Monday 23 November 2020

Tiny tot to Accomplished Adult



Today is the birthday of our first born 

to us, it doesn't seem so long ago

yet, he has come a long way

from tiny tot to accomplished adult!   

 

Memories take me back 

to times when this bundle of energy

was here, there. everywhere

on his first birthday with prior training from mom

he surprised and delighted guests 

blowing his candle himself 

to the chants of happy birthday! 


His  antics and adventures included 

putting clothes clips on both ears

of the friendly neighbourhood  dog

he got away with it a few times 

till one day the dog felt "Enough was enough" 

as he chose this time to also sit on it  

like a man on a horse!  


A nice friendly bite meant, us

anxious parents, scrambling  to hospital 

it was the same outcome he produced 

 when he jumped into water tank , pursuing a toy 

while mother's  attention diverted, for  that split second! 


From first birthday to this day 

you have come a long way, son 

early successes in career,  material gains

whether car and now a home  

and the cherry on the cake

a compatible loving partner!


Proud parents wish you

a great day today and everyday 

my prayer for you son on this sweet happy day  

"May you have many more feathers in your cap

May you always have your head firmly on your shoulders

and feet firmly on the ground" 

God bless you!  

Sunday 22 November 2020

From Flame to Fire
















The flame was always bright
in the hearts and minds of many
in the pre-independence days

Rekindled every time it flickered
with doubt or despair
by so many stalwarts
Gandhi, Nehru, Patel, Bose
and many unsung patriots
at the district, taluk levels!

Though independence was only the beginning
many saw it as the end of journey
mission accomplished- now, bask in the freedom
each for his own, run to the finishing point
of wealth, glory for self, one's own

What about the masses?
the majority of the citizens
illiterate, ignorant, unaware of their rights
" Well, just keep them where they are
how else will we lord over them
as we always have, with assistance
of super weapon, feudalism"

73 years of freedom- India claims progress
technological advances, success
even in big space pursuits
yet, for the vast majority living in rural India
or in slums of urban India
nothing seems to have changed
it is business as usual!

Who will light the flame of freedom this time
freedom for all of India, not just pockets of India
freedom from poverty, illiteracy, indignity?

We no longer have leaders
of the stature of stalwarts of yore
only Aaya Rams and Gaya Rams
who neither have the willingness
or the ability for the long haul

"The only way is for all of us
to look for and draw from deep within
the strength, inspiration, passion
to rekindle love for our motherland

May the rekindled flames, in millions of hearts
ignite a fire so bright, so powerful
that it swallows up all challenges, obstacles
giving us a prosperous, educated India
an abundant India , its abundance
visible in each and every home
of our great nation!    

NB: I recited this poem on 22nd November 2020. at the Yercaud (online)  Ignite poetry fest 2020   







Wednesday 18 November 2020

New Playground

A new parliament building 

at estimated cost of 971 crores 

for our MPs to discuss and  debate 

or is it for howling, shouting, intimidating 

for brawls, violence in the well of the house? 


Now, they will have a new playground

After all, at stake is the prestige 

of a rich nation with a great heritage...


Tuesday 17 November 2020

Freedom of Expression

"There is too much milk 

ruins the coffee"
muttered the man
under his breath

"Muttering, not becoming of a man"
called out his wife
"Speak out, don't be a woman"

"It's nothing to do
with being a man or woman
he thought to himself
the spouse who is scared
of the other for whatever reasons
feels it safer to mutter
or simply say nothing at all....

Monday 16 November 2020

Poetic Justice

 









It was 8 PM in the evening. Prof  Natarajan was  still in his official chambers. Everyone had left between 5 and 6 pm. He could not bring himself to go home. He was not sure how he will be able to face his wife and tell her that from tomorrow he was without a job. From Director to no body; from a hero to a zero-  a person with an uncertain future at least in the short run. With Covid 19 still going strong and  no signs of abating, he wouldn’t be able to run around freely  in search of other job opportunities.  The secretary of the Rajhans college, an institution which he had served for 15 years now, five of them as Director,  had called him in to his chambers that morning at around 11 AM and told him the bad news.      

