POETIC FLAVOURS

  Boat is left stranded in sand, Neglected, none is ready to command, To put it back in  flow at river of life, Who will be the captain to put on strife? The boat never left the idle  shore, Chained safely to the sooty moor, Feared to face wind and water's roar, None to sing in it's fame a rusty lore. Drifting aimlessly  on it's own,  Like a puppet to dance on pull and tune,  The boat sank even when tied with chain, Chain gave way, rusting in incessant rain. Some boats dared the storms without fear, In the midst of tempest suffering tear, Some lives weather the storms of spate Their resolve no force can ever mitigate. It is better to be Titanic that sank, For in hall of fame, it could make a rank, Than the one that never left bank, And tied securely on a pillar or a plank. (C) K.Radhakrishnan

  Divine diamonds dazzlingly fall, Purifying my soul in all, Coating the earth in its white splendor, Grasp it, sense it, so soft and tender. I Lifted my eyes to see the sight, My heart sang in delight,  As soft breeze skimmed my face, It felt as if I was in divine embrace. In that heaven filled with magical charm, The beauty of nature in its glorious form, Looking at unending mass of ice, I lay in that earthly paradise. A serene lake amidst the snow covered land, All crafted out by Almighty's hand, Icy hills reflecting over the crystal clear lake, How much more serenity our soul can take? © K.Radhakrishnan

  I am……a dull book in the library of life, Soiled pages of mirthless strife, Like a street lantern with dirty lampshade, Faded pages of memories buried in cascade. Pages full of fights, struggles and rages, Agonizing throes and tears at all stages, Floating numbness persisting for ages, Saga of agony written in torn pages. A meaningless existence without essence, A presence incapable of making difference, Whole life spent in clearing up own messes, Mind had gone blank dealing with stresses. Dreams lie pressed in between stuck leaves, They sigh like a lover’s heart that grieves, All the power of my pen & privilege of pages, Unread, lies in shelf, merely my life’s vestige.  © K.Radhakrishnan

I think, think and think, What has made me such a grump!! In life many things go bump, Just bury all miseries and dump. Something to do, and love, Reason to jump over the moon above, Don't rue over past or worry about future, In the present, paint a rosy picture. To be happy, here is formula, simple, Reality divided by expectations,not a riddle, Improve your reality, if you can, Or lower expectations, ladies & gentlemen!! Do not plunge in to the pit of sadness , Perch yourselves in the tree of happiness, World may have full of broken dreams, Still it is where splendor gleams. Happiness is by-product of life well lived, It's our ability to get our spirits revived, It is not circumstances but dispositions, Misery is brought by imposed impositions. Make choice to make life excellent, With the graces that God has kindly lent, Plant seeds of happiness in you & around, To multiply & reach us in leaps and bounds. © K.Radhakrishnan

(A collaborative poem by Nutan Sarawagi and K.Radhakrishnan on the occasion of International Women's Day.) RADHAKRISHNAN:- Celebrate sacred femininity, Lift females from obscurity, Acknowledge their power and divinity, Restore their freedom and dignity. Beyond form & duality is that divine essence, Vast and dynamic is its omnipresence, Pervading lives, an immanence, Sacred femininity is that “Goddessence". How this power be only in masculine form? To gender assignment it can't conform, So alive, so infinite and so free, Made from love & made to love is femininity. She is the ever changing sea of emotions, Unending source of love filled with devotion, She has the Universe inside of her, A great inventor, innovator and creator. She is the beacon light showing  right way, Her hands pull us from going astray, Every man has traits of femininity, It is for us to bring out that for tranquility. The feminine is the matrix of creation, Depth of it's mystery was sadly fo...

In the temple of mother's womb, so calm, I was singing  a lonely psalm, Her love protected me  from all harms, Her care was like a soothing balm. Whosoever had born must someday die, I hope this may take some days to go by,  The cruel clutches of death none can defy, Entombed in darkness, all alone I shall lie. Lights of world or darkness of tomb, Desolate  tomb or mother's sacred womb, All alone in solitary confinement, Humans are just perishable consignments. Afraid to take leaps from mental prison, The world is blurred from field of vision, Prejudices keep us locked up in divisions, I refused to listen to anyone's reason. Like an object in attic of forgotten things, Traveler awaits soul to depart with wings, I am all alone  just on my own, Beating streets of life letting out a groan. © K.Radhakrishnan

Mind breeds reptiles, And stores inside deadly missiles, It is deaf to heart's warning whistle, And tramples soul's appealing epistle. Sitting smugly behind forehead, To pierce hearts with  million warheads, Sparks riots with its mean thoughts, Forcing us to display our dark spots. Trying to climb those steep walls, That my malicious mind had built all, Left to grope in the dark corridars of mind, To locate absent wisdom till eyes go blind. (C) K.Radhakrishnan

