The Prosaic Side of the Sky
- Deep from the Soul -
K. Radhakumar *
Roses!
Some roses! Some flowers!
Do these flutter?
A light breeze blowing?
My life!
A living death!
Some day I will die somewhere.
I am not bothered.
Butterflies!
Fluttering from flower to flower.
Some flowers. Some breeze. Some butterflies.
I have no heart.
I am not me.
My wife
A mother of four children.
I love my wife –
This love, this love
Oh, it lacks soul.
In my dream last night
The dead came to life;
When I am wide awake now
Nothing comes to life.
My world is turned upside down.
Roses on long stalks!
Long and thorny stalks!
Are not these sweet-smelling roses?
A flower separated from its scent!
The air not filled with scent of flowers!
Life separated from death
And love separated from real love.
Today in the morning
I look at myself in the mirror.
Surprise, surprise!
Look who is there!
It is not me.
Is my life a mess?
I have not had much of an education
I have not had much of a love
I have not had much of a life –
Do roses flutter in the gentle breeze?
Is the air not filled with scent of flowers?
If not, why not?
Ah, how I wish
I could feel the warm prick of tears
In my eyes
My eyes that do not see
Butterflies flying from flower to flower
Amongst thorny stalks!
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.
* Poem written by K. Radhakumar which was published at Hueiyen Lanpao (English Edition)
This poem was webcasted on August 1, 2014.
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