Tuesday, July 15, 2008

THE KISS AND THE LIE

Before the kiss,
I was a frog
who boasted “it rained
because I croaked”

During those frog days,
one reptile told me
“Frogs croak for different reasons”
and predicted "you will marry a mammal”

Me, a confused ambhibian
never knew it was a joke
but believed him and asked
“Can they both live together?

With a reptilian smile he answered
“Possible, if only you can fool her
with the ‘three word secret lie’
though all the three words are true
together they form the greatest lie!
if you can solve this puzzle
you can win her heart too”


I leaped out of the well
and started my quixotic trip.

Reptiles didn’t eat me
because I was a ‘living joke’

Water birds adviced their young ones
“an ambhibian in love causes diarrhoea”

So I survived and continued my search
to reach an estuary filled with white water lillies

No more a prey to snakes and birds,
I faced the vault of the sky,
saw the most beautiful face
I had ever seen in my life.

Before I could croak the reptilian lie
she kissed me and whispered “shut up”

I forgot ‘three word lie’
its head and tail
everything
except love

93 comments:

Rajesh said...

Man In painting back wit a bang after a hiatus...as always sensational poem...very well written..Kudos!!

P.S: My blog updated...do read

deepsat said...

wow!! Beautifully put.

it love that joins the "i" and "you". and so long as that love is pure and is really indeed "love", it cannot be a lie!!

;-))

Anonymous said...

indeed, back with a bang...!!
well written....!! beaut ending...!!
:)

Unknown said...

thts such a lovely poem..

and like rajesh rightly said.. u r back with a bang.

finallyy end of the day.. we all look for tht one thing.. love.. that affection.. care is all that matters.. and yes.. it is what is so precious

loveelllyy blog :)
take care

Pooja said...

Rly well written...

:)

Anonymous said...

what a delightful poem. loved it all the way.

it's better to forget lies, isn't it ;-)

cheers,
asuph

Anonymous said...

I hardly read beautiful things other than this blog :)
your write precise, concise, and conclusive. stories in few words!
I love it.

yet again, a lot of hidden emotions, ideas, confessions :)

I love the frog and reptile notion, I am lacking words to define how I like it, please increase the frequency of your writing, I miss it. and i hope it wont effect the quality of it!

How is your little teacher now? :)

*saving the poem for re-read*

Shruti said...

“An ambhibian in love causes diarrhoea”
w0w..how did u get that??
oh i have got the answer, you're THE MAN..
but seriously, loved it..am so reading it again and again..
*Double Thumbs Up*

aria said...

"I faced the vault of the sky"

I loved that line - vault of the sky.. cool.
and that three word lie is sucha sweet lie though the sole word which matters is the one in the middle and it was a delightful end ..

its always worth the wait .. all your posts .. and I really love reading you ..
take care,

Jo said...

I loved the flow of everything... in the end everything finished perfectly and now I'm the one inspired. I especially loved your word choice. So glad to know you're "home" now... it's a comforting thought knowing a soul like yours is alive and well. Thank you for your encouragment this morning... it came at the perfect time.
Fondly,
Jo

Unknown said...

Hi,awesome writing,ending was really great.LIE & LOVE ,great point of view.

Anonymous said...

Really liked this poem's capacity to create multiple train of thoughts and strings, excellently and intelligently worked out.
Though by your account, there is no 'I' and 'you' in love, but How I believe it to be is that there is only 'I' and 'you' in love, and that love is a word that's suffecient to say who ur in love with...but either ways, what you said would be right, it can be interpreted in many ways!

WritingsForLife said...

absolutely awesome! I like your philosophy about the three word lie :-)

Anonymous said...

Bravo! Bravo!! Loved you work!!!

Sameera Ansari said...

That was so beautifully written!

"U" & "I" are nothing without Love.

Jo said...

Come hither, come hither my friend... there's a special something for you...

Shini said...

Wow! A tinge of humor and the right sense of meaning, conveyed together in one shot! Way to go!

Shailendra said...

very punctilious on the details.. Well portrayed. :-)

Sashu... said...

wowieeeee!! awesome!!!!

i juz loved it, for all doz right reznz...pluz for de sheer connection wi diz one, as ya rightly said!!!

lovely lovely write!!

