss of potential and that potential is from human life to sustain earths garden entrusted to us and unite as human beings once and for all.. forever!!!
the world weeps and cries for peace, security, and human-unity; so few want destruction. It boggles my ability to understand such non-logica such as violence and war or terrorism.
Every life taken is precious; every survivor is hence wounded of the heart, mind and soul. War, terrorism is a no-win situation; an outdated “force” of attention-grabbing for a rogue-group cause.
Death does not discriminate,
Life does not discriminate,
People… discriminate.
dd/north
Just read your poem it’s so beautiful shekhar
if your films can reach that level of sensitivity then u will be one with ur art
It’s heartbreaking…
Loosing one’s child is pretty much the worst trauma anyone can ever go through but loosing a child due to violence must be the most awful and challenging experience there is. I wish that parents in this difficult situation still find the capacity to eventually replace feelings of anger and likely hatred toward the perpetrators with hope and love within themselves…
Shekhar,
A must see video : Pakistan’s take on Mumbai Attack.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=FHQ0WXzY9sc
Will such a blog be of any help?
Hello Mr. Kapur
Hope you are well. Sir this poem is heart wrenching and I couldn’t stop crying after I read this. But I am writing in coz I just walked into my apartment and as I switched on Star News to check updates, I was stunned, excited, nervous, exhilirated, emotional, proud and a lot more all at once as I saw over hundred thousand people in Mumbai marching for change and expressing their long suppressed emotions of frustration and anger towards the sorry state of affairs and mainly towards our politicians and self-imposed leaders. A few friends and people I know are attending too but I couldn’t have believed the turnout would be of such proportions numerically and emotionally.
While I wonder if this could be a silver lining of sorts amidst all that we have witnessed in the past few days, and the beginning of a new era of change for our country and if this could herald the end of “vintage netas”. (Most of the voices I hear right now on my TV are of people livid with politicians)
It is true that India has been living in a leadership vaccum for years now. I can’t remember when we last had a leader in the truest sense since Rajiv Gandhi. Mr Vajpayee was well-respected initially but of course his age and ailing health got the better of him.
I wonder if there would ever be time when politics could be considered a respectable profession of choice for young, educated, motivated, driven Indians who want to step up and create a change in their country. I wonder if we could have an enlightened leader who rises above everything else and leads to serve and inspires others to do the same.
As I continue to watch TV, I also feel that movies like A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri jaan, Munna Bhai, Rang de Basanti have played a significant role in shaping mindsets and creating a certain shift in mass consciouness just as the fact that the recent attacks seemed to have taken people from almost every segment of our society in its fold from elites to masses.
They have united us. Could They have done India a favour?
I also get nervous when I think what could happen if this outburst of anger snowballs into something more and turns into a mutiny. it could very well and India is not ready for that. What could happen if a new set of leaders emerge taking advantage of
current public sentiment and with wrong intentions.
A friend of mine recently mentioned to me that the world needs spiritual leaders. I too believe that the world needs healers. And all our great leaders were that. They were/are loving, nurturing souls who healed us or at least tried to. I hope that in our quest to heal ourselves from this latest attack of mindless violence, our prayers our answered and we find amidst ourselves a TURE HEALER who can mend our country of its broken edges, ruptured hearts and bleeding soul.
Best Regards
Mani
Very Imaginative
…someone to whom you wrote…peace to that person
Mani,
What you say is very true, there is a sharp need for change in the air. Everyone you speak to is more livid with the politicians than they are with the terrorists.
……but, you are right with this temprature anyone could touch the right buttons and get elected in the coming elections. Does this feel Orwellian to anyone? Orwellian of the ‘Animal Farm’ strain. I sometimes think I am the donkey.
it takes a lot to make me cry, but you did right here….
after what my city has seen maybe i am vulnerable or able to empathise with pain
Bone chilling! This is undoubtedly your best piece of writing that I’ve read. And I’ve known you a long time. It’s sad that this inspired poem owes its birth to a tragedy. I wish 26/11 could somehow be erased from history……it’s a blot on mankind.
Dear Shekhar,
Many many happy return of the day. I wish you keep on en lighting our minds with your wonderful words of wisdom and our eyes with your movies.
Jatin
When someone in our family dies,we observe a mourning period.We observe restraint in our dress,our food,our entertainment.Festivities are cancelled or postponed.A tragedy of such magnitude should be NATIONAL MOURNING-ALL OF US SHOULD COME TOGETHER.
