Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
I din't travel by bus to school
Neither did my mother drive me there
With my friends and cousins
I had the best of childhood fun
During my primary school days
On my way to school
Early start from home
The tropical sun was warm
Kids from the neighborhood
Joined as we marched by
To feel the magic of the forest
On my way to school
Avoiding the main road
And the cobbled village lane
Away from the adult eyes
Swayed by the occult cries
Of the magic creepy crawlies
On my way to school
Shuffling through the silky webs
Of the watchful Arachno- spies
Slowing at the sight of scorpions
And the scurrying beetles and centipedes
We bent and crawled in the woods
On our way to school
The subtle sweet taste
Of the wild cardamoms
Was hardly enough to suck
and spit the pungent seeds
Yet it was a weird delicacy
On my way to school
Shiny purple Passion fruits
Velvety blue wild olives
Inky violet Bovitiyas
Rasamora and blackberries
Stimulated the taste buds
On my way to school
The years have gone by
Dwellings have reached the sky
Cobbled lane has disappeared
Motor cars are revered
I wander what the kids do now
On their way to school
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
The first among to wake up in the Spring
The award winner, comes with a sting
Stinging Nettle pubescent and green
Cannot touch the super herbal queen
Urtica dioica is the botanic name
Dioica is the one with European fame
Tropical cousins are all not the same
Strong and sharp, they can make you lame
Each sting is a delicate hollow hair
Stiffened with a tip of silica ware
Swollen base that stores the venom with care
Shoots its payload, touch, if you dare
Transmitters are same as yours and mine
Acytylcholine , serotonin and histamine
If stung by nettles, remedy is close at hand
Do not go far, Dock is where you stand
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
When I was a child,I wrote to you for years
Asking for things that every child admired
Thank you Santa, now I don’t need presents
But I have fears, and answers are required
I wonder the man made science is good,
Why then half the world struggle for food?
Using knowledge of science for wars
The powerful nations have no remorse
Wars are threatening peace on earth
In refugee camps mothers give birth
Can you visit those who wage war
Ask them what they are aiming for
Life is short and we all have to go
Is there a point in their big ego
May I ask you to give them something
That would change their way of thinking
If they really mean merry merry Christmas
Now is the time for peace and progress
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Jets and planes have conquered the sky
Just like us, fly over the deep blue ocean
They have copied us, use avian highways
But, why are the singles unable to fly?
They have made mechanical giants
Which will carry many of them.
A pilot navigates the way
They will sit in comfort
Happily drinking champagne
Once a pilot asked me, what's your Avian secret?
Our eyes are large for a sharp eyesight
In air and water, we see well.
Tube shaped nose enhances smell
Hooked bill is for gripping the fish while flying
The feet at the back,propel us from behind when diving
Narrow wings regulate, turbulence while flying
The thickly dense plumage is for insulation
The long wingspans produce aerodynamic lift
We can read the sun and stars
Parents teach us navigation skills
Instincts, landmarks, all these help
If you want to fly, this is all, I could say
Now that we know each other well
I have an important thing to tell
As you know friend, over the time we have evolved well.
Natural problems, predators and storms are manageable
Human threats like power lines and hunters are the worst of all
Destroyed habitats, changed environments, make it unbearable
Turtle dove and many other sea birds now face extinction
Please be kind. Save our migrants without restriction
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Grazing gracefully in the meadows
Among the Autumn dark shadows
Silhouetted against the fading sunshine
I see your melancholy and decline
Day by day and Year after year
I saw yourself trembling in fear
Human orders; You had no say
when they took your dignity away
I know the hurt and pain you felt
When your friends were taken away
I heard your wailing laments
When your babes were dragged away
You have nurtured thousands of nations
Societies, small and great civilizations
A glass of milk, with bread and butter
Cheese on pizza, for lunch or supper
Scones with cream for evening tea
For a bundle of hay, your gifts are free
I shan't talk of veal and steak
That will make me numb and weak
This is my praise and thoughts of you
To release my pain and heartbound woe
The words aren’t enough for apologies to air
I know that tomorrow, you wouldn’t be there
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Do not fear me, I am with you when you say good night
I will guide you, as I do now it's the end of the day
So, be calm. Gently walk through the fading light
Wrinkled skin and kyphosis, paralyze men with fright
when they see me hovering around, they start to pray
Do not fear me , I am with you when you say good night
The end is dignity, do not struggle with all your might
Do what's good, cleanse your mind; all the religions say
So, be calm. Gently walk through the fading light
I have seen you in great many races, this is not a fight
Cameras clicked and trophies held, you had your own way
Do it again, I am with you when you say good night
Life is short, endless duties, time is always tight
You lived a life of a genius, thats what people say
So, be calm. Gently walk through the fading light
As you wished, the horse-drawn carriage isn't white
Your fame is written on millions of petals, on your way
Do not fear now when it's time to say good night
So be calm. Gently walk through the fading light
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2017
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Dearest Santa, it's to you I write
To enlighten you about our plight
Isn't the Christmas all about peace?
