RELIVING RAIN!
A poemvolumeby RISHI
part 2
21.RAIN RETREAT…
Quest continues….
Thirst intensifies…
No sign of rain;
nor hope to entertain…
Caught in the well of traffic jam
the heart’s bruise gets heated up
beyond the boiling point.
The need to suck in the entire rain
in one gulp,
crossing the threshold of fantasy,
turns into a stark reality;
No sign of Rain anywhere near;
Besieged on all sides by raging wagons
I remain stranded…
Two and four wheelers creep, halt,
almost collide
way to go before reaching one’s destination,
if any…
if any…
Peeping out of the auto I feel petrified
surrounded by howling horns....
Can’t get out; can’t stay put;
Many howl, cry, curse,
having no other recourse…
Sweat and suffocation seem
the order of the day
Is the situation bound to turn worse?
I ask myself in dismay...
Feeling thoroughly fatigued,
Yet, I can’t give up my quest for Rain;
hard and harder do I try, in vain…
Fear looms large at the prospect of
agricultural lands turning sterile
The Rain plays hide and seek as if enraged.
Could be, with greenhouse gases not contained
it has good enough reasons to take umbrage…
No matter what _
isn’t Rain the very symbol of benevolence;
showering unconditional love...?
O, how can rain and insolence make a pair
causing despair in hearts hapless?
Casting aside many an if and but
I go in search of my retreat, praying for the rain
to come to my aid -
offering me wings to fly off up above,
scaling those terrible cliffs
and floating in cool air
amidst silken clouds’
without a care in the world!
Days and nights roll on
leaving me lost; timeworn.
Rain alone holds the key
for reviving my Psyche.
22.REALIZING RAIN….
My prayer goes unheard….
the Rain seems determined
not to make my soil fertile.
All my pleas
turn a voice in the wilderness.
Has obstinacy become Rain's hallmark?
Not being able to spot
even a strand of dark cloud
scanning the whole expanse of the sky
the eyes turn weary
Yearning to dance, the peacock
feels let down.
Leaving me at the mercy of
the deadly sun
the rain refrains from making its grand entry.
(May be to teach me a lesson….)
It offers not even a few tender drops of nectar
at its disposal.
Mishaps are bound to happen;
hope not, something colossal….
As usual I go about
doing my routine chores
all the while anticipating
Rain’s knock at the door.
My nostrils keep straining to inhale
the unique fragrance of Rain.
Overcome by thirst and fatigue-
chaos reigning supreme in the brain-
I hurl at the rain
several choicest four letter words
which proves more pain than gain.
Maybe on the other side of the Moon
it is pouring in gay abandon
enjoying the child’s play,
Or, uprooting trees so tall and huge;
causing deluge….
Still I seek refuge
in the soothing remnants of Rains…
Oh! can whoever sane
stay away from Rain!
Rain proves elusive, as always...
Drizzle, Shower, Downpour _
None can grasp the whole of it all
in an intimate clasp….
Who can teach the know-how of
tracing its imprints across the sky
up above
from Time Immemorial…?
O, why the Rain prefers to stay away
day after day….?
May be it is tired of fickle-minded humans
who demand that it should come and go
heeding to their beck and call;
craving for it in its absence but
cursing it as it falls.
We never treat it with the dignity it deserves-
the way we take for granted the reservoirs.
Treating the invaluable with scant respect
we wonder why are deserts multiplied.
Wading through the bygone years
to the power of infinity
Rain, for sure, never grows old!
Tales untold
woes, healed or worsened
are all well-entrenched in Rain
in a close-knit design.
It has to come down
on its own;
till that time we can do nothing
but wait.
No matter how late
we should lie awake
to hear its insistent knock
on the roof-top, windowpanes, rear gate
and surrender ourselves to its spell
lock, stock and barrel!
Flora or Fauna
or TV Antenna _
everything relies on Rain
to sustain.
Sporting a beard Rain would enter stealthily
inside my half-asleep Brain
and lure me toward a lyric
eminently etched across the firmament
A frown on its countenance
benign or malignant -
the impact would be imminent;
ever so poignant.
With lines all whispers
and words one cannot decipher
over and over
I keep chanting my prayer
for the onset of monsoon
defying season.
