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May 2020 · 57
Koh-I-Noor (of Family)
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
Why worry at all about
Mother Nature or Queen Mother
First to feed and walk you,
Foremost’ld be your own mother.

Shrouded behind many layers of mystery,
You may end up in knowing HER not,
With many guards to frown upon entry,
You may land up in meeting her not.

Ready to **** snake closing in,
Brave enough to shoo tigers away,
When I came to this bad world,
She continued to value that day.

First to teach you alphabets,
First to tell what religion’s all about,
Every guest’s treated as god,
That’s how she earned her clout.

Before I’ld mire myself in break-up,
She chose to bring home my wife,
Trained her to be my best-loyal ally,
Who stands by me during strife.

When I got a kid of my own,
She volunteered to take her to school,
Washing her or dressing her up,
Everywhere she enforced her old rule.
PREAMBLE OF POEM

Let us forget for a moment all the popular stories of Koh-I-Noor and concentrate only on preciousness it imparts to British Crown. Looking towards individual family scene, one would find only one persona serving as Koh-II-Noor: MOTHER.

As true maker of family, she readily agreed to hand over headship to husband she gets married to and silently went about collecting jewels in his crown. Indeed, when a women becomes wholesomely a mother, she serves NOT ONE BUT THREE generations in a family,

Finding it that way within my own family, I celebrate Mother Day on May 13 which is marriage day of my parents on account of which alone her three boys and two girls came into being. Call it MY MOTHER DAY.

Mother's Day in 2017 was sadly on Sunday, the 14th of May (14/5/2017) which is my birthday and I lost my mother last year in April 9.I never knew that recapitulating her teachings and thoughts about time with her would result in poems, that too in English …a language she hardly spoke but could make out what other guy is talking about, thanks to her old experience of English-speaking people at home.

She had a flair for life and she lived it fully till the age of 87… always insisting on moral order not far away from humanism and her own religion. To my humble mind, parents are the best version of gods and goddesses because they are hallucination-free. But, are’nt we busy elsewhere and forget them easily.
May 2020 · 55
ONLINE POETRY REVOLUTION
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
O, My dear Poet,
Poems out with poems in,
For poets across globe,
Poem-web is a great inn.

O, My dear Poet,
Writing poems no sin,
Helps compose thinking,
Poem-web's a great inn.

O, O, My dear Poet,
They're rare poetry's bin,
With contests too many,
Readership not very thin.

Sad can exhale blues,
One can rekindle grin,
Finding co-sufferer helps,
Poem-web's great inn.

With moods down in heaps,
Brain as noisy as a tin,
Read out great poets' work,
Ideas to get out comes in.

Once a great poet's thoughts
Come up gently and troop in,
Angels-devils're spelled out
Sanity'll have permanent sit-in,
PREAMBLE TO POEM

English literature is no doubt adorned by many GREATS who continue to shine bright even today. They still mold the psychology not only of English-speaking nations but other nations through translation of their works in prose or poetry. Be it developed nations or otherwise, their sway is beyond any challenge.

But there would be many more who died unheralded and unsung with some quite young. They did not have means to get their works published or to have their works spread out far and wide. Lacking networking, they naturally remained confined to their city or even few clubs or close family circles.

Fortunately, with onset of electronic revolution, one can publish poems on the web. One can get his works noticed, read and appreciated far away from their hometown. Take example of myself who lived in a state of India where people still pronounce "very" as "bhery".

Yet I could get my poems pasted on poems-web like Allpoetry and get much-required booster dose of sincere appreciation hitherto not at all hoped or imagined by me in my native place.  

However, it has its own problem which can be called intellectual in nature not any technological glitze.

I had been quiet a “shy poet" writing poems in copies left unused by my daughter and then keeping them in cupboard. Barring closed family members or family friends, I never shared them with anybody else.

It was quite late when I began placing few couplets on my Facebook Account. Emboldened somewhat by responses, I joined in 30.4.2017 world-wide forum of a poetry website called allpoetry.com albeit little bit afraid and nervous of world'stage.

