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POET :
Dr. MAHENDRA BHATNAGAR
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CONTENTS
Hope Turning Pearls :
The Vision of New and Better World in the Poetry of
Mahendra Bhatnagar
— Dr. Shaleen Kumar Singh
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POEMS
1 TRANSLATION : A CONJUNCTION
2 IN THE CIRCLIP OF TERROR
3 THE BIGOTS 
4 WISHFULNESS
5 IN 1986 A.D.
6 INVOKING MODERN MEN
7 THE OTHER AGE
8 THE DESTITUTES
9 ATMOSPHERE
10 CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
11 DICTUM
12 FASCINATION
13 IMPERCEPTIBLE / UNTOUCHED
14 UNREQUITED BESTOWAL
15 ONE SUNDAY 
16 GRATEFULNESS
17 INCOMPLETE
18 VICTOR LUDORUM
19 TERROR STRUCK
20 SOMEONE UNKNOWN
21 TO THE HAWKER
22 SELF-DESTRUCTION
23 PEOPLE
24 EMERGENC
25 REMAIN WATCHFUL
26 WHOLE WORLD A FAMILY
27 CORRUPTION
28 UNMASKED
29 THE MACABRE LEECHES AND TICKS
30 TOMFOOLERY
31 TRICKERY OF VOTES
32 SUDDENLY
33 WELCOME
34 BEFORE THE RAINS
35 ASPIRATION : SUN
36 A TRUTH
37 TERROR AND ANXIETY
38 ATTENTION
39 GREETINGS
40 REALISTIC IDEAL
41 DETERMINED
42 SPRING AIR
43 FOGGY SKY
44 YOU
45 CHARMING FLOWERS
46 ACTUALLY
47 A FACT
48 WELCOME TWENTY FIRST CENCURY
49 A WELCOME MOMENT
50 THE PLEASURE OF TRIUMPH
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Hope Turning Pearls :
The Vision of New and Better World in the Poetry of
Mahendra Bhatnagar
— Dr. Shaleen Kumar Singh
-------------------------------------------
Mahendra Bhatnagar, a well-established name of optimistic and humanistic poetry, with his mammoth published works has emerged before us as an icon of protest and sensitive poetry which not only infuses an understanding and an eye of glancing the reality of things but also motivates us to stand affront and speak against such eccentricities and leads us to think and rethink over it time and again. Neither has he wished us to be Messiah, nor God incarnate nor anyone castigating the masses. He regards 'Poetry as the vehicle for locating a man in the matrix of existence in the society' which is largely woven with the warp and woof mainly political social absurdities of time. Mahendra Bhatnagar is a realist essentially and favours simple and unpretentious style, though his poetry is conversational sometimes in tone, implying all its gazettes, is a dialogue and his (previous collections) in Hindi mostly which are written in metre and rhyme, yet the present collection in unmetrical and unrhymed verse, points towards his profound understanding of burning questions of contemporary time.
The present collection is a portrayal of the tragedies of modern times where he sometimes considers translations as a bridge between two minds' for making a stranger familiar, sometimes castigates the 'so-called saviors of the nation'; the leaders, bureaucrats and contractors and sometimes with his brimming optimism appears to be singing the welcome song of 21st century as well as praying for the global unity, harmony and peace. His poems are not only philosophical, realistic, spontaneous, romantic, optimist- ice, natural and mystic but also depict the most essential theme of modern times; the theme of global peace which now appears to be in peril because the monsters of terrorism have slain the We feeling among the mankind and put a more detestable picture of the world. In the first poem of the collection 'Translation : A Conjunction', the poet feels that translation of literature should be encouraged so that we may bridge the gaps of cultural, ethical and linguistic diversities. He says :
Translation is
A celestial body of
Human sagacity
Distinguished and significant. (p. 17)
But do we ever think why the poet took such themes as the main subject of his poetry. It is certainly the complex and paradoxical scenario of the present in which we boast of our achievement of reaching to the moon but fail to reach to the heart of the proletariat and the common man. The hearts are broken, panic-stricken and even painful. Our advancement in science and technology has gratified us with the innumerable boons of Computer, Electricity, Air-Plains, and Rockets and so on, yet it has also given birth to the lethal concepts of capitalism, existentialism, utilitarianism and individualism on the other. The more we have broadened our limits of thinking, the more we have shrunk in our attitude. The degeneration, hoarding, shooting graph of crimes, socio political dilemmas mental conflicts, injustice, inequalities and corruption of all kinds can hardly afford the poet in Bhatnagar to be quiet and agape. In the poem 'Vasudhev Kutumbkm', 'Whole World A Family' begins with the castigation of a man who creates a wedge between man and man :
In today's progressive and civilized world
Segregation man from man
On the basis of
Castes, households, creeds or wealth;
Calling one the low
And the other high
Calling one our own
Another one other's
Is a serious crime
An unpardonable crime. (p. 85)
Man has been shattered absolutely. He is in the grip of terror, dumb or helpless and is controlling his emotions. A horrible image of terror can be seen here :
Extreme constrictions
Has palsied lips
Hands and feet have been immobilized
Angst reigns
Humanity seethes with anger
Holocaust looms large everywhere.