Having liaison with Rain
is no treason, I reason.
All that I envision
is a full-fledged shower
with no delay whatsoever.
Is Rain all water
with no other matter….?
Neither sooner nor later
We’ll inch anywhere near the answer!
24.RAIN RETROGRADE
as if it has gone underground.
isn’t life full of ‘Lost & Found’?
queries abound…..
It’s only we, the Mortals
who fantasize about Rain;
Romanticize….
Conceptualize;
Criticize;
Codify;
Quantify..
Feeling lost;
let down;
betrayed;
we bemoan the absence of Rain…
We feel slighted, not being favoured with
an exclusive shower.
It’s only we, the Mortals who are foolish enough
to set a deadline to Rain;
to see not when it sends forth signals celestial;
iI’s only we, the Mortals who take to our heels
at the very first drop of Rain, seeking refuge
under the cover of umbrella
to ward off raindrops
from sketching line-drawings
along the length and breadth of our body
causing it to quiver in ecstasy;
Shower to shower the scent proves distinctly different.
How can anyone remain indifferent to Rain?
However adamant it chooses to be,
I for one, with all my heart, pursue it with intent…..
O, come to my rescue – Rain , the Deliverer
Save me from drought; famine….
All is not fine
You are to align our Lives with
Designs Divine…
Can we challenge the Rain ever?
Be foolish enough to cry “Now or Never?’
Oh, how can we sever our Past and future
from Rain, the Redeemer?
from Rain, the Redeemer?
Yet, no rain at all… nor even a semblance….
Nature plays a cruel game.
Against its forces, unequalled,
what can a vulnerable heart do?
except stay glued to the window
with hand stretched out
Hoping against hope
Wondering how to cope
with the killer heat , the curse of the feet
with the killer heat , the curse of the feet
bare, bruised, slippers lost or torn
feeling forlorn....
Time slips by at the speed of light.
No relief in sight.
Another agonizing night to wade through,
feeling blue.
Rain knows not terminologies such as
Sorry, Thanks, So Long, See you, so Near, Far Away,
Blow Hot Blow Cold, drizzle, shower, deluge…
Nor the difference of the numerous jargons;
it knows not any association;
nor the significance of possession…
It has no time for attending sessions
to learn how to pour in such a way as to
please everyone.
It finds no reason to pour in such a fashion
as to bring a happy ending to all tales
told; untold.
told; untold.
Lo! Behold! the God particle!
Is Rain animate or inanimate …?
Quantum Theory comes to my aid!
Causing my heart to revel
despite having reasons to rue…
True!
As matter and energy at the sub-atomic level
As matter and energy at the sub-atomic level
the atom in me is there in the Rain too;
thereby making the two of us truly one!
25.RAIN : BEAUTY AND BEAST
No one can afford to call rain Routine;
Mundane;
A ‘run-on-the-mill’ affair.
Having pleasure and peril side by side
Rain has always been a high drama;
sheer magic;
intense experience….
At times it leaves you stranded
with water on all sides.
Knowing no swimming
you go sinking deeper and deeper
with help coming from nowhere…
At other times
Rain retrieves you from all those which keep you
aggrieved; anguished; half-dead and
aggrieved; anguished; half-dead and
provide solace; comfort; reprieve.
Weaving a seamless fabric with Rain
I adorn myself with it,
wondering how to make the Rain
do the same.
Rain is both Beauty and Beast.
At times it greets you with a serene smile.
At other times it lashes at you in fury unleashed.
Yet the search remains…
The itch to feel it inside your brain
goes on raising its pitch, so to speak.
Like translation, life too is approximation.
But Rain is one of its kind;
Singularly unique;
A kind of freak;
Maverick ….
As I walk on along the highways
The midday sun is gleaming…
heat, as usual ; clear blue sky; crystal clouds….
The dark ones don’t seem to be lurking
in some corner…..
All signaling the sure absence of Rain.
yet calm and composed I remain
recollecting those ‘words between words’
suggesting _
Soon!
Boon_
Monsoon!
26.RAINY REVELRY!
Rain
A Mammoth Waterfalls
A Mammoth Waterfalls
streaming down
Mountains and Woods invisible….
