An ode to the the art

The tides of reality swept over my mythical sand castles,
and the jackals roamed about with fake smiles.
But there in the nadir of the self, a flower of optimism blossomed,
and the beauty of chaos and uncertainty appealed to me as an emotion lost and found.

The wandering Srinatha, the grotesque Poe and the poignant Ghalib - all masters,
this craft of the bygone era clasped me to her soul, and I forgot all the disasters.
Voila! Like Proust's Madelaine, a plethora of memories ran through my mind,
with the frantic hours of stress, I forged a Truce of sorts, but not an everlasting kind.

The dance of the words tallied with the thoughts of the mind and the travails of the heart,
Cui Bono? Is there a logic to emotions or a science that measures the worth of an art?
The fame of Shakespeare, the respect of Vishwanadha - what ends do I crave?
To put a smile on few faces, to comfort a few and to inspire a few - not even these I care..

Solace reigns in the art of pursuing a hobby without caring anyone's judgement,
for I am the master of my own fate and the captain of my own ship.
Why take sides in endless battles when you can flirt with and fit on any side?
for this is my ode to the art, a tribute and an indulgence in itself, and on this road not taken, I have my own ride!





Poem - 'An Ode to the art'
On the even of UNESCO World Poetry day 2020.


Maheeth Veluvali,
Saturday - 21st of March, 2020,
Palakollu. 

I have a dream...(On Corona)

I have a dream!

I have a dream that one day, the word 'Corona' would be driven away from the great scientific laboratories to be consigned in the forgotten pages of history.

I have a dream that the windmill of rumors and scare mongering would die down in an avalanche of scientific temper and rational thinking.

I have a dream..,
that Italy would retain it's tourist charm, and all roads lead to Rome,
that Iran would regain it's festive and spiritual status quo,
that China would reinstate the thirst and hunger for growth in the World,.

I have a dream...,
that the great airports of Europe would open up again, not with the fear of spread of infection, but with unbridled love and joy,
that the third World across the three continents would join forces, not to fight an epidemic, but to celebrate with caution,
that social distancing would not be seen as a stricture imposed on public, but rather as a forte of introverts,.

I have a dream...,
that personal hygiene becomes a synonym of care and consistency, and not a moral forced from above,
that the praise of one's own culture in times of crisis would not lead to a baseless criticism of other's practices,
that the medical staff get their due respects, that people appreciate government's efforts in a world of mutual benefit.

I have a dream, a dream bolstered by a vision shaped by the age old saying of 'Vasudaiva Kutumbakam', i.e, the world as one big family.

May Faith & Science conquer this rampaging pandemic!


బుబోనిక్ ప్లేగ్, స్పానిష్ ఫ్లూ, కలరా, ఎబోలా లాంటి ఎన్నో మహమ్మారులను ఎదుర్కోని ధైర్యముగా నిలిచిన మానవజాతి కరోనా ని కూడా జయించుగాక!

🙏🙏🙏




Duly inspired from 'I have a dream' speech by Martin Luther King Jr




Maheeth Veluvali,
Friday - 20eth of March, 2020.
Palakollu.

The Unique Scribe

Me with the Shahsana Sundari

(There is a famous and rare - perhaps the only one of it's kind - sculpture of Shila Balika/Shasana Sundari on the wall of Kamaleshwara/Ishwara Temple of Jalasingvi, Humnabad Taluka of Bidar District, Karnataka. A graceful & mythological apsara/madanika is drafting an eulogising epigraph on her patron, Vikramaditya VI. )

There exists a unique scribe on the walls of the old Chalukyan temple, with a shine,

in 'Tribhanga' she stood, rapt and apt, consistent amidst the crushing sands of time.

Despite the ubiquitous jewellery, something's amiss about this mysterious miss,

for her raised hand and outward beauty deceive her radiance inward, of a soulful bliss.

In styllish syllables, she scripts an eloquent eulogy on her proud patron,

as ignorant people steal lazy glances on the cultured maiden.

When would the world learn to admire the scribe's true talents,

without off-color remarks or sarcastic jibes aimed to further endanger the gender balance.

Underneath the grace and elegance of the learned lady,

beneath all the veneer of opulence & vanity that suits nobody,

a simple yet unique scribe's at work - like a paradox at play.

Until our minds are cleansed of perverse judgements, beauty remains a captive in toys of stone and clay!


 

Shasana Sundari/Shila Balika - the unique scribe

Maheeth V
Sunday, 08th of March, 2020 - On the eve of International Women's Day
Palakollu