at the foot of the wall, a figure sits hunched over a paper-plate containing some rice and daal. Impossibly thin, sinewy arms poke out of a threadbare blanket thrown around its shoulders to keep the winter morning chill out.
He has a stubble and a bony head that makes him look ancient. A few tattered rags cover his wispy white hair. Thick dirty glasses dominate the face – their frame held together by some kind of tape – probably the result of long-ago operation to remove cataracts in some rural eye camp around here. I doubt he can see anything but the vaguest of blurs.
As he hungrily shovels food into his mouth, I consider taking a picture. But something about the idea strikes me as sacrilegious, so I put my camera away. He notices me and turns to look up. Hugely magnified eyes crinkle up and, like a burst of fireworks, a giant toothless grin reaches out from ear to ear on his shriveled face.
March 6, 2007 at 11:06 am |
viewless vision….
nice.
—
!
March 6, 2007 at 1:08 pm |
Good one.
March 6, 2007 at 2:56 pm |
Magnifique! (though for one second, I thought I was in the wrong blog!)
(the problem about writing posts like this is you can’t have a proper discussion in the comments section cos you’ve basically silenced the reader)
March 6, 2007 at 5:48 pm |
!? : Thanks
falstaff: thanks
revealed: i sense an implied sledge there but i am going to let that pass π
March 6, 2007 at 6:21 pm |
After all my generous appreciation! *sigh*
March 6, 2007 at 10:00 pm |
revealed: tsk tsk. the world is such an ungrateful place, no?
March 7, 2007 at 1:48 am |
@revealed: yup, wrong blog.
or maybe it’s because he tried to get rid of the sixteen other selves.
March 7, 2007 at 4:18 pm |
Or maybe he developed a new one?? How interesting!! π
But before you say nething else, be warned! He’ll start accusing you of slights and what not! *is depressed by the intimation of the ingratitude of the world supplied by a very wise person*
March 7, 2007 at 6:33 pm |
TR: what sixteen others? π
revealed: awwww. i am *so* sorry. here, dry your eyes. π
FYI, all: this post was written a couple of months ago. i just hadn’t bothered to put it up. it belonged in the piece about the temple that *none* of you commented on.
March 7, 2007 at 7:43 pm |
my, you are getting rather snippy in the comment space. is it that time of the month?
March 7, 2007 at 8:47 pm |
and you, my dear bm, are getting all mellow in your old age – going around telling kids not to be mouthy.
btw, does that mean i’m an exhausting conversation partner?
March 7, 2007 at 8:57 pm |
First time here. I shall be back. (Oooo I always wanted to say that).
March 7, 2007 at 9:23 pm |
ph: I know a ph who has commented here before. But maybe you are not that ph.
March 7, 2007 at 10:01 pm |
old age? mellow?
bite me.
March 7, 2007 at 10:08 pm |
I *knew* that calling you a very wise person would work!
*accepts what she hopes was a handkerchief and revives from depression*
Btw, very good pickup on creepiness factor! I’m *actually* impressed π
March 8, 2007 at 3:52 am |
Nice.
Nothing more to say is there – I agree with revealed – you’ve basically silenced the reader π
March 8, 2007 at 6:56 am |
bm: i’m sorry, did i offend you?
revealed: ahem. wise? me?? Oh, thank you thank you. nobody has ever called me wise. I am *so* touched.
szerelem: thanks. also, i love that song. szerelem, that is.
March 8, 2007 at 3:55 pm |
hello,
that be a brilliant picture too that you transcribed.
cheers
A