Gushing forth towards the Land
Parched;
Barren,
Craving to turn_
Enlivened;
Fertile;
Fragrant….
Seems like
somewhere another Rain is on…
Would someone there too be
feeling lonesome….?
wearisome….?
Weighed down by doubts and draughts
Imagination turning real and vice versa.
‘Husha Busha All Fall Down…’
The rhyme echoes
In the heart of hearts.
‘Who’ or ‘Which’
The ‘All’ represents…?
Therein lies the hitch.
Ditch, Well, Pond, Lake
River, Sea, Ocean….
Whirl, Swirl, Motion, Commotion
All part and parcel of
the Game of Rain _
Real and Notional;
Local, Global;
Surreal, Metaphysical.
In the inner recesses
incessant downpour.
What for…?
The query sways mid-air.
The answer being, always,
“I just want more!”
Near or Far _
heeding to my prayer,
from nowhere the Rain has arrived!
Oh, hear!!
27.RESILIENT RAIN!
Little pools of water
on either side of the street
brownish, bumpy - yet bewitching!
The imprints of Rain never fail to leave
an indelible impression!
Though cautiously treading
the feet could feel the soft cool touch of
Darling Rain!
In vain do I pretend to remain
sane ....
Visualizing Rain I endeavour
not to turn vulnerable!
Vaguely do I remember
the reason for my stepping out,
entrapped as I am by Rain
Out-and-out!
Forever
Beloved Rain safeguards me
from many a plight ;
Its soft cool touch
- sheer delight!
Swiftly spreading up the feet
it would engulf my all in one sweep!
Oh, when did the Rain commence?
When did it come to a close?
Could it be in the well of night
when I collapsed into sleep without a fight?
The mere thought of Rain
Turns my spirit upbeat!
Wonder how some remain
steadfastly indifferent ….
Not sensing it;
Not seeing it;
Not hearing it;
Not smelling it…
Only abhorring it;
avoiding it;
all too ready to shut themselves
against it.
Away from it always
in thoughts , words and deeds….
The heart bleeds-
counting their losses;
wondering greedily how to haul en masse
the Riches of Rain!
High and dry
I can't help but long for more than
a Mouthful of Sky!
28.FANTASIZING RAIN!
walking with the Rain….!
At times our hands remain entwined;
at times each looking the other way, at loggerheads….
The realization that Rain is needed utmost
to enhance human lives on earth,
lending substance, sustenance -
has always been at the back of our mind.
Yet we carefully sport a front
as if we are strong enough to withstand
the agony of wading through the deserts
of infinite stretch.
Many a line-sketch of Rain we come across
In Google Search…
If I see a female dancing under the downpour
without a care in the world
Oh, why do I feel jealous…?
Instantly I place myself in her, swirling there!
Oh, how is it
that even that little girl floating paper boats
resembles me every bit!
With a lilt in my gait I walk on!
Girlish? Gibberish? Erratic? Eccentric?
Call me names _ I care a damn!
This undying craving to become one with Rain
prove morbid, yet, marvellous!
Minuses and Pluses
make Mathematics!
Rain too adheres but with a difference!
Having another set of Divisions; Multiplications!
Daily Forecasts, Weather Reports and Updates
Do serve a purpose, no doubt….
But, the fact remains that
Actions and Reactions of the Rain
more often than not defy predictions!
None can give a full picture of what means Rain
to each human;
in different moments; terrains….
Playing its own exclusive symphony
the Rain comes and goes….
(Can’t demand its company
as suits our whims and fancies….)
Not so often in the City of Chennai -
the Madras of my teens and early adulthood…
has its ripe stage since arrived or yet to be arrived at….?
Mine or that of the Rain?!
With an all-knowing mischievous smile
the Rain whispers words mellifluous!
Feeling its rejuvenating chill all over
I walk on, pursued by Cloud Nine or Eleven!
Rain, the Alighting Heaven!
29.FULFILLING RAIN!
Against the agonizing heat
the mere thought of Rain proves a retreat;
What is Rain?
Oceans in dancing feet?!
Accompanied by lightning and thunder
Rain does have a silence to greet!
Rain does have a chauvinistic streak;
Some of the traits of a freak….
