I weep in streets where erst the faithful trod,
Churches stand void,whilst taverns brim with glee,
And cry I out for mercy righteous God.
The painted panes grow dim,their light is flawed,
The pulpit soundeth naught but mockery-
I weep in streets where erst the faithful trod.
The sacred choir's song is hushed,outlawed,
Their silence bought with coin of blasphemy,
And cry I out for mercy righteous God.
The alehouse glows; each drunkard is applauded,
Each sin doth shine as virtue seemeth be-
I weep in streets where erst the faithful trod.
The holy house now dealeth wine unawed,
And maketh crimes to save the its dignity,
And cry I out for mercy,righteous God
Yet still I kneel,though mocked by men flawed,
Lord,breath anew Thy breath in sanctity-
I weep in streets where erst the faithful trod,
And cry I out for mercy,righteous God.
I once was a farmer
I worked the land
I reaped the corn
With a scythe in my hand
I ploughed my furrow
I sowed my seed
I grew my crops
My family to feed
One day hot and thirsty
With the sun going down
I went for to drink
At the alehouse in town
As I was a drinking
There at the Inn
Without any warning
The press gang came in
So I was taken
I was taken so fast
And told that my future
Was before the mast
So in my fields
I no longer plough
Instead the wide ocean
I must plough now
From hauling on ropes
My hands are all torn
Sometimes I wish
I had never been born
Our captains a hard man
If one of us fails
He'll have us flogged
With a cat o' nine tails
When I climb the rigging
I oft times will find
I think of the family
That I left behind
One day I'll jump ship
And I'll stay on shore
I'll serve the Kings navy
Never no more
I'll return to my loved ones
I'll go back to the land
Once more I will reap
With my scythe in my hand
I've sailed the wide oceans
Seen Paris and Rome
But nothing compares
With my humble home
The first dance
My outing into the big world was to go every
Saturday to the local cake shop eat cakes and drink coffee
But now I had to go to a dancehall
I noticed there were several women no one asked to dance
I asked one of them she said no, I asked the second one
She said not too, totally destroyed I looked for the exit.
Surprisingly there was a woman by the exit who said yes
Without being asked.
My dignity restored I danced with her several times
There was an alehouse near she wanted to go there
And I was only too happy that a woman spoke to me.
She drank several beers and when I asked to go back
She told me to off.
I walked home alone
I once was a farmer
I worked the land
I reaped the corn
With a scythe in my hand
I ploughed my furrow
I sowed my seed
I grew my crops
My family to feed
One day hot and thirsty
With the sun going down
I went for to drink
At the alehouse in town
As I was a drinking
There at the Inn
Without any warning
The press gang came in
So I was taken
I was taken so fast
And told that my future
Was before the mast
So in my fields
I no longer plough
Instead the wide ocean
I must plough now
From hauling on ropes
My hands are all torn
Sometimes I wish
I had never been born
Our captains a hard man
If one of us fails
He'll have us flogged
With a cat o' nine tails
When I climb the rigging
I oft times will find
I think of the family
That I left behind
One day I'll jump ship
And I'll stay on shore
I'll serve the Kings navy
Never no more
I'll return to my loved ones
I'll go back to the land
Once more I will reap
With my scythe in my hand
I've sailed the wide oceans
Seen Paris and Rome
But nothing compares
With my humble home
Denis Briggs
Thou a pretty Saaqi*,
Pour some nectar wine;
By thine supple mina*,
Of ecstatic ardour,
Into my saagar* of platonic yearn;
Thine floret blooming petal lips,
Open wide, invites to kiss;
Odour of incense,
Strew in maikhana*,
Lure to seek the heavenly bliss;
My yearn to consume rises,
Until I wobble in inebriation;
Thou a love in dawn and dusk;
Sun rises on thine gesture,
Moon too shines at dusk,
When you ask;
I praise thine wisdom,
Kneel before thine beauty,
Thine maikhana* is heavenly earth;
*Mina - wine jug
*Saagar - ocean or wine cup,
*Saaqi - wine server
*Maikhana - alehouse, world
© Sadashivan Nair
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