Midwinter, deserted hill station

The first time I got hold of a Ruskin Bond's literary piece, was when I was in school; at a time when all the authors and poets failed to make the desired impact (on me), save for Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice, where every act and scene had to be committed to memory, word by word. My recent relentless reading spree has put me in contact with one of Ruskin Bond's books, aptly titled The India I love. Seemingly so, the book talks about the author's love for the country, compiled in the form of anecdotes, and musings in the form of poems. Having once denied the author the acknowledgement that he rightfully deserved, I now say (after a good ten years!), that Ruskin Bond's simplistic yet resplendent writing is a pleasure by itself. A worthwhile read that gives us an insight on the author's past, his adopted family and of course, the hill station Mussorie.


Midwinter, deserted hill station by Ruskin Bond


I see you everyday,

walk barefoot on the frozen ground

I want to be your friend,

but you look the other way

I see you every day,

go hungry in the bitter cold

I'd gladly share you my food,

but you look the other way

I hear you every night,

cough desolately in the dark

I'd share my warmth with you,

but you look the other way

I see you every day,

pass lonely on my lonely way

I'd gladly walk with you,

but you turn away.

A random thought

The one puzzling question I've often found myself asking is, are we all guilty of having to put up different projections of ourselves, say, during a certain situation, a particular life stage or among fellow human beings? In other words, do we find ourselves on either sides of the same coin? Does that mean that a person's personality is not necessarily his only personality and is subjected to change? Pondering over this thought innumerable times has made me come to the opinion that a person could have several variations to his personality that at times, could be conflicting. It is as though, a personality is nothing but layers with each layer being slightly different from the other and projected under a different circumstance. Like she could be an extrovert among her closed ones but an introvert among strangers, like he could feel pity towards desolate children but be indifferent towards factory farming...two sides of the same coin. That makes me wonder..can the personalities of fellow beings be also present as the accumulated 'layers' or the supposed 'variations' of an individual's personality? Conflicting? Maybe.