गुरुवार, 18 नवंबर 2010

SELECTED POEMS OF DR. MAHENDRA BHATNAGAR -- Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar’s Poetry



SELECTED POEMS OF

DR. MAHENDRA BHATNAGAR

Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar’s Poetry

[50 Poems]

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Contents

Appealing Poetry

By Dr. Narendra Sharma ‘Kusum’

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POEMS

1 To My pen

2 Destruction Play

3 Faith

4 Man and Dream

5 Life

6 Retaliation

7 Break Not

8 Recognise you can’t

9 Night Shall Pass Away

10 Again, After Ages...

11 Sing

12 Mosquitoes’ Music

13 New Bharat

14 Asia

15 Hidrances Are Challenges

16 My Country

17 Or Else

18 Our Ambience

20 Touchstone

21 Epitaph

22 Misunderstandings

23 Fragmented Personality

24 Tug of War

25 Exploration

26 Insistence

27 Well-Wisher

28 A Longing

29 A Poem-Prayer

19 Once and Once, Only !

20 Touchstone

21 Epitaph

22 Misunderstandings

23 Fragmented Personality

24 Tug of War

25 Exploration

26 Insistence

27 Well-Wisher

28 A Longing

29 A Poem-Prayer

30 Gouraiya [Sparrow]

31 Ordeal

32 O History Creators!

33 Significant

34 Freedom-Spree [1]

35 Freedom-Spree [2]

36 Realty

37 Helplessnes

38 Self-Beguile

39 ‘Desire Fulfilled’

40 Analysis

41 A Wish : Unfulfilled

42 More of Struggle

43 Inhuman

44 A Page From History

45 Cyclical Occurrences

46 Self-Experience

47 Confrontation

48 The Delectable

49 Destiny-Defiance

50 Indomitable

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Appealing Poetry

– Dr. Narendra Sharma ‘Kusum’

Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar has a large corpus of writings to his credit. His prolific literary output has a wide range. While going through his poems one cannot miss the fact that the poet is endowed with an extraordinary poetic sensibility coupled with a high degree of poetic craft. His poetry does not seem to be a laboured one : it is marvelously spontaneous. It appears to have come to him as naturally as leaves come to a tree. He exudes poetry as a flower exudes fragrance. There is an uninterrupted flow of emotions and feelings cast in an inimitable poetic mould, which not only delights the reader but also enthralls him for a moment. The poems like ‘To My Pen’, ‘Faith’, ‘Sing’, ‘Cyclical Occurrences’, ‘ Recognize You Can’t’ and a few others bear out my opinion :

O Pen mine!

Move on the canvas of time

So as

Fear-lorn shredded world

Is built up anew!

× × ×

O Pen mine! Move -

To the asleep

Harbinger the rising sun!

And to the stranded

Make path newly lighted!

(‘To My Pen’)

Water

Water with dedication of the core within,

Maybe, breaking rocks some where

New sprouts sprang up,

The womb of earth barren

Were vibrant with life new!

Water,

Each land has warmth

Each land is issue-oriented!

(‘Faith’)

Sing, so that life a lyric may become!

Sing, so that each particle a friend may become!

Sing, that defeat victory may become!

Sing, so that suffering music may become!

(‘Sing’)

We wished not

Those sweet melodies

Of this abode

Be silenced

On this land

Some one

Poisonous seeds

Of hatred, revenge and violence

Sowed!

× × × ×

But

All undesired

Went on happening before us;

And we

Could only see,

All before us

Successively

All battered, shattered, demolished!

(‘Cyclical Occurrences’)

Thus passes away life

With just

Pitiable world of

Even routine, monotony!

Rare -

Music cadence

Sounds thrilling

Joy fragrant

Love rainbow-like!

(‘Recognize You Can’t’)

Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar has a vast canvas and as such his poetry embraces varied experiences of life marked by various moods and emotional states. He perceives life in all its facts and forms and transforms it into a thing of beauty, which is undoubtedly a joy forever, to use the oft-quoted phrase. Though unrhymed, except a few, the poems are distinguished by a natural rhythm, music and cadence. At times there is gloom, anguish and melancholy in these poems but the ultimate voice is the voice of optimism, strength, universal brotherhood, love, national fervour and humanism. He mostly uses traditional imagery but he is equally well versed in the modern poetic idiom. This gives an added dimension to his poetic art. Objectively speaking, his poetry has an enduring quality, which is a rare attribute of a poet.

As to the English rendering of these poems, one may like to observe that the translators have very ably approximated to the poet’s perception and its transformation into an excellent poetic form. Despite various ingrained limitations of the process of translation, the translators have succes1sfully attempted to give us the taste of the original poems. It is needless to reiterate that all poetry defies translation because it is very hard to translate the soul. At the best, we may only catch the reflection of the soul, which may enable us to have a kind of vicarious experience, that too in a limited measure.

In my final estimate, I should like to observe that Dr. Mahendra Bhatnagar’s Hindi poetry deserves wide reception and audience by virtue of its intrinsic worth equally evident in its translated form in English.

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(1) TO MY PEN

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O Pen mine !

Move on the canvas of time

So as

Fear-lorn shredded world

Is built up anew !

Dismantled, skeletal, dismayed

Man’s dried up veins

Are infused with life-blood !

O Pen mine ! move -

To the asleep

Harbinger the rising sun !

And to the stranded

Make path newly lighted !

To the caravan

That is restless, bent up under sands,

To it give ever ascendant

New vigour !

To the scared

Give unshaken faith !

Light up face in tears

With silvery laugh !

O Pen mine ! move —

That the atrocious world’s

Strong iron-fetters are all shattered,

And culture-civilization statues all

From the tyrants’ deadly cruel clutches

Are freed for good !

On debris

Give new creation clarion call,

Give to each person’s throat

A forceful dulcet song of toil!

In every heart

Fill love-ocean,

To the bedimmed eye

Give light in every family!

