On August 16, I reproduced a poem titled How Long? by my late grandmother Ramabai C. Trikannad who was a writer, columnist, poet, and a spiritual aspirant. Below is another of her poems, Love Ageth Not, which I’d like to offer as an ode to all those who have found their soul mates and have loved and cherished them all their lives.
I sit in my garden chair,
Musing on faraway things.
The hush of the evening air,
Rest to the weary heart brings.
My hair is turning a grey,
Lines in my hands I can trace.
Long years have passed since the day,
I loved to gaze on her face.
The bud of love would unfold,
To blossom and fade away.
But my worn, feeble life holds,
Perfume of the longpast day.
The strength of our arms is run,
We make our aged pair.
But the spirit of love won,
Still with each other we share.
A deep voice calls and I rise,
“It’s so cold, the wind is blowing,
To linger, dear, is unwise,
Come in, the fire is glowing.”
© Ramabai C. Trikannad
I sit in my garden chair,
Musing on faraway things.
The hush of the evening air,
Rest to the weary heart brings.
My hair is turning a grey,
Lines in my hands I can trace.
Long years have passed since the day,
I loved to gaze on her face.
The bud of love would unfold,
To blossom and fade away.
But my worn, feeble life holds,
Perfume of the longpast day.
The strength of our arms is run,
We make our aged pair.
But the spirit of love won,
Still with each other we share.
A deep voice calls and I rise,
“It’s so cold, the wind is blowing,
To linger, dear, is unwise,
Come in, the fire is glowing.”
© Ramabai C. Trikannad
Very nice. I like this a lot.
ReplyDeleteCharles, thank you. There are a few more poems including some long ones that I'll reproduce in future.
DeleteThe last two lines are quite nice. Rich with double meaning.
ReplyDeleteRon, everything my grandmother wrote had to do with relationships, especially with marriage and family. She wrote many spiritual poems too.
DeleteLovely, thanks for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteCol, you are welcome. Glad you liked it. Her writing was simple but effective.
DeleteA wonderful poem.
ReplyDeletePatti, thank you. She was a wonderful woman, and a very caring and devoted wife and mother.
DeleteThanks for sharing this with us Prashant.
ReplyDeleteSergio, you are welcome. I was lucky to posses her poems and other writings published in the now-defunct Indian newspapers of mid-20th century.
DeleteBeautiful. I love these lines especially: "But the spirit of love won,/
ReplyDeleteStill with each other we share."
HKatz, thank you. She wrote in a way the reader could easily picture her lines. She had the literary gift in spite of not having a formal education.
DeleteIs your mother Ramabai , the daughter of papa ramdas of kanhangad ?
ReplyDeleteRamabai was my paternal grandmother.
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