Lit GC'10 : Creative writing

The first Literature competition of the year 2010. Creative writing.

Problem Statement: Write a story or a poem in 200-1000 words.


Conditions: The piece should make sense when read from the first line to the last.

It should also make sense when you start reading from the beginning of the last paragraph onwards, i.e. a circular story.

e.g.

1. Mary had a tiger.

2. The doctor was shocked.

3. This was something he hadn’t seen his whole life.

4. The doctor advised Mary to eat healthy to address her problem.

In the above example, treat every line as a paragraph. The second story begins from the last para, and goes in the order 4, 1, 2, 3. The catch here was the use of “had” instead of “eat” in the second story. You are obviously expected to do better.

A paragraph is defined as a minimum of 8 lines (verse) or 12 sentences (prose).

Use of flash-forwards and flashbacks is not allowed.



Topics:

1. Double Entendre

2. The visitor

3. A half-remembered dream

4. The prophecy

5. The first _______

6. Checkmate

7. The affair

Word Limit: 200-1000 words

Time: 6.30 p.m – 10.30 p.m

I chose to write a poem [to save ink and time!] on 'The First _____' for the obvious amount of liberty in the blank!

The First Re-curS(i)onnet

Eyes open to a just another ‘Monday-ne’ morning,

The tube allows one last squeeze. (1)

And, since ‘with a Great shower, comes Great responsibilities’,

I rush to work like the monsoon breeze. (2)

Forever unknown to the office space,

I seat myself for my daily bread and cheese. (3)

Killing time between files and spreadsheets,

I eagerly await the clock to strike 6, please. (4)

But, it was to be a new evening I reckoned,

When my eyes locked another pair. (5)

Imagining the smiling lips sipping coffee,

I neared her skipping the last stair. (6)

Inviting her to hold me tight,

We sped through the traffic free of care. (7)

Near a café to her place,

We stopped by to grab a cup of coffee. (8)

And, while ‘a lot can happen over coffee’,

I started to re-iterate my lonely story. (9)

She too involves herself with such innocence, that

I’d like a “time-freeze”; temporary. (10)

- - - - - x - - - - -

We reached a point of silence,

Which broke with the blink her eyes make. (11)

I confessed how much I’d love to love her,

But only in my thoughts, for Christ’s sake! (12)

I waved at her as she walked away,

And thought of my happiness so fake. (13)

I knew she only needed a lift back home, and

I’d drop dead on bed with heartache. (14)

- - - - - x - - - - -

The Piano

Why... the calamities?

Why is the man mortal?
Why is the nature's strike so lethal?

Why does the earth quake?
Why does it swallow lives to put eternity at stake?

Why do hurricanes sweep the earthen floors?
Why does it scribble 'death' on the fate of crores?

Why do the shores let the water trespass?
Why is water called life if it sinks the whole mass?

Why does the Mother Nature revolt?
Is it her revenge against our greedy onslaught?

It's not 8 p.m., but it still is time for F.R.I.E.N.D.S

The non-sense on T.V. doesn't bother me,
I keep gazing into the colourful nothing.
There's another empty couch next to mine,
But no one to share the pizza and pudding.

My senses alert; vigilance camouflaged,
Wait for the same old prank just once more.
And, if you do jump out of no where, I promise,
I will look horrified this time for sure.

The apartment seems so unnecessarily big,
I wonder why we kept bickering for room.
Everything you left behind, esp. the foosball table,
Floods my head with reminiscence and gloom.

Parting with friends is not easy, it never was.
Though distance doesn't slacken the bond,
the bond between bodies of the same soul,
the sole fear of losing it is true friendship - dawned.


I miss the high-fives,
The laughter,
The puzzles,
The gossips,
The recipes,
The take-turns...

And, I don't remember shaking hands the day you left :(


..........................................................

The long door-bell annoys me, but
Also gives me hope that I'd see you on the other side.
Behind all those packed boxes, I see you smiling.
I reach for the hug you owe me, with one long stride.