(p. 111)
A large number of the poems of the collection deal with the social problems of Modern Indian society like 'The Bigots' on communalism, 'In 1996 A.D.' on Linguism, 'The Destitute' on Poetry, 'Atmosphere', 'Trickery of Votes' on Political hollowness, 'One Sunday' on boredom, 'Terror-struck' on Terrorism, 'Self-Destruction' on Dehumanization and 'Corruption' on Corruption. Rest of other poems are either an urge to rebuild our society or to revive our ancient morals or to re-communicate with modern man so that our progeny may dream for a happy social set-up and enhance our mental, ethical, moral and cultural status to an optimum level. Many poems of the collection inspire man to act and to live life in all its totality without panic and hesitation and advises the man not to be fatalist, frustrated and dismay. Anita Myles recognizes this trait of the poet and observes :
'' He does not believe in destiny and that man is mere a puppet in the power and ever tightening grip of destiny yet he encourages one to live on with grief, fortitude and determination.''1
He considers Man as Man and limitations of man as well. He says :
Man
Is human
And not an animal. (p. 21)
But he suggests further :
Endow him with wisdom
He will understand,
Amend himself
And shall stand altered. (ibid)
And invokes the Modern Man and Thinkers in 'Invoking Modern Man' to make their own societies by saying :
Modern thinkers
Come, draw near us
And for the sake of humanity
Let us create our society. (Ibid)
This dreamy society of the poet will be : 'having no religion and no caste' or 'geographical boundaries of the nation.' At a place the poet is so perplex that he questions in the beginning of the poem 'The Other Age' :
When will that age come
When a human
Will simply be called the human? (p.33)
Now the man is identified with his links to castes, sub-castes, languages, dialects, colour and race despite his oneness in attributes, needs, births, deaths, values and morals. The primeval face of human being is neglected by he modern society and it is the only cause of the rebel of Bhatnagar's poetry. His efforts in his poetry are 'For those / who are not able to make both ends meet' and 'life is not a bed of roses or a pleasant.' The poet is with the destitute and the helpless and writes :
For those who
Do not have leave
For leisure
Dance drama and literature
And all the exhibitions
And Television
Are just ironic. (p. 37)
He, at times, seems to be the spokesman of the masses as well the pioneers of the reformers who are firm in their determination to 'infuse confidence' and 'diffuse all misgivings of mankind'. Admitting his duties in present times he asserts :
We are determined
To elude deep rooted
Despondency and dejection
From every melancholy heart
And to rejuvenate it
With optimism (p. 121)
In the poem 'Realistic Ideal' his awareness and sense of objectivity mingled with sense of duty can be marked out :
We have delineated life and the living
Only objectively in letter and spirit.
Equality of man
Has always been our guiding principle,
Our dreams to see every man
Thriving excellently. (p. 117)
In the poem 'Attention' the poet commences with a sheer expressing the horrible image of the time when 'darkness and despondency', 'intense melancholy and utter Hopelessness' has ceased the entire universe. The poet invokes us and invites by saying :
Come
Let us sing songs of hope
To blight the blues
And snuff out gloom.
Surely darkness will die. (p. 113)
Though the mode of Bhatnagar is ironic, yet it is also that looks plain repertoire and at the same time unfolds lyres of suggestions and innuendos. The bulk of his poetry is political and protestial in nature. Like Borges, he narrates the national scene in true and sincere words, depicting the political, social, moral and artistic shortcomings of the age. Using irony as his weapon and paradoxes, imagery and parody as his tools, he expresses the predicament of the common man. 'Tomfoolery' exhibits the plight of a common man who is betrayed by the so called leaders to proclaim wrongly as architect of India's destiny :
See the coin phrase : secularism —
And the other of
Social justice.
Not only these
There are other cliches like
National integration
And constitutional propriety. (p. 95)
Politics has now become synonyms with dream pedlary and the poet is grieved to see the hollowness and vast — chasm between the promise and performance of a politician When such gang of swindlers who are the traitors of the nation are caught red handed, a picture of amazement stands straight before us :
But all have been nabbed
And brought to book :
The monks, the politicians
Cunning ministers, the preceptors et. al.
Amazement en masse!
A furry and not a fairy!
The masks have been shed
The true faces are revealed! (p. 91)
In such a Filthy atmosphere, the birth of a rebel voice is natural and the awakening makes the swindlers away :
Ah!
Whose catcall is it?
Eh
The public has awakened!
Let us buzz off! (p. 41)
The poet's own motivation to rebel is notable because he also believes in the unity of minds and ideals. His call to break the shackles of boundaries and the differences of language, dialect, colour, caste and creed is justified when he asks :
How long will he then
Continue to be differentiated?
After all how long will he
Bear hundreds of stings
Of the savage minds? (p. 33)
At another place he is determined to pluck the 'blood sucking, greedy, hungry and countless leeches' and ticks that are clinging to the body politic of the new born nation. He says :
Come let us pluck, twitch
And consign them to the blazing fire!
Let us, forth with, hold their
Eager, swollen lust
From diffusing abroad,
Lest it should consume everything!
(p. 93)
One more striking feature of Bhatnagar is his blend rebellious and gloomy ideas in his delineation of nature. The poems 'Imperceptible', 'Gratefulness', 'Fascination', 'Untouched', 'One Sunday', 'Terror-struck', 'Emergency', 'Remain Watchful', 'Suddenly', 'Before the Rains', 'Inspiration : Son', 'Attention', 'Foggy Sky' and 'Charming Flowers' are fine instances of poet's artistic and meticulous approach to the dealing of Nature with a slight infusion of his gloom and rebellious ideas.
