Category: A03 — POEMS

The wood outhouse in our backyard has no top;
Only a few shafts can see the full sky when I look up.
Fuming or cool like a mother’s mood
When her kids refuse or agree for food.                                       1
The wood outhouse in our backyard has no side covers
Only a low fence can see trees and bushes live like lovers.
The secret language they use for chat
The bird on the tree knows and the pussy cat                             2
There is a rubber ball kids have kicked and thrown
It jumps up in joy when hits the ground
Or is it the Mother Earth that lifts it up to boost
It’s spirits, after healing its wound?                                             3
Why these little squirrels are in hurry, I wonder
To buy tickets to climb walls and wander?
Why are these birds noisy and restless?
When the sky is calm, no lightning or thunder?                                      4
Oh, they want to run away from me, as I’m singing!
Is singing a crime? No, they say, ‘you are bungling’.
” The court singer of heaven, Air, is your teacher
How can I match you?’ I ask ashamed of my torture..                              5
There is a fireplace close by, to warm us in winter
What a fool am I? I am fire, the sky is fire, and oceans are fire.
The fire of love pushed me into mother’s womb
The fire of life makes me breathe; the fire of Death will take away.            . 6
The wood outhouse in our backyard has no top or sides
‘Why do you call it a house and not deck then?” you ask.
For squirrels, cats, birds, lizards and butter flies,
A wayside shelter, a way for my flutter.                                                       7
Yes, I flutter with joy when I sit there
When the sun, birds and animals sit very near
I utter the glory of the high sky
Looking up, oh, how far but how close by!                                                 8

 
The moment it hits the soil, the happiness seed
Breaks, procreates, grows and blooms as smile
The sorrow screws, chokes and slices heart’s domain
And bursts into tears, ah, the scars remain.                       1
 
 
 
I don’t waste time counting my scars
Count only the scattered stars,
Scars are many, stars a few, still
Sufficient to shine and spread a thrill.                                  2
 
 
 
That little sky of mine is a mystery land,
A magician with a magic wand?
A playful child with a music band,
Or a demon with a mace in hand?                                        3
 
 
 
Vagabond clouds and virgin beams,
Twinkling stars and singing streams,
Turbulent storms and turbid ponds
All there, in unbelievable bonds.                                           4
 
 
 
Am I their master, how could that be,
When they rock me like a helpless baby?
‘You are the master, rule them’, ordered my book
I tried and failed; alas, have no luck.                                      5
 
 
 
‘Let they come and go’, advised my Lord,
‘They are my forms, as you are ‘, my God!
Now they come and go, but who bothers?
We are all one, me, my thoughts and my Lord.                      6
 
 
 
Muti-hooded serpents and innocuous earthworms,
Vociferous drummers and voiceless bums,
They all go along with the flow
And I stand on the shore watching below.                             7
 
 
 
‘Let they come and go’, I tell, they sail.
Absolute silence and peace prevail.
Then comes a melody floating in the air
Gets absorbed into the soul, layer by layer.                            8
 
 
 
‘Stay forever, stay forever’, still I plead
To the music from the divine reed
‘Why this fear?’ asks my Lord, smiling
‘You are the music, where will you go?’                                    9
 
 
 
Wiping tears, ‘who am I, before Thou!’ I tell my Lord,
‘You are the music, you the pipe and the player’
He smiles again and utters unambiguously
‘You’re me and me, you’
 

Y

Your woods, hills and rivers took over
A chip of my mind, Vancouver.
Farewell now, but shall come again
To enjoy your snow -capped hills and pouring rain.               1
Towering mountains, lazy lakes,
Chirping birds and bashful creeks,
Mesmerizing maples and haughty oaks
All follow me as friendly folks                                            2
The mountain range and the Ocean
Are lovers bound in passion,
Guarding the city of Vancouver
A majestic boon for ever                                                  3
The Mount Baker’s glacial crown
Shining in the morning sun
Seen from the ‘Golden Ears’
Will last in mind for years.                                                4
Like the white veil of a bride
Flows down with pride
A cascade with bubbling smile
Aptly named ‘Bridal veil’                                                   5
Shamed and subdued at the ‘Hells Gate’
River Fraser thunders
Drowpathy is she, a forest fire
Ferocious with endless ire.                                              6
Fraser, you dissipate your woes
By sounds and pounds on the shores
My woes have turned into rocks,
No mouth to weep or eyes for tears.                                  7
The Capilano bridge hangs and rocks
Between two mountains, like our life,
Quietly flows below a perennial river
Like the Divine Grace that flows for ever                          8
Thanks my kin for the love and care
To you sky, for the weather fair
My thirst to be with you is not yet over
May we meet again, Vancouver                                      9

