Saturday, December 15, 2018

Treasured

By Rohini Anandaraja


Just names we were in years gone by, 
In a batch of one fifty- it was no surprise.
Aiming to be doctors- or at least to try- 
We entered a faculty- innocent, naive and shy.

There were hurdles to jump and trials with ‘rags’
In survival mode we did as we were bade.
Rude labels our seniors stuck on our backs,
‘Twas a nightmarish start- of tyranny it smacked.

Many in our batch we didn’t come to know,
Nor any of their talents and genius in store.
T’was a time to stay apart- our culture said so-
What a chance we missed our batchmates to know!

Through all of five years we rushed around,
Not daring to glance above the ground !
With books and bones and thoughts profound-
T’was no time nor place to fool around.

Some worked hard while others cruised
In worlds of their own with not a clue
As to how their efforts would bear their fruit
Or where in the world they’d put down roots.

We learned of maladies of the human race , 
To treat the afflicted with compassion and grace.
To tread our paths in Hippocratic ways- 
“To cure sometimes, relieve often, comfort always.”

Soon we farewelled our student days
To follow our paths in diverse ways-
To nurture our families so they didn’t stray
In foreign lands from home far away.

‘Twas a hard task indeed as one would know
With strangers around and to go it alone-
Though thankfully the kindness these strangers showed
Blossomed into friendships for years to forge.

The days were long,  there was much to do
Life was too busy to say ‘how do you do’
To batchmates unknown- let alone those one knew,
T’was a roller-coaster ride- so challenging and new.

Years disappeared in the quicksands of time
Children grew up , their own paths to find.
Then surfaced from our homeland isle,
The ‘Guy of the blog’ with new friends on line !

T’was a joy to ‘see’ our ‘missed’ batch-mates-
Their magic with words, music, photos and paints !
The botanists, humorists and sportsmen of fame
Who extended their friendships via cyberspace.

I’ve cherished you all and the efforts you’ve made 
To brighten my days in amazing ways-
The generosity of your friendships will always remain
Treasured in my heart till the end of my days.

With appreciation and thanks for wonderful friendships made and renewed through the blog, specially those who have “broken the walls” (borrowed from Cyril’s post) to extend their friendship to me.
Wishing you all a wonderful festive season, and happiness always.

40 comments:

  1. What a ‘tonic’, Rohini, to read your poetry this morning as I woke up with sadness about those who left me this year. You so, cheered me up with your admirable skill of wrapping up the highlights of our entire adult lives in a beautiful poem which speaks to every one of us and the world! Thanks, Rohini! You indeed are a Star! I hope, we, your batch mates and all others who read this will relish their Golden lives as, yes, that’s what it is to be able to heal the sick and be friends to all. All the best this Season, to you and your loved ones! Please give us more of your excellent talents through the medium of our Blog. Zita, a grateful and admiring batch mate and friend.

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    1. Zita, I am saddened to learn that you’ve had a rough year. Losing those around you is always distressing. I sincerely hope ‘time’ will hasten to heal.
      Iam glad you liked my poem - and thank you for all your fine poetic talents that you’ve shared with us over many years-
      Do take care, and I wish you and your family the very best in the years to come.
      Thank you for your friendship.

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  2. A wonderful tribute to our batch "mates" and our days long past which we recall with fondness. Rohini, you have done a truly great job and I enjoyed reading it not once but several times.

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    1. Thank you Mahen- those were years of friendships missed, but as you’ve said repeatedly- there is no place for regret.
      I so appreciate and value those who have chosen to befriend me even at this late stage of our lives. Have a great festive season .
      Have a

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    2. Would love to see more of your fine poetry too.

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    3. Mahen, Iam sorry this reply went funny and had to do in two bits !

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  3. Rohini
    Thank you for that lovely collection of rhyming poems a tribute to friendships gained and friendships treasured. As the year ends the poems are a timely reminder of those happy days in the faculty, the ups and downs of our professional lives and of our own families and friends who have left us.
    Rhyming poetry is a rare treat these days.
    Wish you and Ana the very best for Christmas. May the New year be a happy and healthy one.