However the melody lying deeper in the entire social structure and in the human mind and the idiosyncrasies, desperation, hostility, cynicism, moral bankruptcy and intellectual depravity of man make the poet more and more theist and optimistic. His heart is always brimming with the gratitude and love. In the poem, 'Victory Ludorum', creating a paradox he shows the indifferent attitude of man towards the 'Dumb and Helpless' in the age of terror and moaning. In 'This Age' the poet ironically says :
The Guru-God, Allah's devotee
Celebrates
In the prayer house. (p. 69)
And on the other hand, in the poem 'Gratefulness' he feels extreme gratefulness of the Lord and says :
O, God!
I am grateful to you
Extremely
Grateful! (p. 65)
Actually, the philosophy of Bhatnagar is steeped in Indian soil. He is a man, truly humanist and lover of humanity at large. Dr. B.C.Dwivedi while writing on 'The New Horizon of Indian Humanism' selects two poets of Indian English Poetry, namely Mahendra Bhatnagar and D.C.Chambial whose poetry is an exhibition of Indian humanism. He says :
''Examples may be given of Indian Literature under the sway of modern poets like Mahendra Bhatnagar and D.C.Chambial whose poetry exhibits facets of Indian humanism from its core. In their vision and experience it is all the way a journey from the mundane to the cosmic with the sense of primacy of man changing its meaning in course of time.''2
On account of being ingrained and fostered and nourished in Indian School of Philosophy, Mahendra Bhatnagar is essentially hopeful, bright and optimistic in his poems. In the poem 'Actually',
he acknowledges the short span of man's life when he says :
Life has been spent
Learning life.
Vocal scares were lost
At soprano pitch
In learning the art of music. (p. 133)
Similarly in the poem, 'A Fact' Bhatnagar speaks the truth of life which is its transitoriness and ephemeral quality. In a jiffy every thing ceases to exist but the outlook of the poet is different when he says :
But wait
Light will come
It will gush in
A new morrow. (p. 135)
This optimistic quality when widens its wings from nation to the globe, a collection called Poems : for a Better World takes birth from the mighty pen of the poets like Mahendra Bhatnagar. As long as the decadence in ethics, morals, principles, human values and Self-respect will continue, the poets like Mahendra Bhatnagar will never resist and nor bow down against such demons but will fight with his mighty pen and will be the true leaders, reformer and torch-bearers of the civilization. His poetry will soar and the sing hymns of the Non-violence, human values of Love, Peace, Truth, Righteousness and nonviolence in new millennium and establish new horizons in our Literature.
References :
1 Anita Myles, 'Mahendra Bhatnagar : A Poet of Optimism and Certitude', Points of View. Ed. K.K.Sharma, Vol. xii, No. 2, winter 2005, p. 151.
2 B.C.Dwivedi, 'New Horizon in Indian humanism ; A comment', Poetcrit. July 2005, p. 40
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(1) TRANSLATION — A CONJUNCTION
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Translation
is not merely a change of language,
it is bridge :
between two minds
for making strangers familiar,
for stringing and tightening
the weak links of relationships
among the world's men.
It is a means of
cementing a firm friendship
in mutual interest.
Translation is a way of
surmounting the deep canyons
built among men
of distant nations;
of sitting together
with confidence
without any dilemma.
Translation is a means of communications
among millions of mankind.
Translation is not
a mere change of language
but is a successful conversion
into brilliant light of
deep darkness rife in and outside
the alien lands of living beings;
it is a means of
changing the unfamiliar into
a cohesive oneness
and of coming out from
narrow confines.
Translation expounds
civilization and tendencies;
it is a perfect symbol of
linguistic consciousness
and delineation of learning
in an explanatory form.
Translation is
a celestial body of
human sagacity
distinguished and significant.
Translation is not
merely a change of language,
it is a conjunction.
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(2) IN THE CIRCLIP OF TERROR
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Our country is in the grip of
a deep - rooted full of conspiracy.
It's caught
in the snares of
clever and cunning gangs;
is stuck in the quagmire of
vile bigotry and despicable caste-ism.
It is grappling with
a menacing savagery.
A country
which cultivated interpersonal relations
and friends,
indulged in dreams and aspirations
is now enmeshed in
horrible terror.
Engaged in
cultivating newish culture vultures,
devoted to
peace and nonviolence,
this country is now
caught in tough mortification
and tortuous troubles.
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(3) THE BIGOTS
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In the modern world
what is this obsession
in the name of religion?
In the civilized states
gruesome
brutality prevails,
there is manslaughter
everywhere!
Rational men
hope for the best
and face the bigots.
Perverted religions
should be boldly ridiculed
(even in the likelihood of
widespread devastation.)
Man
is human
and not an animal.
Endow him with wisdom
he will understand,
amend himself
and shall stand altered.
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(4) WISHFULNESS
-------------------------------------------
How nice would it be
when
this world
would be inhabited by
only agnostics
but loving people!
There would then be
no temples
no mosques
no gurudwaras
no churches!
How astonishing would that be!
Who will kill whom?
Who will hate?
There would then be
only love
and diffidence!
All perfidious persons
would then belong to one brotherhood.
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(5) IN 1986 A.D.
-------------------------------------------
This man
shot dead
that one
with a bullet,
because
he
spoke
a different
Language!
