рдЗрди्рд╣ें рднी рджेрдЦिрдпे Links

Dharmpal Mahendra Jain: Poetry (Western Voices 2021)

 Bio: Born (1952) and raised in tribal reserve of Jhabua, India, Dharmpal Mahendra Jain is a Toronto based Author. He writes in Hindi and has five published books- three collections of satirical essays and two collections of Poetry. He is a columnist for two prestigious journals: Chankya Varta and Setu. His works have appeared in prestigious Hindi journals across the world.

 

With Maple Tree


This spring is so different –

I want to hug the tree,

trying to feel

the roughness of its chest

while strapping the bucket to its trunk.

I wish to collect the sweet sap

descending into me.

 

In remote valleys, ditches,

and everywhere on the dunes,

maple is painted here on the land.

In children’s notebooks,

dated blank pages

decorated with green leaves

record the changing color

of the pigments

every week,

from light green

to dark and darker still.

Gradually, the leaves begin to ripen

into the color of the rising sun.

 

I have found myself lost

many a time in the

reddish-saffron maple leaves,

and while singing O Canada

I see Tricolor in the background.

Through maple trees

I am connected to the land here,

while my soul travels far away

to the vista of the Himalayas

and greets with a respecting bow

the vast mother earth.

 


 

Lake Ontario

 

When the sun paints

a rainbow in the sky

I keep looking your way,

Lake Ontario.

You always stir the same feelings:

     You are the sea.

     The sea is there since you are there.

Who needs another sea now?

 

In that corner of the south

this sky is also descending

into you.

The water shining like silver here

turns there into sky blue.

You change yourself

as per the desires of others,

I know.

In the same way

that you reside

very deep

in my body.

More than my blood even.

 

What a thrill

that you accommodate Niagara Falls

within you

and carry it

to the Atlantic Ocean

where it is released,

and when I am there

on your beach

I can hold you

in my folded hands.

 


 

Near the Edge of the Sea

 

The sea, bottomless,

seems endless too

at the dusk,

so meditative otherwise.

At the edge of the land

it knocks and strikes

to break the shoreline.

 

I saw

the blue body

of a gigantic sea

dancing,

tutting fingers,

creating full tides.

 

With the deepening night,

the sea became sluggish.

It is not happy being immortal;

giant vessels

slept on its surface.

 

The sea is wailing in distress.

While young men and women

kept blowing eroticism,

it continued coughing

like a centenarian.

I did not see


2 comments:

  1. Such a descriptive text. The trees really come to life-- the sea's sickness becomes natural and pure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Such great use of personification of nature. I was especially taken by these lines:

    and when I am there

    on your beach

    I can hold you

    in my folded hands.

    Made me go back and re-read all three, which was a good decision as each time I read your words I am taken somewhere else.

    ReplyDelete

We welcome your comments related to the article and the topic being discussed. We expect the comments to be courteous, and respectful of the author and other commenters. Setu reserves the right to moderate, remove or reject comments that contain foul language, insult, hatred, personal information or indicate bad intention. The views expressed in comments reflect those of the commenter, not the official views of the Setu editorial board. рдк्рд░рдХाрд╢िрдд рд░рдЪрдиा рд╕े рд╕рдо्рдмंрдзिрдд рд╢ाрд▓ीрди рд╕рдо्рд╡ाрдж рдХा рд╕्рд╡ाрдЧрдд рд╣ै।