Seek, Meek, Leak, Beak
Week, Weak….
Same sound with different spelling;
Synonyms, Antonyms, Symbols, Metaphors _
Nay, Rain does have a unique language!
Beyond ages….. bondages….
Having a ‘Method in Madness’
It stays away, unmoved
As modern day Hamlet of many Ophelias.
Present or Past,
Rain had never been a waste
Its impact can only be felt; not spelt.
At times catastrophic; always a catalyst!
As Cinderella of the ‘approaching midnight’
standing at the threshold
between two realities
I remain a princess in rags
hoping against hope for the Rain’s start
to turn me into Queen Absolute!
From Time Immemorial
It has always been the Rain visiting us
as suits its convenience;
as an act of benevolence….
For a change
why not I visit the Rain…?
Time and again
such a thought has arisen….
Will it be deemed impertinence?
Will it be construed as
encroaching upon the Privacy of Rain?
Will it unfold some sordid scenes?
Will I be called a trespasser?
A tart of sort?
Oh, what constitutes the hairline divide
between privacy and secrecy?
Can’t Rain have some secrets of its own?
Expecting it to pour down for me alone _
is it something out of proportion?
But, when it deprives us of our due
leaving us in the lurch without a clue
to feel so blue
we begin to rue…
Oh, how to scale the great heights
and collect the right clusters of clouds…
How to bring them down…?
Is my heart large enough to
contain the whole?
Mouse keeps moving across the monitor
on MS Word
to decipher the code of Rain
in vain….
Parched, the soil remains hardened…
Not knowing the next course of action
To revisit Rain at all cost -
Or forget the sky and things related…
Either way Life has to go on….
Yet, let me sing the rhyme
one more time...
Of course with a difference.
Oh, Rain, Rain, don’t go away
There may not be another day;
Hence, do come straightaway!
Some say it remains in an all too dark cave -
deep in meditation;
Some hold it is convalescing inside a cloud;
Some claim it to be a captive
in the hands of a little nymph
who knows nothing of Rain’s significance; magnificence…
who gleefully twists it in her finger-tip.
Time and again some do observe _
“Gone are the sweet rainy days…”
Some lament that in many a way
Rain does appear to be an unresolvable sum....
yet never will it become
a thing in the museum….
yet never will it become
a thing in the museum….
Some argue that climate change has drained Rain.
There are refrains to the effect that
Rain has gone underground…
Or overboard…?
What for…? Whither bound?
When is it going to alight and unload
in this part of the world?
Flags unfurled; ships sail
Frail heart grieves with no reprieve,
Lips part in prayer, murmured unheard .
Filled with a vacuum that weighs all too heavy
I await the day of redress at the hands of Rain.
Though filled with frustration, despair
I know for sure
that, studying Rain is an ongoing affair;
And
I am determined
never to renounce my search; research…
I pursue them with a singular vigour and rigour
renewed with each passing hour.
With enormous zest and fervour
My quest for Rain continues forever!
32.THE RIDDLE CALLED RAIN!
Yet to unravel the underlying meaning of Rain;
its innate implications;
Mysteries….
Magical streaks....
In its presence we feel spell-bound;
in its absence miseries abound.
With Rain how can we think of
doing anything on the rebound?
Accompanied by, light, fury and sound
Rain surrounds many a mammoth ground!
With an inexplicably melting music of its own
in the background
Rain swirls in a resonant dance
releasing riddles all around
with beats ever new found!
Ever enigmatic
the Rain prefers to speak in riddles
leaving you totally bewildered.
If you ask for whom its showers are
It answers “For You!”
The same answer given to all others ….
Who confront Rain with the same query…
Maybe for Rain many is one;
meaning, one many?
Can’t say for sure….
Still, can’t escape its allure.
Riddles galore
remain inside each droplet
impossible to interpret!
None can reign the Rain
Oh, what is there to complain….?
Mankind’s betterment relies on Rain benign…
The reign of Rain all over my terrain…
Real or surreal
Rain is always imperial…
In one sweep
it would provide me for my upkeep!
Rain with its excellent rhythm
keeps alive the riddle of life!
Whether its dance is an end in itself
Or has a goal to achieve….?
