The Shades of War – 2


EPISODE TWO

Shades of war

…He turned on the torchlight and held his breath as the rays flashed at the suspicious spot. The creature peeped behind a branch, exposing its ugly head.

‘Mtchew’ he hissed, it was only a chimp. Wait a minute; with some surprise he flashed the torchlight at the now airborne chimp. It was the mythical flying monkey, Akuke. His mother told him a lot of stories about Akuke as a young boy. It had flaps attached to its limbs like the bat and it could so jump it seemed it flew. Seeing the flying monkey to the people of Kuruma, meant good luck and they often celebrated it in anticipation of something good to come. Sometimes it took years, generations for the good thing to happen, and sometimes it happened so quickly. But the celebration of the good luck to come was usually done in high spirits. If one didn’t know, he would think the celebrant had hunted down an elephant. Achor hadn’t witnessed any of such celebrations, they rarely occurred anyway. His mother often told and retold him of the two she had witnessed, and described them so dramatically, with keen enthusiasm, he almost got offended. He couldn’t enjoy the sight of the mythical creature well enough before it disappeared, but he kept pondering over the creature as he walked on. Did he even see it? He must have been very drowsy and maybe was simply hallucinating, or maybe not. He never believed in myths. He had concluded everything was just a mere old woman’s tale told to young boys to fascinate their imagination, but he had seen one for himself today. He wished he could follow the Akuke and maybe trace it to its abode. That would clear his doubts completely and who knows? There could be a family of flying monkeys just within reach. But he had a mission at hand and should not be jeopardising it for any Akuke or any other thing. Continue reading →

The Shades of War – 1


EPISODE ONE

Shades of war

‘You haven’t slept all night sir.’
He didn’t seem to be surprised at all. He looked towards him and smiled. He rarely smiled.

‘Phillip, a good shepherd should protect his flock, especially when wide animals are close-by’
‘When wild animals are close-by?’ He echoed. ‘But we just arrived this hideout yesterday and no one is aware of where we are?’ His very visible Adam’s apple vibrated as he spoke. He was a tall and lanky man with a vivacious nature that took everyone by surprise.
‘No one SHOULD be aware of where we are’ he sharply corrected his boy, stressing the should as he gave him a firm stare under arched brows. ‘This is war, and there are no certainties.’ He paused for a second or two. ‘The only certainty here is that we are constantly in danger and our lives are not ours anymore.’ Captain Achor shut his eyes as if to concentrate on some definitely less important thing. Such deviations usually helped him regain full control of his intellects which was very key, very very key. He never allowed emotions set in, not even for a second. Continue reading →

The Shades Of War – 4


EPISODE FOUR

Shades of war

Philip staggered to his feet and his heart immediately grew heavy, and even heavier because Captain Achor had made no mention of his failure. Like a rat that had been showered with cold water, he moved to each man waking them up with little taps in very speedy successions on their laps and a low-pitched ‘wake up – wake up – wake up’. He didn’t bother to check if that did enough to wake them up, it always did. One by one he ran through the sleeping army until they became upstanding valiant soldiers. At that point all dizziness had disappeared from his eyes, his brain abruptly translated from cozy sleep to military action. It all happened too fast that it seemed like he was still at the Africa’s borders in Wonderland, even though he was fully aware that there was a situation at hand and it was not in movies or dreams, it was real life. Captain lit up a cigarette stick and smoked a little distance away while the boys were being resurrected. He always had a packet with him in his bag and smoked only when the tension was a bit high. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. His own version of it was ‘when the tension gets high, you get high with it’. Yea, he needed a bit of highness to stand firm before his boys and fearlessly announce to them of an impending attack. He also needed a clear head to plan their escape and if necessary a counter-attack. Continue reading →

Shadow Cast


shadow cast

Several eyes beam their lights on me and lo a cast.
It’s my look-alike, but yet so dark and doesn’t last.
It gives me several looks, of some I know, like my past.
Also, of some that hurts, like I’m no good or an outcast.

It attaches itself to my feet while I walk.
So long as the eyes beam it would stalk.
Are you me? I ask, but it wouldn’t talk.
It shrinks me at times and at others, methinks I’m a hulk.

We have similar features and semblance,
And we make same twists and turns while we dance,
When the eyes don’t beam, I bemoan its disappearance;
because I do remain but unaware of my relevance.

It could possibly be faster than I think.
Maybe it moves only when my eyes blink.
Someday I stretched my hands to offer a drink.
But it wouldn’t face me and that made my heart sink.

Was on a lane one chilly night where eye beams were four directional.
Staring at the floor, I pondered ‘which one was my original?’
Four casts on the floor; which of them was to me cardinal?
I sure knew I was lawful, but all four casted a criminal.

Saddened and overwhelmed, I scurried to flee the eyes into the dark.
The only place I knew was where the casts doth existence lack.
Away from the eyes, I felt much safer in the chancy black.
Fell asleep in the cold night with darkness as my ark.

The sun rays had fought my eyes and eventually won
I stretched my weary body to embrace the airy dawn
The cast! The cast! Single and petite, must be the sun.
I was used to the sun’s cast of me, so my fears were gone.

I saw I was alone and thirsty in some nearby village,
blessed with a flowery lonely Rock of ceaseless spillage.
I surged to drink and also to relish the fragrance of fresh sage.
Lo, right before my eyes as I scooped – lay my true image.

Was this true? Could this be truly what I looked like?
Beautiful, spotless, with a price unaffordable yet ever on the hike?
The eye beams always casted me a no-good, like a rounded spike.
Awed, I stood beholding the me I prized and then; like a lightning strike.

I have to leave this Rock! This village! This instant!!
Too many unattended issues and clients lie distant.
I galloped with hurry, must trade for I was a busy merchant.
Lo, my casts returned in different forms, none to me was pleasant.

Though I made some money, it never satisfied.
There was so much to do with it, my needs never died.
O! At that Rock I felt no need and thought my heart had lied –
the cast of the Rock did swallow my cast, so embittered I cried.

Shall I return for just a look or even to abide?
The houses built, the clients won, the horses that I ride.
From whence shall I flee from the eyes and my casts forever hide?
The same village where I own nothing but the Rock and its ceaseless tide.

T. Masterpiece

 

Picture Credit: thegreenhead.com

In the Mind of the Blind


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How beautiful are the walls on the street

So gigantic they extend to the heavens

Like guardian angels they guide my path

Some have skin rashes, others don’t, but they all stand tall alike.

 

How colourful are the winds of the evening

It blows over the earth and darkens the sky

Its tender whistling dispels the noisomeness of the day

And beckons humanity to embrace its gift of tranquillity.

 

How priceless is the light of the sun

It gives life to plant and sight to men

Without it, all men would be just like me

Then being me wouldn’t be special anymore.

 

‘Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder’; my hands behold

Colour, a matter of perception; my heart perceives

Price is measured in value; my purpose is of immeasurable value.

Sight could lose its attraction in the mind of the blind.

 

T. Masterpiece

My First Post


‘In the beginning, God…’

It is traditional. If you knew me a little, you could guess what it was going to be.

God was in the beginning, so how about beginning the beginning with God as the beginning… a whole lot of ‘beginnings’ here.

Let the writing now begin…

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