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Written with Zyed
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(When will you realize that I cannot be fit into a mold.)

There is no cup,
no retainer,
no shape or form.

It is only the abstract that exists
It is only the essence.
It is only the being.

There are no words,
There are no gestures,
No standards, no fixtures...

It is only the fluidity of my soul...
The flow of my emotions.

It is the abstraction that is me.
The intangible.
The illusive.

Language is only an accessory.

Let the silence speak.
Let's be primitive.
Let's undo the rules.

Don't hold me.
Don't mold me.
Don't fix, don't shackle.
Don't measure me up --

I wanted to write this post for a while now. Somehow life seemed crazy and I wasn't able to really have the time or the quietness of the mind. When I started "Notes Above Ground", I had a very clear picture. I wanted to shut down my other blog -- Stream of Conscious -- partly because it was under a pen name, and partly because I wanted to write more than poetry. That blog was all poetry. So what's the deal with this blog? Here goes:

Notes Above Ground is my PERSONAL blog. That means it's about things that I'm really interested in. That can translate to anything under the sun but I'm narrowing down that into loosely 'concentrated' areas.

This is a place that I jot down notes, thought processes, and keep references. They might be of use to others too. So here's a list of things that you'd be able to read about here:

• Photography
• Social/New media
• The Internet/Web 2.0/Web ++
• Book reviews
• Movie reviews
• Blog/Site reviews
• Travel
• Food
• Writing, writing, writing

As I turn on the TV and watch the news,
hope is a rare glimmer that can’t be found.

We see the world unraveling itself.
And words of my grandmother came into my head:
the world is going to end soon.

I was 13, getting ready to leave for the States.
There were wars, storms and disasters then.
There are wars, storms and disasters now.

Is the world really going to end soon?
These are all signs she said.

Well, maybe they are.

Maybe they’re not.

But I’m grateful.

I’m grateful that my friends encompass the world.
I’m grateful that a friend from Germany can send me post cards from Mexico.
I’m grateful I can meet lots of people from around the world by just sitting here in India.
I’m grateful that I can be in touch with most people from the other side of the world.

(Not to mention everyday, live and in person – well, as close as it can get – until we can teleport.)

I’m grateful that I can still enjoy the little freedoms some people can’t even imagine having.

Maybe thanksgiving is something that signified how the Native Americans were wiped off,
Maybe it’s raining on the parade.

But at least it still goes on. Doesn’t it?

That’s why I’m grateful.
The parade still goes on.
Family and friends still get together – even if it’s not thanksgiving.

So this thanksgiving, instead of bitching and moaning
I figured sending out this note
To friends and folks near and far.
To say a simple ‘thank you’…

In the words of a great friend:
“Thank you for being there, while I was there”
You all know who you are and how your work is important.

I think this is where my grandma got it wrong.
I don’t think the world is going to end very soon.

Not if we’re still around.
And not if we can help it.

Happy Thanksgiving.

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Note: This was written two years ago. I'm migrating my other blog on to here. Same stuff, just different packaging.
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