Unpleasant feelings veil her
And she laments in agony,
Helplessly observing from the horizon…
Evergreen trees and dense forests
Mercilessly being cut and cleared,
Modern endeavours by humans
Damaging the beautiful environment.
She sheds tears in pain
And makes a silent appeal…
Plant and conserve trees,
Make the surroundings green,
Love Nature, save environment.
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 5 June 2013]
It was morning and the day was twenty-fifth December. The door bell rang. I opened the door and saw an old lady and a young girl smiling at me. “Merry Christmas,” they said and shook my hands. The girl then forwarded me a Christmas card. “We’ll be delighted if you with your family come to our residence in the evening”, the old lady invited me. “Sure”, I assured them.
It was my first visit to the lady’s cottage and I was overwhelmed with their hospitality. After returning home, I took out my diary and penned my feelings through a poem. Next day, I sent the poem for publication to the “feelings” column of an esteemed daily. Few weeks later, it was a pleasant surprise for me when I found my poem titled ‘A lady with a difference,’ published in the newspaper.
One of the lady’s daughters, who stay in a hostel and whom I had not met before, read it in the newspaper too. Noticing the address given below the poem, she came across a doubt that perhaps the ‘lady’ referred to could be her mother. She rang her eldest sister, the one who had visited my home and told her about it. The eldest daughter did not know my good name and in fact, none in their family too, but she was quite sure that I could be the person who wrote the poem. Later, she called me, enquired about it and felt highly delighted when I told her the whole story about the composition.
After a couple of days, the old lady came to my residence again. She presented me a gift and blessed me. Then, with a bright smile, she told me that my poem about her would be scanned, framed and shall be kept as a showpiece in their living room. But this was not the end. About a year later, when the marriage of their eldest daughter was fixed, the lady’s husband and her son came to our house with an invitation card. They invited me and my family to the wedding and mentioned that we were the first family to be invited.
The words of a poem created wonders. It was an amazement to see the power of words. The love and appreciation showered by the family purely touched my heart. The charming memories shall be cherished forever.
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 28 May 2013]
peak summer
frolic in a pond
rural lads
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 22 March 2013]
O mother, let me acknowledge
your selfless toil and pristine love
that you’ve always showered on me
and guided me to the right path in life.
Even today, when I’m beside you,
your face beams with sheer delight
and your tender heart can understand
all my emotions even though it’s a trace.
Sacrifice, patience, trust…
ever shine through your actions,
wisdom, affection, inspiration…
ever reflect in your words.
You led me by example and
instilled courage to face challenges,
your vision – noble and lofty,
Oh! I simply admire your simplicity.
Inculcating values and self-reliance,
you taught me how to be independent,
I’m always proud of you, dear mother,
O God, take care of her forever.
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 2 February 2012]
crimson sky
a pair of mynahs
pen and sheet
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 2 August 2011]
Life ceases,
not for the soul
that travels through
myriad earthly bodies
between births and deaths,
untiring, undying.
The solitary traveller
enters and exits,
detached and peaceful
throughout the journey,
sans belongings,
sans company.
[Published in ‘Your Space’ of the e-journal ‘Muse India’ on 8 July 2011]
Serene Expressions 