Irregulars on Zine5




		Occasional writers for whom the Muse is a casual acquaintance - these are the Irregulars. A wide variety of genres and topics are covered by a growing list of writers in this section.


		One-upmanship by K.P. Vasu Nambeesan (2nd September* 2002)* Old man: You say you have your own house. How big is the compound? I: About 4 cents. Old man: Mine is 9 and a half cents. The size of your house? Big? I: Small - 850 sq. ft. Old man: Mine is 1300 sq. ft. Devon Avenue - A Haven for Indians by Lazy Geek (2nd September* 2002)* It is slightly shabby by American standards. Garbage scattered all over. Bhangra music and Indi Pop mix together in the air to play a jugalbandhi for your ears and the smell of samosas and fresh Indian vegetables remind you of your Indian hometown... The Night Chennai Rocked by Shiv Reddy (2nd September* 2002)* Keith had a long time obsession with the sounds a guitar could make. He shared the same passion for nicotine and alcohol, believing in the musician's maxim that the creative genius in you is best in the company of good drink and smoke... Modernday Loveangst by Fatema (26th August* 2002)* Don't love me because I am cheerful or fun or good to be with. And mostly, don't love me because I am so deep (or you think), so profound. For daily life is so mundane… and one can get so concerned with the price of vegetables or gold... The Songbird by Sharath (26th August 2002) Away, in the lush meadows/Near a sparkling stream/Among the darkening shadows/The songbird sang its dream./It sang of hope and sunshine/It sang of love and a mate... Ten Commandments for Teenage Girls by Kalyani Chidambaranathan (26th August 2002) Never volunteer to help with domestic chores unless you know they've been done. If you're told to do something, make sure you have a book in your hand so you can turn around and say petulantly, "I'm studying, can't you see?" Untitled by Janani Bala (19th August 2002) Pictures of self, I have one to me,/To live, I do just as men do./Shades of dark doubt when I see -/ Alter the picture, trying to make falsehood true... Maya by Nathing Matters (19th August 2002) She realized that however nice they were to each other and however much he treated her with respect, he was a boisterous, oversmart, ambitious Northie. Another one in the pack... If by Nimalan (19th August* 2002)* I like solitude, quiet walks by the beach with a slight drizzle falling about me. I like the birds, their music and envy their ability to fly away from this worrisome world... The Stir by Priya M (12th August* 2002)* As the eye fixes its gaze/upon the armrest/the then, the now and the they/start the stir... The Concrete Jungle by Krithika Anand (12th August 2002) In my mind's eye I could see/Me in the midst of awesome scenery -/A placid lake with colourful fishes/Swans inside and greenery all around/Doves, sparrows, rabbits, squirrels, parrots,/Love birds, peacocks and nightingales... Strike One by Priyadarshini Chidambranathan (12th August 2002) Have any of you ever participated in a strike? Do you harbor any fond or romantic (?) illusions of what a college strike is really like? my crush by P.K. Nishanth (5th August* 2002)* i still remember the first time i met her,/with a hint of shiver i said "hi."/acting like i didn't fear,/when i was actually trembling inside... Life is a Rough Road! by Pramila Krishnan (5th August* 2002)* Life is a rough road!/When I took my baby steps,/You were there to hold my hand!/When I went to school,/You were my chauffeur! Lazy Mothers, Raise Your Hands! by Kalyani Chidambaranathan (5th August 2002) The activities of my offspring do not arouse passionate vibrations in me. I mean their legitimate activities. The other kind impels me to pick up the nearest hard object just like everyone else... Goodbye by Tammi Langley (29th July 2002) Stepping past couples that are enjoying a romantic evening together is effortless. Reaching the table, choosing one of the many empty seats, and taking a seat alone is painless. It is the menu that hurts the most... Of People, Places... Things Lost by Padma Krishnan (29th July 2002) The face/Of the stranger who helped you find your way/And the place where you lost your way./Of an irritating neighbour./Of an idea that made thoughts impossible/Of your ideal that haunted you... Me, God and Jerry Seinfeld: Spaced Out in India by Colin Todhunter (29th July 2002) Like many other travellers, I have been to numerous holy places steeped in mysticism where yoga and meditation courses abound. Unlike other travellers, however, I had never felt any compulsion to indulge in a spiritual quest for inner peace (or whatever it is they search for)... The Mountain (A Spiritual Quest) by Sharath (22nd July 2002) The mountain stood mighty and gray/all alone, every night and day/through passing cloud, storm and rain/heat and cold and many a pain/waiting to reach and touch the sky... Friend by Janani Bala (22nd July 2002) When you first met me,/Your mind weighed very heavy./When you come to know me,/The better form of my Self you see... void of creativity by Kaush (22nd July 2002) moving in a void of creativity/a vacuum of exasperation/we believe is our own selves/in search for the thread that unites and unties/the present from the unreal past... The Odd One Out by Zephyr (17th June 2002) Barely a year out of college and I find myself at the mercy of ageing auntyjis who have nothing better to do than convincing me to become a participant in the process of human reproduction... Infectious Enthusiasm by Krithika Anand (17th June 2002) The best thing cricket lovers all over the world like about the Chennai cricket crowd is that they are a knowledgeable lot, who appreciate good sport. They cheer when a player hits a six, when a catch is taken... Poison Kiss by Colin Todhunter (17th June 2002) "I would like you to be the main actor in a film I am making, sir." Everyone in the room turned to see who said this. A few seconds later they began looking in my direction and I almost choked on my coffee... He and I by Padma Krishnan (10th June 2002) Behind the safe veil