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    1. Thank you Nihal- Rhyming poetry was what I was introduced to as a child - I still remember ‘A Child’s Garden of Verses’ by R.L.Stevenson- from which my dad read to me so beautifully and educated me in the process ! Comes to mind-
      “In winter I get up at night
      And dress by yellow candle light.
      In summer quite the other way,
      I have to go to bed by day.”
      This would be familiar to you- and that’s how I learned about winter as a child in sunny SL !

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  4. Hey Rohini! That comment above, coming from our other writer and poet of great repute, Nihal, is something you really will appreciate. Nihal is right of course. Rhyming poetry is rare these days and it is so good to see such beautiful efforts from writers like you. Keep them rolling in! They are great to read! With thanks and great appreciation, from Zita

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    1. The other person who writes those rare rhyming poems is yourself, Zita. We haven't had any for many months.
      Wish you and Joe a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. May you get the inspiration to write more.

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    2. Zita, Please see my reply to Nihal above.
      I agree totally with him. You have entertained us countless times with your beautiful rhymes. Thank you - and have a wonderful Xmas.

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  5. Rohini
    I may be old fashioned but to me a collection of words that don’t rhyme is prose. I love prose and poetry. What’s important is what’s written and the sentiments expressed. I love the rhyming poetry that I learnt as a child. Wordsworth is my favourite and here’s one to remember
    On Daffodils

    For oft, when on my couch I lie
    In vacant or in pensive mood,
    They flash upon that inward eye
    Which is the bliss of solitude;
    And then my heart with pleasure fills,
    And dances with the daffodils.

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    1. “Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
      Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.” !
      I have loved wordsworth’s poetry too -“My heart leaps up” even with no rainbow !
      Thank you Nihal

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    2. The binary world of computers has a life of its own. Sometimes I write a lengthy comment which disappears into the ether. One requires the patience and forgiving nature of Jesus Christ to continue. When they work well they are such a pleasure. We can’t do without them.

      To return to the subject at hand Do you recall the poems of Samuel Taylor Coleridge? Rather solemn and depressing but creates such fascinating stories. The Rime of the ancient mariner comes to mind for its wonderful story so beautifully told. I am eternally grateful to my English teacher who brought these stories to life.

      The ice was here, the ice was there,
      The ice was all around:
      It cracked and growled, and roared and howled,
      Like noises in a swound!

      At length did cross an Albatross,
      Thorough the fog it came;
      As if it had been a Christian soul,
      We hailed it in God's name.

      It ate the food it ne'er had eat,
      And round and round it flew.
      The ice did split with a thunder-fit;
      The helmsman steered us through!

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    3. That was a great poetic effort by you. It has spurred on others to follow suit. What a talented Batch we were in. All the hidden "bits" are now coming into the open. Poets are springing out of the woodwork.... as above.
      All because of the talented, tenacious, selfless efforts of one guy in our Batch. I need not mention his name lest he start to blush and squirm. He is God send to us in order to keep in touch in all aspects ( in health, illness and death) of our batch mates.
      Wish you all long life with good health.

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    4. Nihal, I can well understand your frustration with the hijinks of computers, though “the forgiving nature of Jesus Christ” gave me a little chuckle !
      Thank you for taking us in the direction of these great poets from the past. You’d probably know that Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge were chums, and the Rime of the Ancient Mariner (RAM) came about after a discussion between them while on a walk together.
      The RAM is a great poem I have read over and over though ‘eerie and scary’ in parts, and intriguing. Most would know at least the lines in common use such as - “water,water,everywhere, Nor any drop to drink.”
      “He prayeth best, who loveth best
      All things both great and small;”
      and the saying - ‘hanging an albatross round the neck” !
      It is so nice having this conversation -thank you.

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    5. Poetry always transports me to another world, just as music does !
      Some of the best moments in my life I remember are
      1. On our long holiday journeys in SL with family, my dad and uncles would recite poetry from their student days- from Shakespeare to John Milton- They all had something to teach - such as the “quality of mercy”
      and the lovely message from “On HIs Blindness”.
      2. About a decade ago, three old Royalists who had been in the same grades in school right through med school and postgrad- all physicians,
      met in Europe together with their wives. They were Kira, K.Balakumaran (whose father had been headmaster at Royal,nicknamed JOWL for JOULE ) and Ana my husband.
      The glorious evening we spent together with them reciting poems they learnt at Royal College ,with plenty of “amber nectar” on board of course! - I will always remember.