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(2) DESTRUCTION PLAY

(On the blast of Hydrogen bomb)

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In the hands of dollar-drunk man

There is the hydrogen bomb,

Beware ! O makers of a new order,

Beware ! O aspirers for the age of populace,

Beware ! equality, peace, justice-loving Man !

This so-called custodian of humanity

Lately, with hydrogen-bomb

Has played on Bikini island,

Poisonous smoke of which

Has covered the Pacific Ocean

thro’ and thro’!

This is that very supporter of democracy

That on Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Blasted atom-bombs,

That stamping on the Japanese people

Unbecoming dirges had sung,

That on humanity’s fertile fields

Had raised leprosy,

That all around

Fire-fumes had poured !

That very, today again

Powers of Hydrogen-bomb measures!

For singing unbecoming dirges

Mouth opens!

With the initial velocity of which

Man’s planet in the ether swings !

O life-architects, beware !

Dreamers of happiness-dreams, beware !

Lovers of smiles, beware !

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(3) FAITH

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Water !

Water each particle !

Give water to each dry plant,

To broken uprooted shrubs

Give renewed vigour

Fluent flow to grow again and again !

Give water to each dry plant !

Give naked branches

Ornaments of dew-drop pearls,

To ever barren land

Give water-embrace

Give cool embrace!

Maybe, under deep - deep layers

Life lay asleep,

Lost in the by lanes of murkiness

Water

Water with dedication of the core within,

Maybe, breaking rocks some where

New sprouts sprang up,

The womb of earth barren

Were vibrant with life new !

Water,

Water each particle !

Each land has warmth

Each land is issue-oriented !

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(4) MAN AND DREAM

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Man’s love of dreams

Is eternal !

Even facing death

He, rapt, dreams on !

As if,

Dreaming

Were life’s emblem ;

Were a tale of Yama’s1 defeat !

Dreams to man

Give smile and eagerness,

Give him tears and sighs !

Filling heart with moonlit-tide,

Creating craving for living,

To autumn

Colourful scenes of spring

A fresh present give !

Victory laurels, give !

Cherish gift of dream

costly !

God-gift bestowed

Deck it in eyelids

Day and night !

The term ‘Dreamer’

Is definition of being ‘Human’,

Of movement and progress

Inspiration-fount ;

In trouble-sea

Of world-boat

A mighty rudder !

Glorious most beautiful attribute.

Dream-craving and attraction

Is eternal, is eternal !

Love of man for dreams

Is eternal !

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1 God dispensing death in Indian mythology.

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(5) LIFE

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Our life

Like a Harsingar2 flower

That blooms today

Shall tomorrow shed!

As such,

Each moment rare

Be full of

Merry-making,

Of honey-love !

May each heart ceaseless swing

With overflowing tide of raptures !

One day,

At last

Each shining ray

Shall flicker away ....

And

On all sides

Sheer

Pitch-darkness shall prevail !

Our life

Like a Harsingar1 flower

That blooms today

Shall tomorrow shed !

Close not

The lip-doors

On glowing milky smile,

Be there no restraint

On life-song

Being played on breath-veena2!

One day

Everything shall fly;

To return no more !

Our life

Like a Harsingar flower

That blooms today

Shall tomorrow shed!

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1 A famous flower (Parijat), 2 Indian lute,lyre.

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(6) RETALIATION

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O heart !

Respond

The world’s bitter bite

With tune-gladdened

Nectar-fragrant breath !

Acceptable -

On life-path ...

Pang of each disregard

With calm bright laugh !

Worth receiving -

Clouds of darkness

At door,

With golden rays

Of doubt-free hope !

Worship able -

Thunderbolt god

With the music of heart,

With love outburst

With sportive love-dance!

O heart !

Respond

The world’s cruel fraud

With loving feeling,

With faith !

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(7) BREAK NOT

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O heart wounded,

Break not !

Bear calamity’s dire hammer-stroke !

In blazing

Mighty cauldrons of pain

Constant calmly burn !

Alone

In the bubbling river of whirl pooling poisonous

hot-currents

Non-stop, unyielding flow !

Slighted heart,

Break not !

Dark and dusky clouds,

Strong noisy winds ....!

Fiery waving,

Pent up stunned atmosphere !

Cruel,

As though presently, there were

Yea, presently,

Ram1,

Sita2-kidnapping !

O heart !

Break not !

Not distant any more

New coming morn,

Might it not be

By dry, sad, pathetic, black shadow

eclipsed !

Smiling

March on,

O heart !

To make reconciliation meaningful,

New undawned Morn,

Close by !

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1 The incarnation of god Vishnu. Eldest son of Kaushiliya-Darshrath. 2 Wife of Lord Ram; daughter of Janak, king of Mithila.

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(8) RECOGNISE YOU CAN’T

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Even routine, monotony

That is what life means,

As though poisonous serpents entwined

Were the sandalwood tree !

Morning comes

With troublesome rays of depression,

With flared up suns of wants

Having troubled unsuccessful rays,

Body slack, languorous, wounded

Unattached, wraith-like mind, slack,

Bygone, mangled

Day, cripple-like, trembling

Riding dismantled chariot

From wilderness listless

Bearing pain unbearable, unending

When evening, in night’s cave

Is sunk

You will not realise

How bored accursed life feels!

Night comes

As though cruel mirage

Embodied as bride were

From colourful, shot-silk

Dream-curtains

The newly-wed peeping

Gifts of biting swindling

In arms just drops !

Untouched feelings, like fluid waves

Dashing against a hard rock

Bring a flood-tide of pain !

Thus passes away life

With just

Pitiable world of

even routine, monotony !

Rare -

Music cadence

Sounds thrilling

Joy fragrant

Love rainbow-like !

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(9) NIGHT SHALL PASS AWAY

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Darkness

Night is inveterate

Night is deaf !