Despite not showing its countenance
none can doubt its Omniscience.
Riddled with the worries of life
Rain might prove listless at times….
So what if it has acquired wrinkles?
Rain is Rain!
Can Rain become time-worn!
With its little drops of water
it has descended today…
earlier than usual;
Enjoying its intimate smell
I get the feeling – ‘all is well’.
Hugging me with its soft cool breeze
all too lovingly, with such ease
The Rain begins to turn me
from rags to riches!
Experience speaks - no exaggeration please!
I remain seated at the threshold
enjoying the ‘Here and Now’ of Rain;
Feeling delirious, yet sane….
Taking it to be a good omen
Some sort of hymn I involuntarily murmur:
‘Let real Rain be followed by ‘Rain, the Metaphor’...
33.RAIN REFRAIN….!
No Rain as yet….
Do – Ri – Mi – Fa – So – La – Ti…..
Maria Fraulein sings in gay abandon
hearing the ‘Sound of Music’ in the Rain!
But, why remains my Rain hesitant to the core?
Why it chooses not to respond
With a drizzle, shower or downpour…?
To avoid being frightened by thunder
Maria remembers
some of her favourite things…
Am I to take that without Rain and thunder
our favourite things would go asunder ?
Can’t think of the possibility of Rain
waiting for some signal
to set forth…. Get going….
Oh, why is it sitting tight
not caring to alight…?
Wrong or right –
the Rain I ‘ve grown with
has a mind of its own
that no one can own….
Seeds sown
need Rain
Isn’t it something too well known?
“Follow every rainbow of your dream”
– Maria was told.
In my arid sleepless night sans rain
where at all can the rainbow be obtained?
Walking through the scorching wilderness
I yearn for at least a Spark
of Rain….
“My heart wants to beat like the wings of the birds”
_ sings sweet Maria Fraulin.
When my birds have become ‘endangered species’,
are on the brink of extinction
with no water to drink,
weighed down by thirst
where lies the hope of their soaring high
and scale the sky in joy unleashed….?
Though a strict disciplinarian
‘Baron-Captain’ sings so movingly
Of Edelweiss flower at high altitudes of Alps:
“Edelweiss, Edelweiss
Every morning you greet me,
Small and white, clean and bright
You look happy to meet me”
How can Rain _
so full of care and concern -
purer nobler, being Nature’s boon to man
(meaning, men, women, children, young, old,
rich or poor, being immaterial,
caste and class having no relevance _
continue to feign indifference?
“I go to the hills when my heart is lonely”
_ sings Maria.
In the heart of city
aren’t hills an impossibility?
“When you know the notes to sing
You can most sing anything”,
_say thee, sweet Maria….
Oh, won’t you teach me how to learn
the exact refrain
to join the Rain!
34.THE INVINCIBLE RAIN!
With an umbrella over her head
the She’ sits there on the bench,
observing the Rain - woebegone…?
Does she feel safe sitting so -
about to fall? a cat on the wall?
or a lass enthralled…?
The handle of the umbrella
and the tip of shoe
appear from another era.
Is she sitting there for too long
watching the downpour?
Seated so, does she remain in the present?
or walk down the memory lane
into another rain?
The bench seems like painted anew.
Bright red can signify quite a few…
A bleeding heart, for instance…
Nay, a buoyant contrast to the black and ash…
Rain washing the vast stretch of soil in its entirety
Trees sway their branches in a dance so sensuous…
The roots underneath might be quivering!
Oh, why is this woman still having her shoes on….
Why is she keeping her legs huddled above?
Does she fear that the Rain would haul her off!
Is she feeling all alone? Or rain borne?!
Is she counting the raindrops intensely so -
contemplating on the Tarot card
which says ‘Yes’? or ‘No’?
Poor She….
she keeps looking straight ahead steadfastly,
all the while hoping against hope
that the Rain would arrive any moment,
catching her unawares, to her heart’s content!
35.REDEFINING RAIN……
Surging urge seems to reach a crescendo.
‘Should redefine Rain’….
But, has anybody defined it exactly as yet?
Like a truly open-ended poem
Rain defies any one closed definition.
