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)
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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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Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Sunday, May 9, 2010
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.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Another child marriage victim
This has reference to your news report – another child marriage victim – 22/04/10.
Some people have a deep-rooted and biased concept about the Kingdom: The whirl winds may come and go every now and then here, but the change of wind will never come. It is untrue. Over the years, we have seen many changes like the rain in the summer. We have also seen the same rains, thunders and lightning in this desert which we used to experience in our countries.
Similarly we heard some voices which we had never expected to be heard in the Kingdom. The thoughts of some Saudi writers still echo. Khaled Al Maeena’s open page editorial on 9/11 – catch the criminals- is still vibrant. Tariq’s article –fanaticism- was a true revelation of the liberal Saudi mind. And many more. Such voices played a great role to focus the menace of terrorism in the Kingdom. Now it is crystal clear that the Kingdom is the only country that conquered it with iron fist. And the efforts of Nourah Alkhereiji, Nimah Ismail Nawwab (well known Saudi poet), Lubna Hussain etc to stand for woman rights and human rights are commendable. They are instrumental in order to streamline the society. What a powerful article Nourah wrote earlier in Arab News regarding the child marriage – Mufti has spoken against it - (23.08.08). Her article was there to light such dark minds. I fully agreed with her points of view then: the people who have no concern about the under-aged are mentally sick and of course need psychological treatment at any mental asylums. Two years later, we still listen to pathetic condition of children. Children of 10 or15 years are not at all matured enough to shoulder family life. They are still children being looked after by their parents. A concerted movement from both the government and the good hearted people is the need of the hour to deter such crimes.
Some people have a deep-rooted and biased concept about the Kingdom: The whirl winds may come and go every now and then here, but the change of wind will never come. It is untrue. Over the years, we have seen many changes like the rain in the summer. We have also seen the same rains, thunders and lightning in this desert which we used to experience in our countries.
Similarly we heard some voices which we had never expected to be heard in the Kingdom. The thoughts of some Saudi writers still echo. Khaled Al Maeena’s open page editorial on 9/11 – catch the criminals- is still vibrant. Tariq’s article –fanaticism- was a true revelation of the liberal Saudi mind. And many more. Such voices played a great role to focus the menace of terrorism in the Kingdom. Now it is crystal clear that the Kingdom is the only country that conquered it with iron fist. And the efforts of Nourah Alkhereiji, Nimah Ismail Nawwab (well known Saudi poet), Lubna Hussain etc to stand for woman rights and human rights are commendable. They are instrumental in order to streamline the society. What a powerful article Nourah wrote earlier in Arab News regarding the child marriage – Mufti has spoken against it - (23.08.08). Her article was there to light such dark minds. I fully agreed with her points of view then: the people who have no concern about the under-aged are mentally sick and of course need psychological treatment at any mental asylums. Two years later, we still listen to pathetic condition of children. Children of 10 or15 years are not at all matured enough to shoulder family life. They are still children being looked after by their parents. A concerted movement from both the government and the good hearted people is the need of the hour to deter such crimes.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Acrostic of ARAB NEWS
Written for Arab News for its 35th anniversary and published today with comment.
A few lines on the evergreen pages
Recall my memories in the eighties;
An oasis in the desert, Arab News
Belonged to all the voracious readers
No barren land had such hornbills
Eagerly waited for a drop of news;
With many nationalities sharing pages
Symmetrically, it transcended races and ages…
A few lines on the evergreen pages
Recall my memories in the eighties;
An oasis in the desert, Arab News
Belonged to all the voracious readers
No barren land had such hornbills
Eagerly waited for a drop of news;
With many nationalities sharing pages
Symmetrically, it transcended races and ages…
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Volcano sneeze
This has reference to your news report -Volcanic ash could blanket air travel for 5 more days(17.04.10)
No worry about the consequences on the economical or political side due to this volcano sneeze. The humanitarian side is very important, especially the organ transplant and medical treatment. There were news reports of organs having been delivered regionally by surface transportation available. And some of the poor patients who had a time frame of appointments to reach the operation table were held up. Here every single penny or every single second is lost is a loss which cannot be easily retrievable. However, nature more often teaches lessons to prepare for the future. Many who had been enjoying a bird's view since very long had gotten the opportunity to realize the ground reality, at least for a few hours. Many approached surface transportation to reach their destinations. Journey through the surface travel is more creative and thought provoking, because it always reminds us how to safe guard environs and nature. If the natural calamities do not make any human losses, it seems to be necessary to sit and think with equanimity about situations of the common man in the world.
