[FONT="]Innocence[/FONT] [FONT="]There she lay bedecked in red[/FONT] [FONT="]On the bamboo-coco-palm leaf bed[/FONT] [FONT="]Rosy petals on her body spread[/FONT] [FONT="]Awaiting the last journey ahead.[/FONT] [FONT="]Awaiting the last journey ahead[/FONT] [FONT="]The blowing conches rent the air[/FONT] [FONT="]And beating drums create a scare[/FONT] [FONT="]There is a silence everywhere.[/FONT] [FONT="]There is a silence everywhere[/FONT] [FONT="]Except a few moans and groans.[/FONT] [FONT="]Once in a while a head or two [/FONT] [FONT="]Pops up to have a glimpse of the corpse.[/FONT] [FONT="]To have a last glimpse of the corpse.[/FONT] [FONT="]Bubbling with life just moments ago.[/FONT] [FONT="]Oh why did it happen so?[/FONT] [FONT="]To her children it would be a mighty blow.[/FONT] [FONT="]To her children it would be a mighty blow.[/FONT] [FONT="]Ah! The children! Where are they?[/FONT] [FONT="]“Two gems they are”, so people say.[/FONT] [FONT="]Down in the garden they seem merry and gay.[/FONT] [FONT="]Down in the garden they seem merry and gay[/FONT] [FONT="]Quite unaware of the happenings around,[/FONT] [FONT="]Laughing and playing with energy abound,[/FONT] [FONT="]Not at all perturbed by the conch and drum sound.[/FONT] [FONT="]Not at all perturbed by the conch and drum sound.[/FONT] [FONT="]Oh! Innocence! Art thou a gift of God?[/FONT] [FONT="]To the children of this world[/FONT] [FONT="]To guard them from being harmed?[/FONT] [FONT="]To guard them from being harmed[/FONT] [FONT="]From the woes and sorrows[/FONT] [FONT="]All mortals are cursed to nurse.[/FONT] [FONT="]Oh innocent children! Thou art really blessed![/FONT] [FONT="]Oh innocent children! Thou art really blessed![/FONT] [FONT="]For-[/FONT] [FONT="]As the cortege leaves,[/FONT] [FONT="]The children from the garden[/FONT] [FONT="]Come running past the crowd,[/FONT] [FONT="]“Oh sweet mummy dear! We are back here,[/FONT] [FONT="]Come serve us our food, hungry we are, for sure!”[/FONT]
Dear Malathyjagan, The poem is very poignant & touches a deep chord in our heart. I was reminded 0f Home they brought the warrior dead ! Love, Chithra.
Dear malatijagan u make me imagine the last journey through ur poem they say the departed soul still sees the happenings around till all the 10 days cermonies are performed wot would be the plight of the soul watching its innocent children asking for fud when she lay on the bamboo bed covered with rose petals?
Thats very very touching, Malathi madam. Sorry, I read this only today. But yet, such posts are always effective and stop your for quite sometime. And I am in fact awed by your 'andhaadhi' style of writing too, here. -rgs