Rain being an exemplary symbol
representing so many things - concrete, abstract…
even in its utmost simplified form
Rain has more than one version;
Meaning, Interpretation, Symbol, Metaphor_
can they be synonyms of Rain?
Translation is approximation, it is said..
Yet, one shouldn’t take too much liberty
With the original text;
Rain having so many a sub-text
can anyone quantify it in its entirety?
Atonce friendly and formidable
Rain is a separate entity;
having an exclusive identity.
Colourless water, colourful rainbow
all part and parcel of the wonder from above!
Nourishing, starving, nicknamed ‘the bully’
It fills up a tiny earthen pot, looking lovely,
as well as oceans massively vast
with the same intensity and fervour –
ever as mysterious as mystery itself!
Gracious, godsend, giver of boons-
Grim, given to whimsical mood-swings
causing typhoons -
crystal-clear, shrouded, loving, vengeful –
reveler, leveler, rebel, regal;
cause, effect
blurring all forms, yet beauty-personified;
savagely coarse; stylishly refined;
piercingly crooked; incredibly kind!
congenial, cruel, courteous, chaotic;
vagabond with feet firmly rooted;
Hugging soft, breaking the bones apart….
Friend, Philosopher, Guide _
Having nothing and many things to hide!
Through and through paradoxical
proverbial, primordial, a poignant folklore,
power-packed, unpredictable,
awesome to the core!
Macabre, morbid, effortless destroyer;
an Inherent Redeemer!
serene, allegorical; mellifluously musical,
Can I ever walk beside Rain
with our hands entwined…?
How to deconstruct Rain
in order to define it…?
How to define Rain
so that I can redefine it…?
Sleep overpowering,
with not even a faint scent of Rain
I stand stupefied…
Patting me from its hideout,
with a mischievous smile Rain points out:
“There is no deadline for redefining Rain!
You can postpone it to any number of tomorrows;
Now go to bed, my mate
May you have the most peaceful sleep till date!”
May you have the most peaceful sleep till date!”
36.SYNOPSIS OF RAIN
Carefree;
can’t be tamed;
a method in Madness;
concerned in its own way;
spontaneous shower of Liquid flowers;
Rain’s signature statement: “Wait for Me!”
Rain’s refrain: “Frontiers – My Foot!”
The feel of Rain ?
Divine!
The call of Rain –
well-trained in voice culture!
Husky whistle whisper, moan cry shout roar!
Rain reiterates _
2x2 can never be 4!
Rain’s Philosophy –
Detached Attachment.
Rain’s Geography _
Locally global; globally local.
There is no forbidden land
for Rain, the vagabond.
Fondly does the Rain remember
Those incessant downpours of Marquez.
Rain prefers
to remain underground
for days months, even years.
Hopefully, not epochs.
Its favorite pursuit –
Secret.
Its favourite hideouts_
Eyes.
Clouds to Rain –
Defining moments.
A Gypsy _
Poesy _
Fantasy _
Rain knows no vows –
Save Love.
Fauna and Falura
Rain’s paraphernalia .
Inter – alia
Rain has a magic wand
with which it can make me swell and expand!
Rain’s territory?
Ocean in a nutshell!
Under Rain’s spell
All is Well.
What if there is no Rain…?
Chaos will reign….
No trace of Rain today
Suffocating heat persists….
Without; within…
Here and now
Merging into past and future
I do hear Rain’s honeyed voice
calling out to me
From the larynx of tomorrow!
At last, I could reach the Rain!
Almost touch it,
climbing on the invisible ladder that
go past the moon ,
disappearing into oblivion….
Who says Rain doesn’t have a definite form?
It does, you know!
Just close your eyes and see! Wow!
Today’s raging Sun
gave me the feeling of walking under the moon!
Of course, with ‘Yes’ rhyme and reason!
“Oh, why are you withholding the showers
Can’t you see that people suffer?”
I yearned to ask:
Didn’t.
For, I think I know how it would respond….
with a fond smile_
intent look_
silent nod_
seldom speaking….
giving me lovely clusters of clouds
as sweet candies
and leaving me to relish them
without any grievance!
But, today the Rain did speak ,
uttering bare minimum words!
My vocabulary revitalized!
The Rain presented me just a few drops _
and I became the Rainbow!
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