Clarion Call
Let
the ship of peace, amity, love and tolerance sail
On
low and high tides, with the fish and the whale.
May
the brown earth, green nature and the blue sea
Joyfully
coexist with the flora, fauna, you and me.
It
is sad that while the blue sea and the green nature
Embrace
and welcome all into their fold and nurture,
Human
beings tend to constantly plunder and destroy
Nature
and its resources, using their survival as a ploy.
While
all others take from nature only what they need,
Man
is driven solely and blindly by his greed.
To
the needs of the future, he pays no heed.
And
thus, his own loss, is he unable to read?
Open
spaces, greenery, water bodies and all,
Are
now a part of man’s concrete jungle tall.
Man
has apparently chosen his own downfall
By
turning a deaf ear to nature’s clarion call.
We
neglect nature today to invite our tomorrow’s doom!
For
indifference and complacency, there’s no more room.
We
have gone far too far plundering nature’s wealth,
Endangering
ecological and future generations’ health!
Conservation
and good practices are the need of the hour!
Saving
nature from further doom, is still within our power!
Pure Joy
Birds
flying freely in the sky,
The
flower kissed by the butterfly,
The
clothes swaying as they dry,
Are
all a lovely treat for the eye!
The
breeze ever so gently blowing,
Keeps
the joy so sweetly flowing,
traversing
through various lanes,
Into
our being and our veins!
The
green leaves, the lovely flowers, the birds,
The
breeze, the azure sky and some kind words,
The
toothless smile of the old woman shown care,
And
children’s laughter wafting through the air!
They
all come to each of us to be enjoyed for free,
To
be shared with others like the fruit-bearing tree,
For
they are all joyous moments waiting to be seized,
to
be interred in our being to stay happy and pleased.
To
experience joy from nothing,
Seems
to be quite a simple thing!
There
is so much in life to enjoy,
That
comes free and is pure joy!
Under The Canopy
Under
the canopy of trees,
I
feel relaxed and at ease,
My
mind totally at peace,
Not
a care and no worries!
Under
this calming canopy,
I
pause to look up and see
The
Sun filtering lovingly,
Its
rays ever so soothingly!
As
a cool, gentle breeze blows,
My
steady walk suddenly slows
To
think of some apt words
To
depict the chirping birds!
Under
the canopy of trees
I
feel relaxed and at ease,
I
feel I could walk miles and miles
My
face often breaking into a smile!
I
sense an all-pervading glow,
That
makes me go with its flow,
As
my steps measured and slow,
Make
me wonder, to stay or go …?
I
let my hair down and just go
With
the gentle breeze’s flow,
As
the canopy path takes me
On
a joyous, blissful journey …
Harsh
reality of life strikes me,
As
I cross the canopy haltingly,
To
face an all too familiar world
Of
heat, dust and so much deceit!
Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy
Padmaja Iyengar-Paddy, a senior ex-banker and
a former urban governance consultant, is currently the Hon. Literary Advisor, The
Cultural Centre of Vijayawada and Amaravati (CCVA), and on the Advisory Panel
of International Society for Intercultural Studies and Research (ISISAR),
Kolkata. Her maiden poetry collection ‘P-En-Chants’ has been recognized as a
Unique Record of Excellence by the India Book of Records. She has compiled and
edited 5 international multilingual poetry anthologies, one of them ‘WWW –
Women, Wit & Wisdom’ of women poets. The other four, ‘Amaravati Poetic
Prism’ 2015 to 2018, have received world-wide recognition with the 2016 and
2017 editions recognized by the Limca Book of Records and 2018 edition with
1111 poems in 107 languages under active Limca consideration again. An official
Member of the World Nation Writers’ Union in Kazakhstan, she is regularly invited
to national and international literary events to read her poems. Her poems,
articles and short stories, some of them prize-winners, have been published in
various national and international anthologies, print journals and e-zines. Her
poems have been translated into several languages. She was the Guest Editor of
‘Women, Power & Creativity’ edition of the Pittsburgh-based e-zine
SETU-March, 2019, in which she has presented 312 poems by 110 women poets from
25 countries. Paddy is the recipient of SETU-2018 Award for Excellence (Special
Mention-Individual), the title of “Distinguished Literary Personality” from
Vishwabharati Research Centre / Sahitya Anand, India and “Ambassador De
Literature” Medal from Motivational Strips, for her contributions and service
to literature.