Jo said...

Oh my mistake; I'd neglected to post the image in the post. I've just done so. Thanks for telling me. ;-)
Cheers!
- Jo

Rajesh said...

It's been a long time since u visited my blog :)

Debbie in CA : ) said...

Oh my, what is this place? I have journeyed long over paths and under bowers, parting many reeded curtains to find myself here on the shores of poetry that flows with truth wrapped in life and all its sullying touch. I shall rest a while and refresh myself. I shall be certain to leave a trail sturdier than breadcrumbs when I leave; for surely I shall return again and again. Thank you for sharing such an eloquent gift. Your poetry breathes beauty. I am so touched. : )

Indrani said...

Beautiful start... read non stop till the end. You lines are too good. And this cheered me up too.

How is your little one doing?

Lakshmi said...

a very different perspective to love..:)

polona said...

wow!
a tale told gazillion times before, and yet... there's freshness, there's originality, there's humour... and there's the most important thing of all...
just perfect, my friend!

Anonymous said...

i have tagged u... hope u accept...

Fantasies of a Lifetime said...

"I forgot the ‘three word lie’.
Its head and tail were gone
What remained was the heart
And the word remained was ‘love’ "

That was really beautiful . . .

Crimson Shimmer said...

oh wow!!!

maybe this is why the letters u and i are not in that word... hmmmmm!
i havnt read something this good in a really long time.
well written. brava`

gypsy said...

how beautifully and simplu u write ...just amazing...

arunima said...

beautiful smashin n unique r d 3 words i got 4 u!

Anonymous said...

Your imagination & thoughts are simply wonderful & you have crafted them beautifully into words...excellent lines!

The Solitary Writer said...

simple amazing.....hmm frog haan

hey ty for ur comments in my blog ...btw
inviting u to join our group blog

www.weandwords.blogspot.com

if ur interested then leave ur email id in that blogs 1st post

P said...

Delightfully endearing ! Hows ur baby now?

Meghna said...

Hey.....sounds really good....fabulous...loved it :P

CRD said...

woah dude!

that was superb!!!!!!!!!! :)

the 3-word lie :d

not always a lie though..but most often , when theyre true, they only ddont bcome words..they remain buried as desires

btw dude, thrs a poetry contest happening on my orkut community "BLOGGERATTI".theme is "CHILD ABUSE" and its gonna be judged by an NGO named elaan. its open to non-members and non-bloggers as well. wanna try it out? chk out http://www.orkut.co.in/CommMsgs.aspx?cmm=51446226&tid=5222670821688292601

for details :) i was hoping ud join the community as well, but its ok if u dont..but do try ur hand at the contest dude :)

cheers
ChRiS

Whats in a name.......... said...

very differently put, and very nicely indeed!!!

Arun said...

heyy.. thay was a marvellous peice.. loved the way u ended it.. thanx for ur comments.. keep visitin :)

Arthur Dent said...

one of those poems that you read, reflect and finally reach a state of mirthful bliss. i loved the part where the three words are being described as a "reptilian lie". a virtuoso post!! salute!!
:)

J' said...

love your new poem...

Chronicler said...

loved it absolutely... blogrolling you..:)

Aneesh said...

Beautifully written, Quite funny also. I wonder why frogs are blogging too LOL

Aneesh

Mampi said...

This post was worth waiting for.

Loved the lines:

Before I could croak the reptilian lie
she kissed me and whispered “shut up”

man in painting said...

@rajesh
i have already visited your space..very nice post..
@satish..
Thank you so much.
It is never a lie..
@Vinay
Thank you..
i will do it..
@ani..
Thank you ..

man in painting said...

@pooja
Thank you
@asuph
Thank you for liking it..
@.a.
Those were very generous comments..but always happy to share the joy i get when i try to play with words by arranging them differently..
Thank you..

man in painting said...

@shruthi..
LOL!
Ambhibians are confused..between earth and water..
happy you liked it..
thank you..

test said...

it feels gr8 to visit ur page after a long time.. this poem stil has the freshness i experienced in ur poem, Man in the painting..

the poem was a portkey to a world of imagination and hidden meanings.. n ur poem has an edge over the poems i ve read for i get to discover something new every time i read it and it has different interpretations which depends on the person who is reading it..

n the brilliant termings of urs gets the rest of the credits.. 'living joke', 'reptilian smile', '3 word secret lie',etc..

and the scenes u took me in ur poem.. this one must b mentioned..

