Every time I see the heaving earth
Under a dark and angry sky
I feel there is going to be a row
Of tempest or a storm.
It’s just a fight of sound and fury
Of course, signifying nothing
For when it ends the sky is blue
And the earth is cool and calm.
I watch it from my window
The clouds crumbling into drops
Then gathering might with rising strain
And falling to a steady flow.
It’s a wondrous sight to watch the rain
Beads of rain that play a game
Of run and chase along the lines
Shimmering strings of silver
Sliding down the eaves
The roses and the jasmines
Dancing in the shower
They beg the impish droplets
To be more mild and tender.
Even as you watch
The strain goes weak and soft
The few stray drops that stay
Like lingering boys at play
Are called away by mamma earth
And put to bed on her bosom soft.
Now the sky is blue again
And the earth is cool and fresh
It is sometimes good to have a fight
If that will set everything right.
25th October 1988
Monday, August 31, 2009
A MOTHER’S PRAYER
You are a gift my precious son
That God decreed to us
To bring love and life and laughter
Into this happy home
Like a helpless little angel
That strayed away from heaven
So sweet, so soft, so pure you lay
Like a shining pearl in an oyster white.
Life centered round your cradle
For Mum and Dad and Big Brother
Your instant smiles and sudden tears
The talk of the day from morn till night.
The first smile that showed a milky tooth
The first step that made you stumble
The first word that you lisped with triumph
Were great news that brought delight.
But time the speedster rushes by
Sparing none its magic touch
As birthday candles grew in number
The cradle bars gave way to you.
Gone are the days when your tiny hand
Held my thumb and watched with wonder
The world around in its glory and splendour
A bruised knee, a broken toy
Shattered your little world of joy
But a hug, a kiss or a tender word
Brought blossoms back to your tearstained face.
Gone are those days of angry screams
Of measles, mumps and running nose
And sleepless nights with tummy aches.
As now you stand at the gates of youth
Brave and strong and full of life
A constant prayer my heart does make
To hold you above all spite and fear
To teach you face all odds and falls
To keep you away from drugs and booze.
When your heart aches or spirit wanes
Know your mother is always there
On earth or in heaven she’ll always reach out
To soothe your soul and wipe your tears
For you never grow up in your mother’s love.
So, sing the song of life my son
Be it of mirth or sorrow deep
For it is not the song that counts
But the melody you make of it.
For Sanju 18th October 1989
That God decreed to us
To bring love and life and laughter
Into this happy home
Like a helpless little angel
That strayed away from heaven
So sweet, so soft, so pure you lay
Like a shining pearl in an oyster white.
Life centered round your cradle
For Mum and Dad and Big Brother
Your instant smiles and sudden tears
The talk of the day from morn till night.
The first smile that showed a milky tooth
The first step that made you stumble
The first word that you lisped with triumph
Were great news that brought delight.
But time the speedster rushes by
Sparing none its magic touch
As birthday candles grew in number
The cradle bars gave way to you.
Gone are the days when your tiny hand
Held my thumb and watched with wonder
The world around in its glory and splendour
A bruised knee, a broken toy
Shattered your little world of joy
But a hug, a kiss or a tender word
Brought blossoms back to your tearstained face.
Gone are those days of angry screams
Of measles, mumps and running nose
And sleepless nights with tummy aches.
As now you stand at the gates of youth
Brave and strong and full of life
A constant prayer my heart does make
To hold you above all spite and fear
To teach you face all odds and falls
To keep you away from drugs and booze.
When your heart aches or spirit wanes
Know your mother is always there
On earth or in heaven she’ll always reach out
To soothe your soul and wipe your tears
For you never grow up in your mother’s love.
So, sing the song of life my son
Be it of mirth or sorrow deep
For it is not the song that counts
But the melody you make of it.
