Lulling Symphonies of My Land

Guarded by towering hills on the East And flanked by the Arabian Sea on the West With its easterly shore of stretching sandy swell That lulls the restless waves to sleep, There is a land, my land of green vegetation Nestled among palm trees and paddy fields. Oh! I am in love with this narrow strip of land Of rugged hills and meandering rivers Of placid backwaters and blue skies Of gibbering monkeys and singing cuckoos What rich diversity you graciously provide A land dotted with temples, churches and mosques Where Hindus, Christians and Muslims cohabit Where diversity flows through her arteries And unity beats through her throbbing heart Here souls dance to the timeless rhythm of music Of diverse genres, vocal and instrumental Classical and folk, sung either as solo or in groups With the accompaniment of (2) 'veena',(3) 'tanpura' and violin Their varying pitches beautifully synchronized! In the serene dawns and dusky evenings The atmosphere gets abuzz with the soft strains Of (1) ‘Sopana Sangeetham’, the ethnic music of Kerala, It comes floating from inside the Hindu shrines Flooding soul’s enchanted shores, And opening the floodgates of piety In healing murmurs and throbbing notes, As the symphony builds up its circuitous round It descends down as a stream of blessing Drenching devotees in its moistening sweetness Like the drizzle of dew drops from heaven Making hearts ride in the palanquin of joy! May.21.2023 If your Birthplace- Country was a Poem Poetry Contest Sponsor - Anoucheka Gangabissoon This poem is about Kerala, a small state in India, which is my birthplace and its geography and culture. 1.Sopana Sangeetham is a form of Indian Classical music, developed in the temples of Kerala. It is sung, sitting by the holy steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of a shrine. 2.Veena- a stringed musical instrument, one of the oldest of Indian musical tradition, played sitting cross legged, capable of producing all oscillations of Carnatic music 3. Tanpura- a drone instrument of Indian origin used mainly in a concert of classical music, creating a melodic background, but not a melody.