Poetryzine magazine presents the selected poems by the Indian poet Ezhill Vendhan
Banyan tree
Banyan tree I am,
a marvellous one at that.
This gigantic form
have I taken
out of a very tiny seed
like an atom’s mighty power.
Grown on the bloody mire of sacrifice
and watered by human tears,
my branches leap boundaries
and extend as my vision goes on.
I am the refuge for birds
longing for shades
from my ever-green branches
and the exquisite taste of my fruit.
Varied indeed are the languages
of the varied species of birds
of many a hue,
but the thought
that inspires the song
is the same forever and ever.
I’m the tent,
where birds that toil and
moil all day revel.
On my branches gets inaugurated
each season of festivity.
Banyan tree I am,
a marvellous one at that.
This gigantic form
have I taken
out of a very tiny seed
like an atom’s mighty power.
Grown on the bloody mire of sacrifice
and watered by human tears,
my branches leap boundaries
and extend as my vision goes on.
I am the refuge for birds
longing for shades
from my ever-green branches
and the exquisite taste of my fruit.
Varied indeed are the languages
of the varied species of birds
of many a hue,
but the thought
that inspires the song
is the same forever and ever.
I’m the tent,
where birds that toil and
moil all day revel.
On my branches gets inaugurated
each season of festivity.
My Veda
of eternal relevance is truth;
I preach love and peace,
the time-tested ideals.
The branches of my ideals
do not allow the birds of prey
even to sit on me;
not to speak of them
building nests on me.
Strictly, no permission for the birds
even if they pay a fee.
Having a never-drying
milk-spring in me
I grow even on barren soil,
I am the gift of this soil.
Some birds that taste my fruit
drop their excrement elsewhere.
Some try to find fault
with my lisp of fledglings;
clip their wings
just beginning to grow.
Some others
praise the charm of birds,
a little nature,
tell them temptingly thus:
“Let’s sit on
tall branches of other trees
and be gay and carefree.”
I am unable to excuse
the woodpeckers;
do they not rejoice
in disrobing me?
Creating holes in me,
the woodpeckers,
only invite vicious vipers
to settle in me.
A poor, pitiable tree I am,
giving away my fruits
only to song birds.
My roots
labour without rest
going deep down into the soil
seeking water.
Bitter may be my seeds
but sweet are my fruits.
My body suffers
a thousand wounds
from head to foot.
Don’t you notice,
my eyes watering,
as the pungent smell of Sulphur
affects me?
Inexplicable are
my trials and tribulations
in the cycle of time.
In the annals of history,
I am a tree of achievements.
Banyan tree I am,
a marvellous one at that.
I have no chance
of being flexible
like a plantain tree.
My branches never bow down,
even while,
my fruits gain weight.
Storms wail to me
that they are unable to uproot me.
My roots are only aerial roots
which are not being closed
allow light to pass through them.
They will soon take root
and stand majestically.
Banyan tree I am,
a marvellous one at that.
Infinitive love
I cannot forget that sweet moment,
the electric sensation was wonderful
piercing my entire hair follicles cool.
Winter and all six seasons turn spring,
visualising oasis in each and everything,
tender green leaves and flower petals
everywhere – cooling to my eyes.
All the flowers looking at me blooming,
myriad of colours and fragrant smells.
In warm summer sunlight,
winter shivering.
Cold penetrating into bones,
heart is warm.
Accustomed ugly faces appear afresh,
people fell in agony seem to be holy.
Revenging attitude for minute mistakes,
no more with me, I forget and forgive,
all hurts and wounds if there may be.
Humiliations and assaults gone in ease,
heart accepts all with glowing smile,
hunger and thirst have become unknown,
working for hours along
tiredness has disappeared.
Her vision and voice remembered,
everything happens imagining her face.
Un withering smile glows on her lips,
her heart, mind and soul enlighten me.
Words I know but kept only in memory,
nowadays I start to write even poetry.
Sprinkling my brush a while in colors
to wonder as if I did paintings of arts.
Vaccination methods gone futile,
each and every heart, it strikes once.
The magical feeling converting the earth
heaven is immeasurable and worth.
My words travel
around the universe
reach whoever loves me
deliver my love and light.
You are taking me
high above the sky
all on earth seem to be
very little for my vision.
No wealth or treasure
do wonder on earth.
No way to measure
how you are worth.
River
I am the poetry of water
written by nature.
The liquid registry
and voice of the soil.
I am the unique wonder of the globe
and the lifeline of the earth
which surpasses many eras.
I am the luminous treasure
floating on the surface of the earth.
My waves surging
are the rises of the cold flames.
When the lady Earth conceived
to give birth to all lives
I am the breast milk
formed to feed
all the living beings on earth.
I speak the universal language
you never understand
the words I spelled.
I have come to speak
in your local dialect.
I want to run
as the mainstream for the lives
spending all my time
as the wild river of the past.
You have set
two embankments as my guards
which I felt as if
honoured and proud.
Whilst I always
the glance to flow
through the down valleys.
I get scared
when I see the highlands.
And every now and then
jump as waterfalls.
Put me not
into the prison of dams,
but let me flow
always as a stream.