 As he sat dazed at his chair, memories came flooding from the past. It was the year 2005 and he had just joined the college and was warmly welcomed by the Director of the college Prof Rajamanickam.  Shortly thereafter,  the Director  called a staff meeting and introduced him, Natarajan to the other colleagues. It  was interesting to meet  a  professor couple among the staff . Later on, he realized that both of them were very bright and often received invitations to visit universities abroad in the US , Australia  and Europe.

The Director also had a great respect for the distinguished couple and felt that they were the pride of the college. Although initially Natarajan was also impressed and appreciative about the Rajan - Geetha duo, he soon began to feel that one or both of them could become a thorn in his ambition to occupy the chair of the Director. He reckoned that the Director  Rajamanickam  had another five years before retirement after which he could become the Director.  But then, Rajan and Geetha could stand in his way.  

Slowly and steadily Natarajan began to put into action a  detailed plan he had devised. He started putting into the ears of Prof Rajamanickam  thoughts that the duo were not bothered about the growth and well being of the institution. They were more concerned about making some money through the foreign travels  converting  the saved dollars  into solid Indian money. Now and then, he gave a hint to the Director  that Rajan and Geetha thought of themselves as more valuable to the college that the Director himself. He  told of stories that he had  overheard... Rajan had told a group of students at the canteen " You know guys, the respect that the college enjoys amongst the public is mainly because of the reputation Geetha and I  have, as highly sought after visiting faculty abroad."

 In the beginning,  the Director, Prof Rajamanickam dismissed such  suggestions and assertions from Natarajan. After all he knew the couple for a longer period than he had known Natarajan. But slowly an inkling of doubt began to enter his mind as to whether Rajan was in fact getting too big for his boots? He began to confront Rajan  on some issue or the other.  The next time an opportunity came up  for a short term  assignment of one year at a university in Europe, he directed  Rajan not to take it up  as it affected the effectiveness of the  classes here.  After, some argument , Rajan had to turn down that opportunity.  However, he began to become withdrawn at work and three months later, he put in his papers. An year later Geetha also followed suit. She was feeling cornered and  unhappy in a set up that she had so loved not very long ago.

The office attendant  came in and peeped. "Sir, it is already 8.30 PM”.

"I told you to go long ago Murugan! Why are you still here? I will lock up the office and hand over the keys at the security."  Natarajan said.

The boy had come and broken his train of thought. Anyway, he must leave in at least another half hour or else his wife would be anxious. 

 With both Rajan and Geetha out of the way, Natarajan thought that his ambition of becoming Director would be achieved in another two years. But to his chagrin, Prof Rajamanickam  who was enjoying very good rapport with the board  was getting extensions to his tenure. He had already managed it  three times. That was when Natarajan felt that enough was enough. He began to organize tea party discussions and later booze party meetings with other faculty members and got them convinced that Rajamanickam was a threat to the careers of all of them. 

  " This guy will never allow any of us to grow!" he asserted  in each of these  meetings.  A quiet signature campaign followed highlighting the in-competencies and old ways of working of Prof Rajamanickam.  Srinivasan was his right hand and played the biggest part  in mobilizing the campaign. Soon  their efforts bore fruit and prof Rajamanickam was ousted. Natarajan became the new Director.

When he met the secretary in the morning, he was shocked to learn that the person whom he had thought  his right hand, Sreenivasan had a big hand in getting him sacked. It appears he had been working for it for the past one year. Traitor! Natarajan yelled in his mind. How could the rascal do this to him after all the support he had given him , providing him the juiciest of opportunities to excel..