Exhorted [heart] passionately

To sleep!

O heart

Tired sad heart

Defeated in the game of life

Misfortune-stricken

O heart destitute

Sleep !

Night is for sleep

Dreams to cherish

For moments few

Existence is for being non-existent

Starletful this night

Is for lying in bed with fairies

Sleep !

There is pain

And desolate night is cold extremely !

Life no more is mine,

There remains no dream any longer to realise!

Night ....

To keep awake is

.... In cauldrons of restlessnesses

For smouldering again and again !

Night ....

Night deep

Night deaf

We spent

Keeping awake !

This same shall morrow see

Darkness will descend

Calm

Slow

Dead slow

Shroud-like

Darkness shall descend again !

O heart

For keeping awake

All silently

Close your eyes

To smoulder inside

Life-long ashes keep !

Night

Black night

Shall pass away .... shall pass away !

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(10) AGAIN, AFTER AGES ….

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After ages,

All of a sudden isn’t you?

Lost in the world of dreams

Head, pillowed on arm

On the berth, you sleep !

Won’t you wake up?

My journey’s almost done .... !

Open your eyes

Open your eyes,

Utter not a single word

to me, tho’

Have a look at me

And then

Feign sleep again.

After ages,

Now again

Getting new colour and sap fresh

Will bloom

Sun-withered flower !

After days numberless

Suddenly, so you are !!

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(11) SING

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Sing; so that life a lyric may become !

Man is helpless at each step,

Each silvery love-dream is shattered,

Sunken in sea of tears

The sun of hope is far, far away,

Sing, so that each particle a friend may become !

Surrounded on all sides is darkness dense

Hurt is each heart, full of pain,

Shall mute cover of troubles life-long

For ever remain thus overhead?

Sing, that defeat victory may become !

Breath is overcast with helplessness-suffocation,

Smouldering is life smarting-burning fed,

Full of poisonous dense-dust particles

Is sky of man’s wishes,

Sing, so that suffering a music may become !

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(12) MOSQUITOES’ MUSIC!

[An irony on the Experimentalist Poetry]

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At the fall of night every day

The chorus of otherwise dumb mosquitoes countless

Resounds and resonates the room !

Having not the least

Grandeur of feeling and imagination

Blowing merely

Buzz, buzz, buzz !

Driving away slumber

What lullaby is this ?

What symphony is this ?

Better it were

D.D.T.1

Sprinkled on them

Swish-swish, swish-swirl, swish-swish !



1 Abbreviation for dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) a colourless chemical that kills insects.

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(13) NEW BHARAT

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Amidst strifes’ flames

Sportively,

Songs of new creations

On cords of ecstasies

Sings one and sing all !

Bharat

Her dreams realises !

With intentions strong-willed

Toils each man - each woman,

Steel from Bhilai1 shall overflow

And each flower-bed will sway to and fro !

Changed is each and every particle of Bharat,

Changed is the very life-style of Bharat !

Fled have shadows of dumb depression

Suns of raptures have come up

Dejected oppressed from ages

Withered faces are radiant !

Now lies misfortune buried,

Now is the sky liberated !

Buds that pined for bloom

In overladen mango-groves

The innocent cuckoo, that

Couldn’t pour out its heart in wistful songs,

Henceforth —

What a season greets each courtyard

Buds dance

Cuckoo sings pleasant songs !

Life has fresh thrills,

Like sandal-wood, buoyant bubbles

are spattered !

Furious Chambal2

Laughs-babbles

In arms of dams

Like a damsel

Enfolds herself !

Lo ! from Indian Ocean

A cloud sprang up,

Dressed in sari3 green

The Earth waved its veil !

Life-seeds new

Now Bharat sows,

To the welfare of mankind

Devoted is Bharat !

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1- A town in Chhattisgarh province; the site of a famous steel-plant.

2- A river in northern India.

3- Length of cloth worn by Indian women.

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(14) ASIA

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Organised, striving, the whole Asia new

Awakened, enlightened each man of Asia

From the clutches of imperialism is now being freed

Having civilisation-literature-culture-wealth-grandeur Asia !

The lamp of China-Bharat amity in all hearts is lit

Which this era with love flame illuminates

Situated in valleys, inaccessible mountains, forests and deserts

Made each village-community a gods’-habitat !

With strong security sense, on foundation of Panchshila

With head raised sky-high, stands unshaken uniting all

With peace, with co-operation, non-stop up to its destination !

To be true, the caravan of new age architects shall reach.

No more shall the dream of man’s love shatter

And confidence of his victory shall grow and grow

No more shall the ruler of tears snatch away

From women-inmates melody-tunes of

shraawan-song!1

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1- Songs (mostly folk) sung in Shraawan, one of the 12 months in Vikram calender, a rainy month.

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(15) HINDRANCES ARE CHALLENGE

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Hindrances —

Leave us not desperate,

Every moment makes us

Energy conscious !

In confrontation with difficulties

Legs

Waver not,

Instead

Having electric wings

Measure the earth-sky expanse !

Hindrances

‘Terrible, insurmountable, invincible’-

It is sheer nonsense !

Hindrances -

Dependent make us not,

Hindrances -

Make us not in the least miserable

Unlaborious.

They evoke

All latent capabilities inert

Neither fear nor helplessness remains!

Lightning flashes in mighty body

New resolutions rise in mind !

Hindrances : challenges are

To accept them -

Synonym :

Of humanity-greatness !

To accept these -

Clarion call :

Of life’s transcendental force eternal !

To accept these -

Cognizance

Of the prowess of man

Magnanimous, ever moving !

To accept these -

Feel :

Of tireless toil

Long familiar

Human history-evidenced !

Hindrances -

Never leave dismayed

Hindrance-killers !

They make

Beliefs even more firm.

Intelligence

Confronting the difficult

Is never defiled,

Instead

Full of emergent urge

Sharper it becomes !

