Air India Mourns

A skid on the tarmac shocked me
I, IX 812, plunged into the valley
Rifting and rolling into a fireball

I confess I turned many dreams to ashes
Never will they come true; sorry, the bereaved
Death has no black box in its cockpit
In order to prevent errors from repeating
And remember, I too have no more flights to take off...

My beloved fellow travellers
Our journey to final resting place is over
Unfasten all belts of momentary life
Rest in peace and rest in peace forever
Next of kins and near and dear of my fellow travellers
Sad indeed, what a pity! I express my deep sorrow

The Cost Of Life And Peace

I never lit an oil lamp
At dawn and dusk
I never repeat any hymns
By holding the rosary
I never bow down on the floor
Five times a day
Yet I feel someone is nearby me

He, or She, or It?
I fail to envisage that
But it moves with me
It eats with me, it plays with me
It talks, laughs, cries with me
It sleeps and dreams with me
Like the smell in a flower
It preaches:
Peace will not come through
The flash of sword
It preaches:
Peace will not come through
The sharp ends of trident
It preaches:
Peace will not come through
The invasion of cruise missiles
Because it teaches me:
The cost of life
And that of peace are same...
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a very touching and meaningful composition. peace within, peace without.

mamta agarwal, Noida- UP
May 15, 2010
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Prem saheb, yes there is some one always with us — our conscience. One, in fact, murders one's conscience before shooting an unknown, often harmless and innocent. And as regards peace, it too takes root within every one.. peaceful act is just a flower for every one's view. Thank you for a good composition.

Kumarendra Mallick, Hyderabad
May 15, 2010
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As war gets born first in the minds of men, of Peace too the abode lies within our own selves. An insightful poem. Peace be with all!

G.Kannan, Anchal
May 15, 2010
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True, peace cannot be found by one elsewhere outside. It is part of one's life and one should search for it inside his or her heart.

Rajaram Ramachandran, Juhu, Mumbai
May 15, 2010

Are they all Kafirs there?

The unknown nurse,
Who had held me first
When I was slipped to her hands;
Is she there?

Ashatti (Asha teacher),
Who wrote Harisree with my finger
On the ricefilled plate;
Is she there?

Mamma teacher,
Who had a nursery school
Of thatched roof and cow-dung floor;
Is she there?

Mathew Chettan,
Who took me on his cycle rickshaw
to the school;
Is he there?

Rappai Chettan,
Who used to replace him
Whenever he was sick;
Is he there?

Doctor Kuruvila,
The first bald head in my life
Who frequented me with his syringe;
Is he there?

Sudheesh, Rajani and David,
the three fallen flowers in the heavy rain
under the tattered upper primary;
Are they all there?

And many more guiding lights,
who had lived with me in different ways,
prayed and thought in different ways;
Are they all Kafirs there?
If they are not there,
I don’t need your heaven,
take it back, my God!
__________________________________
Chettan: elder brother
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When the heart is filled with warmth for the near, dear and those on the edge, what use of Book. Premji, soul elevating muse. Regards,

K V Subba Rao,
Mar 17, 2010
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Bold, beautiful, grateful, noble, sublime, humanistic.

U Atreya Sarma,
Mar 17, 2010
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Dear Prem Nizar, this is the clearest humanitarian and secular voice I have heard in this forum in a long time. Kudos to your civilised outlook. Warm regards,

G S P Rao,
Mar 16, 2010
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Very elevating thoughts.. underneath all the faiths there is a strong current of purity of mind, humanity, compassion and love. Your poem stands out with a strong message that Kafir is man-made whereas love has the elements of the Creator. May your thoughts spread as forest fire to burn all the superstitions to ashes and cinders. May Lord, the Merciful, shower peace on the earth. Best regards,

Kumarendra Mallick,
Mar 15, 2010

My name is man

My profile has no glow
My poetry has no flow
My rank stands far below
But, you love me

My god is nondescript
My religion is invisible
My colour is nontraceable
But, you hate me

My house has no roof
My land has no fencing
My love has no border
But, you are skeptical

I take your love
Your hatred
Your skepticism
Because my name is man
who has no clan

APRIL winners

APRIL winners

After an interval, I am Coming home with Changing Signals
Share your Umbrella, even If I did not agree with you
I am a lover of arts who can enjoy Karupumpuli & Kathakali
What else can I ruminate under this Dawn Light?
(Names of winning titles are included)
*******
Avril, Shernaz, Shigufta, Sandra, Ibohal and Lovita
Poets and prize winners of the month, congrats…
Really Muse Indians make Your Space our space
I am blessed as part of the comity of good poets
Love to Surya, Mallick, Ambika and all the beloved ones
(Acrostic of APRIL)
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Dear Prem Nizar, Enjoyed your verse so cleverly and beautifully crafted. Quite a unique way to congratulate the winners.
"Share your umbrella, even if I didnot agree with you" - this line contains the best philosophy for peaceful and secular living. Thanks,

ambika ananth, bangalore
May 13, 2010
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A warm and generous response. As poets, we are all standing on the Friendship bridge appreciating each other without regard to culture or creed.

Sandra Fowler, United States
May 12, 2010
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The team of editors, particularly, Surya, Mallick and Ambika, are doing their best to encourage all the writers through this popular website. We are thankful to them for having created this forum wonderfully.

(Thanks Rajaram for your warm words. - GSP Rao)

Rajaram Ramachandran, Juhu, Mumbai
May 12, 2010
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Interesting acrostic.

Hema Ravi, Chennai
May 11, 2010
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Saudi sponsors and Runaways

The president of Fokasa has addressed one of the long standing issues in Saudi Arabia in the right perspective. Slavery appears to be abolished from the world, but the mentality to make the weak as slave is always there as the hidden agenda of the strong. Article 1 of the Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations in 1948 says: “ All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” But, in Saudi Arabia, such spirit of brotherhood is more often invisible when it comes to expatriate workers. Even though the Saudi press brings in focus the pathetic conditions of the expatriate workers now a days, the result-oriented settlements or solutions do not arrive in full swing. The sponsor is the determining factor to the destiny of the workers. The Saudi Labour laws guarantee many benefits to the expatriate workers. But the nexus between the sponsors and the vested interest sabotage them to exploit the workers here. This is the issue to be taken care of by the top authorities in the government. The government has to issue stringent directives to punish the sponsors and their accomplices as and when they breach the existing labour laws. And it has to appoint a special wing to monitor such human violations so that the workers can fearlessly approach for their benefits.