Aug 25, 2008

The Daily Pirouette

Latin is a dead language, some say.

Well, if it’s dead, then there’re a few of its phantoms still floating around in the meme-pool. Consider carpe diem. You know, the phrase that pouts across a million wall-posters, can be found tattooed on many a motivational book’s inner sleeves, or is vaguely reminiscent of the resolution at the end of a carbon black day.

And there’s the taunting. They stand, emboldened, all of them. They mock. They point. Like street dogs who know that they hold the upper paw. "How about some seizing, my friend", they jeer. "Leave alone molest us, you don’t even make a pass!".

True. Seizing the day is a breakfast ruling, made heavy by lunch, dissolving like soap in the yellow twilight, left for the end of the day. By then, it competes with the yawn, and we’ll cease the day. No wonder, the days of the past stand in front of the door, howling with ridicule.

There are a few nicer ones. "Come out and play", they suggest. "Gather the day, pick it up, run your fingers over it". "But I haven’t done much of that", you say. They shake their heads. How do you seize the day, if you’re afraid of even touching it?

To seize the day, you mustn’t clamp down, clutching at emptiness. Instead, try opening that fist and let the shy day make its way up to you. Then you can slide your arms around its waist, pull it gently towards you, and... well, you might just figure out the rest.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

:) Very good read

Samrat said...

Concise but profound.
Especially liked
"competes with the yawn, and we’ll cease the day" :)

Kunal said...

Carpe Jugulum

Saket said...

Cease the day time for me! Very quotable! :) I used to say Kapre Diem aiming it at Nachiket Kapre. Translated incorrectly it could mean "seize Kapre"! Unfortunately it begins to celebrate Kapre day...

George said...

seize the day and ravish it or seize the day and win it over? You're either a day killer or a day charmer:) Seizing the day is a breakfast ruling, made heavy by lunch, dissolving like soap in the yellow twilight, left for the end of the day was a nice concoction.

J Ramanand said...

upasna, samrat: thanks!
saket: lol
kunal: in humorous vein, indeed. jug suraiya might concur
george: but not a day tripper. 'dissolving like soap' demands a hat-tip to gulzar-saab in JBJ.

Abhi T said...

crape diem - shit today.