A well-known paradox
K. Radhakumar *
Poetry did not die a violent death
When my great-great-grandfather woke
From a long slumber
And found a monkey
As the common ancestor of homo sapiens.
It had wrinkles around its eyes
And all over its face;
It looked old for its years.
An animal with a long tail
Made in the image of God!
The river flowed down into the ocean,
As usual.
Well, I must say,
There was poetry in the all the gestures of the world.
I thought I saw figures
Making movements in the shadows.
My companion and I -
We chattered away happily
Whenever we met
And went home after saying our goodbyes.
I sat on the veranda
Looking at the sun sinking in the west;
Death suddenly flowed over me.
I just sat there,
Sunk in the noise of loneliness.
That was not a new thing to me.
On one occasion
I was struck by the awful loneliness
Amidst a crowd of passengers;
I was trying to board a train
Standing at platform 1
With the help of a coolie.
Well, I must say,
'You've never seen any Indian railway station?
You haven't lived!'
What I saw
What I heard -
It was for real.
And I must say,
'Life is wonderful.'
* Poem written by K. Radhakumar which was published at The Sangai Express
This poem was webcasted on April 14, 2019.
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