Thursday, March 09, 2006

Moment vs. Moment

“It was my moment versus yours.”

“Why does it have to be one against the other? We were both there weren’t we?”

“Physically yes, but there is more to it than that.”

“I am sure there is, but what the hell do you mean by your moment versus mine?”

“Well, I am sure it did not mean the same thing to you as it did to me.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because we take out different memories from different moments. You are a sentimental romantic and I am a practical yet sensitive poet.”

“Oh, so the poet speaks!”

“No need to get sarcastic. I am just trying to answer your question.”

“So why don’t you compose a poem to explain it to me.”

“Maybe I will.”

“I am sure you won’t.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t have the inspiration.”

“Haha. Do you think everything I write is inspired?”

“It isn’t?”

“No. Sometimes it’s just some bullshit string of words that I put together in the name of art. Let others ponder the mystery and wonders of my writing just by making it so different from what they have read before, and it comes out shining as a brilliant piece of literature. Of course there are other times when I put my heart and soul into writing something and everyone seems to misread what I have been writing about – taking out their own meanings, which ruin the very purpose of my writing. Anyway, that does not matter. That is why I say it is my moment versus yours.”

“But I am sure it does not happen all the time. There must be times when people spot the bullshit and feel the passion.”

“Feel the passion. Hah. Yes, there are times when that happens.”

“And those are the times you feel connected to your readers.”

“I suppose I do.”

“Then how is it your moment versus theirs.”

“But they don’t get the exact same feeling.”

“But they get the gist of it?”

“Yes, they do.”

“Then can’t there be times when the moment is the same for us.”

“I thought I was the practical one, but then again, this is a very romantic point of view.”

“Leave romance out of it and answer the question.”

“No. There is always a difference in the moment.”

“Stop being stubborn.”

“Okay. Okay. So there can be sometimes when the moment is same but that is very rare. Different things mean different things to different people. Like the last sentence, that was alliteration to me, a confusing sentence to you, using the word “different” too many times to someone else, clichéd to another, nonsense to another and so forth. If one simple sentence can change things then how can you expect moments to be the same?”

“Stop trying to confuse me.”

“Exactly. You are confused while I am marveling at my alliteration.”

“Words and moments are very different things.”

“Are you trying to confuse me now?”

“No I am not.”

“Then let’s go get a cup of coffee and continue this there.”

“Let’s. Maybe we will create another moment.”

“Maybe it will be the same.”

“It will.”


26 comments:

Lg said...

Nice! this post is an instant hit with me :)

shooting star said...

"Different things mean different things to different people"
great post as usual

Jay said...

Hm.

chaos said...

Ahem... moments... good one :)

educatedunemployed said...

Absolutely loved the conversation.Felt like I've been there done that.Tried to make sense, but couldn't.Tried to find the moment,but didn't.

tussand said...

Goodness gracious, I think this post will be a hit. It actually fleshes out the basic problem of literature with regards to interpretation and how readers are actually making biased readings all the time!

I'm sure all poets will agree that they have faced this situation at one point or another. Especially when your Significant Other does not write poetry hahaha.

Prerona said...

i loved that para where u talk abt what u write and the readers

Anonymous said...

I can't wait to turn the page. Beautiful.

mermaid said...

Moments are very different for two individuals. When you can value your partner's, lover's, relative's, friend's, enemy's reaction (though it is a totally different design from yours), you are blending both moments into one.

And yes, the writer is often misunderstood by the reader. I still learn something new each time about my writing from various readers.

Dreamy Eyed Gal said...

cool post!!!

Aradhita said...

a moment I could totally relate to, after several moments of waiting!

Good to see you back :)

keed said...

moments are relative.

First Rain said...

The moment is never the same is it? Neither temporally, nor spatially, nor metaphorically... but then who is to contest it isn't? My point versus yours! Precisely. As if anything I just wrote makes any sense at all.

Pincushion said...

WEll at least you sound different now and dare I say more honest ;)!

Φ said...

as august as it can be :)

G Shrivastava said...

Reminds me of Waiting for Godot - "No. Sometimes it’s just some bullshit string of words that I put together in the name of art. " - tongue-in-cheek eh?

That Girl said...

hehehhehe.. sounds like a VERY creative way of asking someone out for a cup of coffee!!!

*giggles all the way back to her blog*

Blueprincesa said...

what an interesting dialogue.

As-I-Am said...

a lot can happen over a cup of coffee.

Brood Mode said...

rarely do u find someone with whom you can have such a dialogue

Anonymous said...

Intriguing ex-change

bhupinder said...

i had a feeling of deja vu after reading this post.... have been through this so many times

Casablanca said...

Ah, looks like someone's bored of compliments. Cheeky. Very cheeky ;)

Fear not, I am back, sans compliments this time. And that elitist, arrogant post of yours was lurvly. Damn, did I just compliment you again?

junat said...

now ou have put ur readers in a fix as to they must get the same gist of ur poems as you thought while writting or it may hurt the poet.

Eroteme said...

Splendid thoughts and captured quite well. Often I would say the same thing about philosophical insight too, but I suppose it is easier for people to follow than realise that the philosopher's moment of insight might never be captured as it had been to her/him... It was a pleasure reading this post.

Mykel said...

You have been plagiarised:

http://princeofdamnation.wordpress.com/2007/07/01/moment-vs-moment/

I am a similar victim. If you wish to pursue collective legal action against the perpetrator (with 5 other victims), please contact me at

mykelism[at]gmail.com

cheers.