Vijay Rajakumar

apartment 107

Should I settle down? Find myself an apartment?
In SF, finding an apartment is a lot like finding love.
If finding an apartment is easy enough,
Buying one is like arranged marriage-
You are given a list by zillow.com
You have to propose on the first date,
Agreeing to see again only at the wedding.
It’s mildly brutal, but worked for my parents.
The problem is-
I already have the perfect apartment,
655 Tennessee st. Only I cannot buy it.

The industrial floor, artist loft, intimate patio
just big enough for me and the girl.
Earlier, I floored her with my red boat shoes.
We went to Dolores park instead of a movie,
And drank fernet by the tree.
Then, she introduced me to her parents.
They were more nervous, thinking –
We have never seen him before
and he wants our Mira Gatlin.
After chai and some parle’s,
they ask, where do you work?
I ask, where is the bathroom?

The wedding was ok. Handful of our friends,
Lot of known unknowns and the half-naked priest!
He looked at me, as if I drank the night before.
I did. To the hope, this marriage thing works out.
Then, someone threw rice right at my eyes.
Just like that, I was married. First stop – Hawaii!
Lots of us, husbands, wives, flowers, macadamia nuts,
whatsapp messages, ancestor ghosts – all whispering-
Do it, son.
But I deny honeymoon. I vehemently deny!
I run to the hills. I am hereby the Mad Indian.
This is the freedom commune,
and I am the saint of adventure.

Vijay, wake up! Ten years have gone by.
Sat and Prem jump on our bed until I get up.
The energetic little people trail me,
I threaten to kiss with the shaving cream on,
they agree on a truce and a cereal combination.
I slip away and Mira gets the goofballs ready.
From the kitchen to the garage, clinging to my legs,
some hundred kisses and hugs later, they let me go.
Some time later, I am on 101 traffic, thinking-
how the hell did I get this lucky!
But this was yesterday. What a pleasant nightmare–
So, I wait. One day, 655 Tennessee st will be mine.

—–
Mira, Sat, Prem are Sanskrit words meaning peace, truth and love. My friends had commented that almost all my poems have a dark undertone, which I realize is true. Since, I have found writing “happy” poems that are not kitsch, surprisingly hard. This comes close – a happy light-hearted poem. Also, this was my submission for a poetry slam in bay area.