“through the act of living, the discovery of oneself is made concurrently with the discovery of the world around us. . ."

Monday, November 16, 2015

The Visually Challenged


Like blinking lights, on-off, on-off 
Flickering lamps, wicks burning out
Nobody to pour in love
Nobody to keep it alive.
What if the lights fade out
And die,
What if the lamp goes dry
What does it matter to one
Born blind....


**********  Balachandran V, 16.11.2015, Trivandrum

Morsels of Love




Like the destitute child, hungry
Gazing at the goodies in the glass shelves
Hoping, that if he looks at it long enough
The glasses would melt
And those inside would come marching out
Straight at him –
Or, the shopkeeper, taking pity on him
Or to get rid of the pest –
Or a kind heart would buy one –
And
Throw it at him, ridding himself of the guilt –
The possibilities are many
For the beggar who cannot choose…

************* Balachandran V, Trivandrum 16.11.2015


Thursday, November 12, 2015

The Hangout





At the click of the mouse -
History is on.
Switch off History
At the next.

At a click are gone -
Memories,
Love, longing
Rage, Sorrow
The moments you spent -
With me.

No, the next will not
Bring them back.

I shudder to think -
If in real, as in that virtual
You would flick - me off
With a click.


**********  Balachandran V, Trivandrum  12.11.2015

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

The Winds of Nagercoil




Like being hit by a speeding truck
And then, like a lover’s  gentle caress
The winds of Nagercoil blow
From the east, the west and all around.

Among the grass, the dragonflies veer-
Swing up and away and then twist
To drop: pummelled by the winds, they
Grapple with the twigs as if on a joyride.
The ponds ripple; little waves rise
Like young girls shivering at their lovers’ kiss.

The crows and doves like drunkards
Stagger in the air; the tall palms sway
Their leaves chatter, huddled close like kids
The green paddy, as far as the eye can see-
Undulating waves of a vast sea.

Then – the winds would drop
As suddenly as it blew.
Dead calm – and you wonder
If the winds were a dream,
A hallucination.

Nagercoil suits me fine.
Because, within me too,
The winds blow, blow, blow –
And die - all of a sudden...

*************  Balachandran V. Trivandrum. 11.11.2015

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Eruptions of Love


In the mountains, high up in the grasslands
Where mist swirls; where every blade of grass
Is wet with dew –
Tread softly, for you are trampling upon beads of love.

Love erupts slowly, the moist soil swells –
As you watch, it surges, drips
Drop by drop.  Press your face onto the soil -
On your nose, your lips, your tongue
Love spreads into your blood.

Love erupts at the tips of your fingers, my love!
Caress my face, touch my lips!
Run your fingers over my ravaged face
Over my ageing skin; perhaps it will glow again
At your touch!

Love spurts, my dear, red beads of blood
As you tear into me in ecstasy!
Love, Love, as you hold me in your arms,
Flares fly high; I am blinded by the light!

Love flows only from your fingertips –
Touch me when you love –
And – before you leave, for ever…



****** Balachandran V, Trivandrum 03.11.2015

Sunday, November 1, 2015

The Clam



The clam is a lucky creature
because it has a shell to go back to.
Or it has a shell to live in
Clammed, keeping others out.
The only problem being a clam
Is that people would pry it open
For a pearl or two
And would discard when disappointed.
It is indeed sad for the clam
To lie disembowelled, splayed,
Displaying all its innards
To all and sundry passing by...
************* Balachandran V. Trivandrum 01.11.2015

Borderline


Borderline is a thrilling word
Borders between countries
Evoking images of the drama at Vagha.
Borderline is ominous
The borderline between
sanity and insanity.
Borderline between friendship
and intimacy,
Bringing into focus
And blurring your vision, the line you step out
From restrained emotions to riotous expressions
of love.
To stand on the borderline
Is to hold your life in your hands
To decide to cross over or not.
Borderline is an exciting place to be -
Until, with an empty stomach in the morning
You are told by the pretty girl -
"Your blood sugar level is on the borderline!"
****************** Balachandran V 0730hrs 01.11.2015 Trivandrum