Boy! Am I glad, that the smiles are back,
The arguments heated,
The breakfast tasty,
The routine hasty,
And the TV makes sense again !

Death

Amongst all joys of life,
There lies one dreadful fear.
Is this the last mile I’m walking?
Is the end to the road near?

Oh! To let go of this life, I hold so dear...

There is so much left to learn,
So much left to see.
I have so many reasons to yearn,
So many reasons to be.

A lifelong appears so little to me...

Recalling the beautiful faces I’ve known,
Reliving the memories I cherish,
Realizing how considerably I’ve grown,
Into a man without a blemish,

Must say, life’s treated me well, before I finish...

The body is ephemeral,
Perishes to allow a brand-new face,
Unlike the soul, immortal,
Flourishes in void space.

Death is certain, vital, I shall punctually embrace.

I am proud to be a 'Loser'!!

I am proud to be a loser

Hi! I am I-mon.

I am a rich father’s rich son.

Rich only till the day I start earning myself,

And I don’t think it will be soon enough to offer my dad any help.

Talking of the present, I go to school only because I am supposed to,

And when I am in school, I can’t even tell whether I am wearing the right shoe.

Of course, I enjoy going to school,

I never miss the annual day, the Christmas party, the fete and the April fool?

Isn’t it fun? Playing pranks in the classroom,

Waiting for the recess bell to go, and then go home, vroommm...

Teachers call me a back bencher.

What they don’t know is, I come late so that the good students are seated better.

How does it matter if I can’t see the board?

It is, anyway, all meant to get me bored. :o

My mom drives me downtown to the central park in the evenings,

I play with the guard and score a century in every innings.

I have few friends, fewer good friends and no best friend,

Because to be with a guy like me one must have the right blend.

I am a responsible kid and can take care of myself.

I tidy my room, my bed and all those things you see on the shelf.

There’s a maid been kept who doesn’t help me much,

And only because on weekdays I am little busy, it lacks just that personal touch.

Even the slightest nod sideways would make me cry,

That’s why I have almost everything money can buy.

I am rest assured that I will have a pleasant supper tonight,

But even the best quality food cannot test my appetite!

How fortunate to have a brain free from worries, sorrows and pain

The sun rises, then sets, and rises again,

I know this won’t go on forever,

Someday I will have to taste life by its true flavour.

Let me tell you, I am not 'one of a kind',

There will be hundred others if you care to find,

I have been a pest to my parents since the day I got off the pram,

Still my arrogance makes me feel proud for the loser I am!

Inside the computer

INSIDE THE COMPUTER

Strange things happen before Christmas-day,

Such did my parents think,

When they saw me and my brother lay,

And the empty milk mugs in the sink,

Early in the eve, the clouds were still and the sky was gray.

We opened our eyes only to find ourselves in a green crate.

Anu said,”Looks like the gremlins have lived their lives”.

“Negative”, I could bet.

“It seems we’re standing on a few disc-drives!”

Anu wondered we’d been bewitched inside a computer cabinet.

He was confirmed once we began to waltz on a spinning disc,

The laser provided the disco’ lightings.

To live, we had to take the risk.

Holding each other’s hands we jumped to our right,

And landed safe, coz both were equally brisk.

We rested a while on the motherboard’s lap,

Just then the case fan shooed us away hard on the RAM,

Hanging by a chips paw, we waited for the next trap.

Sliding down the bus cables and squeezing thru the wired jam

We peeked out of the floppy - drive’s gap.

The thing spat us out in a mess,

And we were back on our beds,

Looking at each others faces

Turned blue, green and red,

Thanking for our bones still tidy, by God’s grace.

The clock said five past eight... the room sun lit

Mom and Dad called us to show what Santa had pulled out of his gunny.

Standing before us, was the same monster! The deadly spirit!

It was a PC that was poured down the chimney.

Staring at it we both said,”Don’t tell. They won’t believe it.”