Tuesday 25 August 2020

Transformation














Forwarding fake news
juicy interesting ones
for "a bigger cause"
or simply for fun
appears to be "cool" 

Yet oblivious to you
with each post forwarded
layers of your face, body, insides
are getting altered, transformed
until you end up a big "fake" yourself
one with no regrets, no remorse
with not even an iota of conscience

A transformation from human to Frankenstein    




Sunday 23 August 2020

Weapon

















If not used appropriately, in correct dozes
at the right time, a weapon
doesn't work, proves ineffective
and is as good as useless!

Let's take the case of a cane
used by father, teacher to beat a child
when used sparingly, it works as deterrent
if not. the child stretches his hand nonchalantly
"So go ahead, have your fun
his mocking eyes and grin seem to say!

The same is true of strikes
and lock outs, declared  in factories
at the drop of a hat!
The fear disappears
when it is an everyday affair!

Spouses learn to their peril
 that using 'denial of sex' as weapon
backfires when used frequently
the other finds alternative
or learns to live without it
after all, it's not the end of the world!

The   'BrahmaAstra' or the ultimate weapon is to be used
only as last option
when all other weapons have failed! 


NB: I recited this poem during the 3rd Dignagar Online International English Poetry Festival on August 23rd 2020 in which renowned poets from India and the world participated    

https://soundcloud.com/rajeev-moothedath-560354509/weapon?ref=clipboard&fbclid=IwAR2EsFSACOT7DqyYXg62_Zim2NtaRFL1bTDBMrw5vkBrZi0whIfD4Q_Ya4w       

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Thursday 20 August 2020

The Decisive Moment- The Spectacular Rainbow



































In a Facebook literary group, a friend Sundar Rajan  posted  this picture.  He sought poems from members based on the picture. This is what I came up with ..

"Tell us about your first love Grandpa! "
teased the children sitting in circle around him
normally he wouldn't get them like this
now with forced holidays and plenty of time
they had gotten close to him since last two months .. 

" I will tell you about the last meeting
with my first and only love" said grandpa
In the late seventies, no smart phone or computer chats
It wasn't easy for us to meet either
had to be done clandestinely
yet, we met a few times,
Lalbhagh our favourite rendezvous

Then my dad came to know and all hell was loose
said the fruition of relationship only over his dead body!

So there I was going to Lalabhagh
to bid goodbye to her for one last time!
with tears in my eye I watched as she approached
lady in pink with her usual glowing smile!
How would I break this to her?
what would it do to her, to me.? ...

Then it happened! we saw it together, she beside me
on the lovely fountain waters flashed
the seven colours of a rainbow! 
Never had I seen such a sight
it was always up in the sky, never down below

The beautiful colours warmed my heart
sending me into a tizzy, an elated high
I squeezed gently her sweet little hand
it was as if  the heavens had spoken
given thumbs up signal to our perfect match! 

"So I married, my father also survived
and today you get to call my first love,
my only love your grandma! "

Excited children  squealed in delight,
ran to fetch grandma to join in
in the fun, frolic, jubilation...

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Tuesday 18 August 2020

Placement of Pillars

















In order to have a firm structure for building
the pillars are placed away from each other
properly positioned  from each side
to hold it firmly in  place

Similarly envisaged in a constitution
are that the pillars of legislature, executive
the judiciary and fourth estate
remain sufficiently distant
to serve as checks and balances
for each other ...

What if the the pillars of structure get too close
or the pillars of a constitution act in collusion?
the destruction of both is guaranteed
the doomsday for the structure is not far away
It is just a matter of time....     
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Sunday 16 August 2020

Lesson


Vinata, the eagle was teaching her son to fly. As they soared up in the air, Vinata said “Son, beware of the two legged creatures- Humans, the most dangerous of all species.”
“Why mama?” asked son
“We kill only for food. They do it for no reason, even for fun!”     

I wrote this for a picture story contest that had  the above  picture prompt. The word limit was 10 to 50 words. My story has 49 words. 