Each hindrance

Shall be feeble,

Destroyed

Shall in the void vanish !

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(16) MY COUNTRY

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In all directions

Beyond hope

Taking progressive long strides,

Taking ‘Vaman-steps’1,

My Country

Constantly on and on, goes non-stop !

Of a global man perfect,

Of a happy, well cultured rejuvenated man

Round the clock chisels

Icon!

My country

Constantly on and on, goes non-stop !

Ever wary

Of ideals great ,

Of reason-tested

Beliefs !

My Country

Amidst all nations

Of lots of co-operation and mutual welfare,

Lays

Foundations strong!

Darkness shrouded

A great many horizons

Illuminates!

Giving amity definitions new !

Unfamiliar

Numerous paths

Of equity

Inaugurates !

It has battered all

Distinctions of ethnicities and colour,

And of breeds and creeds.

In the real sense of the term

My Country

Man’s glory

Establishes top-most !

Human grandeur

As good as dead

In all hearts

It resurrects !

My Country

To begin with :

Owns

Nations with government systems diverse !

Proposition non-parallel

Of peace and love

Resonating the world over

Faith-abiding

It makes humanity

Scorched with fires of wars horrendous !

Piercing thro’ dense fog

Of doubts

She raises suns

In the sky

Of devotion and dedication !

Ascending

Stairs of progress

My Country,

Constantly

Variedly

Marching

My Country !

Pledged is -

To annihilate inequality,

To drive poverty !

To take salutary

‘Ganga’2 to every house and home !

To bloom blossoms of smiles

On the lips,

To make life

Worth living !

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1- Long steps of Vaman — one of the several incarnations of god Vishnu; in Indian mythology; though a dwarf he covered the whole earth in three strides. 2- A famous holy river in northern India.

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(17) OR ELSE

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If

In country mine

Persons as Gandhi and Nehru

Had not taken birth

Then -

Clamps of beastliness

Round our hands and feet

Would have been fastened !

Here

There

Everywhere

Death-dealers would have been living!

We

That today

Advance apace,

To new strong and beautiful Bharat

Unbent like steel

Give shape,

Emitting

Rays of new enlightenment

Waging war

Against darkness ignorance -

Should have been bogged

Knee-deep

In quagmire of communalism,

We all

Should have been defiled,

Should boundless

Have been narrow-minded !

All our dreams of unity

Would shatter,

Supporters of jungle law

Would plunder

All prosperity !

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(18) OUR AMBIENCE

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In my country

O ye crores of the oppressed!

Ye

Are not rid of

Foot-paths still,

Swimming

In the sea of boiling blood

Got not the shore !

Even in this eighth decade

Of twentieth century

Overhead yours

Is the open sky

Beneath

Is the bare earth !

Desolate looks

Cold sighs !

Crippled helplessness

Winter, rain, storm !

In the mouths of

Rotund and fat

Khadi-clad

Evil character

Businessmen-capitalists

House-owners, colonialists

Pleader-leaders

As before

Abides - ‘Gandhi’

In bungalows and palatial buildings

On walls

Is hung Gandhi !

(Or on the gibbet is suspended Gandhi !)

Of manoeuvred brain

Ill-tempered

These ‘destiny-makers’ of new India

In ‘Ambassadors’1

Blowing dust

Spitting on the oppressed

Trampling on humanity

Loiter carefree

Those desirous of petty conveniences

Touch their feet!2

Amazed is my whole generation

How dishonest leadership is !

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1- (here) Name of a car.

2- A highly respectable Indian mode of salutation.

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(19) ONCE AND ONCE, ONLY

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Loving wandering eyes two

Should see me -

Once and once,

Only !

Two

Love-shaken hands

Should take hold of me -

Once and once,

Only !

Serpentine arms two

Should enfold me -

Once and once,

Only !

Two

Inflamed blazing lips

Should kiss me -

Once and once,

Only !

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(20) TOUCHSTONE

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Were some sweet-scented

Warm-ray of love

To touch

Me -

Wax I am !

Were some ‘Mugdha’1

Chakori2

Innocent

Impatient

Stray

Eyes two

Glanced

Me —

Moon I am !

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1- Straight-forward youthful girl.

2- Red-legged partridge. According to the poetic lore, ‘chakori’ loves the moon.

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(21) EPITAPH

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None is for you

None is for anybody

The world utterly selfish is !

At our death -

Someone being aggrieved should

Sing pathetic songs

And shed tears

In sweet memory

(Lifelong !)

Light tearful life-lamp,

To think thus -

Is disease sheer

The world is very selfish !

Give not yourself

In vain

So much importance

Should understand

Due -

Being disillusioned -

Significance

Of self-existence,

No harm in it there is !

Whilst

The world is all selfish !

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(22) MISUNDERSTANDINGS

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To our reciprocal bonds

To our prosperous ever-growing relationships

To our closeness and intimacy

Misunderstanding

Often shakes violently

Shatters

Us opposite each other

Turns !

The past of our amity

False, meaningless becomes

The history of our goodwill

Having proved a mere farce

All the past happenings

In the background of unimagined strange contexts

Establishes !

We

Convinced of the otherwise

Explanation of truth

To change

Are compelled,

In darkness

In deeper darkness

In still deeper darkness

We are lost !

Misunderstanding —

The implication of human faith

Constantly tramples,

One and many misunderstandings

Constantly making hollow

Absorb

Sap of life !

Falling a prey misunderstandings

Really

A curse is,

To suffer misunderstandings

again and again

Really

An acute curse-fever trouble is !

Who knows, as a result of which curses

I have got

Gifts of misunderstandings,

Gifts of false charges and scandals

A plenty,

Carrying which on life’s back

I wander !

The bundle of misunderstandings

In its bulk

Still will how much bigger grow?

The gusto of my life

How longer shall it check?

Should I breach all relationships?

This burden of misunderstandings

All at once should throw away?

