Fluttering Light
The sun with his threads of rays
is attaching the shadows
that have gone astray last night
to the buildings, trees and humans
is attaching the shadows
that have gone astray last night
to the buildings, trees and humans
The light is entering gently through
the slightly opened door of the world
like a butterfly fluttering its wings
the slightly opened door of the world
like a butterfly fluttering its wings
The night shed its dress of darkness
and wore the costume of day-time
and wore the costume of day-time
Bolloju Baba
History
"There must be light
at the end of this tunnel" he said
"once there used to be!
at the end of this tunnel" he said
"once there used to be!
but when the termites ate, all the light vanished"
said few old men.
The young man who went in search of light,
was eaten away by the termites.
People laughed aloud
Closed ones murmured the incident as his stupidity
said few old men.
The young man who went in search of light,
was eaten away by the termites.
People laughed aloud
Closed ones murmured the incident as his stupidity
After some years
In the kingdom of Light, in the middle of a city
there was the statue of that Young Man
"A Saviour who Dreamed of Light" inscribed on it.
In the kingdom of Light, in the middle of a city
there was the statue of that Young Man
"A Saviour who Dreamed of Light" inscribed on it.
Bolloju Baba - Self Translated from Telugu language
Love making
The wave that
travelled all the way
squeezing through the vastness
blown into frothy flowers
burst like watery smiles
on the lips of the shore
travelled all the way
squeezing through the vastness
blown into frothy flowers
burst like watery smiles
on the lips of the shore
Seeing this
The youthful crab
rushed into its burrow
to make love with the earth again
rushed into its burrow
to make love with the earth again
Bolloju Baba
Broken love
He drank ceaselessly glassfuls of
the Desert that is devoid of her
and dissolved into age-old darknesses
the Desert that is devoid of her
and dissolved into age-old darknesses
She died warmth-less, last night
Down under her old bag
His crumpled photograph
Laughing with youthful charm
His crumpled photograph
Laughing with youthful charm
We thought of her
a mad beggar all these years
a mad beggar all these years
For the chariot of failure
timidity and tears are two wheels
timidity and tears are two wheels
Will You come?
Let us
Get under the blanket of darkness
And lamp our bodies with Love
Get under the blanket of darkness
And lamp our bodies with Love
Let us
Play the harmonium of Night
The Ragas of love’s fragrances.
Cover ourselves with warm breaths
And escape the wintry periods
Play the harmonium of Night
The Ragas of love’s fragrances.
Cover ourselves with warm breaths
And escape the wintry periods
Let us
Flow into an Another Time
Infinitely
Flow into an Another Time
Infinitely
Will You Come?
Bolloju Baba
Beauty
Someone has mixed
few drops of moonlight
in the upper part of the steam
few drops of moonlight
in the upper part of the steam
Waters glister throughout the stream
Stooped to drink water
Moon itself came into hands.
Moon itself came into hands.
Bolloju Baba
Freedom
Sitting in a dark room
my daughter is caressing
the light spurts of the
bottled fireflies
my daughter is caressing
the light spurts of the
bottled fireflies
Came out into open
and opened the bottle lid
Fireflies filled the Sky Bottle
Moonlight sparkled in her Eyes.
and opened the bottle lid
Fireflies filled the Sky Bottle
Moonlight sparkled in her Eyes.
Bolloju Baba
The same Rose...
A young boy is waiting
for the bus
With a colorful letter and
a Rose in hand
for the bus
With a colorful letter and
a Rose in hand
I remembered
her unfinished Kiss which
Spread like fog in my heart
her unfinished Kiss which
Spread like fog in my heart
The boy’s eyes are
probing every bus
that stops
probing every bus
that stops
I thought
He is just like me
Same eyes
Same glances
Same Rose
He is just like me
Same eyes
Same glances
Same Rose
May be
I am that boy
Perhaps
that boy is erstwhile me
I am that boy
Perhaps
that boy is erstwhile me
I groped the crackling
dried rose petals
in my pocket once again
dried rose petals
in my pocket once again
Bolloju Baba
About a few words......
Nothing is remembered
Except
A pocketful of sun-rays
A Fistful slices of moon
Except
A pocketful of sun-rays
A Fistful slices of moon
Wish to forget everything
by getting this tear filled evening
under the eyelids of this night to sleep
by getting this tear filled evening
under the eyelids of this night to sleep
But
Some words drop from me
and become a desert
a forest comes out of that desert
and a cloud-burst from that forest-
one after the other blossom and engulf me
Some words drop from me
and become a desert
a forest comes out of that desert
and a cloud-burst from that forest-
one after the other blossom and engulf me
Though born out of me
It drifts me away like a piece of twig
It drifts me away like a piece of twig
Nothing is remembered
Except
Pocketful of words
Fistful slices of a dream.