Happy to inform readers that the story was adjudged one of three winners by Literoma publicatios the organizors  who  have now brought out an Ebook containing 24 more stories selected from the contest. You can buy the book at this link  

Wednesday 12 August 2020

Human Nature

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I had written this poem in a draft form  in the first week of June but did not publish at that time.  I am doing it now at a time when we have more or less come to terms with Covid 19, resigned to coexisting with it.... 

Disasters and crises reveal, unmask
the best and worst aspects of human nature
this was the case on previous occasions
it is happening  during the Corona crisis as well! 

On the one hand there has been 
more domestic violence, child sexual abuse
cruelty towards medical, paramedical staff 
even an instance of a doctor denied burial
compelling his physician colleague 
to dig the grave himself!  

On the other hand heroes emerged
amongst ordinary people
an auto driver spent 3 Lacs 
he had saved for his marriage
on food for migrant workmen 
he also drove his auto free 
to ferry patients to hospitals! 

A villain in movies turned out 
a big hero in real life 
when he arranged thousands of buses
alleviating ordeal and misery of migrant families
other groups took initiative to provide migrants 
their first ever flight to their hometowns
a ray of sunshine amidst days of misery!   

Man then, it appears is a mixture
of Good and Evil 
positivity and negativity 
optimism and pessimism 
a mixture of opposites!  

In the coming days, at least
till we see the back of this deadly pandemic
may the best in human nature emerge oh Lord 
may the negative aspects get submerged 
by man's original nature of love, kindness, compassion! 

Tuesday 4 August 2020

Let us Share our Dreams (Song)

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I sang a Malayalam song to beat the blues, being tied down at home during these pandemic times. For the benefit of my Non-Malayali friends I have attempted a translation of the song written by P.Bhaskaran master, set to music by Vidhyadharan Master. ( can listen to the song clicking link at the bottom of post )
Let's share our dreams
as also our burden, grief
share the honey of hope, the tears of disappointment
and the deep longing of our souls... (Let's )
Let's share the flowers
that bloom in our gardens of imagination
share the nectar of love
that came as prasad
from our offerings to the temple of love... (Let's)
Let's share the golden harvest
that sprouted from the earth
made fertile by the imagery of our love
while moving through the journey of life
along the corridors of the karmic cycle
let's share ourselves (one to the other)
for the benefit of ourselves.... (Let's share our dreams)

https://soundcloud.com/rajeev-moothedath-560354509/swapnangal-okkeyum-panguvekkamhttps://soundcloud.com/rajeev-moothedath-560354509/swapnangal-okkeyum-panguvekkam

Monday 3 August 2020

Captivating Lines from Here and There- 32

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  • A miracle is a shift in perception from fear to love- Marianne Williamson, Author 
  • When you go to create change, your peer group almost by definition is not going to help you because change frightens us- because it reminds us subconsciously of what we are not doing - Brian Rose, Founder & CEO London Real 
  • One of the fascinating features of the Upanishads is love for truth and its fearless quest- Gandikota.RR, Author "Our Upanishads" 
  • Start by doing what is necessary; then do what is possible and suddenly you will be doing the impossible-  Saint Francis of Assisi 
  • Next time when you are in the shower, ensure you are not having your morning 9 AM meeting in the shower with you -   Jon Kabat Zinn , Mindfulness Guru 
  • Courage is the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you cannot practice any other virtue consistently- James Baldwin, Novelist 
  • When you get, give when you learn, teach-  Maya Angelou, Author in her book " I know why the caged bird sings"        
  • If the only prayer, you ever say is "Thank you", that will be enough-  Meister Eckhart, Theologian & Philosopher 
  • Pursue whatever is your best destiny with the aim to resemble, reveal and reflect that which is the character of your creator- Wintly Phipps, Author of " Your best Destiny" 
  • Fear protects us. But fear prevents us from growing. Go to where the fear is- Brian Rose, CEO London Real