Free from worry

Of the individual and society

Should adjoin life with lifeless matter

Should I compassion strangle ?

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(23) FRAGMENTED

PERSONALITY

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In childhood

If somebody —

Saw not

With affectionate looks

With craving

And caressed not

Hugging

With vatsal1 feeling

Then a man’s personality

Does definitely

Crack!

In youth

If one couldn’t

Get some

Beloved

Partner’s

Love :

Unfraudulent

Undivided

Unshaken !

Life -

Dry

Burdensome

Sheer desert

Lust-born!

Then that man’s personality

Inside and outside

Certainly

Cracks !

If-

Being old

Is not heard

Speech reverential-honourable,

None is willing to hear

The tale of self-experience

Dumb

At this last step

Man’s personality

Really,

Creaks

For ever breaks !

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1- Affectionate.

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(24) TUG OF WAR

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For years have I not seen

Sunrise,

Sunset !

The sky full of the moon and stars,

I have not seen,

For years, have not seen !

Buds bursting

Flowers fragrance-exhaling

Frantically dancing

On twigs,

Kissing

Butterflies and bees !

For years I have not seen !

For years I have not bathed in rains

Neither have I sung any song full-throatedly

Nor for years,

Have I seen

For a single moment

Mehndi1 -fragrant hands plump,

Dyed with Mahavar2

Jingling

Two - feet

Strayed

I have not seen

Ah, for years !

Somewhat to such an extent

Was I entangled

In life’s struggle -

Seeing,

Feeling,

As if not in the least

Were under control !

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1- An evergreen shrub, its green leaves are used for dying hands and feet by women (excepting widows) invariably on the eve of marriage or other auspicious festive occasions.

2- An auspicious red-coloured liquid used by Indian ladies to decorate their feet.

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(25) EXPLORATION

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All this while :

How we lived —

We alone know !

How horrible was

The billowing-boiling-breaking

Overflow -

We alone know !

Signification :

Of life : of the world

Was mysterious

to-date

Now we

Know that well

Yea,

Very well

We know that !

Wrapping folds countless

Man

Now transparent is,

Inside and outside

We

Rightly

Quite rightly

Recognize him !

Come, let me -

The saga of

Panting, dying storm

Relate !

Striving against life on fire

The saga of man relate !

--------------------------------------------------------

(26) INSISTENCE

--------------------------------------------------------

Compel not

Man

So much that

Undergoing injustices -

Beast he became !

Or

Having borne the unending

Experiences of painful sufferings -

He collapsed

And a relic he became !

Compel not

Man

So much that

Life to him

Became

A sharp pricking

Ever oozing

Gangrene !

Compel not

Man

Thus -

To such an extent !

--------------------------------------------------------

(27) WELL-WISHER

--------------------------------------------------------

If evil wishes

Efficacious were,

Desolate

This world

Before long

Would have been !

It would have provoked

On each step

Man’s Durwasa-vanity1 !

Eternal

Fountain of love

In netherworld

Before long

Would have been lost !

Where are you

O pious Shakuntale2 !

Of curse

Live muddy reaction

Oh, where are you ?

--------------------------------------------------------

1- A great Rishi of ancient India, notorious for his anger and his cursing nature.

2- Wife of Dushyant and mother of Bharat; the renowned heroine of Kalidas.

--------------------------------------------------------

(28) A LONGING

--------------------------------------------------------

Were it but once

That we

Felt ourselves risen to eminence;

Tho’

For moments a few.

Were it but once

That we might live

Life natural

Putting off the mask

of smile artificial,

Pining boundless is

Man

For hearty boisterous laughter !

Were it but once

Face to face

With the self’s expansion,

How narrow minded is

Man

Unfamiliar

With benevolence !

In darkness filled mind

Once at least

Lightning could flash,

How costly

Has become

Cost of light !

Only playing is

Each man

A jester’s role

Of a miser money-lender !

If only once we

Our dawarfishness

Our meanness

Could abandon

And could experience

Jubilation

Of getting on the summit !

If only once just once we

Though

For moments a few,

Had sensation

Of being atop !

--------------------------------------------------------

(29) A POEM-PRAYER

--------------------------------------------------------

Wedding man

With man,

Turning direction

Of brewing hurricanes

Of cruel violent passions,

Going forward

To break their horrific

Blind fury and on-rush

Poetry powerful

Is hymn, prayer it is !

Its voices

Freely reverberate in the skies

Its meanings

Be resounded

In innocent

Full of sweet melodies

In heart-passions ebullient !

May man love man

May all the world

His own family be !

Ours is this

Invaluable ideological inheritance !

Poem composed

In this transcendental mentality

Is hymn, prayer it is !

--------------------------------------------------------

(30) GOURAIYA [Sparrow]

--------------------------------------------------------

Gouraiya

Is obstinate great

Does aught of its will,

Gives little heed

To me !

Entering my room again and again

It chirps : it hops

I drive hither

It perches thither,

Not prepared at all

To go out !

At its will

In the sky

It flees instantly

At its will

Into my room

It flutters instantly !

To shut the doors and windows ?

To fix paste-boards cover on ventilations ?

But, how long should I shut

Even the doors and windows ?

How long shut out wind

From these ventilations ?

Gouraiya is adamant !

It, this time again,

In my room

Shall nestle,

Little nestlings

Shall breed,

To them

It shall give life ....feed !

I

Said and said to Gouraiya —

Man I am

Fear me

And flee away from my room !

But,

Wondrous is its faith

Afraid of me, it isn’t

Bringing straws one by one

It has piled up

In one corner of the ventilation !

No pile,

With each straw

It has constructed

Labour-room.

Surely, Gouraiya !

How skilled architect you are,

Experienced engineer you are !

This nest

Is your great art craft

Built with co-operative

Beak and claws,

It is the outcome of your dedication!

What patience

You have, Gouraiya !

