HAWK
Next to its mirror in the pines
a hawk looks first
at itself, then turns
to scan the undergrowth and after
long meditation
loosens the scaffolding
inside its wings
and leaves its image behind
on the glass.
Wanting to be a Hawk.
– Can only parasail for now.
The poem by David Chorlton always brings home the limitations we have. The limitations with respect to the third dimension.Forever we are condemned to the plane surface. Only flights we can take is of imagination. Yogis and other paranormals barring.Only time I move in the third is while on a lift,escalator or stairs.
Forever staring at the Hawks and Eagles. Thinking of the freedom. Soaring. This was what was going through the mind that Tuesday morning while sipping hot brew on the swing in the balcony.Watching the Eagles circling the sun in the east. Then in the office get this mail from the Angel Suresh.[ He is not one with a halo.That is what he calls his little band] Asking for people to Parasail.
Now why did I forget that here you can go up- with a rope albeit. Yet for a minute or so we can touch the third D. And while I was at it thought will let the project team too have a taste of the 300 feet rope dangling from an individual self to the car pulling and there by hoisting the parachute . So calls to the S and the boss were made and the date fixed. Team agreed.
Saturday arrived. Some of us collected at Towers office and waited for the others to collect. Cribbed. Some one got to be late.Finally reached the dried lake bed on the old madras road, Hoskote. There we saw the out of the Showpiece For the Old Case, still looking tough and suitably modified Amby. This ancient beast of burden had the wheels and the power to make us forget terra-firma.
Loads of Jokes. Brief coaching on safety and “Do Not Cross The Ropes Of The Chute. Do Not Step On it Either” by Paresh and his team. Then our dynamic leader S [ DLL for short, the extra L for emphasis] harnessed himself. Ready. Chute lifted. Canopy broke free. Flutter. Amby rolled. Cannon Clicked. We clapped and DLL was sky borne. 2 Mins. Touch down. Smile.
One by one rest of the team followed. Cows grazing at the landing site Boo mused.Rama wanted go move up in the more colorful chute. Ajay wanted to catch the shadow of the chute from the sky on film.Could not. Instructor bars.Rajat out ran the Amby.[Sun and Archana have that effect?!].While one was sky sailing others were dumb charading and then singing. Sun steadily climbed. Pleasant morning made way to hot noon. No trees.More jokes. Second time around while landing I nearly did so on a cow. Only in the last second did the C make a move to run. Touch down. Safe. Beam. Pack. Lunch. Home.
DLL says good outing. Not much effort, No Gyan.All fun. All that wide open expanse[ the lake is 6 KM long and ~2 KM wide ?], Blue sky, chutes punctuating with color comes back to the shut eye and a sign escapes. Now it’s back to the 2D existence till next time the clear air hits the rising body. Eagles at Hoskote still have their smirk on the beak. So one day for couple of 3 mins you looked down. We will soar forever. The thoughts go back to freedom while staring at the Eagles circling the sun in the east with hot brew in hand. Long a way to go before I can leave my Image behind.
Hit the roads 