Ryokan and me

How can we ever lose interest in life?
Spring has come again
And cherry trees bloom in the mountains.

....

Going out to beg this spring day
I stopped to pick violets -
Oh! The day is over

writes Ryokan in One Robe, One Bowl.

Am not sure if spring has touched Mumbai. Will have to check it out with the badams, tamarinds, peepals and banyans; or the blood-red large size hibiscus in the society garden. Do not bother the weather bureau or friends. At 10.30 a.m. spotted a white-browed fantail flycatcher, a golden oriol and an ashy grey wren warbler -- all at the same moment, behind the housing society; the golden oriole and fantail flycatcher hopping from tamarind to badam; while the ashy grey wren warbler was perched on a flowering arali shrub. Couple of days ago, a young couple clicked them on mobiles and the white brow on the flycatcher stood distinct. Me presumes it is white browed and not white spotted. Delight when its tail fans out like some Japanese fan. In the last two months, has been chatting up with this fellow cheeping; mostly in singles, sometimes in doubles. In LIC Colony, have come swarms of rosy pastors, winging en masse parts of the sky, before taking off to wish me knows where. This is the third year running of their coming to Borivili (W). At the pond of Vazira Ganesh temple, apart from the resident white fronted kingfisher and a few turtles, noted a white fronted water hen. Nothing to boast of. 'Kya hua,' some ask. 'Watching birds, chidiya,' me replies. They walk away. Me stands, neck up. In the afternoon, they, the birds, are not there. Where, they know, not me. Something to keep me ridiculously happy. Can understand Ryokan. Am one with him, Basho and the rest -- not taught at Mumbai schools and colleges. Recently, President Obama talked of carrying around a rosary and a small Buddha given by a monk in his pockets. He sure needs them. Well, me heart carries birds and trees, haikus and Ryokan. Me also needs them. Afternoon siestas, go for a walk with Ryokan, sharing a walking stick. We walk, dont talk. Guffaws when me quotes his best lines:

THE THIEF left it behind -
the moon
At the window.

Rama wakes me up from laughs.