In this nest

It seems -

Life’s

Joys and jovialities

To congregate

Are impatient !

But;

This -

Decoration and cleanliness loving man

Civilized and well-cultured man

How shall he forbear, Gouraiya !

Your

Day after day rising-growing nest ?

One day he

Will throw it off

Into the dustbin !

Gouraiya !

It is man

A great lover of art, he is!

A connoisseur, he is!

On the walls of his room

Are hung your pictures

Pictures -

In which you are there,

Your nest is there,

Your playthings are there !

Gouraiya

Flit off,

Flit off from this room !

Or;

This man

Shall devastate your brood!

In an instant

Shall end up

The world of your dreams !

And you

Seeing all this

Can’t weep even !

Only -

Shall chirp,

Flit in and out,

Crazed

Deranged

Thirsty and hungry !

--------------------------------------------------------

(31) ORDEAL

--------------------------------------------------------

Black terrible night,

Storm

All around,

But,

Be ever lit -

Lamp ....

A jewel lamp

Of goodwill : of fellow-feeling !

Growing youth

Of the country

Shan’t go astray !

Luminous country’s

Awakened youth

Forgetting the Age’s end

Shan’t go astray

Not in the least ruined !

Wipe him off -

Who is taking recourse to violence,

Wipe him off -

Who in religion-frenzy

Is spreading hatred,

Ambushing

Shoots bullets

On wayfarers

On the guiltless !

To wipe off -

Who turned

A shrine !

Into a flared up gun-powder magazine!

From these intentions ill

Youth of the New age

Not in the least

Shall go astray !

No matter

Night were blacker still,

No matter

More fierce were

Cyclonic attacks,

But,

Of goodwill : of fellow-feeling

Stable lamp

A jewel lamp

Unshaken

Be ever lit !

Saintly life’s

Incessant devoted youth

Modern,

Shan’t go astray !

Though

Bolt-bearing cloudlets overcast,

Though

Violent storms came,

Lamp of goodwill

Lamp of righteous resolve

Being doubt-free

Non-stop

As usual

Be ever lit !

Not for an instant

Will be broken

Light-flow!

Being shaken,

Youth of the country

Shan’t go

Astray !

Destructive powers

Whenever emerged,

Humanity

Suppressed ’n’ crushed them

Every time!

Undying —

Victory confidence !

History is

Eye-witness !

Enkindled youth of the country

Shan’t go

Astray !

Conspiracies to breach

The unity

Shall fail,

We shall remain

One nation undivided

Mighty power !

Bear

Can’t we in any case

Against the country

Fraud ’n’ treachery / treason

Guilt !

My country’s

Science-enlightened youth

In dry wells

Shall never go astray !

--------------------------------------------------------

(32) O HISTORY-CREATORS !

--------------------------------------------------------

Without changing

Man’s destiny -

Man

That -

Is accursed

Is tortured

With life’s wants,

Man

That -

Hacked rebuked agitated afflicted

With torments, with tensions;

Without changing

That

Plagued man’s destiny

Without changing

The world’s image -

The world

That —

Full of violence,

Reprehensible,

Wicked, nude beastliness-ridden

Blood-besmeared

Rife with cruelty

Fatal arms-might pride-frenzied,

Without changing

The picture of that

Ill starred world;

O History-creators !

In pleasurable haunts

Sleep not, sleep not a wink !

Reluctant to struggle-strife

Be not, be not !

Without demolishing

The rampart of each division,

Without shattering

Shackles fettering legs,

O History-creators

Attainable by labour non-stop

Decisive winning chance

Hey, miss not, miss not !

Without changing

Man’s destiny,

Without changing

World’s image,

Sleep not, sleep not !

--------------------------------------------------------

(33) SIGNIFICANT

--------------------------------------------------------

Phenomena -

Must in some shape appear

After all take some form !

We reach at least

( Right or wrong )

At some conclusion

Some abode .... door

Some destination.

Thus in wilderness

How long shall we stray?

Thus in fire furnace

How long

Shall we sizzling, writhe?

Phenomena —

Must some shape take

Take some shape at long last !

Lines of contrivances

Defined or dim

Must some embodiment have

At long last, have some embodiment !

That we could know

Directions

Distances

Expanses !

Thoughts —

Abstract thoughts

Be concrete,

In depths of thought-sphere,

Be concrete this way or that

Abstract thoughts,

So that we could make up our minds,

And could dress

Them

In some language-format.

From this where or that

Some ray of light must shoot

Darkness must diffuse

And we from dry-well

Should come out

At least come out,

Phenomena -

Must assume some outline

Be exposed to wind and sunshine !

Phenomena -

Must some body-form assume !

--------------------------------------------------------

(34) FREEDOM-SPREE (1)

--------------------------------------------------------

It looks -

Altered a great deal !

Unfamiliar !

It looks -

Yoke borne from years

Is unharnessed all of a sudden !

For years -

From long narrow

Gravelled-stony

Undesired roads

Bearing heavy burden

On body, on mind

Passed and passed

Like an acrobat

Day after day

On one and the same pole

Climbed up and down !

Thanks -

Free I am now

Like the wind -

Can go anywhere,

Can fly, dance, sing !

Thanks -

I am all-free,

Like a wave !

When I please -

Can ripple - twist,

Lie on rocks

Jump from hills

Can slip on verdures

Run

Run breathlessly

Or

Stretch in a pond

Drop by drop scatter !

Free I am

Somewhat thus

As if

The door of cage

Opened all of a sudden

The parrot flapping wings

Should soar high in the sky

Amongst age-group co-mates mingle,

Should fondle with life-partner

Enfold it

Peck and kiss !

Whatever it pleased

And whenever

Should speak -

High or low

Agog or stealthily !

It looks -

Entwined serpent-traps of years

Were cut

Clouds of poisonous rains

Scattered off !

Now

On sandalwood trees

Will blossom musky-flowers

Mahua1-like

Flower clusters will appear !