Except
Pocketful of words
Fistful slices of a dream.
Bolloju Baba
Blood stains
He opened his manifesto
Before the mike.
Crowd roared in reply
Hailing him to be victorious
Before the mike.
Crowd roared in reply
Hailing him to be victorious
Someone put a bunch of
Flower petals in my hand
I threw them at his foot
On his every step
Flower petals in my hand
I threw them at his foot
On his every step
After coming home
I found my hands are
Stained with blood.
In-erasable stains
I found my hands are
Stained with blood.
In-erasable stains
How can I show these
blood stained hands
To my children tomorrow?
blood stained hands
To my children tomorrow?
Bolloju Baba
Change
I cannot say it’s a great beauty
Wheatish skin, plough like nose,
Large eyes, body trimmed by youth
That’s all
Wheatish skin, plough like nose,
Large eyes, body trimmed by youth
That’s all
Upon our request,
sitting on the garden bench
With closed eyes, raised up head
Swollen neck vessels
she poured many songs
into the ears of that evening.
sitting on the garden bench
With closed eyes, raised up head
Swollen neck vessels
she poured many songs
into the ears of that evening.
Oh.. that evening is still afresh
when remembered and
flutters in my body restlessly like
a wasp carrying a mouthful of mud
when remembered and
flutters in my body restlessly like
a wasp carrying a mouthful of mud
On a holy Friday of Sravana Masam
the scene of
her walking like a traditional girl
with a consecrated thread round her wrist
wearing a frock made of silk
her curls of hair spurting the aroma of benzoin
eyes shining with collyrium-
still glows among the pages of memories
as a peacock feather like piece of moon.
the scene of
her walking like a traditional girl
with a consecrated thread round her wrist
wearing a frock made of silk
her curls of hair spurting the aroma of benzoin
eyes shining with collyrium-
still glows among the pages of memories
as a peacock feather like piece of moon.
“we don’t attend classes unless
The boys apologize that girl”
said she boldly to the principal
Her bravery opened doors of respect
towards women in our young hearts
The boys apologize that girl”
said she boldly to the principal
Her bravery opened doors of respect
towards women in our young hearts
I have been searching for the softness
of the Thyagaraja krithi, she sang on the
Farewell day for the last twenty five years
*******
I went to my college after a long gap
on the occasion of old students’ reunion.
of the Thyagaraja krithi, she sang on the
Farewell day for the last twenty five years
*******
I went to my college after a long gap
on the occasion of old students’ reunion.
She also came
The feeling that
“We should not have met”
is haunting me again and again since then. .
“We should not have met”
is haunting me again and again since then. .
Bolloju Baba (translated from Telugu by the Author)
Free Wi-Fi campus
A group of students sitting under a tree
drowned into glowing screen and
floated on to wifi sea
drowned into glowing screen and
floated on to wifi sea
Every student
wore a cage of silence around himself like
the insect
which weaves a cocoon with its legs
from the thread that it secretes itself
wore a cage of silence around himself like
the insect
which weaves a cocoon with its legs
from the thread that it secretes itself
the Wi-Fi link was cutoff
oh..... shit.....
oh..... shit.....
Every student
wokeup into the world of discourse like
a butterfly
that emerges out slowly and softly
wokeup into the world of discourse like
a butterfly
that emerges out slowly and softly
After some time
the campus is filled with
flying words
fluttering their colourful wings.
the campus is filled with
flying words
fluttering their colourful wings.
Bolloju Baba (Tranlated from Telugu by the Author)
Prodigal Sons
Children
left for College studies
Have not yet returned
left for College studies
Have not yet returned
Every thing in old-age home is well
Timely food, medicines, entertainment
But
Wakefulness spreads itself
Along the length and breadth of sleep
Timely food, medicines, entertainment
But
Wakefulness spreads itself
Along the length and breadth of sleep
The cold hands are to be warmed
By putting around the old experiences
By putting around the old experiences
The candle
Listening to the recollections
spilled into night
time is filled with frozen darkness
Listening to the recollections
spilled into night
time is filled with frozen darkness
The lonely desert in the sand clock
oozes down lazily
oozes down lazily
winds move on dragging their weight
upon the tree branches
upon the tree branches
A great wave swallowed
the footprints on the shore
the footprints on the shore
silence fell onto the body
like a cage
like a cage
Children
left for College studies
Have returned.
left for College studies
Have returned.