"So I survived and continued my search
to reach an estuary filled with white water lillies"

for this estuary is what is our hope..

n the last stanza is my fav..

"I forgot the ‘three word lie’.
Its head and tail were gone
What remained was the heart
And the word remained was ‘love’"

brilliant!!
cya..

Lena said...

such a sweet tale! Beautifully put into words :)

Pranay said...

This was really awesome!!! Very different.
Cheers!!

Never Ask. said...

I dont have any words left to tell how I felt this poem. All the good words I know have already been used up by the previous comments :)

I'm a new reader - and a happy one. Particularly liked the last lines
Before I could croak the reptilian lie
she kissed me and whispered “shut up


The picture of the beautiful face in the lake with the white lilies - splendidly drawn! The poem leaves a very happy and pleasant trail, and produces an unexplainable emotion - maybe a deep satisfaction at the 'shut up', and a sentimental feel :)

Thanks for the treat!

Misty Rhythm said...

beautifully written. simple and effective...
u can definitely count me in ur list of fans!
lovely :)

CANDLELIZARDEGG said...

NIce piece here. surreal man.

♥ÐÅyÐяєÅмє®♥ said...

wow..that was an awesome piece bhai...jus great

bachpan k din yaad aa gye wen i used to have such wondeful imgainations :) :)

man in painting said...

@aria
It is always great to hear such kind and loving words from a gifted writer like you..
it is always a great pleasure to see "terminal moraine " again and again..
Thank you..
@Jo
A special thanks for the care..
For beleiving "a painting can see"

man in painting said...

@Chindu
Thank you dear..
happy to know you liked it.
@raaji
Thank you..
@Javits
Thank you
@sameera
Thank you
@Shini
Thanx a lot!

man in painting said...

@ayushi
It is always the reader to decide...All ways lead to the truth..
Thank you..

man in painting said...

@shailendra..
Thank you..
@sashu..
Didn't I promised you a surprise?
LOL
happy you liked it...
@debbie
It is always a great pleasure to share the joy we get through creation..It becomes double when we know that our creation had made somebody happy...
Thank you..

man in painting said...

@indrani
She is fine..just crossed the next milestone..
Thank you..
@Polona
Thank you..
Also for all your great daily pictures..
@Fantasies..
Thank you..
@Crimson shimmer
Yes..Absolutely correct..

man in painting said...

@arunima
Thanks!
That was a great appreciation..
unique!
@fling stars..
thank you so much..
@solitary writer..
definitely i will visit..
Thank you..

Sukanya said...

wow!!! very nicely writtn..
3 word lie eh?!!

man in painting said...

@priya
Thank you...She is fine.
trying to cross her next milestone...
@meghna
Thanx
@Chris
i have already joined the community...but i am not an actice orkutter..
i will check the details..
Thanks buddy..
will contact you regularly..

man in painting said...

@what's in a name
Thank you
@arun pk
Thank you
@Paritosh
Thank you..
i want that baby robo toy..for my little girl..lol
@j
Thank you
@aneesh
Thank you
LOL
What will you call a blogging frog?
@mampi
Thank you...

man in painting said...

@Mano
Writing is another"way of wondering".
There is always great fun in playing with words..How life slowly creeps in and out of a creation.How a curve is created?.Nature seldom prefer straight lines.Humour like to hide behind these sharp curve..
A writer is more like a bee farmer than an architect.Most of the time, his role is minimal..There is an organic evolution to his creation..
Everything else fades.
but wonder remains..
i am very very happy that you are back..
waiting eagerly for your post..
wishes...
MIP

man in painting said...

@lena
Thanx
@Pranay
Thank you
@jasim
words can never convey love
love never happens between images.
yes..
words end there..
thanks for you deep understanding..
Thank you...

man in painting said...

@gerald
Thank you
@misty rythm
Thank you
@daydreamer
i am re-living those days..
@knatchbully hughzscene
Thanx

test said...

no magic fails whn tried with the power of words.. now that u ve welcomed me back with ur writers' style, i would surely try this week..

