Torchbearer

Agony, shame,
disgust mixed with contempt,
an intense hatred towards the society
born out of love for mankind.
Decay of civilization,
dormancy of the thinking faculty.

The door of knowledge is wide open
yet we bother not to enter the realm of intellect.
Is an ignorant man even aware of his ignorance?
Nay. Sad truth.

Neither a respect for knowledge
nor the urge to realize one's self-esteem.
Blissfully ignorant
with misplaced priorities.

What is it?
The fear of truth
in hearts brimming with inferiority complex.

The torchbearer's love for his brethren
makes him want to spread his light.
He's the carrier of
an intense light
that initially blinds the viewer
and later shows the avenues of truth and beauty.

An unwelcome intrusion he is
amidst his own brothers.
They pelt stones at him
and ignore his light,
clinging to their darkness and ignorance.

Torchbearers never cease their endeavours.
Torchbearers bask in the glorious light of truth.
They tirelessly wander around, trying to
enlighten the dark recesses of man's mind,
or immolate themselves with the very torch they carry.
The light of truth and beauty
never scalds the mind.

A torchbearer's decision to stop spreading his light -
a step backward in man's attempt to achieve greatness.

Decay of civilization.

Diversity

Colours, numbers, sounds,
smells, patterns and letters.
Five different sense organs
to feel the same,
but one entity to control them all.

A fly's trivial, tiny head
houses a thousand eyes,
while man's houses just two.
And the ear doubles as the eye
for one peculiar mammal.
Is a fly's tiny head really trivial then?

What is man in the mad cosmic chaos?
Yet, comprehend the universe's vastness
only he can.
A strange feeling of proud humility,
a unique case of humble pride.
How different is man to the universe
from a fly's head?
Infinity exists on both extremes.

If the stars we see today
are several billion years old,
how many billion years will it take
to see the star that was born just now?

Marvel at nature's greatness -
any time we can.
Worship nature -
always we must.

Not all fishes in the ocean
are the same,
not all birds
have the same plumage.
Not all reptiles
move the same way,
not all plants
are peace-loving and quiet.

Man appreciates diversity
in the lower forms of life,
even hails nature
for imparting it.

Yet, he torments his brethren
for the exact same reason.
What an irony!
Man.

Company of Creation

When all my muses walk away from me
without even bidding farewell,
when worries turn into sorrow
and later into depression,
when the heart wants to cry in agony,
shedding tears and trying to reach out to someone,
in desperation,
when the heart wages a war against the mind,
when thought just does not stop peeping into my being,
when I realize the only true company
I have in the world is myself
and let solitude embrace me,
I wish you be there on my side,
Oh! Poetry.
beautiful lady made of stringed syllables.
Choose not to abandon me
like my muses did.
Help me find
solace from my sorrow.
Kick logic and rationality from the mind
and inject the slow poison of unparalleled beauty.

You are beautiful yourself.
A smiling child's innocent countenance,
a soothing music I'd gladly drown into,
a sudden burst of colours
splashing in all directions -
the type of beauty I'd love to be killed by.

Be with me and take me high.
Be with me till I die.
Be with me and I will not cry.

Two Brothers

Two brothers - poles apart.
One cherishes life,
one abhors the same.
They're always in conflict.
The two brothers.

Two brothers - born in the same womb.
One respects mankind,
the other has nothing but disgust for man.
They are in constant disagreement.
The two brothers.

Two brothers - brought up the same way.
One has kindness unmatched in heart,
while the other takes pride in his cold indifference.
They're never on speaking terms.
The two brothers.

Two brothers - with the same education and means.
One strives for perfection,
the other is satisfied with mediocrity.
They're diametrically opposite to each other.
The two brothers.

Two brothers - fighting an endless battle with one another.
One is ready to forgive,
the other wants total annihilation.
They're like quarreling neighbours.
The two brothers.

Two brothers - in the same mind and the same body,
co-exist independently.
Should one cancel the other?
Or should there be harmony between them?
A duel in duality.
The two brothers.

Destined for a Miracle

For once, I don't want to question the way life works.
For once, I don't want to know if I control my destiny or it, me.
For once, I don't want to ask "what if's" or "why's".

I'm content.
I'm happy.
I love the way things are shaping up.

Once - it might be a coincidence.
Twice - I would force myself to believe it's a coincidence.

It keeps happening again and again.
Why then would I disagree
if it's indeed a miracle and not a coincidence?

The deep ocean of reasoning
would point me to some good oysters.
But why do I need logic
when I can revel in beauty?
The beauty of knowing that the Universe responds.
The beauty of the way destiny casts its magical spell.
The beauty of life.
The beauty of love.

Star Arts

"What company would I,
a solitary wanderer, have
when I decide to travel
the length and breadth of the world?
The day is the best for exploration
while night is the time for rest.

What would I,
a solitary wanderer, do
when my travel begins in the night?
When darkness engulfs the earth,
taking light away from lives.
What's the point in travelling then?"

With questions such
in the mind,
I embarked on a night journey,
very much disappointed
there was no beauty to behold.

But recline did I on my seat;
open did I the bus' window;
look up did I at the sky;
fly did my heart away from me.

I felt the same fascination
that made Mozart say,
"Twinkle, twinkle little star"
and made him wonder what it was.

I realized the beauty of the word
'vinmeen' -
like a school of fish swimming in the sea
stars infinite glittered on the vast sky.

With whatever knowledge I have -
a drop of water in a mighty ocean -
I tried to identify constellations.
How do I describe them?
The traditional Tamil 'kolam' taken higher
or
God's way of playing 'connect the dots'?

When I could figure out nothing
in the mad cluster of super hot balls of gases,
Orion appeared and gave me relief -
the kind a mother gets
on finding her lost kid in a fair.

What extent of awe strikes
when you see in person
what you once beheld in
just pictures and videos!

I was, like a madman,
laughing to myself.
The strong gust of wind
threatened to expose
my 'recession' to my neighbour,
the constant upward curve of my mouth
threatened to expose my madness.
But did I give a damn?
Or have I ever?

The beauty of day
lies in the clouds;
the beauty of night
lies in the stars.
Did the beauty of day
envy the beauty of night?
Why did the clouds,
with their foggy veil,
cover the stars?
Wow! Nature has emotions too!

And when the overdose of ecstasy,
borne out of constant stargazing, kicked in,
I wanted to share it with someone.

Who else is the ideal choice
other than the one who's a star's namesake herself?
A star in her own right!
How I wished
she were with me then
and were creating 'heavenly' shapes
like John Nash and Alicia did!

I experienced a brief burst
of love and hope.
My mind wandered
into the philosophical realm too.

I was beginning to understand
what 'contemplating the universe'
really means.

Made in Heaven

Hearts, two in number,
Are connected together.
Priceless are the tearful smiles on your parents' faces.
Prepare yourself for the lifelong journey
You have embarked on through this eternal bond.

"Man came first, woman came next"
And other old wives' tales chauvinists spread.
Read not such stories, read not such text.
Refrain from the fallacies those bigots said.
In joy and sorrow hold hands tight.
Even doubts must doubt whether to enter your minds.
Drink from the ocean of love to see how beautifully life unwinds.

Let truth and honesty always be on your side.
Intimacy unparalleled must exist between you.
Fall in love continuously with
Each other every day, each and every day.


Note: Something I wrote for Surekha akka's (Suresh Padmaraj's sister) wedding. Wish you a happy married life, akka! :)