Author: meenas17

The marigold and the dahlias 
yellow and red blossom
 with a tenderness 
one of grace  and brilliance
both put together 
make them look enchanting.

The green grass and the roses 
white, pink and red display 
a grandeur, a portraiture 
of lush and  fecundity 
conjoined to present 
a fascination beyond .

Ixora and succulents
remain fresh during summer, 
tracing the beauty in the dry 
format an illustration
of the competing 
composure  as seen.

The garden is heaven
with colours, thrown
out as if in a spreadsheet;

blending  and breathing 

with a generosity  lighting 
up the environ with bliss

She takes everything
that  comes her way,
 lkne a greedy jackal
grabs almost all 
the does not come near,
aping a ferocious tiger
keeps them safe in her custody
in a fashion similar to  Shylock
 looks out for even more
her eyes continue revolving,
as  Macbeth keeps washing his 
hands to remove the stains  of blood.

With that much bounty she has
 she rests not in peace
 spites, condemns, and curses
 those of her kin accusing 
they have  abused her rights
 leaving  her with nothing
she could claim as her own.
 akin to the roaring lion.

 She has sold most  of her plunder
to settle her dues which has grown
out of proportion , interest multiplies 
in geometric progression, 
she has remained careless
as one who builds castles in air
 similar to Nero who fiddles happily
 while Rome  is burning.

It is families who lived together
uncles, aunts, grandparents,
all under a roof
partaking food together
participating in discussions,
confronting each other
all seemed possible 
few decades ago,

 These years two individuals 
 in apartments big or small 
express anger scream, shout,
hurl, throw things, release 
scorn, condemn one another 
conversation ceases,
the kitchen turns empty.
separation is initiated.

Wondering at such episodes
 I deliberate. I may sound 
 archaic,I look at the sun
 shining so beautifully, the clouds 
moving  in rows, the sky seems pleasing 
the ocean flows with subdued roar
 the mountains majestically bow over
 They profess no change whatsoever,

Time changes man alone.
Could be because of __-?
Really, I do not know.

Those I had
and those I still possess
a long list I can make
being not the materials
but that of the passions
I nurtured with steadfastness,

Most did not work out,
being very ambitious,
Primary is  setting a college 
of commerce, where transactions 
assume  top priority, where 
trade reaches the zenith unaffected
 by deceit,  transparent dealings.

The next is still more 
powerful,  Organizing 
a trust to help those 
who sincerely want to pursue 
higher studies, Assisting them financially 
and  rewarding them with job security.

The last of the tallest keeping 
the environment clean,
where my country falls short 
of all standards, spitting, urinating, 
defecating in public , unmindful 
discharging  of trash.

I wish, I deliberate, I draw plans
talk to the people concerned,
but all remain in papers ,
Blessed of me for having
remained inert.  Not me alone 
to be accused, the money part
 pulls me  behind,  The fact being
 I am not rich.

Crossing the parlour 
 entering the corridor 
that leads  to the nadu mutram
I stand amazed.

It is the tradition. 
it is the openness.
 it is the space where 
sun, moon and rain enter

that I longed for
that I  have done
though not as perfect
as the ancestral

a resemblance of the past
near similarity of the aesthetics
the black pillars,  the plantain 
flowers with the stalk atop,

a grandeur I behold
invites me to sit on the 
platform between the pillars
condescending I sit at ease 

 reclining  on one of them.
The sun strikes my face
gently, startled, I wake up
from my reverie.

I hear as if in an echo

“Your dream has come true,
 Are you happy? Do you want 
 still more? “

A human, I am, never satisfied. 
I visualize certain embellishments 
that have to be done,  rising up 
I hurry towards the goal.

Nadu Mutram — Courtyard,

it is a  trip
away in a village,
 the basics being 
taken care of.

No Wi- fi- to connect
 to the world,  mobile
 catches the line
at nights,

 Being at home
looking at the greenery 
watching the pea cocks 
dance, the pea hens

running in circles  procedural 
temptation, The brood  runs 
across the garden pecking 
and picking worms.

No sooner the peacock
opens up its vibrant, colourful 
plumes  dances with measured
steps as if set to a cadence.

I start  with the jathis , 
thaa thithta  thai thithai 
thalangu  thom
 the dancer listens to the  
 rhythmic resonance,

The celestial dance commences 
Tha  the right foot strikes, Thai   left one goes up
the bird swings hearing Thalangu Thom 
the jathikattu progresses., momentum
picks up.  A genre of a competition

I play the role of the  nattuvanar  
Peacock swings, sways, circles
opening its feathers in slow motion,  I think,
if only Ravi  Varma was present!!

 Jathi  – beats (tha,thitha , thai thitthai , thalangu thom)
jathikattu — combination of beats,
nattuvanar — Dance master.

