Wednesday, October 07, 2020

Van, Meaning Forest (a poem) OR Pro Bono, On The Whole

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

van halen's gone
some don
van heusen's mask
a wolfgang's forlorn
a hay mushroom basks
busking in subways
we travesrse the stars
plexi shield towers
held
to nano-parts
as they're dancin and shakin
we're playing with our hearts
and other organs
the present continuous
all set
to tune
into the runes
our devices!

By V. Shruti Devi
7th October, 2020, The Fort, Kurupam, India
(First written and posted on my Facebook wall a few minutes ago)
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Monday, April 13, 2020

Balcony Book Event

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Hi!

This is to share with you, Youtube links to a ten-part reading of my novel, Deep Wood Trance.

I read out the book, interspersed with bits of conversation, to a Live Facebook Audience during India's ongoing 21-day Corona Virus lockdown, and through the Easter Weekend.

These are free to access, do share the readings with others, and it would be great if you could help get this across as an entertainment-resource to those who are visually impaired as well, thanks!

(p.s. note added on 29th April, 2020: the final video has temporarily been removed, in order to edit out ambient sights and sounds).

Shruti

Video #1 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #2 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #3 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #4 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #5 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #6 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #7 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #8 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #9 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi

Video #10 of Deep Wood Trance by V. Shruti Devi



Monday, April 06, 2020

A video recording of me reading the first chapter from my novel, Deep Wood Trance

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

A video recording of me reading the first chapter from my novel, Deep Wood Trance

This was live on Facebook about an hour ago, and has also been uploaded onto my Youtube channel, enjoy!

Deep Wood Trance, 1st Chapter being read out by my, the author, V. Shruti Devi

Sunday, March 29, 2020

Echoes, Patterns

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

demonic laughter
from a LAF corridor
essential services
public purposes

well met

I think not

spaceweather
gammarays
corona
expressways

a comet
a nebula
a web of connectivity

interstate consciousness
Dimensions
Ascensions

recede, secede, rollback
an upward spiral
a rail-way track

Tuesday, March 10, 2020

Video clips of me reading out poems from my book, Ad Altiora Nitimur

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Sharing, here, brief video clips of me reading out some of my poems at various locations



Saturday, February 29, 2020

Act Something, Scene Somethingortheother

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)


US-Talib deal
signed in Doha
a doha, a couplet

neeli jheel,
big deal

the big picture

(music rises)

a lake, a reservoir

what a fall

easter weekend
in progress

this leap year

(happy b'day, late great grandma)

Goodbye, Sam, Hello NY! 

(too vain, too too vain!)

Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Links to Ad Altiora Nitimur by V Shruti Devi

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Hi!

Thrilled to let you all know that Ad Altiora Nitimur will be exhibited at the Public Library Association's annual event in Nashville, TN, USA, from the 26th to the 28th of February, 2020, in the Combined Book Exhibit stall.

It will also be at the London book Fair from the 10th -12th of March, 2020*
[* The LBF 2020 stands cancelled because of the Corona Virus. Update inserted on 6th March, 2020]

The following is a link to buy the book internationally via Amazon.com:

Ad Altiora Nitimur on Amazon.com

The link for buyers in India is as follows:

Ad Altiora Nitimur for buyers in India

To view free video clips of me (the poet) reading out some of the poems from the book from various locations, visit my youtube channel, "Shruti Devi"

Shruti Devi on youtube





Friday, November 15, 2019

Book of Poetry- a quick announcement

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Dear Readers,

It is now thirteen years since I launched this blog!

I'm in the process of having a hard bound book published, entitled Ad Altiora Nitimur.

The book contains new end-notes and a Preface that I've written over the past few months. I've also edited some of the poems for the book. This is the First Edition of the book.

Will announce the listings for Ad Altiora Nitimur as soon as the Hard Cover version is ready.

I look forward to responses from readers,

With best wishes,

V. Shruti Devi

(This blog will continue) :)

updated on 15th Jan. 2020 to say there is a paperback as well as hard-bound...will make a formal announcement and add links soon!


Wednesday, September 18, 2019

U2

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)


the fifteenth of December
Pro Bono Mecca
Rootie, Mogave!