No worry about the consequences on the economical or political side due to this volcano sneeze. The humanitarian side is very important, especially the organ transplant and medical treatment. There were news reports of organs having been delivered regionally by surface transportation available. And some of the poor patients who had a time frame of appointments to reach the operation table were held up. Here every single penny or every single second is lost is a loss which cannot be easily retrievable. However, nature more often teaches lessons to prepare for the future. Many who had been enjoying a bird's view since very long had gotten the opportunity to realize the ground reality, at least for a few hours. Many approached surface transportation to reach their destinations. Journey through the surface travel is more creative and thought provoking, because it always reminds us how to safe guard environs and nature. If the natural calamities do not make any human losses, it seems to be necessary to sit and think with equanimity about situations of the common man in the world.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Vishu Day
Vivacious memory in my childhood:
I used to sleep at my neighbour’s home on the eve
Silently I had to return home just before the sun rose
Hugging me, my parents opened their eyes to see me first
Unimaginable still what was their notion behind such a KANI
Deep faith in their god must have accommodated all in oneness
An equal attachment to all faiths grew up in me in due course
Yellow flowers and the melody of the reed thus became part of me
(Acrostic of VISHUDAY)
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PS: Kani: Auspicious sign to appear
Kani Konna (Yellow flowers): A species of Cassia whose flowers are considered an auspicious sight (Source: C. Madhavan Pillai’s dictionary)
I used to sleep at my neighbour’s home on the eve
Silently I had to return home just before the sun rose
Hugging me, my parents opened their eyes to see me first
Unimaginable still what was their notion behind such a KANI
Deep faith in their god must have accommodated all in oneness
An equal attachment to all faiths grew up in me in due course
Yellow flowers and the melody of the reed thus became part of me
(Acrostic of VISHUDAY)
_______________________________________________________________
PS: Kani: Auspicious sign to appear
Kani Konna (Yellow flowers): A species of Cassia whose flowers are considered an auspicious sight (Source: C. Madhavan Pillai’s dictionary)
Thursday, April 8, 2010
The Thick Coating of the Milk
She held me in her hands
my palms clasped her left breast
my lips sucked the nipple
my legs kicked her belly
and she kept on patting on my back
sitting on the wooden stool
under the chimney lamp at home
Many years later,
my palms grew up
to hold a plastic jar
containing her left breast;
my legs were long enough
to reach the pathological lab;
my lips learned to bear
the pains of her long sufferings:
the sharpness of the surgical knife
the heat of radiation
and the agony of chemos
but still the coating of her milk
was as thick as before on my lips
like my closeness to her;
that was the best medication
that makes her heart
still throb behind the flat chest
my palms clasped her left breast
my lips sucked the nipple
my legs kicked her belly
and she kept on patting on my back
sitting on the wooden stool
under the chimney lamp at home
Many years later,
my palms grew up
to hold a plastic jar
containing her left breast;
my legs were long enough
to reach the pathological lab;
my lips learned to bear
the pains of her long sufferings:
the sharpness of the surgical knife
the heat of radiation
and the agony of chemos
but still the coating of her milk
was as thick as before on my lips
like my closeness to her;
that was the best medication
that makes her heart
still throb behind the flat chest
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