It has been a long time...

Since I posted anything on here.
I'm back in Minnesota, freezing my ass off.
The current temperature is 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
That's pretty warm as of late.
But nothing compared to 80 degree India-weather.
As I was looking at the photos of Pondicherry, I actually missed India.
And not just my friends, but a real, deep lack of something.
I'm still not sleeping.

"Souvenir" (2nd version)

Owl eyes hewn from
an idol shouldn’t exist
concentric circled targets
grooves caked orange
marble-weight green as
sage hemisphere feathers
dug like fingernails into
skin sharp edges where
decapitation occurred waiting
eyes like terror in the mélange
of wrappers
and lids.

Clay bowl formed in
clumsy hands to be palmed
heavier than guilt
fired by a thought
of god perched
on the edge
of need is stone
a good circle in the way
people are (good
or bad).

Broken by an unknown century
smooth parallel lines
on the path discarded
by an archaeologist
examined by
the occasional wayward
child kicked like
a pebble.

Diwali, the festival of light, or a pyromaniac's dream.

The Guest House all lit up for Diwali.

Mae lighting sparklers with the Guest House staff.

Mae with sparkler.

Close-up of a lamp, called a diya.

This extremely loud firework looks like a ball of yarn.

Fireworks in front of the Guest House.

The roof of Kate's host family's house.

Explosions in the street.

These were my favorite fireworks.

Lighting sparklers.

Arranging the 2000-firework extravaganza.

More Pondicherry.

Hut on Auroville Beach.

The Beach.

Baywatch.

Liz trying to construct a tent.

The view from our balcony.

Another version of the view from our balcony.

The street in front of our hotel.

Our balcony.

Communism is still alive in Pondicherry.

I went to Pondicherry this weekend...

Gandhi Statue on the Promenade.

Rue du Bazar Saint Laurent

There are more, but Blogger won't let me upload them.

Photos of Mysore

These photos are from several weeks ago. I didn't have time to upload them before I had to upload photos from other trips. Blogger is being weird and not letting me upload any more photos at the moment, so there are more to come.

Butterfly trapped inside the Golden Temple. We captured it and set it free outside.

Series of Buddhas.

Golden Temple in Namdroling Monastery.

Temple in Namdroling.

Liz walking towards Sera Monastery.

Inside Sera Monastery.

Sera

Fields outside of the village of Sera.

Liz smiling at the people at a bus station near Sera. We felt like celebrities.

At a train station on the way from Bangalore to Hyderabad.

Another poem.*

Here, the moon is not a face,
but a one-winged bird.
Just like heaven
is not a place,
but a concept.

("No. It's a song."
The hipster speaks, but
there is no place for him.)

What can I do for you?
Spread unhappiness like
margarine or legs or sheets
or rumors.

I can chase you
down the hill with death dreams.

I would smile if
he weren't here,
beating from inside.
The great
di(cta)[rec]tor.

Subliminals come
dripping out my eyes
like lactating virgin marys.

The moon is not cheese;
it is paneer.


*I'm am slightly miffed that I have to include this disclaimer, but please do not take this poem literally and then inundate me with emails expressing your concern for my well-being. This is simply a poem.

Photos from Hampi

A large chariot used in festivals in the village of Anegundi, where we stayed. (Note the trailer hitch attached to the chariot.)

Incomplete bridge from Anegundi to Hampi. Construction of the bridge was stopped when it was determined that traffic would cause damage to the ancient temple structures in Hampi.

We took a ride on the Pampa River in these circular boats called coracles.

Coracles are used to transport all sorts of vehicles across the river, including motorcycles.

We stopped on an island to look around.

This lizard's for you, Dad.

Large temple complex in Hampi.

I've decided to start a collection of photos of trash piles in front of temples.

For my other collection.

Boys playing cricket in a temple complex.

We were never able to figure out exactly what these guys were doing, but they had awesome turbans.

This little boy was taunting a cow with a piece of food.

Another trash pile.

Petting a cow at Hampi Bazaar.

Hampi Bazaar.

Walking to The Mango Tree Restaurant for lunch.

A Nandi (bull) statue decorated for Dussehra.

Eating lunch. (Or just staring into space).

Fisherman with his net near the river.

Prostrated figures carved into the floor in front of a temple.

Carving at a temple. I can't tell who is winning this battle, the tiger or the soldier.

Kids playing on elephant statues in front of a temple.

The most frequently-visited temple in Hampi.

Another addition to the collection.

Lawnmower inside an ancient Jain temple.

Dussehra platform with elephant leg.

The Lotus Mahal. This photo was taken before it started raining and we had to cram inside the building, along with many Indian families.

The main, still-functional temple in Hampi.

The courtyard was flooded. The temple was cool, but we couldn't take photos inside. There was a temple elephant named Lakshmi.