King David

Introduction

King David (1005 – 965 BC) sent his army to wage war against the Ammonities, a tribe from a region east of the Dead Sea and he stayed behind in Jerusalem for wooing Bathsheeba. Against the backdrop of the war, the following scene takes place.

Bathsheeba, my dear mirror,

Don’t singe the heart with thy sunny locks

Call the moon to caress the burnt soul

Oh, ‘no’ to the magic in thy lips

Is it fair to hypnotise with thy look?

See, how I float in water very light

Hark! Flying high like a lark

It ‘s ‘maya’, they say

To catch a fish with a hook

No more rage or bitterness

When will thou shed thy skin?

And let me see thy colour

A trance, in deed, that nothing can penetrate

Why do thou cast a glance at?

See, how the lips lost control and sing

A war, a war, a war

Come hither to wage a war!

In my heart with thy eyes

Neither a king nor a husband

A friend to call thee

A mural on the wall

Or a sculpture on the mall

An everlasting symbol

To live long in the hearts

Of all in the annals of history

Samyukta

A cloud of dust billows up in air

As hooves of the horses beating the ground

A horse neighs with his head high

Echoing in the ears of the Princes

On horses, dressed in colourful robes

With a turban and sword

Marching to the Fort of Kannauj

A festive air cheers them all

And it’s the King Jaichand’s call

For his daughter’s swayamvaram

In a beautiful palace, where

The princes wait for their turn

Smitten Samyukta, sashays thro’ the door

Holding a garland in her arms

Lo! her eyes gleam at the statue

Stands tall near the door

Exuding confidence and chivalry

A surprise, indeed, for the eyes

Of those, who follow her so close

When her garland falls on

And Prithvi catches her up in arms

They fly thro’ the air like a storm

It’s about love born in eyes

And entrenched deep in heart

Which sweeps thro’ the hearts in history.

Mr. Simian

   

Going up the tree

One by one

At a slow pace

Yet an active air

Big and small

Tall and short

A spitting image of man

But with a tail

On thy back

Alas! Half-eaten

Mangoes dropped under

And jumping to the next

In a jiffy,

‘Kurkure’ and ‘spice mixture’

From the back

Of the house

Call thy attention

At their leisure

Spilling hither and thither

While running for cover

When chased at-

Disappointed for sure

At thy grimace on top,

Curiosity beckons thee

To open the tap

In the garden

Run on toes hearing

The water down,

Fun to watch thee on

The water tank

Frolicking with each other

And the tussle with the young

Throwing water everywhere,

At dawn, like a circus swinger

Hanging on a cable

From house to house

And a dance in tune with

Moving buses on road

A real treat for all

The eyes, who follow on

At thy each step.