I spread the green carpet
in my ways,
I bring
the flower blossoms as presents.
I come down
to hug your feet,
but you have thrown
thorns on my face.
I come to cleanse all your dirt,
but you turn me dirt with leftovers.
When all our siblings meet,
we download our sad experiences.
We join all through our ways,
shedding tears
make sea water saltiest.
We merge in confluence of ocean,
our ultimate pledge.
I have no chance
for any compromise
I never lose ambition
nor bow to oppression.
I wander
in identifying my direction,
but never turn back,
due to tiredness or worthlessness.
I may be arriving late
but simply unavoidable.
When the Sun burns us in heat,
I fly up higher and higher
clinging to the wings of clouds,
and rejuvenating as raindrops.
From time to time,
I burst and roared
to express my anger.
However, you dismissed
my prayers for justice.
I make by crawling
down to the ground,
if my requests are
disregarded again and again
I may have to stand
upwards as flames.
If I have wings to fly
If I had wings to fly I would have been there
close to you.
If I could wipe your tears
I would have been there
to dry your eyes with my lips.
If I could send echoes of my heart
I would have sent my heart beats
at the very instance
It would be heard by you.
If you could come out without fear
as brave as your mind
I would have broken the jail doors
and unlocked your hand cuffs.
I have penned my thoughts
in black in this white paper.
But my eyes colour
all the letters you have spelt.
If you assure me
not to turn back
I am ready to take you
on my back and walk.
No more tags for me
No tags for me
as I never like a tag
suffixed or prefixed to me.
My name is only to identify
nevermore to beautify.
Born to Indian parents
it was not at my choice.
Will live here as long as
I have an unpaid universal visa.
I have no rigid religion
as I believe in spiritualism.
I don’t belong to any particular race
I will always remain human.
Born white turned honey brown
toned black working in sunlight.
no creed or no caste
nothing clutches my mind and heart.
Political maps have boundaries
often change as to their power.
nature has land and ocean by nature
I accept with salutation.
You only claim
discrimination erased all around
but keeping them in heart and mind.
Lip services are only going in grand
with hidden agenda
and worship in mind.
this has hidden itself in between
through our blood and heart tissues.
Millenniums rolled on
leaving the impurity
alarmingly increased the density.
All isms for only gratification
for its own interest and emancipation.
Nothing came glorified
dignity, Equality nor Humanity.
My words travel around the universe
reach whoever loves me
and deliver my love and light.
Fire flowers
The dance starts
with the tunes
of the prelude music.
The flames start to dance
from the fire
beyond the frames.
The fumes form
the tunes of the prelude
for the flames.
The fire petals of
this fire flowers bloom
and flow like free verses
and take infinite forms
without any limitations.
The myriads of colours
are awesome
unseen ever before.
The flames are soft,
but furious
burn and char anything
that comes in touch.
The fragrance of the fire
flowers is unique
but the stem on which it blooms
makes a difference.
Odourless is pleasant for everyone
than any other redolence.
Water cleans some things
but fire purifies everything.
* Dr. Ezhil Vendhan is a celebrated multilingual poet from India writing poems for four decades. Poetry critics are enamored with this poet's ultra modern concept of poetry matrimony of arts to science pioneered by him from his early stage of writing by using scientific metaphors, images and simlies in his poems. An ardent lover of nature he focuses upon the protection of nature echoing the emotions of people emphasising love, global peace, human rights in philosophical and universal vision. His celebrated poem Banyan Tree was the poem selected for the Indian Republic Day Multilingual National Symposium of Poets - 1995 organised by Republic of India held in New Delhi. This poem was translated into eighteen national languages of India and broadcasted simultaneously on the eve of Indian Republic Day 1995. As of now, this poem has reached all the continents of the globe by its translation into thirty eight languages including Greek, Chinese, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and French. He is author of seven poetry collections and many of his poems find place in various International Poetry Anthologies. He was invited to participate in the 39th World Congress of Poets of World Academy of Arts and Culture held in Bhubaneswar, India in October, 2018. He represented India in the Festival of SAARC Writers And Literature held in New Delhi from 8th March to 10th March, 2019. He representes India as an Indian delegate in many international poetry festivals. He is recipient of many awards and few are mentioned here. World Laureate in Literature- 2017 and Best Poet of the World 2017 for lifetime achievements by World Nations Writers Union, Kazakhstan.
Fellow of the Regal World of Scribes and Enchanting Muse by Writers Corner International in the World Poetry Conference 2017, India.
Icon of World Peace by World Institute of Peace, Nigeria, 2017.
International Icon of Literature, the Mewadev Laurel Award - 2018' by Contemporary Literary Society of Almor, India. Philosophique Poeitica International Award Master of Creative Impulse, in the Wold Poetry Conference held in Bathinda-India, 2019. A Great Poet & Writer Par Excellence 2020 by World Pictorial Poetry Forum. Hispanic-American Golden Pen World Award-2021, for Very Meritorious Career in Peace and Human Rights Activism conferred by World Association of Writers and Artists of the Orbe, Peru. Mother Teresa Global Peace Award - 2021, for for his outstanding contribution Peace, Humanism, Diplomacy and Human Rights conferred by Mother Teresa International Foundation.
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