What never happened

It seems -

Shall happen now

Because -

A lot

Looks

New

Changed !

--------------------------------------------------------

1- A tree with orangish-pink edible flowers.

--------------------------------------------------------

(35) FREEDOM-SPREE (2)

--------------------------------------------------------

Now

Carefree shall I sleep

Carefree shall I walk

Upto the Janak-tal1 I walk,

No hurry shall there be

Shattered are shackles

All chains !

For hours shall I bathe,

Singing tuneful-tuneless

Songs numerous

Shall I bathe !

Where are

Mine

Recordings of ‘Pakiza’2 and of

Gitadatta2?

In night’s stillness

Shall play on them again and again

Hum now and then !

O plants of my orchard !

No complaint shall you now have,

I shall see to my heart’s fill

Shall water

Shall enfold ye in arms !

O Kaner4, Kachnar5, Guava tree !

Be sad no more

O Rajanigandha6 ! O Jasmine !

Feel frustrated no more,

Your smell

Will be felt in every pore,

Every breath as if

Flower-born were !

Even in deliberately

Shall I not trample ye

O mine orchard’s

Green grass !

I shall live nearby,

Shall lie on velvety body

Full of primitive urge,

With hands soft shall I caress

O lush texture !

Hey-Ho

Gay faced !

Every moment is ours,

Realised

The dream is !

--------------------------------------------------------

1 A tank in Gwalior — a historical town of northern M.P. State.

2- Name of a famous Hindi flim.

3- A well-known playback cine-song female singer.

4- A plant of white, yellow and red flowers.

5- A tree, its leaves and flowers are used as medicine & buds used as vegetable.

6- (Tuberose) A flowery plant blossoming at fall of night emanating sweet smell.

--------------------------------------------------------

(36) REALITY

--------------------------------------------------------

Life was a longing, but a yoke cumbersome became

Life was a firmament, but a well dry became

Fancy-formulated, feelings full, beauteous form

Life was an amatory ode (Gazal), being distracted a curse became !

--------------------------------------------------------

(37) HELPLESSNESS

--------------------------------------------------------

Thrust upon, undesired life, I lived

Every instant, every step, shame I lived

History, now you ask me what

Folly and dirtiness of the world, I lived !

--------------------------------------------------------

(38) SELF-BEGUILE

--------------------------------------------------------

Reality we concealed; life-long

Lies we told as truths; life-long

Related self-experience, as a tale

Went on humming in pain; life-long !

--------------------------------------------------------

(39) ‘DESIRE-FULFILLED’

--------------------------------------------------------

Hey, Ho ! What an applause I got,

Life-long only deep distress I got !

There remained a lot of wealth of pain

Sure enough, life burdensome I got!

--------------------------------------------------------

(40) ANALYSIS

--------------------------------------------------------

All debit

No credit

Life’s balance nil !

The remainders

Are thorns pointed

What we picked up

Are flowers colourless stale

In our possession

Lo ! dust

Dust and dust confineless !

On the way

On each turn

In or out

In market

At the hands of faith

Were ever plundered

From inmates

From outsiders

Ever

Under too sharp edged daggers

of treachery and fraud

With boundless simplicity

Oh, were being cut !

People’s

Created-weaved

Trickeries and machinations

Of all sorts

From their inferiorities and mean nesses

I much desired

To escape !

But

To see through

Blanketing gentlemanliness, civility

Put-on masks

Difficult

Too difficult

To understand

Designs

To escape their fraud !

There survives not

Any inheritance

Razed is -

The structure

That

With sweat of our brow we had built !

--------------------------------------------------------

(41) A WISH : UNFULFILLED

--------------------------------------------------------

I wish

This day

Avoiding

Life’s strugglesome strife

In a door-closed room

Slumbering I should pass !

For years countless

Being carefree, insentient

Feeling

Primordial lust and love

I slept not !

I wish

This day

Lying inactive inert still

In the art-gallery of the past

Being lost I should pass !

For years countless

On the ways of villages deserted

In arms of towns left

I strayed not !

I wish

This day

All promises, assignments, pledges

Forgetful -

In Gangetic billowy

Your remembrance-

Weeping I should pass !

For years

Countless

Confronting

Your face

I wept not !

--------------------------------------------------------

(42) MORE OF STRUGGLE

--------------------------------------------------------

The dream

To realise which -

A whole generation did

Struggle

Ceaseless struggle,

Life-sacrifice unreserved

That

Is come !

Left imprinted

Joy on each lip,

Shone summits - sublime !

Inflamed

In each individual’s conscience

Fire,

Novel gusto filling fire !

Sense bereft stricken country

Full of new vigour

Was awake,

Their dense desperation-darkness covered,

blackened guise

Directions changed,

Each person was in motion

Vibrant each atom !

To make helpless

Tyrannical unkind

Imperialistic Power

Beaming with new faith

Drew on time-tablet

The outline of which dream

That,

Ay, that was realised !

But then ...

Unexpected-sudden

An imminent / rumbling / tumbling all

Full of selfishness-lust

Earthquake

Demolished -

Toil-made

Sky-scrapers,

Dreams of peace and happiness

Of man tyrannised age after age!

So; again

Firm pledge we have to take,

Have to keep word,

Have to fill new colours

In dreams disfigured and dim,

Girding up our loins

We have to struggle hard again !

--------------------------------------------------------

(43) INHUMAN

--------------------------------------------------------

Today again

Faith is broken,

Today again

Bedimmed

Is the hope of life new !

Razed are

The fancy-palaces

on the verge of realization !

Swept are

Too fast retaliatory

Swelling tide

Gathered for ages

Splendid-life mountains of faiths !

Overcast today; again

Are clouds of doom,

The sun -

Of culture and civilization

Again is eclipsed,

Conspiracies beleaguered

This country of mine !

Today again

Is wounded to the core !