For Sanju 18th October 1989
A SNAPSHOT
I stood in terror and wonder
As lightning splashed the world aglow
Sending silver through the chords of rain
And shudders of rumbling thunder
Shaking the world out of slumber.
I sensed the mighty magic hand
Opening the gates of heaven wide
To a gallery of wondrous art
That made a marvel even of a leaf.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce
In myriad shades of light
He painted for me the visions bright
Just for a click of the eye
But it got to freeze for keeps
The power and the beauty
Of a moment so dense and divine.
As lightning splashed the world aglow
Sending silver through the chords of rain
And shudders of rumbling thunder
Shaking the world out of slumber.
I sensed the mighty magic hand
Opening the gates of heaven wide
To a gallery of wondrous art
That made a marvel even of a leaf.
Sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce
In myriad shades of light
He painted for me the visions bright
Just for a click of the eye
But it got to freeze for keeps
The power and the beauty
Of a moment so dense and divine.
MY KINGDOM
I sat beside the dreamy stream
The dawn was melting into day
And the world around seemed gay.
The birds with joy began their choir
From up the trees and down the lawn
The leaves with breeze played gleefully
Making shadows on the grass.
A butterfly came fluttering by
There were rainbows on its wings
It came waltzing in the sunlight
And whispered to a rose.
The flower blushed and shed a drop
A dew of perfect happiness.
My heart alone felt out of place
But then I heard my love afar
Singing through the fields he came
On his lips a smile of silent bliss
In his eyes a look of tender love.
He came to me, my eyes met his
There to see another world
With the blue above and green below
The grass and the roses and the butterflies
But there - I was queen of all.
November 1967
The dawn was melting into day
And the world around seemed gay.
The birds with joy began their choir
From up the trees and down the lawn
The leaves with breeze played gleefully
Making shadows on the grass.
A butterfly came fluttering by
There were rainbows on its wings
It came waltzing in the sunlight
And whispered to a rose.
The flower blushed and shed a drop
A dew of perfect happiness.
My heart alone felt out of place
But then I heard my love afar
Singing through the fields he came
On his lips a smile of silent bliss
In his eyes a look of tender love.
He came to me, my eyes met his
There to see another world
With the blue above and green below
The grass and the roses and the butterflies
But there - I was queen of all.
November 1967
FARHA
Farha was a beauty queen
With regal robes of molten gold
And delicate dapples of woolly white.
Her clear blue eyes a seat of wonder
Sleek and slim and swift in stride
She moved around with fluid grace
Stealing from all a second glance.
Her mother was no rare beauty
Her father was no noble
But she of course was royal
And royally did live.
She had the softest bed
She ate the richest food
And never left her palace
To mingle with the mean.
She knew the key to every heart
And entered without knocking
Young and old all fell for her
There was magic in her charm.
She made dull hours shorter
And joys linger longer
Even in her mischief
There was a winning way.
The gods must have been jealous
Of the lovely little life.
She was still so young and blooming
When they took her away from us.
In a coffin small and soft
We put her little body
To sleep alone in her dark abode
And left the tomb with tears unshed.
The glowing gold and soft white clouds
Of the eastern sky at sunset
Wakes Farha up from memory’s corner
The dearest kitten we ever had!
For Thankam 1989
With regal robes of molten gold
And delicate dapples of woolly white.
Her clear blue eyes a seat of wonder
Sleek and slim and swift in stride
She moved around with fluid grace
Stealing from all a second glance.
Her mother was no rare beauty
Her father was no noble
But she of course was royal
And royally did live.
She had the softest bed
She ate the richest food
And never left her palace
To mingle with the mean.
She knew the key to every heart
And entered without knocking
Young and old all fell for her
There was magic in her charm.
She made dull hours shorter
And joys linger longer
Even in her mischief
There was a winning way.
The gods must have been jealous
Of the lovely little life.
She was still so young and blooming
When they took her away from us.
In a coffin small and soft
We put her little body
To sleep alone in her dark abode
And left the tomb with tears unshed.