(an attempt at haiku)

Wednesday, August 07, 2019

Sartorial

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

the latest, most updated
papers
don't really get around
till almost the end
wrt
parliamentary proceedings

perhaps a reason
why
one's got arbitrarily selective
with what one reads
via the websites
can't claim to have read
the historic
J&K Bill
but was it possible
for hearts to have skipped beats
and lawyered up
at prospects
(whatever those might be)
And RIP, Sushma Swaraj
of the BJP
a politician
with many good qualities
...didn't know her personally
but she lived
on our lane once
and I believe my sartorial
creations (and sportings)
had ripple effects
(in this case: sleeveless jackets with sarees and elan)
quite a role model!

Sunday, May 12, 2019

Notes from the Trail- 3

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

when you're fighting
for the last person

or persons

and that could well be
yourself,

then it counts.

every tradeoff
takes on Meaning

The all-pervasisve 'security'
(read: surveillance and manipulation
even)

sometimes justified
I guess

such as various branches of cops
routinely calling
to check
The Candidate's nighthalt

so you hop onto an Open Vehicle of an Assembly hopeful in a town
(that creature of the Andhra polls at least- a Prachara Ratham
all decked up, flag-permissions, mike-permission, vehicle-permissions et al)
(never mind that the local doer found the worst, probably by-mistake photoshopped snap of you
to affix on the said chariot)

Unlike almost onescore years ago
when one ducked wires, campaigning....

Almost (here, I exaggerate re times past), twoscore years ago,
one ducked branches, commuting

On this town's bylane, a momentarily crouching candidate,
Sweeping foliage above
And in no time, a routine call from
The Special Branch!

Just a coincidence
for sure



Saturday, May 04, 2019

Notes from the Trail - 2

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

And the signs can be
quite loquacious

Like when doing the hairpin bends

Holding forth on indigenous peoples worldwide
Including India and its neighbours

Poll-time connections
-parties fighting corruption
-indigenous, -upholding systems, -Rights....

And the obvious name/s bandied about
these days
such as the tehreek-e-insaaf (what a party!)

And almost on cue, hearing this, perhaps,
Out jumps a monkey onto the road,
makes a ball-shining-action
that the cricketing world would understand
(and, I suppose, so would channel-switching homo sapiens)

In this context- Quadri!!!
left arm offspin bowling
another party
another game
politics,
not cricket,
and some sort of spirituality





Wednesday, April 17, 2019

Notes from the Trail

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Fine rust-maroon scaffolding
In the near-wilderness

Looked like Mesta to me!

One exclaimed

Two speckled wingeds hopped out from the bushes
a furlong or two further down the drive

...Canvassing....
Visionaries, we guess

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

Climate Change: A politico-legal Comet's Eyeview

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

prior to a few-line whip
(and before cyclone Phetai does more damage)
on my political blog,
some jabberwocky flagpoles

Katowice, bajra, waist-lines
Generally speaking
One's a planetary field marshal,
I suppose
Or a realmatic one
in any event.
Dwinx.
Furniture.

So the tall order
with the new order
- rules, Paris,
global stock-taking.

Focus:

How the (majority of the planet's population)
- the non-experts, in this case,
albeit expertly,
circumvent
via the projected non-compliances
and the following benevolences
of a non-compliance committee






Thursday, October 11, 2018

Dasara Musings

The kind of things
that paint the religion
or way of life
or whatever it is
in a most unintended light:

First off,
it's Dasara
-more of the Goddess-worship kind in these parts
Than the killing of the ten-headed dravidian srilankan meditator
though its the same festival

And what better 
time
to notice these magnified flaws
than when things play out
at a fest.

One of the aspects 
of the Goddess
is supposed to be
Ugra- ferocious, righteously wrathful

Which is all fine, when you listen to a hymn dedicated to the occasion
that beseeches the divine feminine to wake up, awaken (before spelling out her wonders and praises and putting forth all the right anecdotes
and then beseeching her, nay pleading with her
for 
this and that).

The eagerness 
to mingle
in this world
with the Divine
-to create earthly
here-and-now
associations
with the Imagined
makes zoo-goers of humans in their own environs:

I wouldn't be surprised
if its more people's bright idea
than we realise
If they take it upon themselves
to deliberately 
poke all manner
of instigation
at women
during this time
in an attempt
to stir up
some anger
that might be deemed
relevant
or who knows
necessary even,
to get the plot right.

Niche ways in which superstition
defeats a cause
Other than routine matters
as observed
over centuries,
such as thinking it necessary 
to please the clergy
such as they/it might be,
though at least on that front,
the existence of the Constitution
and modern-day law
serves 
to rein in.

