Wednesday 16 December 2009

leisurably

trying to stay sober
in the company of some of the most polished
gentlemen in the city,
after a couple of drinks,
can be tricky.

but a sudden thought sends a bolt
into my head:
does it really matter,
whether i'm sober or not
this night?
especially when i'm with
such a lovely gang of lovables in straight jackets
carrying a burden that never is,
especially also mr. pompous-hompous,
the company chief?

and suddenly i melt into the party
and tickle them all
by turns in the ribs
with rowdy jokes and greasy fingers,
for i am alternately eating
using no forks,
and forks and spoons and spoons and forks
get mixed up all the way...
nobody anymore can keep count how many.

we wake up the next morning,
each one at different hours, of course,
may be with a headache or two,
otherwise okay, if you know what i mean...
i in my bed...
well, i must confess,
i'm not too sure about mr. pompous-hompous!

the last i see of him...let me remember...
he stops his car...
at the city square...
under the statue...
emptying his bladder leisurably over its feet...
yes, singing like the dickens, throwing his head up,
into the night air,
the selfsame song of unrequited love
i had sung hugging him at parting time,
to the clapping of hands by the whole gang
of his obsequious subordinates.

he was empying thus at the feet of the universe,
singing my song till hearts should break,
when a police jeep...
lights circling,
came slowly c.l.o.s.i.n.g... in.

and i was cruising along the other side of the road...
silently.

*****

9 comments:

Musings said...

"why carry a burden that never is?
"... loved this line. The moment is always "is" and the thoughts function on future and past which brings burden. Hence a burden is never "is". Beautiful..

Arun Meethale Chirakkal said...

“Carrying a burden that never is…” How true, and how alcohol plays its part to help one realise it. Thanks for corroborating my point that alcohol is one of the greatest inventions of humanity. Even I had it last night at work and I, an otherwise reserved, especially because my stint at the new office has just begun, might’ve surprised my colleagues with the way I interacted…

Menon's Musings said...

GURUR rUM-MA...
GURUR wHiShKkY...
GURUR VoDkA...
jInneSWaRaA...
guRu sCOcHAAl..
pARA-bRaNdy
tHATSMAYI..
sReE...
bEErAI
nAmAha:

c
H
E
E
R
S
!

P. Venugopal said...

Cheers all, including my young nephew, who tops the list of comments!!!

P. Venugopal said...

A friend, my e-mail, asks me whether I meant 'leisurably' or 'leisurely.' I meant 'leisurably' for sure, because 'leisurely' does not have that gurgling sound.

kochuthresiamma p .j said...

WOW!omar Khayyam of our times :-)?
a very very evocative piece - was like watching a drunken scene - frame by frame, with a view into the mind.loved the piece.
like your feel for words - the leisurably verses leisurely.

P. Venugopal said...

Leisurably, in my mind, is the combination of two words,leisurely and pleasurably. I wanted to communicate the experience of leisured pleasure, in addition to the gurgling sound effect. A total let go into the region of pleasure.

Balachandran V said...

It is a mean scene... hypocrisy all around...

P. Venugopal said...

yes, hypocricy all around, including on my part. it is also about the meanness of the system that enforces hypocrisy all around and what creativity is possible if one sheds it...but safer to cruise along unnoticed along the other side of the road.