poetry | Guldasta

On a rainy day July 2, 2007

Filed under: life,nature,poetry — gurdas @ :

The mighty arrogant sky
huffed and puffed with cotton ball clouds
Streaks of sunlight breaking through, naughty and buoyant
The song of birds from far and near
Angry and bewildered at why it rains so generously
Why it rains pitter patter pitter patter?
The mud is stirred and its soul awakened
Blossom bright and lively greens
The whispering wind carrying secrets from far
And the leaves sway is agreement to those unheard tales
I smile one more time and add a wrinkle somewhere.
.
Crashing down it came for hours
Followed by an eerie silence
“How can it stop raining so suddenly” I ask?
Blue and Red balloons run out of their homes
Shouting with glee, splashing water and joy all around
A vehicle passes and the drums roll
The show is back after the break
The humid air is heavy with memories
Someone is cooking aromatic rice
I think of my mother and wonder who has not seen God?
I pull-on my shoes and walk out
Its time to get wet even though it isn’t raining anymore.
.
As I walk and get wet
I happen to pass grass patches
The blades gloriously declaring their existence
Which until now was redoubtable
Isn’t it funny how the rain transforms?
Grass become proud and Men become weak
Rocks melt away as Sands hold true
Truly, water gives life something to live by
Lost in this explosion of HIS self
I find a new meaning
To who I am and what I seek
And, as I shrug off centuries of dust
I prepare to hug the Earth.

Comments (4)

Jeevan ka vistar June 4, 2007

Filed under: photography,poetry — gurdas @ :

Sky

Chhotaa kar ke dekhiye jeevan ka vistar
Aankhon bhar akaash hai, bahon bhar sansaar

Sabki puja ek si, alag alag hai reet
Masjid jaye maulvi, koel gaye geet

(Try shrink the expanse of your life and you will find
The sky fits into your eyes and the world within outstretched arms

Each heart has the same prayer, only the expression is different
The maulvi visits the masjid while the koel sings)

Lyrics by Nida Fazli, sung by Jagjit Singh in the album “Insight”

Translation and picture by the author.

For complete lyrics click here

Comments (3)

Big B June 3, 2007

Filed under: Inspiration,philosophy,poetry — gurdas @ :

Jeevan ki aapadhaapi mein kab vaqt mila
kuchh der kahin baith yeh soch sakoon
Jo kiya kaha, maana, usme kya bhala bura

(Where was the time in the hustle and bustle of life
To sit down a while somewhere and reflect
What was good and bad in what I did, said and believed)

– – – –

Dharm granth sab jalaa chuki hai jiske bheetar ki jwaala
Mandir, masjid, girje sab kuchh tod chuka jo matwala
Pandit, momin, padariyon ke phandon ko jo kaat chuka
Kar sakti hai aaj usi ka swaagat meri Madhushala

(One whose inner fire has burnt all holy books
One who has demolished all religious places – temple, mosque or church
One who has cut himself free of the clutches of pandit, imam and priest
He alone is today welcome in my Madhushala)

The above verses are by the renowned Hindi poet, Harivansh Rai Bachchan. The english translations are courtesy Outlook (May 7, 2007 issue)

– – Further reading – –

http://hindipoetry.wordpress.com/tag/harivansh-rai-bachchan/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harivansh_Rai_Bachchan

Haystack May 10, 2007

Filed under: poetry — gurdas @ :

Day and night he toiled and tilled

For his sons and their children

Until his fields bore produce in abundance

And his family wore clothes bright and new

From atop each haystack he saw a future rising

And a smile would break the sharp curves of his cheekbone

Inspired, he worked till the moon shone bright

And back to the fields he came before morning light

The years so passed until one day

His sons found small the house of clay

To the city they went for a better life

And left behind the old man and his wife

Frail and weak he has now become

His knees shudder and hands shake

And wrinkled legs speak no more

Of the strength that made up village lore

But where are his sons he asks

To stand beside him and share his tasks

The setting sun has turned a thief

And robbed him even of his belief

The field he still furrows and seeds

For it takes care of all but a man’s greed

Sons he may have none to call his own

But the haystack still in the moonlight shone

—

Continued here

Comments (1)

The ants go marching May 4, 2007

Filed under: creatures,poetry — gurdas @ :

This morning my kitchen threw a surprise
For there was an army at work from before sunrise
From window to floor and floor to ceiling they went
Sharing my house without contributing house rent!

Over the jar, under the sheet
Around the tumbler they go with scurrying feet
One two one two go their steps
Paying no heed to any form of rest

Along the way they whisper in every ear
And pheromones tell them how far or near
Like living dots on some magical picture book
That tell a story whichever way you hook

Please take me along I felt like saying
For I too want to walk without ever tiring
I ask what gives you such strength
For you have no nation, religion or friend

What need for such reasons they ask perplexed
Specially when life is to a few months compressed
Food for winter we collect when it is May
That is our secret is all we can say

A lot we can learn from the tiny ant
Though they steal our food and make us rant
So the next time for inspiration you are searching
Remember to look at the ants go marching

——