Friday, June 29, 2007

Van Cordtland Park





Rains are same everywhere when it comes to the mood they impinge on a mind that is obsessed with its dark, fluid, ever encompassing and pervasive nature. When I came here in New York last august, I longed for rain at normal tropical temperature, the way it has in India, but the September and November rains are just too cold to be enjoyed on body. But now with more than 25 deg C in NY rain is much more soothing and appealing. These pictures I took on a Sunday evening when there is practically no one around and that's what i wanted to shoot in my photographs....the utter desolation of landscape, the solitude and loneliness at it's silent best. In fact the dark saturated colors are the best thing my manual SLR Yaschica 2000 (1983 model) does best.

I went to Van Cortdland Park last week when it was raining to cut blades of grass for Missy and Ion and was pleased with myself for coming out and seeing the dark somber tree-caped park with all its natural glory. It's located on the 242nd street on # 1 train from where Jack Kerouac started his Beat Generation road trip to the wast somewhere in 1940's. I jog in this park whose track has perimeter of 2 miles and i do 4-5 rounds its very heady and exhausting. I have even mapped it on www.sanoodi.com

The earth freshly impregnated by gentle New York shower was moist and warm with musty smell and dark look. Foliage was growing surreptitiously like a young girl growing under the warm desirous eyes of boys who watch her every once and often. And whenever I see the dark rainy landscape of park I realize what Frost might have though while writing those words, “The woods are lovely, dark, and deep” for I can see the bark of heavy old and big oak trees seeped to the core with water like a woman in love.

The entire landscape of park was dark and somber dotted with solemn light even at 8 O’clock in the night, falling from the sky wherever tree tops opened up. The green grass of other side color and the distant sound of water falling incessantly from the satellite pond in the concrete chamber nearby like a man under the spell of cannabis repeating same movements again and again without realizing, everything felt as if I am seeing something again after a long time and feeling happy about the déjà vu effect.

But this déjà vu is something that I feel every time it rains………