A SALUTATION TO THE GURU.
I was born with eyes.
You gave them a perspective.
A vision of life.
I was born with hands.
You showed, when to extend the palm.
Or form a fist, as per the demand.
I was born with legs.
You acknowledged me with the difference of,
A stride, a sprint and a stand-by.
I was born with a head and a heart.
You taught me to walk the tight rope of balance,
Between the head and the heart.
I was born a body.
Your spanks and sermons,
Showed how to sculpt ‘Me’.
AN ODE TO MY PROCREATOR.
Holding the eraser for assurance.
You extended the pencil to me.
You didn’t dictate the definitions,
But waited patiently for me.
You never erased, instead slashed the mistakes.
“Mistakes showcase your endeavours,
Corrections, your learning ability.”
You would say.
You were my mighty Hero,
Unlike the ones the world described.
Your care didn’t harbour dependency.
As your flaws,
You never camouflaged to hide.
“We are all Humans in the making”.
You would profoundly say.
Your unconditional love.
Your emancipated care,
Helped me become and grow.
My Begetter. My Alma Mater.
To you I owe. To you I bow.
DID YOU ENJOY THE SHOW?
At dawn, the sky was painted with Sun’s soft glow.
Her dreamy eyes watched it with visuals of the future,
Playing before the innocent eyes.
The Sun travelled to the zenith,
Hot, heating and burning bright.
Running and rushing to fulfill her dreams.
With wet temples, feet sore, she lost the pace of time.
The Sun had now descended. It was twilight.
Her creased body noticed the grey sky.
Saddened at this juncture.
Her eyes flooded, longing for the white sky.
Pouring, until the sunlight was nowhere in sight.
Drained. Laid on her back, she heard a voice call.
“So did you enjoy the show?”
Dazed. She retorted, “Show? What show?”
“The Sun’s show! Playing right before your eyes.”
Jolting out of the trance she replied,
“But I was in my show.”
HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY.
You aren’t a person or a relation.
You are an Emotion.
A prayer in elation and depression.
Even the healing and strengthening Mantra chants fade.
When one utters the word “Maa”.
The hind head fallen over the back,
The pleading eyes, stared.
The outstretched angular arms,
Called to the wide, hide sky.
Before the towering almighty.
For years, every hour each day.
The lips recited praise-filled hymns,
Begging and trading, filled the prayers.
But the deity stood still and unmoved.
Now the hopes began to shatter.
As the beliefs began to shudder.
Came a sermonic voice from outside.
“Gods listens to all. It’s just a matter of time.”
Hopeful, she resumed counting the rosary beads,
Reciting God’s name time and again.
Unheard yet. Came again an advice.
“May be this isn’t enough? Circle around him on knees,
Not on foot but on the knees!”
The penance, yet ineffective.
The God stood deft and unmoved.
The grey strands now fall over the tired eyes,
The unheard prayers have flipped the pages of time.
Hopeless, broken, slumped in doubt.
Now came a voice from inside.
“Is your path to seeking him, right?”
Awakened!
She yet again, stared at the wide, high sky.
Not to trade, praise or beg.
But to announce,
“She shall seek the God inside.”
DARKNESS.
I am dark.
But I don’t defy light.
I am omnipresent.
But I don’t belittle the finite.
I am dreaded.
But generating fear is not my type.
I am mystic.
But I am not disguised.
I am absolute.
And not an outcome of tries.
I am Darkness and not light!
A note to younger self.
If not now, then when?
I have watched you grow.
I have felt your woes.
I have seen your cries,
And also the dimples on the side.
The challenges you posed,
Also, the ones you didn’t show.
I have witnessed your struggles with shortcomings,
Hidden under the pretense of know-it-all.
The never ending battles of Me vs. World.
Some you won and some you lost.
I have seen your body bloom,
Also, the inner child, who resisted growth.
I have seen your confusions, constant hops,
From left to right and right to wrong.
All in all, I write to the inner child.
A note, to tell.
I have felt and watched you always.
Hence, never feel ignored.
Crevices Of Hopelessness..
The moon stayed.
Stayed for long. Really long.
The tiring wait,
Blurred the vision,
Shrunk the heart.
The weakened winks,
Now breathless, lost hope.
Hope to see the light.
Watch the sunrise.
The moon lingers for a bit more,
But finally the sun arrives.
The sunrays knock at the windows of eyes.
But Alas! The eyelids stay shut.
Not responding to the awaited light.
Why? What happened to the hope filled eyes?
Did the long slumber of wait, push the quest,
Into the deep crevices, away from light?
THE SURGE OF INK.
Drowned. Chocked and Constrained.
The pent-up emotions, slid open the barrage.
Splashing over the sheet,
The Ink let go of the surcharge.
With the swell of love,
And sometimes of hate.
The Ink danced
And sometimes raged.
As if in a dreamy trance,
The Ink wandered like a stream.
And sometimes streamlined,
In an alert phase.
At the bay, a stray Thought barked.
Barring its tide, breaking its flow.
To the rescue, the Heart swelled and yelled.
And the Ink found its might, to resume the flow.
At a meander, it flowed over pebbles of memories.
Gurgling with glee, bubbling with delight.
And sometime lapping the air,
After a loud cry.
Over the white surface,
The Ink ran and wandered unrestrained.
Leaving behind versus and sermons on the overlay.
GIRL IN A MILLION Book Review
ANITHA PADANATTIL’S GIRL IN A MILLION: A TALE OF BONDING AND REDEMPTION.
“Never judge a book by its cover”, said someone. “A thing of beauty is joy forever” said another. Agreeing with the former and justifying the latter, the vibrant book cover of Girl in a million immediately captivates the attention and the pages hold you. Told in the 90s at the beautiful town of Oothukudi, the story moves back and forth between the past and present. Sagharika also known as Dr.S, the protagonist, along with other minor characters, Marge, Shruthi and Ratna are crafted well from their adolescent age knows as Core Z to their adulthood, covering details of their schooldays, to facing horrifying events, to moving away in different direction as they pursue their individual goals. The plot pivots around these girls. How they connect? The secrets they share. How they come to terms with the ill-fated past? What binds them? How their personalities lead them to their individual fate? And most importantly, how these girls leap the time and space distance to stay bonded?
The rich vocabulary with complex phrases makes it a slow paced read, a bit difficult for beginners. The book is outstanding in vividness. The minutest description of the places, food, and culture of the states the girls move to speaks of Anitha’s extensive research and outstanding descriptive skills.
“My disability…….despite everything life throws at us, the essence of true happiness lies within us.” (Excerpt from the book). Such sprinkle of wisdom here and there add to the depth to the story, offering the reader philosophy to ponder upon.
Anitha Padanattil has a true winner on her hands with “Girl in a Million”. The powerful protagonist, Koteeshwari (Sagharika) is sure to inspire, and the main story is emotional without being preachy. A poignant inspirational story of one girl’s journey to redemption.
This is a book everyone will enjoy!
Review By -Author Monica Gupta.
Book: GIRL IN A MILLION
Author: ANITHA PADANATTIL
To buy the book on amazon :
Publishers : Room9 publications (Room9 Publications by ArtoonsInn ArtoonsInn)