________________
Heroine content with her beloved’s
love, affection and dedication,
one with her own mind.
____________________
Heard had I tales of male malefaction
By and large true, far from fiction,
As happens oft, one out to prey
Gets hunted O to be the prey.
Full of hopes I’m your spouse,
Not filled with any grouse,
For, you my love belied this old wisdom,
I’ve been a free bird in your kingdom--
A truth that needs no proof,
Nor display from a tallest roof.
Lifelong shall ye be my temple’s deity,
We shall be together for life
Lived forever and rife
If not for eternity.
_______________________
Natya Shastra |08.02.2025| Free verse,
Note: This is eighth of Ashta-Nayikas, eight heroine types, as classified in a Sanskrit treatise on performing arts in Bharata’s Natya-Shastra. The state (avastha) of the eight romantic heroines widely themed in Indian paintings, literature, sculpture, classical dance forms and music. Swadhina-bhatruka is the eighth of the eight such heroines depicted here in poetic form.
Within the heart of everyone
There lurks an evil mystery.
Undermining good intentions,
Spurring on to malefaction.
God declares, our hearts are wicked,
defiled by sin and selfishness.
Yet in our sight we are upright
With a modicum of malice.
Sinning for the sake of sinning
Not just occasional misdeeds,
But delight in sin and evil,
was Augustine’s apt conclusion.
Solzhenitsyn clearly saw it
As he lay in Russian gulag.
The line between good and evil
runs right through every human heart.
Even gangster Mickey Cohen
thought he was a decent fellow.
With no need for transformation,
Or God’s gift of soul salvation.
Deny not the evil within
Treat it as a venomous beast.
Plead like Paul for God to free you,
Give you grace, to eschew evil.
I am more than scarred flesh,
and spirit.
I am more than the memories of his pugnacious tone,
and invective words.
I am more than my poor choices,
more than the flashbacks tearing at my soul.
I am more than just a victim,
more than my own malefaction.
I am more than the agony,
and desolation of being misunderstood,
I am more than all assumptions,
more than judgement.
I am more than a truant friend,
more than the maltreated.
I am more than the rejected one,
the disappointed one.
I am more than what you think I am,
or who you think I should be.
I am a woman. A mother. A wife.
I am a survivor. A giver. A taker.
A smiling face.
I am a solitary tear, hanging on for dear life.
I am a mystery.
I am imperfect. Broken.
But there is even more to me.
More than even I know.
Your heart an iceberg
My passion, boiling lava
Deluge predicted!*
© Demetrios Trifiatis
29 OCTOBER 2014
*Because of a malefaction three of my poems were deleted
along with the comments! I repost only PREDICTION just to
be over the 500 mark. I am sorry and I thank you!
Each heart that sanctuary gives to love,
A cathedral becomes
Where the voice of God, the salvation of
Man celebrates!
© Demetrios Trifiatis
11 SEPTEMBER 2014
* Sorry, due to a malefaction, the above poem was
deleted together with the comments, therefore, I post it
again, just to keep it in the files!