Friday, December 1, 2017

RANJANA SHARAN


RANJANA SHARAN

FRAGRANCE OF AUTUMN

Monsoon morphs into autumn:
Trees have begun
turning to golden brown
Caramel leaves—
Pale yellow, amber, and cinnamon
begin to fall;
Some leaves burn
With shades of russet and red.
But autumn removes
the fiery cloak of colours
and takes a dip in the river:
Lo, he is reborn in a new form—
Immaculate, white, pristine!
The whiteness is reflected in the Kash flowers
blooming on the bank
Swaying in breeze
bobbing their heads under fleecy white clouds.
The never-ending stretch
of the furry flowers
reminds me of Wordswotth’s
belt of cheery daffodils—
a great thrill! an unforgettable joy!!
Autumn touches beautiful Parijat—
aromatic small flowers
with delicate petals above an orange tube.
I close my eyes
The dawn seems to be breaking,
The Parijats drop
One by one
Covering the ground;
the air is redolent with the perfume!
I breathe in
the sweet nostalgic fragrance:
My childhood sleeps
on a soft expanse of
snow-white petals!






WHISPER

O beautiful rose
Celestial and pure
Unique has been your bloom
Since the days of my infancy
White, pink, red and maroon!

Striding across the dew-decked grass
My infantile feet reached the land
Where you beckoned me over
And waved your magic wand.

The dawn sky with mellow colours
Signalled the arrival of your lover
You looked up like a bride-in-waiting
Adorned with a mantle of petals

In the morning he appeared
Pouring vermilion and gold
And with a gentle kiss
Welcomed you out of your fold.

I gazed with wonder
How little buds became flowers
Full of scent and attraction
Presenting an array of vibrant colours!

Your beauty with myriad hues
Strolls through my senses
Filling me with joy and ecstasy
Banishing my blues.

But sometimes your bloom
Casts a deep gloom
Over my mind and soul:
Oh, you wither so soon!

That day I was in the garden
Looking at the shriveled petals
My heart ached and grief increased
Like the evening shadow.



All of a sudden, I saw my hoary past
Reminding me of my childhood
And whispered something at last
That dispelled the dark cloud.

“Look at the flowers with my eyes
Don’t think and scan
Feel the magic and rapture
They create in a brief span!”





HOMELESS CLOUDS

Night wanes
The whisper of morning is in the air
The moonlight appreas
Like a diffuse ocean
of yellow light.
The trees are silhouetted against
the still sky painted in grayscale.
You and I sit together
looking into each other’s eyes:
Golden liquid in our hands
clinking gobbets in a quiet moment!
Past and present have merged,
future remains suspended!
Suddenly I raise my eyes to the sky—
the clouds under the commands of wind
Move like urchins in rags:
Hungry, tired, aimless!
I feel a sudden sweep of sorrow
My happiness evaporates:
sadly I muse on the plight of the children—
abused, neglected, exploited, homeless!

.RANJANA SHARAN


DR. RANJANA SHARAN is an eminent poet, author and literary critic. Former professor of English at S.B.City College, Nagpur (Maharashtra) India, she is a research supervisor (English) of RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur. She has done Ph.D on the topic ‘Sri Aurobindo and the Epic Tradition’. Her poems, Short Stories, articles and research papers have been published at national as well as international levels in reputed Dailies, magazines, journals etc. she has received many prestigious awards/ honours for her achievement in literary field. Earned accolade of the former President of India APJ Abdul Kalam for her poem ‘Mother Nature’ in her collection of poems ‘Spring Zone’. Published five books and fifty research papers in English. Completed and published UGC sponsored MRP on Comparative subject. Presented papers in a number of national/ International conferences/ seminars. Member of many literary organizations and groups.


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