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(6) INVOKING MODERN MEN
-------------------------------------------
First
we think about
our house, our family,
then about our religion,
our caste, our state,
our language and our script.
Faiths : narrow
Convictions : circumscribed!
We,
for upholding
our such thinking
shed copious human blood,
riddle with bullets our neighbours;
we become savage, more fiendish
than the man eater carnivores;
we attain
extremely horrifying stature
because we assume that,
that is the only channel for
becoming great and
for attaining martyrdom.
Generation after generation
this thought process
has become a part of our consciousness
and we can't be weaned away from it.
Again and again
our God incites us
to kill other's God
to destroy the symbols of their faiths
and thus feel that
paradise
is secure only for us.
History testifies
that we ignore our country
and the concept of world community
does not appeal to us.
On this earth
only we will live.
The followers of our religion,
people of our caste,
citizens of our state
those who speak our language
and know our script only
constitute our country
and form our universe.
Who will undo this brand name
and annihilate this polluted world?
Modern thinkers
come, draw near us
and for the sake of humanity
let us create our society
having no religion and no caste,
and eradicate geographical boundaries of nations,
consider different languages and scripts
as the accomplishments
of human intellect.
Modern men
now don't remain mute
and fence sitters!
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(7) THE OTHER AGE
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When will that age come
when a human
will simply be called the human?
How long will his identity
remain linked to a country, a religion
a caste and a sub-caste,
a language and a dialect,
colour and race?
When will the primeval face of the human
be presented graphically?
When will the human be addressed
as a human being?
His world is one,
his species is one,
his attributes are the same,
his needs are the same
his birth is the same,
his end is the same.
How long will he then
continue to be differentiated?
After all how long will he
bear hundreds of stings
of the savage mind?
Break
the artificial boundaries of the nations.
Break
The irrelevant, superficial, and orthodox
faiths.
Break
the divisive regimes
of castes and sub-castes,
the differences of
languages and dialects
are acquired,
but nature oriented
are the physical features,
colours and races
of various humans.
All these should not impede
coming together
of human beings
and should not become
wedges to hold them apart.
May a new seraph, a new prophet,
a new archangel
incarnate in the twenty first century
and establish
a sublime human religion!
Before reaching other worlds
Human identity
should become confirmative!
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(8) THE DESTITUTES
-------------------------------------------
For those who
are not able to make both ends meet
life is not a bed of roses
or a pleasant dream.
For them life is just a struggle,
a day and night drudgery,
a treadmill that grinds life
till its end.
For those bereft of fine potentials
of what significance
and use are culture and art?
Everything is worthless
for those lacking in skill.
Despite
ceaseless, life long toil
they remain despondent and melancholic.
For those who
do not have leave
for leisure,
dance, drama, literature
and all the exhibitions
and television
are just ironic.
They are mere foils
to our hollow and mean ego!
They first need
deliverance from abuse,
and then
gracious dignity,
respectful two meals a day,
security and education.
They need no
kindness, pity or alms
Neither from the State
nor from an individual.
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(9) ATMOSPHERE
-------------------------------------------
The so-called saviours of the nation :
the leaders, bureaucrats and contractors;
the grabbers of nation's wealth,
the standard bearer patriots!
Their stratagems galore
render the administration helpless
and the common man hapless.
These notorious swindlers
are wicked crooks
the condemnable rogues!
Ah!
Whose catcall is it?
Eh
The public has awakened!
Let us buzz of !
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(10) CONFIDENT OF VICTORY
-------------------------------------------
Our strife
will not lie in limbo,
it will not stop midway.
The struggle of
the diligent, able, fearless fighter
called the labourer,
will not stop
till the ultimate victory.
It will be fiercer
more predominant
in the world.
It will continue to spread
continuously.
It will never be crushed
by demonic suppression.
It will neither weaken nor slow down.
We are confident that
this battle against maltreatment
will not be impeded.
Eradicating every obstruction
our struggle will continue
ceaseless,
without fear,
without a halt.
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(11) DICTUM
-------------------------------------------
May equality
among humans
be set up,
the equality wanted and wished for
since ages!
May this world be cleansed of
sub-caste, castes, sects and religions!
There should be
no discrimination in and obstruction
to the unity among people.
Human recognition
should not be due to
the states and nations,
languages and dresses.
The human being
should only be known by his
body and mid,
sagacity bred of
experience and deep thinking.
May love germinate
among human beings,
the opiate, infectious, loyal love!
Destroy
blind orthodoxy,
brutality of man towards man.
O, man
don't go astray now.
don't get bogged down in
imaginary deals of destiny,
and don't brook impediments!
Folly, mere folly,
ignorance profound!
Set free
life and man from it;
mankind be saved from
the wicked, spiteful
religious zealots!
May the hiatus
vanish once for all!
Let invincible and rare aptitude
be endowed upon
the oppressed!
Among the mankind
let there be prosperity,
economic equality,
all round permeable social equity!
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(12) FASCINATION
-------------------------------------------
At the outset os spring
Honeybunch
do not be pompous!
Don't trust so much
the fascinating spring;
do not zoom
with song-cycle
from earth to the welkin blue.
The duration of its melody
is of a short span
and its pleasure is transient.
Don't remain so complacent
by trusting its fragrance
o, my mind!
Don't be carried away
by the strong waves of emotions
dear me!
This brief season will soon end
and you will not be able
to hold it for long.
