Tuesday, April 12

Will you too vote with me?

Today is an Election Day. Millions of us will go to poll to elect a government. After noisy days of polluting the air with discord sound waves, some will be elected to ‘serve’ the public. Cacophony in a vibrant democracy is not over with an election... it goes on and on. I am very sorry for this over politicised society that misses so much peace and harmony.

Yet, sometimes, silence does come with a rule of law. On the day of election, no one is allowed to speak to the public. Hence, today I hear the birds singing from the large old tamarind tree in my house. I see a family of green parrots on my gooseberry tree. On this warm summer day, as the sun heats up the air, they have all come to refresh us all.

The schools have closed.
The boys have come to scribble in the sands and get away with it!

Today is an Election Day. I vote for silence. Can any candidate offer me that? I miss silence so much in this city life. So I go in search of it far away.
The beach looks empty. And I see so much of silence here. The catamarans are idling in the sun and the fishing boats rest after days of hard work. They look tired, yet they are colourfuI.     

I see anglers with their fishing lines. After every catch, the fishing lines calls for a repair. Anglers are mending them for another duel at the sea. Along the beach-coconut-groves, some flocks are playing cards. Sun is soon going to set. And they forget to listen to waves and the warm breeze that kisses them cool.  Are they missing silence at the heart of silence? 
...missing silence at the heart of silence!

I am excited to read an old poem of Ruskin Bond who tries to rediscover silence EVERYWHERE in his life:
“Thank you, Lord, for silence,
The silence of great mountains
and deserts and forests.
For the silence of the street
late at night
when the last travellers
are safely home
and the traffic is still.
For the silence in my room
in which I can hear small sounds outside:
a moth fluttering against the window pane
the drip of the drew running off the roof,
and a field mouse rustling through dry leaves”



Today I vote for silence. Will you too vote with me?


***
Poem: From Ruskin Bond's Book of Verse
Photos: From my lens. Locations: From Calicut beach

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