 As he carried his brief case and got into his car,  a very sad face of Prof Rajamanickam  appeared before his face. “You got me to get rid of two of our gems who had served this college sincerely for years!”, his face seem to say. It was already 9.15 PM. It would be 10 PM by the time he reached home. Then, he has to break the news to his wife…. Or perhaps he would postpone it for tomorrow? 

Monday 2 November 2020

Devil











Are you fearful of the devil?

scared of the dark alleys? 

of horror films and things evil? 

Nothing strange considering

we are  frequently told 

to embrace the good, keep evil at bay 

embrace God, shun the devil!     


The only irony is that, the evil 

or devil is not something,

someone out there!    

just look within for the negative thoughts

of jealousy, of hate, of fear

for inadequacies, of not 'being enough'  

they are all shades of evil

epitomes of the devil!   


Banish these  from the insides 

kick them, punch them

throw them out for good

and you would have seen

the back of the devil once for all!  


ചെകുത്താൻ   

ചെകുത്താനേ  പേടിയുണ്ടോ ? 

ഭാർഗവി  നിലയംപോൽ  വീടുകളെ ? 

പ്രേതങ്ങൾ ഉള്ള  സിനിമകളെ?  


ഉണ്ടെങ്കിൽ  അത്  സ്വാഭാവികം 

ചെറു  പ്രായം തൊട്ട്  കേൾകുന്നതല്ലേ 

നന്മയെ  അണക്കു, തിന്മയെ  ദൂരെ നിർത്തു 

ദെയ്‌വത്തിനെ പുണരൂ , ചെകുത്താനെ  അകറ്റി  നിർത്തൂ    


വിരോധാഭാസം എന്തെന്നാൽ 

ഈ ചെകുത്താൻ , ദൂരെ എങ്ങോ ഉള്ള 

പൊരുളോ , ജീവിയോ അല്ല 


ശ്രദ്ധിച്ചു നോക്കിയാൽ കാണാം 

നമുക്കുള്ളിൽ  തന്നെ വസിക്കുന്നു  ചെകുത്താൻ 

അസൂയ , വെറുപ്പ് ,ഭയം, " ഞാൻ പോരാ " എന്ന തോന്നൽ 

ഇതൊക്കെയല്ലേ  യഥാർത്ഥത്തിൽ  ചെകുത്താൻ ?  


ഇവയെ ഇടിച്ചു പുറത്താക്കു 

കരണത്ത്‌  അടിച്ചു പറഞ്ഞയക്കു 

കൂടെ പമ്പ കടക്കും സോദരരെ 

നം ജീവത്തിൽ നിന്നും ചെകുത്താനും !     

Bio of poet in Malayalam   

ശ്രീ  രാജീവ്  മൂത്തേടത്  ഹ്യൂണ്ടായ്  മോട്ടോർ  ഇന്ത്യ ലിമിറ്റഡിൽ   അസിസ്റ്റന്റ്  ജനറൽ  മാനേജരായി  വിരമിച്ചതിനു  ശേഷംഇപ്പോൾ   തന്റെ ദ്വി താല്പര്യങ്ങളായ  കോർപ്പറേറ്റ്  ട്രൈനിങ്ങിലും, കവിത / ലേഖന  രചനയിലും  സമയം ചിലവഴിക്കുന്നു

 രാജീവിന്റെ  ആദ്യത്തെ  (ഗദ്യ) പുസ്തകം   " സ്ട്രൈറ് ഫ്രം ദി ഹാർട്ട്ജൂൺ 2015    Cyberwit.net   പ്രസിദ്ധികരിച്ചു . രണ്ടാമത്തെ  പുസ്തകം  " കോർപ്പറേറ്റ്  പോയംസ് - സ്ട്രൈറ് ആൻഡ് സിമ്പിൾ " ആമസോൺ  കിന്ഡലിൽ  ഡിസംബർ  2019   പുറത്തു  വന്നുഇദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ  കവിതകൾ പല  ദേശിയ - അന്തർദേശിയ  ആന്തോളജി കളിലും  ഇടം  പിടിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട് .