It breaks my heart to open a page three and see otherwise.
Dear Shekarji,
I called you at Home. But you were not there I left an very important Massage for you Today. I called you in office but line were constantly busy. I have been giving this massege almot 14years from now…
Wish You A Very Happy Birthday!!! An all the very Best.
I felt the horror ,
I witnessed the crime,
Thousands of miles away.
If words cld transcend time & space,
then here is a near perfect example .
Headlines & Breaking news were distant,
But this poem made it all personal.
I feel guilty , I feel pain,
I feel muted , an impassive eye witness,
My heart screams – “do something.stop him. stop her.”
Numbed by inaction , I read the words,
Fear , shock, besieges my sanity ,
More words pour like bullets in present ,
Although I stand tense in the future.
Am I an accomplice for not having acted in time ?
If only words could be re-written & in doing so , they changed the time and altered the event .
If only I was in the past and written into the future,
Would I have saved a life ?
I am speechless. No words in my dictionary to describe your poem………………..
Who is going to change the destiny of this bullet or this victim? Just the sympathies we show around, or the write – ups we put across hundreds of people who only get to know the media shown reality or may be the sympathies we show to the very the young man who held the rifle that had exploded the bullet out to her final journey, who fires? We finally are responsible for all the things that are happening around. Because, we only realize when the fire reaches our doors and start digging well, when we could get alarmed before hand when a neighbors house was burning but complacent as always, we never..bother….unless we burn the whole town………. Its all about Ctrl +J
very hard to say Goodbye to your loved ones.
???? ??? , ??????
? ??????, ? ????????
???? ??? ?? ?????
????????,?? ??? ?????? ???
????? ??? ?? ???: ???
???? ????? ??? ?? ??
??? ?? ??? ??? ??????
?? ??? ???-??? ?? ?????
???-??? ????? ???
“??? ???????”
Beautiful….I was slowly enjoying the birth and then suddenly u just stooped my heart as i read her violent death and finally i wept for her as i did for all the children killed in Gaza
nice
i like you
Need Ka Nirman Phir Phir
Need Ka Nirman Phir Phir, Neh Ka Ahvan Phir Phir
Yeh Uthee Aandhi Ki Nabh Mein Chha Gaya Sahasa Andhera
Dhooli Dhoosar Badalon Ne Bhoomi Ko Is Bhaanti Ghera
Raat Sa Din Ho Gaya Phir Raat Aayee Aur Kali
Lag Raha Tha Ab Na Hoga Is Nisha Ka Phir Savera
Raat Ke Utpaat Bhay Se Bheet Jan Jan Bheet Kan Kan
Kintu Prachi Se Usha Ki Mohini Muskaan Phir Phir
Harivansh Rai Bachchan
Your composition is touching. I am speechless after reading this.
Dear Shekharji,
I happened to join twitter just now, read this soul searching poem of your’s.
This tells why you are so loved by all. Really a heart rendering one.
Hopefully someday we’ll see a sane society.
Sir, very expressive and touchy poem.. After reading this the whole situation at that moment of time can well imagined.. Just speechless.. Emotions flowing heavily..
Regards,
Minakshi Karan
Your poem made me cry
Really a heart rendering one
sir its a master piece of pain grief and situation.. and more over helplessness..
Can feel the pain … it touches through the heart.
… just a coincidence; I was watching an old clip / song from movie Gawaahi / thought of you / clicked you on twitter … saw this link / opened.
… the poem is worth preserving … may the memories of the noble soul be preserved and spread fragrance through out your life … may the memories inspire you to write a poem of “Victory” the day we conquer our war on terrorism.
… Be bold Shekhar … God is great … he be the consoler and a friend in your grief !
http://www.mynewstar.co.cc/2010/11/orange-review_26.html
you even write poetry as a director! its very visual, did u ever try writing your scripts into poetry and den straight away following the sequence as per the poetry sequence?
try to tell every film I do more as a poem than prose, though it is tough, because visual poetry is not always obvious or easy to explain on paper, shekhar
It’s really touching n painful.
Shekar,
Great one Shekar, I was wondering if you could write the conversation between
the lovely girl & the terrorist who shot her , if they had to travel together till the gates of heaven
from where she would go to heaven & the killer to hell.
For each other, there is always one who bears and another which affords the cheek.