Monday, October 17, 2011

Mountain Memories



From Rimbik, a plenitude of greenery on the way calmed my spirit. Rivers, mini waterfalls on the way, valleys and mountains all greeted us. The waterfall had water in a hurry, in contrast to the rest of the surroundings, which simply were.

Watercolors merged with blue, trees silhouetted against the sky. After lunch, another trek took us to Gurdum. UNO now also known as ENO and a local brew led to a merry evening. Saw orchids too.

Next morning, after a breathtaking sunrise, we started trekking to Sandakfu. The stillness and coolness of the jungle green was soothing. Panoramic clouds crept up on the hillside. Felt like pulling a particularly fluffy one down for a pillow.

It gave a feeling of achievement to see how far we had come in just half an hour. Seven hours later we were in Sandakfu. Most of us slept through the sunset. In the morning we saw the first rays of the sun hit Kanchenjunga and Mount Everest. The range looked like a sleeping Buddha.

Coming back we reached Gurdum by lunch and Srikhola by evening. In the morning we trekked to Rimbik by starlight and torchlight. The entire sky was glowing with stars. After a peach blushed sunrise on the way, we soon hit the plains.

I can still taste the memories though. Only need to close my eyes and I am back in the hills.

Silver Lining


The stars elbowed out the night from the sky.
I knew Venus, Sirius, and Orion’s Belt.
Then I started making up my own.
Silver spangles in the sky’s night dress.
They rained down on us, as we craned our necks.

Hillistan


Is it hookah smoke?
Or are the hills on coke?
Tucked in a white blanket they will slumber sweetly
Till they are woken up tomorrow morning.

Sunset in the Hills


Blue light of twilight rose to the top like yeast
While the golden red sunset we know 
Settled like rust in boiled water at the bottom.

Streaks of gold electrified the sky
Intense fireworks before the earth sleeps again
Red clouds blushed the sky for an evening out.





Sunrise at Gurdum


The sun made its presence felt
Yellowing the sky while being out of sight
Then blues, as if it didn’t want to get up
But had to, for duty’s sake, to awaken us.

Still no sight of the sun, now
Watercolour hues drench the sky
Yellow wins finally
Warming waves of mountains from the back
Which we can’t see, only deduce.
A range of cloud formations also seduce
It is camera shy
Warm red with yellow in the right.

Want to erase the mountains blocking our view
Like we could do when we painted them in
Now we cross them, once we choose to and have to both.

Now the warmth reaches the eyes
The clouds on the left warm
The mountains in front of the red
Are mere graph lines now.

Streaks that could be clouds
Now the yellow’s warmer
That’s where the sun is
The rays reach an opposite mountain
The yellow’s swallowed the red
Liquid gold floods the V.