Life is a climb, oh! so steep, To scale the heights, vigil I have to keep, Every step I was panting, “ I can do it” , I kept on chanting. Spirit was willing but flesh had gone weak, High in spirits, the heights I wanted to seek, To climb the rock, if not the Everest peak, My savage heart refuses to go meek. To climb so high to reach crimson sky, Passing through clouds as they float by, Keeping that confident glow in my eyes, With every star in space I dare to vie. Some day I will reach the top, I will keep climbing and never stop, I am so high, and my plans can't drop, Though I may puff and huff. © K.Radhakrishnan

  The vines are too high to reach, Should I say “IT'S SOUR" and screech? But the grapes are worth to pluck out, Will they fall on mouth without effort? Success starts at end of comfort zone, Don't just sit there resting on the throne, Just readjust and tilt your paradigm, Make another hard and active climb. Climb is strenuous but gorgeous at end, For savoring grapes, butt you have to grind, Create a space to let in new insights, Life is all about battlefields and fights. Set sails and leave the shore of comfort, More battles to win before capture of fort, Sit tight, you have only regrets to report, Keep running and you will win the sport. © K.Radhakrishnan

  Passions rose as high as waves of  tsunami, Setting wild fire in our anatomy, Would it be just a momentary urge? No, it is emotion fueled inner surge. Lusty avalanches  lashed with force, Engulfed us in its fiery course, The storm of passion getting stronger, We can not withstand it any longer. Our hearts are in the state of unrest, Hands touching and searching in their quest, Paths leading us to unexplored places, Ecstasy showing up in pleasured faces. Unable to speak and hitting peak, Screaming,  the pleasures we seek, Blowing a kiss in your ears and cheek, With surge of passion, los capacity to speak. Surge of emotion setting fire to passion, The two souls joining in blissful union. Your tempest has merged with my tempest, After the storm, only boundless love is left © K.Radhakrishnan

  (Inspired by Thomas Hardy's poem of the same title)  In the magical sound of cascading water,  Mingled her giggle, melody of divine order, A marvelous beauty in real essence, Her laughter, music of poetic assonance. Her song echoed through mountains, Through waterfall ascending from heaven, Sun reflected her charm in glistening drops, My resolve melted away like lemon drops. Enticing tresses cascading down, To reach half length of her gown, Combed and tended with warmest care, Fragrance of it lingered in air. Reddish blushes colored her cheek, Expressing what her beauty could speak, My resolve is getting thin and weak,  Longing is touching the peak. Danced over rocks in stream below,  Bathed in the river in its steady flow, Time stood still at this lovely scene, So enchanting, tranquil and serene. There was mesmerizing magic in the air, The air so fresh, fragrant and rare, I am bewitched by her golden sheen, Absorbed by this charming scene. (C) K.Radhakrishnan...

  What wrote you in my destiny, I wonder, I am lost in moments of my ponder, Surely, it was the magic of love in the air, That bound us to be a loving pair. It took a single second for us to fall, Under love's spell, we were in thrall, I knew your heart will make a call, Demolishing all the societal walls. Did it happen due to the fruit of my karma? Or the intoxication of love and its aroma? Love threw us in each others arms, We are slaves to love's conquering charms. We floated in resplendent love's grandeur, Swept away by the tornado of amour, Forever my heart will be your hostage, Chained in the grandeur of love's bondage.     I am totally lost in your essence,  My soul is perfumed in love's fragrance, Life is lighted up by love's iridescence, The fullness of joy found in your presence. Love penetrated us through every pore, To express love's grandeour, no metaphor,  Love has more charms,  yet to explore, More facets of love,  never seen before....

What to choose as a perfect gift? That will make her spirits lift, Flowers, perfume or a diamond pendent? To prove that you are a lover so ardent. Anyone can buy all these from a mall, Spend your money on them all, Will those gifts impress the girl? Or a necklace of gold or pearl. What is “objet préféré” as gift to beloved one? As anniversary is neigh, I am in confusion, Mundane things can be symbols of devotion, To make a lifelong hearts connection. Can I carve out a wooden comb, And place it on her hair when I reach home, But my modern wife will fret and fume, And bounce me out of her room. Kakais and kanghis as they are known, Combs as unusual gifts did adorn, The curly tresses of tribal maiden, With love her heart was laden. Combs are the symbols of female beauty, Cherished as gifts by tribal cuties, Akin to lover’s passionate plea, And girls acceptance with coy glee.  More number of combs a girl possess, Her desirability to males one can assess, Combs of more intricate designs...

  Star of our desi breakfast table, No trace of its reference in ancient fables, Descendant of medieval Indonesian 'Kedli' How it became Tamil native, this Idli? Fluffy rice cake is of timeless quality. Top listed menu of ubiquitous Udupi eatery, Peddled by friendly neighbourhood vender, Even in seven star resorts, it steals thunder  Prepared from banter mix of rice & lentil, On your stomach, the dish acts so gentle, The banter is left overnight for fermentation, With sambhar, it forms deadly combination. Some dispute it's origin as foreign,  Few claim it is of Saurashtrian origin, A version of Gujarat's Dokhla-Khaman, Fermentation is not Tamil cooking tradition Even 'sambhar' is truly Maharashtrian, Named after Sambhaji in veneration, Evolved at Thanjavur Maratha ruler's kitchen, It was made accidentally as experimentation. Intention was to make Amti, a marathi dish, It turned out as something against his wish Toor dal for moong and tamarind for kokum, ...