In every town is spread the smell

Of gunpowder, poisonous and fatal,

From combustibles

The earth is overlaid

Security-forts have fallen

And every rampart

Is demolished !

Racial jealousy born

Religious hatred spread

Regional-linguistic jealousy barked,

Dirty is environment!

Giant’s garb everywhere !

Breaths choked

Polluted air,

Poison-mixed water

Restless life !

--------------------------------------------------------

(44) A PAGE FROM HISTORY

--------------------------------------------------------

It is true -

Beleaguered are we

On all sides

On each step

In the Chakra-vyuhs1 of cannibals,

In piles

Of corpses and bones

Staggering we stand !

It is true -

Besieged are we

On all sides

On each step

In net laid far and wide

By cannibals

In their heinous moves

of treachery !

Fastening with gunpowder tunnels

Have made inactive

Our iron feet

Our mighty stout arms !

Filled with fatal poisonous smell

With foul smell

Winds from the directions four !

It is true -

Their cruel claws

Have suffocated throat

Have suppressed

Blazing blood-red lips

Make every injustice known !

Each nerve of brain

Is bound to burst out,

Astounded we are !

Cracked prowess

Existence / Ego of entity!

It is true that

Of aggressive-retaliatory powerful hands

As if capability agility were snatched

Neither do we challenge any more

Nor scream,

Voice strangulated

As if it were the sunset

Of hope, of movement, progress,

Of humanity, victory, confidence!

No more in our wit

Does the thundering quick lightning flash

Of revolutionary faiths and feelings

As if consciousness

Were inert like matter !

We were effortless / Are helpless

Are stupefied,

Are overpowered by excessive tiredness !

But

No more now

Shall stable remain

The course of violence and cruelty

Of man against man !

We take a pledge firm

To make sturdy strife

To come out of this plight !

--------------------------------------------------------

1- Circular labyrinth strategic deployment of army.

--------------------------------------------------------

(45) CYCLICAL OCCURRENCES

--------------------------------------------------------

We wished not

That in golden-silvery azure sky

Of this home

Rained fire dense,

We wished not

That ignorant-innocent childhood

And immature simple youth

Of this abode

Longed passionately for love!

We wished not

That sweet melodies

Of this abode

Be silenced.

On this land

Some one

Poisonous seeds

Of hatred, revenge and violence

Sowed !

We wished not

Clouds of doom should overcast

And wash away everything,

Roaring storms should come

Shake and ravage

Glittering rainbow

Dream-palaces

In a moment!

But

All undesired

Went on happening before us;

And we

Could only see,

All before us

Successively

All battered, shattered, demolished!

--------------------------------------------------------

(46) SELF-EXPERIENCE

--------------------------------------------------------

Everyman

In his calamity

Is alone !

All the aggregate of misery

Solely is his !

In moments of pain

Man is all alone !

The night of distresses

Lonely has he to pass

In pitch darkness

Ray of hope has he to generate !

Every hurt

He himself must amuse,

Every truth

He himself must console!

He and he alone

On each step to bear

The brunts of storms

Silently has to put on the chest

Brewing, gathering, ebullient

tides all around !

He has to suffer

Hits of misfortune

Of life accursed,

On difficult path going up and down

Playing ironies bitter

Sports, cruel

Of destiny inauspicious !

He and he alone

Has to taste the bitter draught

Has to experience

The effect of poison-deadly

Alone

Aye, all alone !

Because the fact is this -

That in each calamity of his

All alone has lived Man !

--------------------------------------------------------

(47) CONFRONTATION

--------------------------------------------------------

The stones

The more I hurled

The more each sprang up !

The stones

The more I crushed

The more each leapt up !

The muds

The more I washed

The more clean each was !

The soots

The more I mixed up

The more I smeared

The more it cleared up !

Glittered becoming pure gold !

With fetters

The body whenever

I tied tight

Untied it freed-flowed

North - south

East - west

Flowing scattered !

Waved

Becoming weighty nimble mercury !

Against each danger

I sported firmly

Your blow

Marching forward I bore !

--------------------------------------------------------

(48) THE DELECTABLE

--------------------------------------------------------

The faith-lamp / Be ever lit

A dream / Be ever cherished

Enough is this much for self-cognizance !

The wheel of life / Be ever moving

Yama’s noose / Be ever eluding

Enough is this much for breath surviving !

---------------------------------------------------------

(49) DESTINY-DEFIANCE

---------------------------------------------------------

Every instant when move

Construction-loving hands,

When feet give

Momentum-making company,

Image is then made !

Destiny is then made !

---------------------------------------------------------

(50) INDOMITABLE

---------------------------------------------------------

Afar

Is over cast dense fog -

Piercing the fog

On path

We march on !

Rocks whensoever

Blocked our paths -

Breaking rocks

New paths we pave !

Of winds

Bitter chilly

Cyclonic blows

Confronting tempestuous cyclones

Chests dilated

On each step

Are we unbudging !

Against sea-shore

Dashes

The mountain of terrific tides -

Riding raised waves

With full might

We fight !

Floods of rivers

Breaking banks overflow -

Stopping

Whirl-pools / pressures;

Security-ships we sail !

Dark blind night of doom

On earth

Whensoever envelops -

Illuminating the skies

Suns of hopes,

And faiths

We raise !

Jewel-lamps we light !

Whensoever volcanoes

Vomitted fire horrendous —

On lava wide-spread

Our abodes dauntless

We make !

Whensoever earthquakes

Towns and villages

Razed —

On heaps of stones

New habitations

Every time

We populate !

From blasts of

Atom-bombs / hydrogen-bombs

On devastated lands

O behold

Flag of life

We unfurl!

On all sides

Lush vegetation afresh

We grow !

How will you break their heads ?

Oh how will you crack their heads ?

Indomitable are they

Wonderful bend they have !

On time-tablet is inscribed

‘Life is invincible !’

---------------------------------------------------------

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