This charming fragrance
of spring, is a thing
rippling,
soaring sky high
indolent and spoony,
twin ally of
languid, cool breeze!
It is a deep riddle insoluble,
try not to know it.
Be not enticed or mesmerized
by it unconsciously, even by mistake.
Don't get infatuated
or become loyal
just with the mere touch
of the spring month,
or its loving
sweet scent!
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(13) IMPERCEPTIBLE / UNTOUCHED
-------------------------------------------
O,
rollicking, soporific
winds of spring
don't touch me like that
touch me not!
Full with fondness
the Saawan's serenades echo;
neither stop nor pass this way
you winds of spring.
Rambling dazing winds of spring
don't swamp me
in the swelling, brimming
wells and pools
of emotional strains;
in the wells and pools of
sweet, carnal passions
don't touch me like that
touch me not!
O, winds of spring
you exciting, cheerful winds of spring
come not towards
this cursed area
out of bounds
since ever.
This helpless,
quiet and arid mind
is given over
since ever;
don't come this side
you winds of spring
o, fragrant, rustling winds of spring
don't touch me,
like that
touch me not!
in the lustful, pining wells and pools
don't soak me
like that
soak me not.
In these unrestrained limbed
lasciviously longing since ages,
wells and pools
don't thus
soak me,
soak me not!
O, winds of spring
you fidgety, profuse winds of spring
don't touch me
like that
touch me not!
This area
is imperceptible, out of sight, untouched
since ever.
Don't come this side,
this is neglected, unseen, unknown
since ever!
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(14) UNREQUITED BESTOWAL
-------------------------------------------
Now,
what can I give you
except a carved
stationary statue;
except dispersed dust?
Whatever I am,
I have become
been cast.
Have used up
many a breath
from the assigned stock;
have attained fruition.
It is not possible now
to indulge in
experimental hewing, carving
what would be left incomplete,
the rest will remain unexpressed.
At the present stage of life
and its fag end
me, a rising and setting
sun,
what can I give you except
the warmth
of a known
cuddly feeling!
You are like
the deep sea on high tide;
your burning, sizzling
lusts are like
the infinite sky,
what can I give you
o, passion incarnate
except intense fancies and
an unassuaged excitement!
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(15) ONE SUNDAY
-------------------------------------------
The whole day
passed away in waiting,
waiting for all sorts of men.
No one unexpected came,
none unwanted too encountered.
The whole day passed away
moment by moment
this Sunday.
None brought any tiding
good or bad,
interesting or disheartening.
The whole day passed away
in cogitation,
in desiring to see
one or the other,
strolling to and fro
in the rooms.
Early in the morning
only
came the newspaper,
the milk vendor
rang the door bell
rang the door bell
in the morning and the evening
as his wont.
Otherwise
not a leaf rustled,
even a bird did not fly
over the sky
around me.
the whole day passed away
as a long wait
in mute helplessness!
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(16) GRATEFULNESS
-------------------------------------------
O, my mind
quit
this place!
Whom to wait for here
more now,
o, my mind!
The day has declined,
it is evening,
Deep darkness
is surrounding
on four sides!
My mind
accept wholeheartedly
this solitariness
with pleasure,
O, my mind!
O, God!
I am grateful to you
extremely
grateful!
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(17) INCOMPLETE
-------------------------------------------
Something remains
un-said!
Shall I add an appendix
or hold back?
Something unendurable
persists!
-------------------------------------------
(18) VICTOR LUDORUM
-------------------------------------------
Terror : mourning
riddled / blood soaked
dead bodies of the innocent
are lying on the heath and the fields;
mutilated bodies
lie scattered
on the roads.
Hapless
mother, wife, sisters, daughters
father, brothers, friends, neighbours
controlling emotions
holding anger
stand downcast
dumb and helpless.
The Guru - God, Allah's devotee
celebrates
in the prayer house.
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(19) TERROR STRUCK
-------------------------------------------
Panic : profound silence.
stillness all around!
Terrified dogs,
frightened birds
are all mute.
It seems
the brutal barbarians
have again killed innocent people
rapaciously,
have mercilessly done to death
nightly.
Deafening the silence
the religious slogan has again
echoed!
Danger,
deadly danger prevails!
By the end of night
horrified dogs will howl
terrified birds will shriek!
But we
bearing the ache of brutalized age
will haul the debris of history.
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(20) SOMEONE UNKNOWN
-------------------------------------------
One man, hunched, gloomy
wreathing in pain,
leading a devastated life,
has passed away.
One man, hunchbacked, distressed,
injured and blood smeared,
crying seeking shelter
has just now passed away.
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(21) TO THE HAWKER
-------------------------------------------
Ah, what
day after day
you deliver
blood smeared newspaper
at my door!
Saturated with
horrid happenings
in every column
the marks of indiscriminate firing
appear apparent
on every page.
Awe strikes
while touching, reading
the newspaper
emitting flames
exuding malevolence
it seems stinging!
Although I go to bed
every night after hearing the news
that nothing untoward has happened,
the situation is tense
but is under control.
-------------------------------------------
(22) SELF DESTRUCTION
-------------------------------------------
We ourselves
are undoing ourselves.
How strange
that we do not feel the pain
because
a parochial, uncivil, barbaric
mania of religion
controls
our heart and mind.
We are bursting hand grenades on ourselves.
in a fit of madness
we are mining our own houses
and igniting them
to maim our own people.