But I am quite happy to note today that inbox of my account in the said website reveals my overall scorecard at 30720 and ranking goes up to 110 in a readers’ population of 500000. On closer analysis I find about very small portion came from contest and bulk from commenting on others' poems which is mandatory to any entry in a contest.

This clearly meant to me the general public in fact helped me achieving a somewhat scorchy pace of scoring in 15 months.

I can not demand a better sample survey than this. Further, as the comments on my poems came from big-wig and fully established poets, my confidence as a poet went from strength to strength.

With a happy and strong mind therefore I wish to go ahead and publish my first book, Layman's Lyrics. Fortunately, Allpoetry will help me write Back-Page of the said book. Writing  Forward or Back Page would be easier.

So far I had not decided to be your paid member, because I did not wish to avail bonus points that paid membership offers. I wanted to know raw or virginal value of my poems.
May 2020 · 61
O MY DAD, O MY MOM!
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
Lacking all mumbo-jumbo of a God,
He never gave me any spiritual sermon,
Work hard, read well and remember,
Lethargy is the handiwork of a demon.

One day he took me to a Lord Shiva’s temple,
Both found it thronged by people in thousand,
Suddenly I saw a shivling outside main temple,
Poured all my water there, made a circle around

Not finding me beside him inside temple,
He became quite nervous and came rushing out,
Relieved to see me, he noticed my work,
Temple-visit on Shivratri Day later got ruled out

Guess what my mother taught me all along,
Learn to be fair, do not try harm other,
If you dig in heels none would dare stand,
Enemy would welcome to be your brother

Buying and cooking with all care,
If you eat well, you think quite well,
Blood flowing in my veins are hers,
I do not remember I ever got un-well.

Hold a girl’s hand only for marriage,
Good husband’s any day better than soldier,
Let your children outshine war-medals,
Eat home-made food and avoid hamburger.
PREAMBLE TO POEM

To my humble mind, parents are the best version of gods and goddesses because they are hallucination-free. But, are’nt we busy elsewhere and forget them easily.

My extra attachment to my parents is borne by the fact that I am alive today due to their joint pain and pang about my health and life. I am alive today solely because of their joint venture and exercises for my healthy life.

As it happened I got afflicted by a disease which dogged Alexander and Napolean …notwithstanding the fact they were World Conquerors.

While my father got busy consulting Allopathic doctors, my mother began roping in occultists and astrologers to try bring immediate relief to me. But disease was threatening to be life-long and hence the intake of medicines.

To find a cure for my ailment, my father even began dabbling in alternate system of medicines.

As allopathic medicines were making me feel worse, taking cue from his daily success in handling medical problems of his patients with sweet globular pills –call it sweet pills if you must – I decided to switch over to his care despite his vehement protest.

But -- lo and behold! -- malady stopped repeating and thus began the unprecedented saga of MEDICINE-FREE HEALTH with no end in sight still. At 61, one kilometer walk and 5-7 kilometer of cycling is no problem
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
It was Fourteenth Day
Month was just like any May
And 1955's the benign year
A life's born to see & hear
At time (day time) three o’ clock….
As last child of an Indian wedlock

I don't know why on this day
Like a Oliver Twist I always feel
All desires of a bash simply fade
For a mind without any strong keel

6, 16 or 61 … just a useless tag of aging
Agony-irony just do not leave my name
In continuing match of disease versus health
Somehow I seem to be a winner of game.

Distrusting any rush of blood to head
I simply duck the lure of rampaging energy
Any goal is achievable step by step
Better are two heads if acting in synergy

Think before you decide to blast anytime anybody
Why criticize if you don't have a better plan
Pool all pieces info before piecing them together
You will be more convincing, speak with elan.

Read all that can come to your own home
Must try hard not to jump to conclusion
Trust a kid if he throws up a catchword
Lean to make good friends to avoid seclusion.
PREAMBLE OF POEM

This may be the fourth of “pentology of poems” on my mother whom I quite sorely miss now, primarily because Mother Day last year coincided with my birthday (14 May).