Divita said...

cute! how did it occur to u??

man in painting said...

@mano..
Writers are more than friends..as we generally see in the latin-american countries..There is a deeper sense of brotherhood..a deep understanding of the common roots from which we all draw our creative energies..
i beleive that as a writer it is my responsibility to inspire you to greater heights...

man in painting said...

@divita
i am happy you liked it..
it is just fun..forget about the "serious art" stuff..writing is just fun...

Akshay said...

Hey

This was truly amazing stuff!! I loved it!!

lavender tulips【ツ】 said...

That is amazing! =)

Anu said...

Seems like my comment didnt make it.. Just wanted to say I loved the way you ended it.Were you inspired by the Princess and the frog ? :)

K 3 said...

Hey - you have some great talent. Nice work!

Keshi said...

ty for dropping by my blog.


Beautiful verse here!


A kiss can MEAN a lie or a truth...but a kiss is a kiss :)


Keshi.

Cinderella said...

Loved your concluding verse!!!

"I forgot the ‘three word lie’.
Its head and tail were gone
What remained was the heart
And the word remained was ‘love’"

Beautiful !

Admire the way you have brought some very intense thoughts in such a light hearted context !!

Nice.

Solitaire said...

Haha! She is sensible.

I love how the head and tail disappeared.

man in painting said...

@akshay
Thank you
@lavender tulips
Thank you..
@anu
The image...yes..
Thank you
@k3
Thank you
@keshi
LOL
wonderful expression!
Thank you
@cindrella..
happy to know you liked it..
@solitaire
lol!
thank you

Tara said...

How do you manage to do such great work each time? Really good poem, rock on man!

Scribblers Inc said...

wo!!beautiful thing to pick up from those tales that we read...I know its a post modernist poem and everything but a lil rhyme never hurt anyone...I am being finicky but I adore Jack and Jill goin up the hill...just a thought...

on the whole...exhilerating.
Scribblers Inc.

man in painting said...

@tara
i am so happy you liked it..
Thank u.
@scribblers
it is never intensional..truly..just training my brain to forget labels and divisions.
writing, is an excercise like "cleaning the slate"
There might be deconstruction...
That too is not intensional..
But i really value your suggestion..
i too love rhymes..
Thanks a lot..

Priya said...

Brilliant creativity:)

Rajesh said...

Dude..
Blog updated :)

happyz said...

"Man in painting sees the world".....hmm nice thoughts on love encapsulated in a poem....

My belive is "Love is just another excuse to hurt someone"

Cheers!!

man in painting said...

@priya
Thank you
@happyz
Thank you..
Will love hurt anybody?
no
but desires can hurt..
thank you

tunafish said...

hi... so talking abt love huh? My experience says when it rains, lots of frogs turn up and you may end up kissing for than a few in search for the prince and lo behold! sometimes u may even fall for more than one pricne... but love bever was perfect right? as les dawson once put it- "Funny thing how you first meet the woman that you marry. I first met the wife in a tunnel of love. She was digging it". Lovely poem

Mind Master said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mind Master said...

really an amazing work.

Wish you all the best ....

man in painting said...

@tuna
So tuna fish is back...
great..
lol..
Thank you.
@mind master
Thank you

Arthur Dent said...

yeah, you can have the robo toy for your GURU, as soon as i find him myself.
btw i have written something new on my blog.
do visit.

maverick said...

a very predictable ending for the title chosen. nevertheless well worded. to express my view, i do not believe that these three words even when put together are a lie. its just that time changes all. :)at some place, at that time, those three words become 'the truth'

man in painting said...

@maverick
different perspectives..
what i meant was that we all wre in love with our own projections..Both I and You are projections of our own minds..so ultimately we just love ourselves..
Thank you...

alx said...

wow
love is in the air
beautiful poem

priyanka's said...

Lovely poem!!!
:)

runnerfrog said...

You're gifted, man (in painting).
I must insist that we're not always under the construction of that little tricky one, that we call the left hemisphere of the brain. Fortunately. But as it's very common, the beauty and validity of the poem remains, obviously, intact.
Ribbit.