We ourselves
are discarding human attributes,
have dehumanized ourselves
and roar
to annihilate
our own clan!
-------------------------------------------
(23) PEOPLE
-------------------------------------------
People are following
their flock,
They know not
their aim,
are ignorant,
completely deprived.
They rove or
move around
their hovels!
The noise
that rumbles
here, there :
has any man-eater
arrived?
There is apprehension
in the jungles of pine today!
-------------------------------------------
(24) EMERGENCY
-------------------------------------------
The storm
has not yet subsided,
much havoc
has been wrought,
destruction is still continuing.
The ominous night
is not yet over.
Be vigilant
about every footfall.
Remain alert!
One cannot be sure
when somebody might knock
at the door to seek refuge!
0
Throwing out venom
snarling
like a stricken snake
the hurricane
will die down ultimately.
Consuming every thing
the dense dark night
will also vanish.
Every moment
awaits a fine morning
for existence!
-------------------------------------------
(25) REMAIN WATCHFUL
-------------------------------------------
Remain awake
till it is morning the world over!
Fear frowns everywhere,
hurt humanity is wailing,
bear the brunt
till organized protests ensue!
Let every man be free from confinement,
contend against the tide,
till the flaring up of
the victory war of masses.
Fight death, feel not tired,
march unto the end, stop not
till the tormenters cower and crumble!
-------------------------------------------
(26) WHOLE WORLD A FAMILY
-------------------------------------------
In today's progressive and civilized new world
segregating man from man
on the basis of
castes, households, creed or wealth;
calling one the low
and the other high
calling one our own
another one other's
is a serious crime
an unpardonable crime.
Such individual or a society
who believe in creating a wedge
between man and man
or
want to perpetuate poverty
will have to be annihilated.
The end result of
the centuries old struggle
and common thinking
is that :
we will have one caste - human
our family is one - human love
descending from Manu-Shraddhaa
our creed is one - humanity
our community is one - toil.
The difference of colour and features
is variegated nature's versatility.
We are amazed at it.
We are proud of it.
Long ago in the hoary past
distances and the lack of communications
made us speak in different tongues
and have different alphabetical sings.
But today
with the grace of science
we have changed these distances
into neighbourhoods. The restraints of language and letters
have been eliminated
with mutual interaction.
The sanguine spate of desire for love
has broken the barriers and bars
which divide us
in different castes, families, creed and sects.
-------------------------------------------
(27) CORRUPTION
-------------------------------------------
Corruption is rampant
and is rife like weeds
overgrown everywhere.
It has bedraggled
and drowned the country every moment
in the deep depths of depravity.
It has given
a cruel and crude treatment
to the precious lives of
millions of people.
It is a forbidden
and an ignoble deed
a blemished
and a fraudulent conduct.
-------------------------------------------
(28) UNMASKED
-------------------------------------------
A gang of swindlers
is having
a wild spree.
May you prosper
in air conditioned mansions!
Singing songs of triumph
raving with abandon ride
a Ferris wheel!
May you succeed in life,
every tangle be resolved!
Wealth is everything,
it is omnipotence;
the thugs appreciate the lustre of riches,
they know the unlimited and
incomprehensible significance
of wealth.
But all have been nabbed
and brought to book :
The monks, the politicians
cunning ministers, the preceptors et.al.
Amazement en masse!
A Fury and not a Fairy!
The masks have been shed
the true faces are revealed!
-------------------------------------------
(29) THE MACABRE LEECHES AND TICKS
-------------------------------------------
The blood sucking, greedy,
hungry, countless leeches and ticks
are clinging to
the body politic of the new born nation.
Come, let us pluck, twitch
and consign them to the blazing fire!
Let us, forthwith, hold their
eager, swollen lust
from diffusing abroad,
lest it should consume everything!
The country's new fabric
should not disintegrate.
The selfish parasites
might not gulp down
the developing nation's opulence!
-------------------------------------------
(30) TOMFOOLERY
-------------------------------------------
You too
served banalities to us.
Alas!
We have been taken for a ride this time also!
for instance,
see the coined phrase : secularism -
and the other of
Social justice.
Not only these
there are other cliché like
national integration / and constitutional propriety
which this time too
you flaunted like the
tantrums of a clown
and made away!
Being the proclaimed
architect of India's destiny,
we had expected from you
some value added fruitage
but what a mess you have made!
What a tomfoolery
and a gloomy mishmash!
What sort of democratic rigmarole is it?
It is an affront and a rebuff
to the public!
-------------------------------------------
(31) TRICKERY OF VOTES
-------------------------------------------
Meandering through
the lanes and alleys,
ghettos and slums
of the down trodden
treading on the pock-marked, uneven,
raising loud and sky rending slogans,
a grand procession of the oppressed
is advancing.
They are not chartered,
aping, throat croaking sloganeers.
They are real, all factual,
corpulent, robust,
paunchy, roly poly,
sand boy intimidators
donning expensive sloughs.
All are watching the pranks
of the raggle-taggle, tonsured
dark, black urchins
of the Dalits wearing
soiled and torn
briefs and vests.
And standing outside their shanties
the veiled women
of the oppressed
make a striking scene.
Single-minded they are watching
the gradually advancing
grand procession of the oppressed.
Saviour of the poor
promoting their concerns
and hailing them,
shooting photos, gulping juice
the procession proceeds.