of the night/I am/The mother he suckles/The father he fears/The daughter he adores/The son who obeys... Catcalls by Pramila Krishnan (10th June 2002) Don't call me breeze,/I don't want to blow away;/Don't call me a poem,/I may not rhyme! Whinchat by Phillip J Mather (10th June 2002) As a child we regularly took family holidays on the Cumberland coast of England. Initially, my parents rented an elderly static caravan sited on a farm... From Copenhagen to Byron Bay: An Energy Crisis and a Tale of Two Women by Colin Todhunter (3rd June 2002) Someone sat next to me. She was stunning! She was Scandinavian!! But she looked so out of place, and not like a usual backpacker. It was as though she had come straight from a bar in Copenhagen... Juvenile Charm by Krithika Anand (3rd June 2002) "My girl will be a charming young lady,/One, for whose affection lads will vie for" -/Thought the proud father as he looked/Into the eyes of his thirteen-year-old... Parting by Priya M (3rd June 2002) When the breeze is cool/and the ripples faint,/the fanned waves beckon us/to look into the pool of shared moments,/each ripple bringing our friends' reflections... Cardboard Cows and Sugarpuffs: A Taxi Ride to Fame by Colin Todhunter (27th May 2002) Women glide past perched side-saddle on a thousand speeding mopeds. Their saris drape and flow in the evening pollution, accompanying the strangled wail of film music coming from the street-side shops... soloist in transition by Kaush (27th May 2002) political vindications/unreal youth/organisational pollution/illuminated passion/theatrical understatement/it's not her style, i guess... Life - Courtesy Satan by Jaya Smitha Menon (27th May 2002) I thought hard, and hard and called her 'Charu'- the meaning of which I still don't know. Both of us laughed at each other and started to live our lives and it was as I had earlier... True Love by Mallory Nakamura (20th May 2002) True Love rides on sharp hooves and crooked wings of fire./True Love wields an iron mace and throws flaming arrows of desire... How Many Times to Die, Dear God? by Pramila Krishnan (13th May 2002) Out of my mother's womb,/I cried for my lost tomb/Of an earlier birth/And I died for the first time in this life... Forever Friends by Farida Kalimi (13th* May 2002)* This was the nth time Tara was thinking this and it was still as scary as it had been the night before. How do you tell your best friend that you're in love with her crush of the past two weeks? Reflection by Jaya Smitha Menon (29th April 2002) It was a moment of revelation or something which made me really brood over the strange ironies of life or should I say the wild fantasies of life... The Spark Called Life by Krithika Anand (29th April 2002) We feel sorry for the victims and very soon, forget it in the monotony of daily routine. It is a fact all of us have to accept that though we can generally empathize with the victims of such mishaps, we can really feel the depth of their grief only when we are in that situation... The Source by Krithika Anand (15th April 2002) When I read about orphans and destitutes,/When I find a fellow passenger about to fall off a bus,/My heart misses a beat... My Search by Jaya Smitha Menon (15th April 2002) From then on there was a bond between us which I could feel and which he could feel. Slowly he grew up. I became extremely protective of him. I would cover up for him when his naughty little pranks landed him in trouble... IT Layoffs by Ranganath B P The silence is eerie. I come to office in a van that is generally full. Today it was unusually empty. I see our other company vans racing past and they too are not full. The drivers do not know that they will not have much business in the future... Lonesome by Farida Kalimi The moments lap over one another,/as I wait for the dawning day,/How I wish we were together/Sadly, it has ended this way.... Tequila Sunrise by Cactus Pete A few million years ahead.../I'm a weary traveller unbound/Surveying every mindscape... September 11, 2001 by Krithika Anand The first thing is that the common people in America have really realized what it tastes to just exist (leave alone living) one day in areas like Kashmir. That their leader is not taking any active steps to bring down terrorism in this part of the world is an entirely different issue... Karachi by Bulbul Mankani It was just like any Indian city: I was talking in Hindi to my host, and if he was answering in Urdu, I could scarcely make out the difference. The house looked like a bungalow in Vasant Vihar... Aapko Hindi Maloom Hai? by Sumeetha V. I think there is something about me that attracts these tricksters. They all seem to gravitate towards me every now and then with their multitudes of lies and tales of woe, designed and customized for each of their customers... The Prophet by Niranjan Rao I wait for it night and day,/still the pain doesn't go away./Where is the freedom I dreamed about?/Where is that freedom, I think aloud./Oh God, why do You not justice dispense? I'm Just a Dreamer by Bab'oo Am I my Brother's Keeper? by Krithika Anand Genesis by Srini Ode to my Special Friend by Farida Kalimi The Beaten Path by Srini Forlorn by Bab'oo For Love or Money by Farida Kalimi Is my Dad the Nerd at Home? by Srini Missed Chance by Kishore Reddy The Abyss by Farida Kalimi Not a Lively Life by Bab'oo Celebrity Trophy Wife by Fiction Reader Nature by Kishore Reddy The Power and the Glory by Panayeri Apart by Farida Kalimi uncertain future by Anjoo Sharon Hope by Kishore Reddy Hobos by Vinod Our Friendship by Bab'oo The Voice From The Wilderness by Bab'oo Courage by Kishore Reddy Playing on Home Ground by Krithika Anand Everything Happens for a Reason by Bab'oo Existence in Vacuum by Bab'oo Why I don't Drive by Lata Sundar Who am I? by Farida Kalimi The Same Road, The Same Traffic by Bab'oo What Was It? by Bab'oo Mother's Love by Kavitha Thomas The Real Dream by Panayeri I, Me, Myself by Swathi Rajan Ride the Train by Raja Jaikumar Sunshine by Bab'oo Destination Unknown by Bab'oo Nostalgia by Panayeri My Palm Tree by Panayeri The Affair by Panayeri