Hark! New Year Has Come!

'Poem' by NUGGEHALLI PANKAJA (Was published in Deccan Herald)

Grandmother sighs -

"Each 'NEW YEAR' brings me nearer,

To the twilight of my years;

Oh, for those days dream-like,

Of youth with its magic spell.

Lost now for ever,

Into locker of memories,

My sole company

While alone ...


Memories of all hues,

Hovering.......trailing,

Like shadows Lingering...lengthening,

Day by day, Night by night

Minute by minute,

Merging,

Slowly...Unto stillness,

Eerie...divine, of dusk,

Our shore..."


Grandchildren say -

"Dreams of yesternight

Mingle with hopes

Of morrow-morn;

Dawn glitters

With stars along the path

Strewn with dewdrops and buds

Dewdrops and buds,

Fresh from Birth-bath,

All a-smile,

With ecstasy ethereal..."

'SUN', the life- giver laughs,

"From ages and ages,

Have I given anew,

DAWNS and DAWNS!

Aeons and oceans,

Meadows and mountains,

Have these rays timeless,

Made rich...Alive!

For me,

NO YEAR IS OLD, NO YEAR IS NEW,

OH MAN!"

Glad that you edited it so fast! I understood the gist of the poem, but not in entirety. Maybe I should go through it more carefully. This poem seems more laboured and pedantic than your other poems. Is the word meant to be "wits" or was that a typing error?
sharada

Hello all,

Please do find time to read Nuggehalli Pankaja's poem.

It has been formated for it's completeness and it makes a good reading! Awesome!

Sharada,

'wits'--yes, it was a glaring mistake in the very

badly typed poem which somehow landed itselfamong the

beautiful writings, and gave me a terrible jolt! But

you won't find it any more; Our Indusladieskindly

allowed me to edit the full poem. I will be very

happy if other readers go through this edited

poem, and give me their opinion.

Re the other observation--'labour, pedantic',

madam, My poems are all works of momentary

inspiration; I just scribble when I feel the urge,

and am loathe to change even a letter; So

many times others have to tell me the meaning of

my poems. Can you tell me?

Nuggehallipankaja

Dear Pankaja,
Your request asking me to decode the hidden meaning in your poem was quite amusing! Words convey different meanings to different people. So what you might mean, may be interpreted in a different way. Years ago I had read this poem in Deccan Herald and felt that it had the melancholic strain of a senior citizen. I like the coinage "yesternight".
You are more of a "feeling" than a "thinking" person. By that I mean that your moods control you. If you can control this flow - like building a dam on the Brahamaputra can irrigate the whole of India - then you will emerge as India's best.
More power to you,
Sharada

Dear Pankaja

Though I personally complimented you for writing this free-flowing verse, it gives me joy to compliment you again on this Forum. You are adept in writing poetry in Indo-Anglian style with deeper tone and accent on emotion and feelings, coming out in jewelled phrases. One can see that fresh vitality in your poems, since you don't go back to it to keep changing/correcting.

Keep posting your poems- you represent contemporary Indian poetry.

regards

ambika

dear friends, Sharada and Ambika,
Thanks for your prompt observations; You both have encouraged me througout; Sharada, I will keep your guidance in mind next time i get my famous 'moods' and try to channelise it like Brhamaputra. Ambika, I would give anything
to have the 'Depth' quality Muse has blessed you.