Tomorrow the public will watch
on the T.V. monitors
the same, the very same
fine procession of the Dalits.
But it is regretted
that not a single soul
of the Dalits is among them
and none of them expresses
the voice of the underdogs!
-------------------------------------------
(32) SUDDENLY
-------------------------------------------
Your memory flashed up today
and titillated my mind,
after ages,
many years.
Your company
was a palpable fact,
your hand a handy armour.
Every thing is lost in the past
frequent infatuation persists.
Ages have gone by
slowly, gradually,
nursing dreams every night,
but those sweet kaleidoscopic pictures
have been the inspiration of life.
-------------------------------------------
(33) WELCOME
-------------------------------------------
The blooming orchid in my yard
strews a multi-shaded grandeur sweet.
Her soft and silky tangled tresses
have a perfect shiny gloss.
She has snugness in her arms
and an insight in her eyes.
Naively she squeaks like a sparrow
and warbles dulcet notes.
Lanky and fresh
as if dangling from a tree twig
she feels bestowed upon the riches divine
and seems gloating over all her lot.
She appears thoroughly satisfied
adorned as she s with trinkets fine.
The orchid is blooming
the beauteous blossom in my yard.
(To my grand-daughter baby Ira)
-------------------------------------------
(34) BEFORE THE RAINS
-------------------------------------------
A dense black cloud,
a sable cloud
has overcast the sky today.
After months of heat
intense, searing, ceaseless heat,
lulled by air
the humid tortuous weather
has turned pleasant.
Some one, it seems
has laid on the human body
the silky sheet of gray cloud.
Its lustre lures.
The cloud enamours
the black cloud
enchants!
-------------------------------------------
(35) ASPIRATION : SUN
(1)
May every person be a sun
full of energy
and pure as heat!
May every person blaze like the sun,
be a flame
impartial and unblemished!
(2)
May every person be like the sun
bright,
punctual and
a plume of light!
Wherever he may go
let every particle shine,
uproot dilemma and gloom
from the room!
(3)
May every person be like the sun
radiant,
full of warmth,
and resplendent!
May every person seem
shining like the sun!
-------------------------------------------
(36) A TRUTH
-------------------------------------------
Bondage
flares up as a challenge,
as an unwelcome,
undesirable yoke,
continuously incites
rebellion, use of force, a resistance,
conflagration and anger.
Bondage
develops as consummation of love,
attachment,
and induces
fondness, lasting commitment,
a willing submission,
alacrity and an urge.
-------------------------------------------
(37) TERROR AND ANXIETY
-------------------------------------------
Extreme constriction
has palsied lips,
hands and feet have been immobilized,
angst reigns,
humanity seethes with anger.
Holocaust haunts around,
Terrorism looms large everywhere.
This callous climate has to be changed.
To save mankind
every one has to be alert.
The inflammation is immense
the heat is rigorous.
Every horizon is obscure
and is shrouded with smoke.
The fire is intense,
its flames are flaring,
rippling sky high.
It must be doused.
-------------------------------------------
(38) ATTENTION
-------------------------------------------
Darkness and despondency pervade!
Intense melancholy!
Utter hopelessness
has seized the entire universe,
and bogged it down
completely ..
But don't be alarmed!
Overwhelmed, don't be diffident
even for a moment.
Do not relax
for it is certain
festoons
light will prevail.
Come
let us sing songs of hope
to blight the blues
and snuff out gloom.
Surely darkness will die!
-------------------------------------------
(39) GREETINGS
-------------------------------------------
May the ultimate year of this bloody century
be the year of the worship of Shakti
(the goddess of gallantry)
of devotion and prayer!
May the coming century
be the period of mankind's certain triumph
over savagery!
May the flush of accomplishments
be flashed on every face!
May the human race
be weaned away from wickedness,
animalism, ferocity and tyranny!
May the arrogance vanish,
and the milk of human kindness
suffuse the human heart!
May every person discard vileness,
have mutual love and fellow feelings
and be an intellectualist!
May pure human consciousness
be the main aim of every soul!
May the new year be full of
graces great!
-------------------------------------------
(40) REALISTIC IDEAL
-------------------------------------------
We have delineated life and the living
only objectively in letter and spirit.
Equality of man
has always been our guiding principle,
our dream to see every man
thriving excellently.
We are resolved to rid society of abuse.
We are determined to transform
the world into a paradise.
We have modern bent of mind
to create history,
to make the new age most developed
and superb all over.
-------------------------------------------
(41) DETERMINE
-------------------------------------------
Shiny, glowing
torches we are.
Lofty
glowing lights are we.
We are the lighthouses
flashing permeative glares.
We are the lodestars.
Calm and composed,
firmly resolved
we are :
to shatter
the intense, painful
all pervading gloom and
to scatter
over whelming lustrous brilliance
all over, everywhere.
Our radiant aura
infuses confidence
and defuses
all misgivings of mankind
lock, stock and barrel,
eliminates every nagging doubt,
and in a jiffy
suffuses pleasure all around,
removing all hurdles.
We are determined
to elute deep rooted
despondency and dejection
from every melancholy heart
and to rejuvenate it
with optimism.
-------------------------------------------
(42) SPRING AIR
-------------------------------------------
Smooching my body
blew the sensuous,
capriciously cuddly breeze.
Never I had felt it
so pleasing ever before.
