Quick-Dry Top Coat Revolution Poem by Pallavi Ram

It began with the Jasmine Revolution -
Tunisia burst, Egypt lifted its Pharaoh's curse,
Libya's apocalypse, Yemen & Bahrain smoking, raging,
Bulls-eye! Obama gets Osama,
Mumbai sundered, bombs ripping
People & psyche torn asunder,
Anna Hazare roars
Public morale soars..

Denizens going about their business
That fast cup of coffee, the scone grabbed on the way
The products discarded, environment having no say
Quicker, better, super-sized decadence
The daily affairs & primping & trumping
The botox & detox & plumping,
The show to catch, a friend to meet,
The facials & manis & pedis
Quick-dry, top coat please!

The snow storm of March hobbling New York City,
The tornado searing through Southern lands,
Oil spills mixing the sands..
The earthquake in Virginia - reverberating in Detroit
The storm in Toronto -
Indra unleashing 20,000 thunderbolts an hour,
Hurricane Irene unopposed, Anirudh,
Doing her Taandav unleashing Vayu & Varuna,
Wreaking havoc, froth & bubble,
New York City shutdown & stumbling,
No nectar with the Atlantic churning…
Texas gripped with extreme drought & Trishna,
No boons, no Devas, nor Vishnu

Summer is ending,
Let me read that book which I'm not finding
Squeeze in that bike ride,
Run to that beach with the tides,
One more movie, a haircut, & high-tea,
Dinner with friends & shopping for me,
Oh no! do I need to do groceries again?
Where are my re-usable bags with the fruit stains?
I'm running from this camp class to swimming,
Avantika, stop complaining!
Can I squeeze in a mani, a pedi & a facial?
Should I do the shellac special?
Do I have time to spare?
Well I do have the solution
With the quick-dry, top coat nail revolution.


(Vayu = God of Wind, Varuna = God of Water, Indra = God of Heaven with thunderbolt as his weapon, Anirudh = Unopposed, Trishna = thirst,
Taandav = Shiva's cosmic dance, Avantika = modest)