Friday, February 2, 2018

Creative Spot by Rohini Anandaraja


 “Reverie”.

As I gaze at the sky on a starry night,
Once the sun has relinquished its power and might-
A gentle light from the eastern sky
Catches my eye to my great delight.

With light so pure - a ‘maiden’ chaste
Glides across the sky in grace.
I cannot help but hold my gaze
At the beauty of her radiant face.

The stars dim out as homage they pay
To this celestial beauty as she makes her way
To smile on earthlings, though far away
From her distant home in the Milky Way.

Joy she brings wherever she roams
And turns into silver all she beholds.
Through wisps of cloud she peeps to glow
Ripples of silver on the sea and the shore .

Her silver beams make lilies bloom,
As lovers swoon and minstrels croon.
Enraptures all with ‘Clair de lune’,
And sublime  ‘Sail along Silvery Moon’.

An artist’s dream, a poet’s delight,
Her mystic charm can’t be analyzed-
Nor words describe her elegant style,
She reigns supreme - the queen of the night.

Rohini adds: 

"This is dedicated to Nihal Amerasekera my friend whose fine literary flair I have long enjoyed, and at whose insistence I have written this poem to submit to the blog"


43 comments:

  1. I am quite intrigued by the fact that Rohini talks about the "literary flair" of others while we all admire her abilities in the field of literature.

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  2. Lucky, Thank you for your very kind comment.
    I am very thankful to you for setting things out exactly as requested- for the work you do behind the scenes to get things just right.
    May the blog flourish ! Cheers



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  3. What a wonderful piece of literary work! A really enjoyed reading your poem which is beautifully illustrated with that almost mystic photograph. Your literary talents and breadth of general knowledge is to admired, not envied!

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    1. Thank you Mahen , Iam so glad you enjoyed it.
      By the time the 70s have been reached we aught to have learnt a few things !!

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  4. I woke up on a bleak winters day to a pleasant surprise, a literary masterpiece. The poem enhances the beauty of the stunning image of the moon over Mission Bay. I am overjoyed that finally Rohini has decided to share her literary brilliance with her friends on the blog. I had to cajole, badger and bully Rohini to send it for publication and it has worked. May it be the beginning of a 'new era' for the blog and spur others to join in to make it great. Thank you

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    1. Rohini
      Thank you for the dedication. It is a great honour to accept with humility.

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    2. Nihal, Without your ‘ultimatum’ there would have been no poem !!

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  5. Thank you Rohini.You have captured the beauty of the moon on a starlit night in such style. Little did I know that I moved with such talent in the batch. Maybe Lucky can compile these beautiful creations for our next get together for the blog non visitors to enjoy.
    Manel

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    1. Manel, so good to see you again .
      May be we need to get Nihal on the job of getting our talented batchmates started !

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  6. Nice to see you back Manel. I know you look at the Blog but it gives us "regulars" so much heart when we get feedback. Please keep it "your opinion matters, so please hold the line, we will put you through to an operator as soon as possible, please don't hang up, your opinion is important to us......"!

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    1. Mahen, I second what you have said to Manel. We'd love to hear your opinions, Manel. Please don't be shy.

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  7. Rohini, this is absolutely beautiful! You have captured the image of the rising moon so elegantly. I have always been captivated by the moon, especially on a full moon night. (Is it possible that I am loony?) I am glad that Nihal "cajoled and bullied" you into submitting this lovely poem. Please continue writing more and share them with us.
    A few thoughts on creativity: All of us have been busy in the past with studies, work, raising families etc. and have not given much thought to discovering the talents we may have been suppressing. It is time now to delve into ourselves, discover and 'share the light.' The Blog is the perfect place for that. As you said "May the Blog flourish!"

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  8. Thank you Srianee, Nice to see you back too-
    Nihal commanded “poem or write up “ and probably went to sleep ! (his nigh , my morning)
    It didn’t sound like I’d get out of it - so had the poem done by the time he woke up!!
    I guess you are in SL at the moment partying ! Iam sorry I haven’t yet replied
    your email - I promise to do so in the next couple of days . Enjoy yourself !

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    1. Yes, I am back in Colombo, basking in the warmth of family, friends and weather! I left behind some very frigid temps in CT. I am grateful to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds at the moment. Don't worry about replying my email, all in good time...

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  9. Rohini, the numerous comments your poem has attracted speaks for itself. You have a great talent and we are really happy to see this poem on our blog. I love the verse which says 'silver beams make lilies bloom. That belongs in professional poetry. So ,you are up there you see! Thanks for sharing your talents with us. Zita

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    1. Zita , you have quietly crept in as anonymous after a long absence! - I nearly missed your kind comment - thank you .
      I greatly appreciate your poetry too.
      Look forward to more from you - cheers

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  10. Srianee
    Welcome back to the fold after a long pause. It must be lovely to be in Colombo near where you learnt your trade. My visits are so rare the image I have of CMB is the one from my med school days. I cherish that image of a sleepy CMB with a few ageing cars and well known landmarks. Nothing ever remains the same. Enjoy the new and vibrant CMB and help to keep the blog alive. We value your contributions.

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    1. Thanks Nihal. You have also been 'away' for a while, although you said that you do check the Blog often. You will notice so many changes around here, in my old neighborhood. The traffic patterns are nightmarish, although people know when there is a lull, and when it is 'safe' to drive around. The aging cars have been replaced by BMWs, Audis, SUVs and the like. My favorite mode of transportation is by taxi, or a tuk-tuk if I am in a hurry. The high-rises are sprouting like mushrooms. When I was in Medical College our lane (next to the 'Bloem') had only five homes with verandas and beautiful lawns. Now there are many multi-level homes, and the large lawns are gone. But, I am glad that I have a place to stay. To quote Jhumpa Lahiri "The journey of every individual, every country, every historical epoch - of the entire universe and all it contains - is nothing but a series of changes, at times subtle, at times deep, without which we would stand still." I embrace the changes and make the best of it.