 
Posted on June 26, 2013
( In memory of those innocent devotees who lost their life in the recent flash flood in the Himalayan range)
Life giver, life-raiser and life-remover are Thou
Again and again to Thee, I bow.
A half beat from your little drum
Awakens the world, oh, what a glow!                                                                                  1
The second half sends the world to sleep,
The Sun dries and the moon melts.
The stars become pebbles to join the sea
The waves don’t wave, the eyes don’t see.                                                                             2
Oh, what a pity, if the air can’t breathe
The Earth can’t move and the Sound goes dumb?
And then thou dance on the barren land
Beating the little drum in thy hand.                                                                                             3
Has that time come now, Rudradev
To commence thy cosmic dance?
Why, why did thou vanquish the ones
Who came just to see you once?                                                                                                    4
Thy kids are we; we have a right to ask
Pardon us for our lapses but stop this play.
Shut thy third eye and open up the heart
Thou are our way, thou didn’t make us of clay.                                                                            5
No need now to descend the hills
To collect skulls, for thy garland,
Pick up from the Himalayan ranges
Weep, weep, oh, mother Ganges.                                                                                                   6
Keep the skulls close to thy chest
Let the moon and the River on your head
Sprinkle the nectar all over them
Absorb them, oh, Mahadev, absorb them                                                                                         7
Beat thy hand drum, awake the souls
Let the skulls vibrate with life and vigor
Let the Moon and the River wash them with nectar
Absorb them oh, Mahadev, absorb them.                                                                                    8

Why did you touch me, if  don’t want to hug me ?
Not to you, not to you, Death.
———————————————————————————————————
I long for the sun when it rains ; I long for the rains when it shines. But, whether it shines or rains, I long for you, my moon light !

The opposite forces, churned the ocean in me,
Many were there to  share the flowers and fortunes
But to absorb the poison,
you alone, you alone,  Neelakanta!

Siruvanithanniyile sernrndhuvandha sempavizhom,
Sevarkkodiyazhakan thernthedutha senkathali,
Maanagar Mathuraiyela malarnda kaodaimallikappoo,en-

പാഹി പാഹി മാം ദീനപാല രാജഗോപാല

ദേഹി മേ കരാഭയം, കൃപയാ  ഹേ ദയാസിന്ധോ        

                   പാഹി

ആദ്യന്തരഹിതാനന്ദാത്മന്‍‍, സദ്ഗുണധാമ

രാധികാരമണ, ശ്രീധാമ, സുദാമാസഖേ!                                            പാഹി

മാനസ മധുകര മാധവ തവപാദ

സൂനസമീപം സദാ ഖേലതി മുദാ മമ                                                     പാഹി

വാരണവര ദുഃഖതാരണാര്‍ജുനാനന്ദ-

കാരണ, മമാഘ  നിവാരണ, കരുണാബ്ധെ!                                             പാഹി

ആമയ  ശമനം നിരാമയ കുരു മമ

ശ്യാമസുന്ദര! രമാമന്ദിര, മധുരിപോ  !                                               പാഹി

पाहि पाहि मां दीनपाल राजगोपाल
देहि मे कराभयं हे  दयासिन्धो
आद्यन्तरहितानन्तात्मन् सद्गुणधाम
राधिकारमण श्रीधाम सुधामासखे
मानसमधुकरः माधव तव पाद सून
समीपं सदा खेलति मुदा मम
वारणवर दुःख तारण अर्जुनानन्द
कारण ममाघ निवारण करुणाब्धे
आमयासमनाम निरामय कुरु मम
श्यामसुन्दर रमामन्दिर मधुरिपो
तव पद वियत्गङ्गा सलिले मानसहंसो
विहरति सदा मम गुरुवायुपुरपते
तव पदस्मरणा सङ्कलनेन मम जन्म
साफल्यं सदा कुरु गुरुवायुपुरपते
पाहि पाहि मां दीनपाल राजगोपाल
देहि मे कराभयं हे  दयासिन्धो
pāhi pāhi māṁ dīnapāla rājagopāla
dehi me karābhayaṁ kripayaa hea, dayasindho
ādyantarahitānantātman sadguṇadhāma
rādhikāramaṇa śrīdhāma sudhāmāsakhe
mānasamadhukaraḥ mādhava tava pāda sūna
samīpaṁ sadā khelati mudā mama
vāraṇavara duḥkha tāraṇa arjunānanda
kāraṇa mamāgha nivāraṇa karuṇābdhe
āmayasamanam nirāmaya kuru mama
śyāmasundara ramāmandira madhuripo
tava pada viyatgaṅgā salile mānasahaṁso
viharati sadā mama guruvāyupurapate
tava padasmaraṇā saṅkalaneana mama janma
sāphalyaṁ sadā kuru guruvāyupurapate
pāhi pāhi māṁ dīnapāla rājagopāla
dehi me karābhayaṁ kripayaa hea, dayasindho
Baltimore, 16 June, 2010