SATHIABHAMA J NAIR

 

SATHIABHAMA J NAIR

 

Viscosity Of Life

 

Life resists the honeyed dreams

slow down, don’t rush.

Some fantasies leap forward

some nightmares persist.

Hallucinations be realised

and ambitions blurred.

Let the mortal existence

be automagical !

Let blissful memories rejuvenate

but the querry goes on,

Will the wind stop blowing ?

Will the air stop breathing ?

When the golden meadows rust

when the green blackens

when the turquoise waters fade their blue

then life will halt

the soul will choke.

But until then,

let the viscous reality advance

Slowly !

 

 

I Wonder

 

Water flows on Mars, they say

They also say,

more than 600 million people

are in poverty today.

They say new minerals

have been discovered on the Moon.

But I know,

200 million adults are illiterate

to understand NASA’s newest uncoverings.

 

I wonder then,

why do we not care

about those millions out there ?

Who cares if Mars has water

or the Moon has rocks ?

Why ? Don’t tell me,

that we are gonna go there too,

to drain the Moon

and suck the life out of Mars

like we are doing here.

The hungry are dying

and we are preoccupied with outerspace.

Focus on the earth first, my friend

our world, which ought to be a better place.

Mars can wait.

 

When millions are left without one square meal a day,

I hope you’re happy spending billions,

to send five people on a spaceship,

to find out traces of an unknown metal

on a planet zillion leap years away.

Now don’t call me a luddite

or label me a sicko,

cause I am speaking for those

who probably do not even know,

that they too deserve to live –

live like any other homo sapien,

like you and me.

 

Humans have discovered water on Mars,

but Marshians would be surprised to know,

that 1 billion human beings on earth,

have no access to drinking water.

 

Technology is the toughest battle today,

I understand.

But isn’t it more necessary

for everyone to fight together

to eradicate dearth and starvation ?

Scientific advancements are mandatory

but they are futile when mankind is in ruins,

even in the 21^st century.

 

Its been 6 decades since man first ventured into space.

I wonder then, will we achieve global sustenance

within the next 1000 years ?

I wonder.

 

Mud - Eaters

 

What would you like to eat ?

Save the names of the five-star

and the continental

because what you hear next

will surely kill your appetite.

For a change,

lets try some clay.

Surprised ?

Don’t laugh. Not joking.

Disgusted ?

I am not

cause that’s what a part of Haiti consumes.

 

When you scold your Mom

for a meal gone cold,

remember that five-year-olds

in another corner of the world

devour clay to stay alive.

 

Next time she feeds you

delicacies on a golden platter,

think about the children

watching their mothers

spread mud platters on the ground

to fill their hollow tummy.

Those innocent faces with the saddest eyes,

tongues that have tasted on the earth

and stomachs that digested only hunger.

 

We are given too many choices

to eat hearty, drink merry and live cheery.

But in a place where eating clay is normal,

those human beings

unfortunate as they are,

have just one option –

Survival !

 

Lets not normalise this

lets cease this.

Lets.

If not them, then who ?

If not now, then when ?

 

How much Faster?

 

“Faster”, said my heart

“Faster, come on”, heart kept saying

if only my brain said no

but ‘listen to your heart’ is how it is.

 

Rain pouring mercilessly

thunder and lightning scaring the swaying trees

but my heart rumbled more,

more than the lights, flashed my eyes.

 

The red truck was still infront

My car, trailing behind an old crap ?

Wouldn’t that blow up my ego

“Faster then, overtake”, heart continued

Wait, a turn coming

took it up to 100 and

Whoosh !

There we go.

 

What next.

The siren of the ambulance infront

rolled along with the thunder.

But I’m in a hurry

don’t ask me why

Don’t know, don’t care.

I just got no time to lose

“Speed up, hurry”, heart wailed

“Slow down you fool”,

I wish my brain shouted.

 

What am I waiting for

geared it up and

Yess. Did it again.

Gotta hurry you see

Champ’s sleeping,

She’s waiting

Its urgent

Why ?

Just... you know,

things at home.

 

Next up, there’s a biker

he’s got just two wheels.

Then why is he snailing up front.

Horn! Horn!

Out of my way you idiot.

 

Heavy pouring now

and the front glass went blur.

Oh brain !

Why did you keep mum ?

Why didn’t you save me ?

You could have.

“Speed up. Step on it. Overtake.”

And I did.

Crash !

 

What was it ?

I’m guessing it was a vehicle.

But a bigger one.

Ouch ! I hurt.

Creak !

I hear something rupturing,

must be the smashed metal,

or is it from inside me ?

Heart is dead to respond,

guess I won’t be speeding anymore

but they’re waiting

for a man-turned-misfortune.

The news might reach them fast.

“Slow down now”, brain said exhausted.

Why didn’t you say that before ?

“I wanted to warn you,

but you out-drove me.”

 

Through Petrified Reality

We Become

 

To all plants growing through concrete

to every life blooming between persistent pain

with more heights to conquer

and more flowers to blossom

I wish you grow tall and sturdy

and for all eternity, be.

The hope you once sow

and the scuffle thence arose

are fragments of yesterday,

at times good old days

or the worst, over and done with.

But all things past, leave trails

of subsequent evolution.

It is up to us,

to live through the crack

or expire before the birth.

Through the minute pores you grow

to pervade the wide voids in you.

Perhaps you were late to admit

the nurturing warmth of the Sun,

the bracing rain that feeds

or the many helping hands

that aided your leap.

Are you regretting the masked pests

and fake beings

whom you once loved ?

Be thankful for it all.

The highs and lows

the love and hate

the blessings and lessons

the setbacks and comebacks.

Everything you’ve learnt

to stand like that

amidst the hard concrete

and harder reality of life.

 SATHIABHAMA J NAIR