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    2. Wise words Srianee. Change is unstoppable and it is best to embrace it and, dare I say, even try to influence it to be better. This I comes from my belief that our Fate is not pre-determined. I can't imagine a World running to a Time Table involving billions of human beings and billions of animals, not to mention the other less recognised occupants of this Universe. I love this quote by Georg C. Lichtenberg, “I cannot say whether things will get better if we change; what I can say is they must change if they are to get better.” —

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  11. So nice to read so many comments! Srianee, we just missed each other. Are you planning another visit to SL in the near future? I may go there again in December. Shall keep you informed.

    Rohini - unless I am missing something, you have not given a title to your beautiful poem.

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    1. Yes Mahen, we need to communicate a bit better! I was so sorry that I missed seeing you and Rohini Abey in Colombo. I'm hoping to be back earlier in January 2019 or right after Christmas 2018. It usually depends on where I spend Christmas, Connecticut or Hamburg. I'll be in touch on email.
      And yes, Rohini you should think of an appropriate title for your poem!

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    2. Mahen and Srianee -Thanks for pointing this out- didn’t think about a title at the time - shall think about it now !

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  12. Long live the Blog! I say it yet again. I confess to a mild disappointment that my post on 3rd of January titled "Blogs, Batch mates – Reminiscing and Reliving" - evoked only 2 responses. Whether it was a sensitive topic best left read and rested, or for other good reasons, I did hope that a lively discussion would arise. I know that my post was referred to indirectly in subsequent ones but the fact remains that there were only 3 comments, one of which was mine! Just voicing my thoughts loudly and questioning myself whether the topic was too sensitive to discuss?

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    1. Sorry Mahen, I didn't see it. I will check it out. I think it was a busy time for everyone, right after Christmas and the New Year. Like everything else in life, it is all about timing!

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    2. I understand! Was just wondering, that's all. Look forward to your commments

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    3. Hello again Mahen, I just added a comment to your post "Blog, Batch Mates-Reminiscing and Reliving." I think the topic was rather deep and required some thought before commenting. I noticed that I had missed a lot while taking a 'break' from the Blog!

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    4. Many thanks Srianee. I read it and commented on the comment!

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  13. Mahendra
    Your article was interesting as I read it then and read it now. But it appeared when I had taken a break from the blog. As always it was straight from your heart.

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  14. Mahen, Sorry you were disappointed with the response to your post of the 23rd Jan. I have re-visited it today and written a comment.
    Cheers

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    1. Rohini. Thanks. I just read it and I am glad that you felt it was inoffensive!

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  15. Thank you Indra - glad you liked it.

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  16. Lucky,
    I have apologized to Nihal for omitting to give the poem I dedicated to him a title !
    Three batchmates- Mahen,Srianee, and Sriani B. (latter by private email) have reminded me that I need to think of a title -
    Here it is - I have titled it “Reverie”.

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  17. Rohini
    Thanks again for that very evocative title. Reverie reminds of that rather dreamy piano piece by Debussy , one of my favourites.
    Nihal D A
    My IPad has gone funny and I can’t publish a comment under my name. Just one of those things!!!

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  18. Rohini, I think "Reverie" is a very appropriate title!

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  19. Nihal, Srianee, Lucky,
    Iam sorry to be referring to this poem again !
    As I tried to think of a title and read through it, the first thing that came to my mind was ‘Reverie’. Then I was immediately reminded of Debussy’s composition of the same name. In my own mind, as I thought of the title quite independently of the musical composition, I didn’t feel I had ‘copied’ it !
    When Nihal mentioned Debussy’s composition, which I knew he’d also be reminded of, I still didn’t think anything of it and decided to stay with it.
    However, the thought then crossed my mind, that it could be seen as a kind of ‘copyright infringement ‘ or ‘plagiarism’, and hurriedly looked this up, and to my relief, found that ‘copyright’ does not apply to titles !
    Iam being very honest when I say ‘ Reverie’ came into my mind quite independently of Debussy!
    However I might still change the title when I get some time to think!
    Nihal, please bear with me - Iam so sorry -
    I speak of this here, only as we all write in the blog, and can unwittingly offend if not careful.

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  20. This is Zita (the late!) I have not visited the Blog for a few days, so imagine my delight when I read this beautiful poem in which I am sure, you have immortalised the antics of the moon in the beautiful sky at night in your own unique way! It can easily be the loveliest poem I have read on any subject really. It is really uplifting. You are a true poet Rohini and you should be up there among the Stars but have been hiding your light under a bushel. Stay out and bring out all your many talents! Zita

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    1. Zita, I feel humbled by these very kind words from a creative genius.
      Thank you so much.

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  21. Congratulations Rohini on your beautiful poem . Sorry my comment is so belated. I remember you as shining in the performing arts You were such a graceful Manipuri dancer. I remember how there was a problem with your drummer at a Concert during our student days and how you danced so gracefully when Speedy sat on the King Georges' hall floor drumming for you !!You kept your creative talent well hidden .Hope you can join us for the next Reunion I haven't seen you over 1/2 a century ! Take care Love Suri

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    1. Suri, Iam very sorry I had missed this comment by you until I was alerted to it today by a colleague- all these months later !
      While I thank you for your very kind words, I need to make a small correction re the identity of the drummer and the circumstances-
      As it was to be an item by our batch only, I couldnt get a drummer from the school of Dancing, and it was Lucky Weerasooriya who learned the rhythms and did the drumming most skillfully, perfectly.
      I reiterate my thanks and send my warmest regards to both Lucky W and you- I wish we could meet too!

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