  The roofs of harem seemingly reaching sky, Chandeliers  & carpets in grandeur to vie, Walls studded with murals and carvings, The Mughals,indeed, had insatiable craving. A dainty petite figure sat in the center, Thirsty glances followed when she did enter, Her moon like face hidden behind a veil, Face that could make thousand ships to sail. Pride of harem with her seductive glance, Shahenshah  got lost and was in trance, Beauties like her have no place in history, Born to die inside harem walls in misery. Dancing, she swayed hips tender and nimble, Emperor played with her body like fiddle, As eyes feast on her every posture, As she did a “TUMRI” in rapture. Adept at the art of etiquette & decorum, Using couplets studded with witticism, Clad in LEHENGA with head shawl, Anklets tinkled as feet measured harem hall.  Rolling her almond eyes, she did wink, Those intoxicating eyes, men readily drank, In harem, held in esteem, symbol of past, Outside, she was a “T...

  When level of love overcomes, The level of fear, see the outcome, The far, wide world shrinks so  small, When you don’t stuck up behind a wall. Why  suffer from thanatophobia? Suffering our own mental myopia, We are all parts of great cycle, Moving upward & downward spiral Can we exercise choice? To retain the youth-hood’s gleamy poise, Can’t help but yield to unknown, Then why not die without groan? What began will meet its end, It is millions of years tested trend, This reality we need to comprehend, Life is just a fair weather friend. Life is biased but death is impartial, No escape from Lord Death’s court-martial, King or pauper, all to rot in grave, Why not welcome end with a face brave? We all appear in the stream of time, To embrace life crowned with prime, Then disappear to mingle with grime, Reserve your days for love and its rhyme. © K.Radhakrishnan

  A sweet elixir for thirsty souls, He drank it beyond his controls, Bloodshot eyes burning like coals, Like a faithful lover, it is there to console. Gulp after gulp, worries gets vanished, Agony and deceit, all gets banished, His glass is empty, to be replenished, Mock him,  but he has not yet finished. Few more, he will float in alternate universe, More sips, the time moves in reverse, Forgotten were worries of his purse, In slurred voice, he will sing wisdom's verse. Hand him a glass and fill it to the brim, He will guzzle it with verve, vigor and vim, With cloudy memories yet more dim, Troubles  vanished with a bottle of Rum. Booze is the secret of  energy, he proclaims, Heart and soul works in synergy, he claims, He tries to find strength in all his shames, In that process, he had forgotten his name!! © K.Radhakrishnan

  Buried alive, They rose again to thrive, Like a vampire, to haunt, In hours of solitude to taunt. Suppressed emotions, Making serial implosions, Emotions in motion, On road to soul's corrosion  Emotional batteries are on charge, To carry it's overload,too weak is barge, Stuffed emotions will burst someday, To pierce soul, million splinters will fly away. (c) K. Radhakrishnan

Programmed to feel like a cannibal, Have we failed as thinking animal, What difference war will bring out? To the world, when shots ring out. Waged in the name of liberty or democracy, War is just another name for hypocrisy, Picking up guns to put down guns, Would it not amount to sanity's breakdown? To establish their clout and stature, Play war games under new nomenclature, Calling it " Peace Keeping Mission"  Justifying their expansionist ambition. They invent many weapons to kill,  With cold  heart at their will, All done to taste perverted victory's  thrill, Are we not  paying our own butcher's bill? Panic reverberating as streets turn red, Burying near and dear ones in hundreds, Damnation extends far beyond controls, Time is not far when our last  bells toll. © K.Radhakrishnan

  Freedom from passions, That provokes us to violent animation, Not boisterous celebrations, Feeling of bliss on all occasions. Shed fear but hold caution, Just hear your soul’s volition, It is not about feeling’s elimination, Let not passions add to soul’s contamination. In anger, don’t let eye balls roll, For things that are not in your control. Whatever life may throw at us, Keep calm, don’t make fuss. Live, in agreement with nature, In serenity, find rapture, Let actions express virtues, Nothing in world can hurt you.   © K.Radhakrishnan

  In the corporate of enormous power, My position and clout I do devour, An interchangeable cog in the wheel, Sometimes I rock and sometimes reel. Juggling the conflicting work needs, Like a clown dance between beads, But If the machine grinds to a halt, Have an excuse to say " It's not my fault" Upwards & downwards, as fortune spins, Not even an acknowledgement in wins, Good small cycles within large bad cycles, Most times I run in circles within circles. "Up- or -out", "dog- eat- dog" situations, In all the trials and tribulations, Less of accolades & more of humiliations, Unmindful of all that bad reputation.   (c) K. Radhakrishnan