Writing from the Mountains

Including songs for the end of 2021

Hello!

My fingers are frozen as I write this to you. I’m sitting in the Himalayan Foothills in a cottage on top of a hill. The temperature has been around 3-6 degrees and all I see outside my window is white. The white of the clouds. It’s not snowing yet, something I hope it would, but it’s been raining on and off. A good sign maybe? Every time it rains, it helps the temperature plunge. While my finger are frozen stiff and I find this hard to type, I have to say I love it. I love the cold; and being from Mumbai, doubly so.

There is something about the mountains I really love. I wouldn’t go as far as to say that mountains are calling me. Nope, but I do yearn for them from time to time. There is a certain level of peace and comfort that I find in them. But more than anything, I love the silence. The silence of the mountains. It’s filled with birds, winds, the smaller human interactions of kindness and the occasional growl of an animal somewhere in the distance. You’ll also hear me sneezing quite often—but it’s all worth it.

I don’t call myself a poet—I haven’t written a poem in years. But on the first day, this erupted out of me and I’m sharing it with you first.

Silence of the Mountains

I can hear the silence
Of the winter. 
It’s so absolute, 
Every word I say 
gets stretched
Like time. 

The days are longer
The nights longer still
But we share a smile
More often here
Like sharing warmth
Between our bodies
Huddled up, hugging ourselves.

I sit here by the window
Not daring to open them
But still watching
The silence unfold outside 
Of the clouds waltzing past
And the mountains 
Standing guard against the sounds
Of the world. 

I write these words here
They scritch-scratch on paper
I hear the nib mark these
Pages with scratches 
Some call words
And I wonder
How do I find the silence 
In my head?

Maybe if I scratch enough
Paper with my pen
I too can then hold
A piece of the silence
Held in this valley
These trees
That blue sky
And in the beating
Of my heart. 

With this I hope I am able to share a little of the silence I find here in the mountains, with you. Sharing a little bit of the mountains with you.

Recommendations

Last night one of the guests brought out his guitar and we had a great singalong. he played some of the classics and somehow it seemed quite apt to be listening to those old greats here in the mountains. So I’m going to recommend some of my favourite songs from three old time artists that I love. And I’ll ensure these songs are not the more famous ones from these artists.

1. The Beatles: I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who dislikes the Beatles. In any place, with any vibe, The Beatles just fit in like a glove. It’s so easy to find people who know the lyrics to their songs and we all sing along. Here are a few of my favourite Beatles songs:

- Norwegian Wood

- Michelle

- Something

- Blackbird

2. Simon and Garfunkel: Oh, I adore Simon and Garfunkel. They have a way of capturing moments and slices of the human experience in their songs. They have been constant companions, especially in slow moving days and times of deep thought. Here are a few of my favourites:

- I am a Rock

- The Boxer

- The Dangling Conversation

- Old Friends/Bookends

3. Bob Dylan: The songs of Bob Dylan are pure poetry. They work as poems too, but they also work as songs, epics in their own selves. Sometimes I feel if I could only string words like he did, I’d die content. Maybe one day. Here are a few of my favourites:

- Mr. Tambourine Man

- Lay Lady Lay

- Just Like a Woman

- Like a Rolling Stone

Akshay’s Updates:

1. At the start of the month I put together the 11th edition of our Writers Retreat—it was fabulous. Here’s a picture of the entire group that had joined in.

2. My iPhone 13 camera test article was published. Look here to see pretty pictures of the Milky Way (shot on iPhone).

3. I’m putting together an anthology of new writing alongside my friend Kavya. Submissions are currently open and we are looking for a broad spectrum of writing. If you’re interested in putting your work out there, see the details here.

There is a lot more to come in 2022. Thank you for staying along on this journey with me. Your support means much.

Until next year, Akshay out.

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