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it is dusk, Kali 
piles the grains
covers them with a tarpaulin
 lest they become wet,
 scatters the empty  stalks 
 to dry, 

Kaliamma  packs up
 lifts her son from the thuli,
 both walk hand in hand
 rejoicing the day which 
 has brought them a fortune.
 Smiling they sing together,
thanga nel aruppu, eleleo , eleleo  

Kali  turns  passionate, pulls 
Kaliamma  to him, holds her tight 
closes her mouth with love, Taken aback 
by the sudden outburst, she 
reciprocates with hesitation, 
perhaps  mindful of me following.

I sweep back the tears 
that come down my cheeks 
unexpectedly,  Stay away allowing 
them to be alone,  They reach home,
and after a hot bath Kali partakes 
the porridge, feeds his wife.

They figure me standing at a distance
Kaliamma fills  the gruel in the palm leaf cup
My eyes glisten with tears, as I slowly 
pour down the hot rice down my throat,
As it goes down my food passage, I realize  a
tranquillity never before felt,  admire her simplicity 
Kissing Kaliamma’s  hands,  I experience an untold bliss.

gather their kin
 walk to the paddy fields
 carrying a big pot of rice
 prepared the  night before 
along with raw onion, and green 
chillies  finely chopped,

Kaliamma  holds her baby 
close to the bosom, pulls 
the saree over the child’s head 
trots briskly with  a pot 
of water,   Kalimuthu  sucks 
with a K- Ah sound, suck, swallow,
breathe, resembling a grunt/gulp.

 Kali and his men invoke  the God Ayyanar
 for a bountiful harvest,  They
cut the stalks with  their sharp sizzles, 
dazzling bright in the morning sun light.
A swish  swish sound fills the air.

Kali sings the  harvest song 
while the other men follow 
“ello ello — ayelesha ‘ 
a song that lifts their spirit 
and  eases their pain,  Corona 
Dengue and other fevers do not deter. 

 Kaliamma  enters with her gang.
 collects the stalk, places them 
on the heads of the women who have 
 placed  rolled pieces of cloth on their heads,
 called as summadu  

The women  trot, balance the load, 
 run towards  athe place
marked for beating the stalks 
to remove the husk,   called 
as  Kalathumedu.

The man and wife slog 
while  their sonsleeps 
in the make shift  thuli
an old saree goes round  the sturdy  
branch of a neem tree,   by knotting 
the two ends  the cradle  is formed.

Sucking his thumb Kalimuthu 
sleeps content, The cradle 
oscillates  gently  in the breeze.

Pandemic has made
home an office, 
turned to a school.

Confinement is the word
one hears these two years 
 restrictions as experienced,

There has been hardships,
heart breaks, deaths, fear
so be the negatives.

Air traffic has gone down almost 
 so do the vehicular  movements,
 minimizing carbon emission.

Could these have  impacted
 the carbon footprints?
releasing a  feel good  impression.

I see  good rains in my region
 seemingly similar to the monsoons 
during the sixties,

A far fetched theory, I do admit
 as I am no weather forecaster
nor an environmental  scientist.

 I am  an ordinary citizen who senses 
 a spectacular change for the better,
 in the form of rain, sun and trees.

black, white, blue and green
red, yellow, brown and orange,
the shades referred as pastel,
bright, soft, striking,  appealing 
 and appeasing  to the beholder

 Black is beautiful,
shining and sparkling
 held with contempt by those
 who consider white as superior,
 the racial discrimination
 runs deep, non destroyable,

The metal gold takes the cue
 of yellow, brilliant and bright
 loved by one and all, again 
 the colour of a race known 
as Mongolian who inhabit 
the Asian region.

The  Red Indians natives of the land 
discovered by Columbus 
pushed to the corner by the Whites, the 
red  hue  represents danger, one that 
cautions, stands for Stop In the signal
liked by most, catches the eyes either way
 graceful and gaudy.

Blue  qualifies Nature, sky, sea,
river, water in general, though 
water is termed as colourless liquid.
 Boys go with blue, the hamper 
for boy babies consists of bluish articles.
Blue blood commands royalty, while blue 
veins crack a deficiency, mainly of the heart.

Green denotes prosperity, Go green, the slogan
cares most for the environment, The lush 
green forests, foliage , the vast expanse of grass
propose a feast to the eyes, a source that bring 
rains and breeze, promoting the much talked  
about subject, ” Climate Change” The others 
follow the brigade  in rapt attention,

So passes the rays  of  the long story 
of colours, bright and dark, somber and sullen,
 reflecting feeling  and sentiments
each one for an occasion, a  galaxy
that none can spare nor shun.