Bolloju Baba (Tranlated from Telugu by the Author)
Virtual TIME
There is no future…
Zillions of opportunities
Fell into present….
Zillions of opportunities
Fell into present….
Even so called present is also
An imagination…. Because by the time
We reach it/ becomes past
An imagination…. Because by the time
We reach it/ becomes past
To be truth Past is the only truth
Leaving scars of memories,
Experiences Guiding life…
Moments to cherish over life
And Scenes that never leave your eyes
Until u permanently close them…
Leaving scars of memories,
Experiences Guiding life…
Moments to cherish over life
And Scenes that never leave your eyes
Until u permanently close them…
Bolloju Baba, Translation by Arya
One Hysterectomy
Whatever reason they might offer
they deracinated the tree
that blossoms a sanguine-flower
every month.
they deracinated the tree
that blossoms a sanguine-flower
every month.
In the Anatomy Theatre
of civilised man
the body of a woman
has always been a Guinea Pig.
of civilised man
the body of a woman
has always been a Guinea Pig.
Whatever be the reason,
the cradle of man
which put up with two cuts earlier,
now lies dead… severed forever.
the cradle of man
which put up with two cuts earlier,
now lies dead… severed forever.
In a system of medicine
where consequences are
not fully comprehensible
uterus has reduced to a Test Tube
For Pills, Caesareans, IUDs, I-pills,
and now … surrogacies.
where consequences are
not fully comprehensible
uterus has reduced to a Test Tube
For Pills, Caesareans, IUDs, I-pills,
and now … surrogacies.
Whatever the reason be,
some invisible scissors have excised
the invisible organ.
some invisible scissors have excised
the invisible organ.
Now
the vulnerable Soul
laments looking for a hiding place
searching all places within the body.
the vulnerable Soul
laments looking for a hiding place
searching all places within the body.
HRTs and anti-depressants
have lined up in queue to console.
have lined up in queue to console.
Yes!
This timeless, ageless corpus
is a hunting Mint now.
This timeless, ageless corpus
is a hunting Mint now.
Bolloju Baba - Translated from Telugu by N.S. Murthy
History
"There must be light
at the end of this tunnel" he said
"once there used to be!
but when the termites ate, all the light vanished"
said few old men
The young man who went in search of light,
was eaten away by the termites.
People laughed aloud
Close ones murmured the incident as his stupidity
at the end of this tunnel" he said
"once there used to be!
but when the termites ate, all the light vanished"
said few old men
The young man who went in search of light,
was eaten away by the termites.
People laughed aloud
Close ones murmured the incident as his stupidity
After some years
In the kingdom of light, in the middle of a city
was the statue of that Young Man
"A Saviour who Dreamt of Light" inscripted on it.
In the kingdom of light, in the middle of a city
was the statue of that Young Man
"A Saviour who Dreamt of Light" inscripted on it.
Bolloju Baba - Self Translated from Telugu language
The Sublimity of Life
The first cloud that skims along
The last whiff of summer breeze
Leaves an impression of verdurous kiss
on earth’s parching lips.
The last whiff of summer breeze
Leaves an impression of verdurous kiss
on earth’s parching lips.
The cold wind that comes riding
Over the last drop of rain
Passes off … blessing each body
With an encounter of warmth.
Over the last drop of rain
Passes off … blessing each body
With an encounter of warmth.
The Summer born
In the ultimate moments of Winter
recedes throwing a fistful of jasmines on adults
And a chestful of memories to children.
In the ultimate moments of Winter
recedes throwing a fistful of jasmines on adults
And a chestful of memories to children.
Novelty of life and the tapering of death
Shall always fine tune
The music of Life.
Shall always fine tune
The music of Life.
Love always
Enlivens the passages of Life
With its fragrances.
Enlivens the passages of Life
With its fragrances.
What a sublime life it is
When we humbly subject to Time or Love
And surrender our Being and our Existence!!!
When we humbly subject to Time or Love
And surrender our Being and our Existence!!!
Bolloju Baba - Translated from Telugu by Sri. N.S. Murthy
Double tongued poem
For the modern world
Who you are is not important
What you speak is
Who you are is not important
What you speak is
Say salaam, you will be praised
Utter dissent, problems arise
Utter dissent, problems arise
You are mere a number, that’s all
********
For the modern world
What you speak is not important
Who you are is
your caste, religion and region.
What you speak is not important
Who you are is
your caste, religion and region.
You are just a Division Line, that’s all
Bolloju Baba
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