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    6. Razaque, I second what you’ve said about the “guy in our batch” who has made all these chats possible. Thank you for your comment- so nice to see you-

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    7. Wow! What a great meeting of minds in Europe sharpened by the amber nectar. It is interesting to know Wordsworth and Coleridge were friends. There was a great programme on the BBC about Holst and Ralph Vaughn Williams who were buddies composing and supporting each other’s work. They went on summer holidays together both being unmarried. It was a wonderful documentary still available on BBC iPlayer if you could get it in Sunny NZ

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    8. As you know Holst ‘Planets ‘and Vaughn Williams ‘Lark Ascending ‘ have become masterpieces of the modern repertoire. Their music speaks volumes of their great talents and brilliance. The planets takes me on a journey into the darkness of space and the Lark ascending on a journey on a summers day riding the thermals far above the highest mountains.

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    9. Nihal, Thank you for this wonderful discussion-
      ‘Planets’ and ‘Lark Ascending’ are both fine pieces of music.
      The latter is also mentioned in Vickram Seth’s acclaimed novel-
      ‘An Equal Music’. I think it might also be mentioned in one of Ondaatje ‘s
      novels - but I am not certain.
      I shall certainly find the BBC documentary you mention sometime later in the day- Thank you so much.

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    10. Nihal, I went through the whole rigmarole of registering with the BBC to access the above- mentioned documentary, and all I got at the end of it was a message to say it was not available in my location! You probably guessed it could happen! Thanks anyway- I shall follow this up at some point in some other way when I get a bit more time.
      Another beautiful poem I shall never tire of is Gray’s ‘Elegy in a Country Churchyard’ which is packed with gems as you’d know well.
      It is a pity now I need to go to bed by day (almost)! Shall catch up in the morning !

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    11. Rohini, for the BBC iPlayer I am told one has to have VPN-virtual private network to receive it. Romesh will know more about it.
      Gray’s Ellegy is simply a masterpiece of poetry. It is melancholic as it is evocative. Written in a Church yard to reflect the lives of the poor buried there. It reminds me of school and the drab magnolia walls of the classroom overlooking the Welikada prison. We had a fine enthusiastic English teacher fresh from Peradeniya trained by professor EFC Ludowyke . Ah! How time has flown
      The curfew tolls the knell of parting day,
      The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea,
      The ploughman homeward plods his weary way,
      And leaves the world to darkness and to me.

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    12. So beautiful- Thank you Nihal- I think we could go on forever !
      Well written prose can be as beautiful- the likes of what you write .
      Look forward to more soon -

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  6. A big thank you for the lovely piece of literary work and returning to the fold.
    ia

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  7. Thank you Indra- I couldn’t resist acknowledging my wonderful friends in the blog. Looking forward to more of your brain-teasers!
    Have a wonderful Christmas with all the family.

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  8. As I have said in a recent piece my Sinhala language is in a poor state and I regret that. But I recall enjoying some fine Sinhala poetry at school. One that comes easily to mind is Sudo Sudu by Sagara Palansuriya. Sadly I dont have such pleasant memories of it as we had to memorise the whole book of 136 verses, bit by bit, and those who failed to remember were thrashed with ruler. Nevertheless I recall snippets of its lovely story which was rather melancholy. I wonder if it is still popular and the village of Katuroda is flourishing in the 21st Century.

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    1. A word about "Sudo Sudu" which I too used as a text in Form I. Author Sagara Palansuriya used a pen name - "Keyas" when writing the many books. As Sagara P, he was elected MP for Horana from the SLFP in 1956 when SWRD Banda was swept into power.

      The introduction of the village Katurodha forms the background to the story about two boys and a girl. The opening verse is still etched in my memory and goes like this:

      Goda mada dekama saru saraya pala baraya
      Katuroda gammane tharamaka pitisaraya
      Eh gama madin galana ganga manaharaya
      Kadamandiya pihitiye gama keravalaya.