The glowing gold and soft white clouds
Of the eastern sky at sunset
Wakes Farha up from memory’s corner
The dearest kitten we ever had!
For Thankam 1989
THE LONE BIRD
There is a secret bond between us
The lone bird and me.
She chirps me up in the mornings
From the mulberry branch by my window
Sometimes she pecks in the lawn
With her mate all concern for her
But I sense in her slight steps
The burden of a boredom.
She looks at me with fearless eyes
Which speaks to me of distant dreams.
In the evenings against the setting sun
As she floats across the sky
A black dot among her friends
I can spot her as the odd one out.
Even as she sweeps and swoops
Her wings in rhythm with the others
I know she does it with her soul apart.
At dawn, day or dusk
I see her daily without fail
And in her silence I read the message
Of a solitude that stirs the strings
Of the loneliness I share with her.
My loneliness is my constant companion
It fills my heart and soul
Sometimes even runs through my veins
And shrouds me aloof from all company.
It rings in my laughter
And echoes in my deeds
Like the lone bird I flit and float
With the secret solitude in my soul.
The lone bird and me.
She chirps me up in the mornings
From the mulberry branch by my window
Sometimes she pecks in the lawn
With her mate all concern for her
But I sense in her slight steps
The burden of a boredom.
She looks at me with fearless eyes
Which speaks to me of distant dreams.
In the evenings against the setting sun
As she floats across the sky
A black dot among her friends
I can spot her as the odd one out.
Even as she sweeps and swoops
Her wings in rhythm with the others
I know she does it with her soul apart.
At dawn, day or dusk
I see her daily without fail
And in her silence I read the message
Of a solitude that stirs the strings
Of the loneliness I share with her.
My loneliness is my constant companion
It fills my heart and soul
Sometimes even runs through my veins
And shrouds me aloof from all company.
It rings in my laughter
And echoes in my deeds
Like the lone bird I flit and float
With the secret solitude in my soul.
ADIEU! MY CHILD!
Georgekutty!
Without word or warning
You vanished like a shooting star
As heavenly hands whisked you away
To the eternal shore of peace and bliss.
The days that come and go
Are soaked now with fond thoughts
Of that twinkle in your eyes
And that dimple in your cheek.
Of your brisk ways and calm confidence
Of the mischief in your smile
And the wit in your words.
Our hearts ache with the burden
Of words of love unspoken
And tender touches of affection
We never made a chance to give
Because we never knew
The call would come so soon.
With beauty and brilliance
Blended so much in abundance
The Gods must have had second thoughts
That you were too good for us mortals.
Up there with the angels
As you spend your joyous hours
Down here we tread the time
With a constant whisper in our souls
That we’ll meet you there some day.
[Georgekutty, our fair and handsome nephew was a trainee pilot officer when he died in a plane crash on 25th March, 1991. It was the first practice flight he made. All the 24 young pilot officers and the pilot of the plane died in the crash.]
Without word or warning
You vanished like a shooting star
As heavenly hands whisked you away
To the eternal shore of peace and bliss.
The days that come and go
Are soaked now with fond thoughts
Of that twinkle in your eyes
And that dimple in your cheek.
Of your brisk ways and calm confidence
Of the mischief in your smile
And the wit in your words.
Our hearts ache with the burden
Of words of love unspoken
And tender touches of affection
We never made a chance to give
Because we never knew
The call would come so soon.
With beauty and brilliance
Blended so much in abundance
The Gods must have had second thoughts
That you were too good for us mortals.
Up there with the angels
As you spend your joyous hours
Down here we tread the time
With a constant whisper in our souls
That we’ll meet you there some day.
[Georgekutty, our fair and handsome nephew was a trainee pilot officer when he died in a plane crash on 25th March, 1991. It was the first practice flight he made. All the 24 young pilot officers and the pilot of the plane died in the crash.]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)