Sunday, June 30, 2013

Lone Ranger (In memory of Neelkantha Bagchi)

Boxed in the penumbra of mutated weeds
That suddenly are labelled as banyans and oaks,
I search for a branch in the clear light of day
From where I may sing now my lore.

Left without axes or saws rather sharp,
I falter and waver and try but in vain
To unleash those squadrons of thunders I dreamed.

So I seethe as if grilled by lightnings unseen
And harvest that poison of time in my limbs
As I churn its seas for one final cleanse
That'll restore our gardens unspoilt.

[According to Indian mythology the god Shiva would drink the poison derived from the churning of the seas which would eventually yield the elixir of life. The poison turned his throat blue. Hence his other name is Neelkantha, the one with a blue throat]

20 comments:

Gemma Wiseman said...

Rich with the seas of old legends seeming to reach the shores of now! Fascinating!

Mary said...

I enjoyed this, Abin. Most powerful line for me was:

"To unleash those squadrons of thunders I dreamed."

(Glad you provided the explanation about Shiva.)

Vandana Sharma said...

Nice dedication

TALON said...

This read like a song. Such powerful imagery and I loved reading about the god.

Brian Miller said...

there is a lot of energy in your words...i like the release of the thunder...the way you use the lightning and the churning of the seas...cool note as well on its origins in the spiritual...

Sherry Blue Sky said...

I especially like the closing stanza........the final cleanse and the return of the garden. Great write!

Kerry O'Connor said...

This is a fascinating piece woven of faith and remembrance.

Audrey Howitt aka Divalounger said...

I find this piece so interesting from the point of view of symbolism. The throat chakra is blue--and your character sings his lore--happy accident? Lovely, lovely write Abin

Anonymous said...

This reads like a song. I loved the spiritual aspect of it and the powerful imagery. Nicely woven!Tanka Whirl

Kimolisa said...

A beautiful and powerful poem indeed.

Susan said...

"harvest that poison of time in my limbs" Could we only do this! Perhaps every society needs a love ranger. Very vivid.

Grace said...

Fascinating painting of the mythology, like the opening couplets of the first and third stanzas ~ Thanks for the footnote as well ~

kaykuala said...

As I churn its seas
for one final cleanse
That'll restore our
gardens unspoilt.

A sacrifice is sometimes necessary to achieve a semblance of youth. Thanks for sharing Abin!

Hank

Marian said...

ohhhh Abin, this is soooo gorgeous. just that first line is so epic, and it flows from there. i love this one. love it!

(also thanks for the shout-out at RT. was trying to write you directly to explain, but couldn't find an email... if you're inclined, drop me a line, runawaysentence at gmail)

Susie Clevenger said...

Mythology that gives me the feeling of deity weeping for what we have done to nature..hoping the drink of poison will cleanse our error.

Kay L. Davies said...

This is so powerful, Abin, and no wonder...I'm also glad you explained about Shiva. After the surge of power I felt the calm of having learned something new.
Thank you so much for your comment on my blog. I don't know why you were thinking about Muhammad Ali when reading my poem, but it makes me very happy. I love that man, and always have.
K

Anonymous said...

Abin, all mythology fascinates me, and I appreciated your explanation of Shiva's actions. The release of the thunder, I could almost FEEL. A moving piece, and I learned something new today, so I thank you on both counts. Peace, Amy

grapeling said...

the rhythm and pace are superb in this piece, Abin.

Margaret said...

... oh, if only....

sayan said...

glad that i read this.. the entire notion of the Neelkantha was something i had become oblivious of. now Ritwik Ghatak's status, positionality and presence achieves a newer dimension. He was one of the first of his kind, and maybe the only one, for whom the rest survived.