Blowing my mind
blew the indolent air
captivatingly.
Never I had felt it
so pleasing ever before.
Fully familial
pulsating with love
the beguiler got beguiled.
Clinging and clasping,
rocking on the arms,
swinging and swaying,
elated,
swished the clothes
ruffled the hair,
tingled the limbs
and God knows
how flippantly
hallucinating it had been!
-------------------------------------------
(43) FOGGY SKY
-------------------------------------------
Foggy and smoggy
lies the sky!
It is late in the day
yet the sky is lolling lazily,
simply snoozy
it betrays no stimulus.
Feigning excessive cold
it drools like a dunce!
Warm midday now holds sway
but the sky seems dusky.
Far off in the horizon
even the smog seems sulky
festoons it will wane!
-------------------------------------------
(44) YOU
-------------------------------------------
Whenever you smile
you look more pleasing!
Why do you smile
over trifles?
Whenever you face the mirror
beau ideal
for make up
to put a bright moony dot
between your bow like eye-brows
on your hair free bright brow
you gloat
and look more pleasing!
Far away from the town then
lost in the memory of some one
when you float the lamps in the river
you look more pleasing,
gracile enchantress
you look more pleasing!
Time and again
when you hum
dulcet poignant tunes
of lovelorn songs
or sing sweet hymns,
you look more pleasing!
-------------------------------------------
(45) CHARMING FLOWERS
-------------------------------------------
These flowers have perfumed
my entire dwelling thoroughly
and have suddenly taken away
the loneliness of a listless life.
Let these flowers bloom
and sway on their stalks
and imbue my frail body
and dismal mind emotionally.
These flowers
have permeated the whole world
with a sweet smell
and have made it resplendent
with their spectral hues.
Let these flowers bloom
and rock on their stalks
to have a pleasant crush
with the world's people
hilariously, clingingly.
These flowers have made
this terrified terra firma
delightful,
yes, have filled it
with romances galore.
Let these flowers bloom
from hill to hill, over all deserts,
in all jungles
myriad habitats,
every home
everywhere.
-------------------------------------------
(46) ACTUALLY
-------------------------------------------
While observing caution
Time flew fast.
Every thing tidied
went awry.
All that was in hand
slipped away suddenly
at every cautious step.
Every strand tore away
while sorting out
or got twisted tediously.
Every thread
became taut in the process
gradually at every step
of seeking solution.
Life has been spent
learning life.
Vocal scores were lost
at soprano pitch
in learning the art of music.
-------------------------------------------
(47) A Fact
-------------------------------------------
As life began
the end followed,
just when it dawned
darkness prevailed.
In the sky
with ceaseless diffusion
the rays vanished,
so that far and wide
an endless stream
of bright light
was visible no more.
Here, there, everywhere
there was a loud noise.
Till every limit of the horizon a
crimson morning had shone.
The lyric, the song
the love, the beloved,
had all ceased to exist.
But wait
light will come
it will gush in
a new morrow.
-------------------------------------------
(48) WELCOME :
-------------------------------------------
TWENTY FIRST CENTURY
May the coming century
imbue
the human mind
with the fresh rays of
tutelary genius!
Rising above
the blind faiths,
trite beliefs;
renouncing fanatic,
puerile and primitive creeds
may every man
be the ardent follower of
a nouvelle culture!
May the whole world
be well versed in a
thoroughly propounded
universal religion!
May it discard
hollow traditional ideology,
rotten slough, fatal,
decaying fungivorous dungaree
so that only truth
may shine!
During the ensuing hundred years
may kindness, affection and compassion
rule the roost!
May the sanctified, refined and
cooling waters of piety douse
the mind and body of
the mankind inflicted by intense
hatred and violence.
May the earth be
suffused with
lofty feelings, fine emotions
and be managed
under standardized and judicious plans!
May barbarism
cruelty, rancour, and restlessness
be vanished!
All may become
good and tolerant
and become Godlike protectors.
-------------------------------------------
(49) A WELCOME MOMENT
-------------------------------------------
Waving the benign pennant,
the gracious emblem
of pious intentions
the new century
the twenty first century
has begun
on the earth.
Very graceful,
flying like a fairy
flaunting white remains
of a new era,
for establishing
peace and prosperity,
promising beatitude,
has set in
the new century
the twenty first century.
To materialize
man's long cherished
dreams on the earth;
to imprint
his greatest creations
on humanity
the new century
the twenty first century
has arrived.
We welcome it
with dedication
whole heartily!
-------------------------------------------
(50) THE PLEASURE OF TRIUMPH
-------------------------------------------
I had wished
to flourish
till the beginning of
the new century!
I had wished
the throbbing pulse
not to stop
till the beginning of
the gay and glorious
new century!
Fulfillment of
this wish is
astonishing.
Human faith
is indeed
very efficacious
and wondrously potent.
I had wished
to live till
the advent of the new century.
At last
it has come
the reveling new century.
In fact
the rollicking new century
has set in!
Death stands vanquished.
Life is triumphant.
My penance is fruitful
and my soul will now
don the new raiment
at its own convenience!
-------------------------------------------
Contact :
Dr. MAHENDRA BHATNAGAR
110 BalwantNagar, Gandhi Road,
Gwalior — 474 002 (M.P.) INDIA
Phone : 0751-4092908
E-Mail : drmahendrabh@rediffmail.com
-------------------------------------------
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