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  9. Spare the rod and spoil the child??
    That ruler and even the cane seems to have been in use in those days in the boys’ schools. I have learned that Royalists were sent to the headmaster for a caning ! The maximum punishment in the girls’ school I attended was standing on a chair or in a corner of the classroom for a period of time- (public humiliation !)The threat of ending up in the principal’s office I don’t think ever materialized- there certainly would not have been any physical punishment.
    As for Sinhala literature- there were only two of us in my class who opted to learn these beautiful works .(The Latin class also had just the two of us as I remember). Sinhala poetry is some of the most beautiful I have read.
    The Guttila Kavya and the Salalihini Sandesaya were two I remember studying well. The richness of these works with all the figures of speech we’ve seen in English writings is incredible. I remember with great respect and admiration-
    Sylvia Goonetilleke my Sinhala teacher who brought this poetry to life with her readings - emphasizing alliterations,onomatopoeias etc so effectively.
    It was a wonderful experience- a wonderful language which I wish I never lost.
    There is so much beautiful poetry and prose originally written in other languages, translated into English- the likes of Tagore, Omar Khayyam,Khali Gibran, Rumi, Neruda etc.etc. There is also a vast array of rich Tamil poetry - regrettably the closest I have got to it is reading translations of the Thirukkural.
    Life is too short!

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    1. I have not read Sudo Sudu- hope I get to read it sometime.

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  10. I shall be sorry to miss the continuation of this thread- will be doing ‘holiday stuff’ with visitors till close to end of Jan 2019.
    Enjoy yourselves and Have a great holiday season.

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  11. Nihal, I managed to access the BBC documentary re the collaborations between Holst and Vaughan Williams via Google.
    I learned a great deal from it .
    Thank you very much.

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    1. Rohini Well done. So pleased. The BBC iPlayer is full of goodies. There is one called Discovering Rhapsody in Blue/Gershwin. Fantastic insight into its origin and composition. Well I know you will be busy with visitors. Enjoy the company and the friendships. As you know these are priceless

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    2. Thank you Nihal- shall follow this up- the ‘Jazzy Classic’ -
      Have a Happy Christmas-

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    3. Nihal, sorry I missed this- thank you- Ana joins me in wishing you and your family health and happiness in 2019, and in years to come.
      Cheers

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  12. Hi,Rohini,I was too late to follow the blog since your brilliant poetry came to the picture.I am no good in English literature.Only 4 students sat for the subject from my class for the GCSC.
    I would like to quote the poem by William Wordsworth,I always remembered.

    My heart leaps up when I behold a rainbow in the sky.So was it when my life began,So it is now I am a man,So be it when I shall grow old or let me die!.The child is father of man,and I could wish my days to be bound each to each by natural piety'Merry X-Mas and a happy New Year to all the non-reader and the readers of our blogs.

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    1. Sumathi, Thank you for bringing Wordsworth’s poetry to us.
      It is always uplifting.
      Enjoy yourself and I hope you and your family enjoy a very happy new year too.

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  13. Hi Rohini,
    Thank you for this poetic tribute to your "blog-mates." It is true that we were so busy during our five years in Medical College. But thanks to Lucky and all of you blog enthusiasts we can be in touch across oceans and continents. I have skimmed over your exchange with Nihal about English poets. I remember RAM very well, as well as Wordsworth and others, but I have to admit I don't read much poetry these days. You and Nihal have spurred me to get back to it. I do own many volumes, so there is no excuse.
    You also mentioned Dr. Balakumaran in one of your comments. I was his intern in Ratnapura! I believe he lives in the Netherlands now. I will send you an email later. I'm afraid you may not see this comment.

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    1. Bunter, Thank you for alerting me to this comment.
      Wish you were here too- to add to the joy of reciting poetry-
      Nihal recreated online what I so enjoyed doing live with Bala and co.
      You’ve received my email re Bala. Indra seems to have known Bala too.
      Shall send a message to Lucky to update.- thank you.

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