Monday Morning Blues

The dawn of the day that heralds the monotony of one more week of “Back to the same old routine”, traffic, “oops! Am late! “, “Where is my ID card, mother? “ and many more utterances of the average Indian…. The day that breaks the languor and leisure of the weekend….The day that is not especially liked by a majority of normal human beings who are not workaholics (and studyaholics or whatever those addicted to attending every single class in college are called  ) – No special prizes for guessing the answer – Monday - the first day among the five that separate one weekend from the next.

The major hurdles that one needs to manage are - the time one has to wake up is in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun greets the earth with his radiant smile.( One does not wake up with that kind of smile, for sure), the dynamics of the body has to be doubled up in speed, reflexes have to be faster and most unfortunate of all, one simply cannot afford to dilly – dally in the front porch and indulge in harmless and unproductive chitchat with one’s neighbours.

No haggling with the vegetable vendor… If he does not accept your terms of bargain – just give the lucky devil the amount he demands (this is what ladies like my mother do) otherwise just ignore the fellow (my grandmother’s technique) and go for the one next to him – he will definitely give in to you, having heard of your bargaining skills and the looks that you bestow upon less fortunate people like his colleague sitting near him the next time you pass by.

Prayer time? In the morning hours? Sure… But definitely not the kind of time you get to spend on holidays. No time to maintain the great rapport that you believe you had established with the almighty during the weekend. Of course a hurried mumbling of the few sacred verses that you know since childhood and a mental consolation “God will understand…He knows my schedule…after all, he intends it to be this way!” Of course my dear, God understands, completely.

Phone calls to friends and relatives just do not seem to be able to fit in within the weekday schedule and if indeed, you do manage to make a call, there is no guarantee that Vijaya mami at the other end has the time to spare…what with her kid’s homework and her husband who just returned from work, demanding coffee instantly.

There is no substitute for Monday. It is like an icebreaker for those fresh from a good Sunday night’s sleep. It enables you to imply the enormity or importance or gravity of a situation by likening the situation to a Monday morning. Everybody knows what I say is true… Are you all not nodding your heads in agreement while reading the statement? (Well, I am, at least nodding my head!) Can you not liken the expression of foreboding and fear and similar feelings that cannot be put in words, on the face of a ten year old when someone mentions casually, “Tomorrow is Monday” ?

I am sure many adults will now appreciate what R.K. Narayan sought to imply with the opening lines of his first novel – Swami and Friends … “It was Monday morning”.

True, the same weekend lag (like jetlag) will exist, if Tuesday were the first day among the weekdays. I totally agree with Shakespeare’s words, “What is in a name?”.
But the day after Sunday has always been and still is Monday, is it not…? And so we shall never be able to substitute with anything else, the phenomenon that the morning this day is famous for – Monday Morning Blues!

Who taught them???

"Grass is green

Blue is the sky

I love you

don't ask why!"

-says Tom to Jerry!!!

"Oh my oh my!

what a pretty visage....

If I had the money,

I would build you the Taj!"

The tiger boasts to the lamb!!!

"With wings of feather

I shall fly you to the heavans

Do not doubt me ever....

Eat you? Me?? Never!!"

sings the Eagle to the little Penguin!!!

What happened to the jungle?

What a change of heart?!

What caused the hunters to mingle

with the hunted? I know not!

"Silly little girl"

-That is the Chimpanzee

"They got it from your lot.

Humans,you call yourselves,is it not?"

"Yes!" I wonder aloud

"That sure does part the clouds"

A ray of comprehension

grabs my attention.

"You get it for free

We do not want money

(He He! We have other sources

Interest,credit cards-our lethal forces!)"

-Does it ring a bell?

The nation is our priority

We will handle any calamity

Service is our motto

This is not for the photo!

(But our schemes are for us,

Voters-forgive us

and do vote again,

We still have much to gain!)"

Don't we see them everyday?

Salesmen,politicians and many more

Lying is now a way of life

for our species.

But we do prosper

We think we are superior.

The foolishness of our acts

will strike us like an axe

when jungle creatures do the same.

Our eyes will reflect the shame.

Necessary evil

Confusion,doubt,dilemma-
Are they not present everywhere?
Brother,sister,papa or mama
these tidings,do they not share?

Necessary evil-I call these feelings
for they result in questions-
Our imagination sprouts wings
of colour, painting umpteen innovations.

All is well that ends well

The cool breeze stuns my skin
heralding the arrival of rain.
I am cold at first,
numbness comes next,
later I am craving for more!

The journey begins as an egg
and then a creepy worm...
Now - a still and lifeless form...
Lo and behold,there flutters out the butterfly!

From a meagre spring
to being a waterfall,
the river dodges rocks and boulders
surpassing and conquering all...
metamorphing into the mighty ocean!

Here I am - excited and bewildered
with responsibility and adulthood-
but faith and hope keep up my spirits
All is well and all is for good...

The dawn….
Through the rain showers, windy days, sweltering afternoons….. How long has it been since I was just an infant…. One who fascinated everyone not only in my own family, but also any passerby…. For rare s a person who can pass by a newly born human being without some sort of reaction….
Don’t we all look forward to changes, but at the same time when that which we desire has happened, be slightly dazed by what has taken place?
The child would love to bask under the attention from the elders and enjoy being cosseted.. But after a point, she would want to grow up and walk for herself… When the initial glorifying moment of realization that she could finally walk has passed there definitely would be a brief period when she would not be able to comprehend why people were not insisting on carrying her everywhere after she had displayed her ability to walk… It is not that she regrets walking but wonders why the old way of living also could not continue…!
We all do want to assume responsibilities and prove our mettle… To show that we are capable of any responsibility that we may be entrusted upon… But nevertheless, no matter how much we enjoy the new responsibility, the onus of being answerable to someone, the pride of having established our own way of living there lurks the memory of our childhood which undoubtedly is the golden period of our lives…..
The same person who wanted to take up more important things to do, would still reminisce the days which were wholly devoted to chasing little insects all over the place, eluding grandmother as she pursued one with one’s dinner with enticing stories about demons and the like and the promise of a trip to the moon, the numerous silly questions that could be put forth to mother as she prepared the breakfast, sitting over father’s lap when he was obviously involved in some work, knowing perfectly well that he would not shrug you off…with a gentle and some times impish smile, without even being aware of it…
I always marvel the ingenious design of god… By making us having such memories, and also willing to face life like an adult, He ensures the cycle goes on… People with such memories definitely will have the right attitude to shape their children up into similar individuals…. It is only those unfortunate brothers and sisters of ours who did not grow up with innocence turn out to be violent and end up jeopardizing their lives as well as those of others.
Let us hope that every new addition to the human population comes with a promise of a happy childhood… Then we can rest assured that the dawn is fast approaching….