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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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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

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

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

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

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!)

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

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!

U2

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


the fifteenth of December
Pro Bono Mecca
Rootie, Mogave!


(an attempt at haiku)

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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)