If so you must listen to our pleas
We are the turkeys, Grown for Christmas
Genetically selected, fattened for meatiness
Often in pain due to hip degeneration
Cannot lift the feet in this situation
When in a natural habitat, we can fly
And roost in trees and watch the night sky
But in the factory, overweight and over fed
We shuffle along and cry in a dimly-lit shed.
Lack of respect for nature's wisdom
Profits have compromised birds' freedom
Male birds are brutally manhandled
And the beaks are partially amputated
Mother turkeys are inhumanely violated
Yet, they never see their eggs hatched
The little ones never know the mother's touch
How can the man be as cruel as such?
The eggs are taken, as they are laid
To be hatched in an incubator, man made
When hatched, they are kept in large units
Thousands packed together for mega profits
Dearest Santa, I am not exaggerating
There is much cruelty in factory farming
Slaughter is another harrowing process
Some have long journeys, crammed into crates.
Now that you know our story of woe
Dearest Santa, may I please ask you
Point a way forward for the human world
Toward a society that cultivates and uphold
Values such as compassion and peace
Only then this cruelty can cease
At Christmas time when the world is at ease
The children sing with joy and peace
When you visit with gifts and greetings
Whisper to them about our grievances
It's too late now for my generation
But, the future adults may see liberation
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2018
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
I saw a little fluffy creature
You wouldn’t believe it’s nature
Because you are a human being
Who will probably label him as cunning
He swiftly gave me an inviting look
Which, is not what I read in the book
I went near him, he was very sweet
And told me things, that I should tweet
“Unlike your fellow human creatures
We don’t destroy our planet features
Killing your own , and all other species
Stealing, cheating and devious strategies
Those are the values caused by greed
Cunningness surely is a human creed”
“Don’t be upset, over my few words
I searched for you , among songs birds
Tweet all friends with this little message,
Help us, change our negative image”
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2022
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Returning home
After decades of wandering over the globe
I am back here at the point where I started
My home at the top of the lush green mountain
Stood along the canopy like a monument of time
Through my Mahogany framed windows
I see the cloud capped Seven Virgins
That shook the aviation history
With an unfortunate chilling story
When a giant metallic bird on it’s flight
Crashed with all on board in a cold dark night
I remember the thundering crash
Followed by a screen of flames
Looked like shells we see in films
The smell of burning life and metal
Wafted the air ,like in a field of battle
Seven Virgins have buried that memory
And moved on with the new century
Dew on tea bushes, sparkle like diamonds
Cold breeze greets me as I do my errands
The choirs of songbirds and cokatoos
Make me sing and dance to their tunes
Mother Nature noticed my return
Greeted me with a cool shower rain
Everything makes me feel very young
This is my home, where I belong
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2023
|
Details |
Janaki Mahendran Poem
Buildings and Mind
Houses, mansions and big castles
Statues, monuments, and holy temples
All are built with cemeht and sand
Mixed and erupted on solid land
Once shattered, could be rebuilt
without changing the original requisite
Thoughts and memories of many kind
Made along with time, in human mind
Kindness, affection, love land trust
Never be compromised at any cost
Unlike the lifeless man made buildings
Human minds are delicate seedlings
When once the trust is severely impaired!
Difficult to mend and be repaired
Copyright © Janaki Mahendran | Year Posted 2023
|