As one records these thoughts
at past one am
with the first rain 
of Cyclone Titli 
creating a constant beat,
butterfly-coincidences come to mind:

Mind-control, human will, rights, the journey of science....
To a layperson,
mathematical theories
that rule matter
are understood 
more 
as an indistinguishable mass
of superstitious beliefs
for now





Thursday, July 26, 2018

today's Hindi/Urdu poem Tabdeeli (Change)

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Tabdeeli (Change)

Tabdeeli Aaiyee
toh tabh dheeli kyon
One belt kya
One road kya
elocution ho ya compensation
abh toh mulkon key beech
conversation hee conversation

a Hindi/Urdu poem i wrote in 2013: Aaj Ajmer Kee Soch (Today, Thoughts of Ajmer / Think of Ajmer Today)

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Aaj Ajmer Kee Soch (Today, Thoughts of Ajmer / Think of Ajmer Today)

Mukhtalifiyat sey
aa pahunchey
ek khazaaney par. 

Kya waakahi
yeh
Ek khabar hai
Ya nazariyaat
kee honee unhonee
khawaab?

Badaltey idaarey
Adaalat kinaarey
Padee huey jamooriyat.
Junoon key zarooriyat
ho toh aisee.

Jalsey mein phirey
Mashallah girey
par quam ney jashn manayee
beshak.

Ab jashn aur bhee baaki hai
Jab insaaniyat aur insaafiyat
Chaa jaayegi har monsoon key gulley mein
Tabh Jashn-e-Jannat kahengey hum.
Us mannat ko poora
samjheyngey hum.

Sunday, July 15, 2018

Beyond the Cave

By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

winching an iceberg
towing a car
a crane's a bird
that flies in from afar

governors, presidents, elected reps
the system's to improve
-no titanic wrecks

a tilt to the left
and a tilt to the right

balance is balance
though wobble it might.

a poet's a mathematician
on auto-pilot
(well, almost,
since
the plot
still unfolds)

red fort, robot-bot, diamonds

gems and jewels sandwiched
in hill-burgers
no divers, strivers
they remained
forever
yours sincerely,
Diamonds et al.

nine stones, limestones, quarries, queries
astro-charts, tarot spreads
questionnaires

the unaccounted metre
the suspended verse
the inexplicable gap
-the diverse
variables

beyond exceptions, beyond rules
imagine a variation

Infinity Rules





Thursday, June 28, 2018

Elements

not averse
to nonsense verse
or rhymes.

Only to
finite
reasons. (Or rather, the often limited power of reasoning)

so:
shroobie doobie
mulling over a pun-doobie

art embeds stone embeds art

-and other media.

think now, think science, think gadgetry

[though i'm sure, the angles of pythogoras and other non-flora, non-fauna (sort of) imagined they were the
height
of discovery]

From the deep seas to the stars
From Venus to Mars (which, by the way, is a comparatively very short distance)
From what, exactly?
We'll see
And again,
We'll say:
Long, long ago, there was a time....


By V. Shruti Devi (quill-o-the-wisp)

Saturday, May 26, 2018

Announcement for European Union Readers

Dear EU Readers:

I have received this notification from the Blog-site in connection with having to notify EU readers of any cookies used and data collected.


"European Union laws require you to give European Union visitors information about cookies used and data collected on your blog. In many cases, these laws also require you to obtain consent.

Out of courtesy, we have added a notice on your blog to explain Google's use of certain Blogger and Google cookies, including use of Google Analytics and AdSense cookies, and other data collected by Google.

You are responsible for confirming that this notice actually works for your blog, and that it displays. If you employ other cookies, for example by adding third-party features, this notice may not work for you. If you include functionality from other providers there may be extra information collected from your users.

Learn more about this notice and your responsibilities."


I post from India, and am unable to check whether or not the standard notice is visible to readers from EU countries. Just in case the notice is not visible to you, please note that:

The site provides me (the blogger) the option of reading some basic reader-statistics, such as the country the reader is reading from; the site that's directed them here; page-views; operating systems used; date of visit etc.

I would also appreciate it if you let me now if the notice from the Blogger website is, indeed, visible to you while reading my blog from the EU.

Thanks!

V Shruti Devi (Quill-0-the-Wisp)