If I am alive and kicking, hale and hearty, I know whom to give credit. Hordes of poems and prose in their memories are nothing. Even success in realizing the ambition of conquering world – a la Alexander -- would have proved to be nothing. Thanks to the benign effect of their parenthood, I cannot think of subjecting world to any war …even if I can.

In fact I tried to give a new data to women, instead of those (36-24-36) they had been forced to live up to since time immemorial. New data is no less beautiful as that neatly sums up loyalty quotient to a child. When latter is about to go to school(6), she is there. When the year of great biological upheaval comes (16), she is there, too. She departs only when the child has fully matured (61).

Children and women of the world should both thank me, eh?
May 2020 · 96
Mother’s Last Laments
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
How could they forget hands and palm
That used to cook and feed them delicacies
How could'nt they pay homage in person…
To lady who succumbed to medical intricacies

As per my mom guests were gods
Indians were loyal to donor of salt…
With times Indians’ve sadly changed
Moral obligations have come to a halt

Gone're days everybody relied on Vedas
They now attach little value to their past
Development’s what drives general psyche
It is now all about dams, road and asphalt

Friends are to the extent they serve interest
Parents’ wishes are no longer the command
Primary school teachers are fit to be forgotten
Only successful gurus are much in demand

God's there or not, nobody wants to know
Can His regimen enhance level of one’s life,
Love and loyalty are no longer a big deal,
Welcome are bounties from family of wife.

Country is wherever they chose to live
Life will have to be a happy travelogue
Whole world has become a global village,
One’ll adopt any custom-culture in vogue.
PREAMBLE TO POEM

Confluence of Mother Day with his son’s birthday

Mothers down the years have influenced poetry writing. Notable among them in India was Muslim Poet, Raskan, who somehow developed devotion to Hindu God (Lord Krishna) to the extent of rendering poem after poems in His name. It was his mother, as the folklore goes, who suggested him to use common language instead of Persian he was quite good at.

As I understand from website news, first tutor for Keats was also his mother.

In fact, one gets first letter of language from mothers only and she is the one who helps first a child to take his or her first foot forward. It is she who molds one’s walk or the gait.

I never knew that recapitulating her teachings and thoughts about time with her would result in poems, that too in English …a language she hardly spoke but could make out what other guy is talking about, thanks to her old experience of English-speaking people at home.

Mother's Day in 2017 was sadly on Sunday, the 14th of May (14/5/2017) which is my birthday and I lost my mother last year on April 9.

She had a flair for life and she lived it fully till the age of 87… always insisting on moral order not far away from humanism and her own religion. But at the end she had laments which can be expressed in verses below:
May 2020 · 65
Family’s Mother-Queen
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
Never demanding Equal Rights,
She became family’s Queen Mother,
Laying down Rule of Living,
That became sacrosanct quite later.

Knowing well how to read or write,
She read all big-wigs of literature,
Her knowledge’s by no means low,
Pure heart was raised her stature.

No guest were sent back sans food,
No near-dear ones’re badly treated,
Whole floor became a dining table,
Father’s king…never to be un-seated.

Stickler for every item of food,
She herself did all marketing and cooking,
Never asking neigbours for recipe,
Care’s what she’s never found overlooking.

When my dad became a doctor,
She became a willing compounder,
Sometime a junior doctor or nurse,
Asking patients not to speak louder.

They joked or stayed or played together,
Whenever both were not doing well in the life,
Not given to glamorous way of living,
Plain living, high thinking marked husband-wife
PREAMBLE OF POEM

Even though fighting for the freedom of India from British Rule, my father ironically got his first job in a once-world-renowned British MNC. Over the years, he had sold company’s medicine which included one for epilepsy.

He never imagined that one day same malady will strike his last son and was aghast to recall his training to the effect that disease was incurable and would require life-long management. But the medicine had its side-effect of creating suicide syndromes. One day I began weeping and asked him to start his medication. Not convinced with my reason, he did try to argue with me but failed.

He immediately began dabbling in alternate system of medication. He gave his medicines but instructed to carry on medicines suggested what our family physician had suggested. Latter medicines never succeeded stopping fits, but combination of modern medicines with traditional variants did wonder and in a flat one month succeeded in stopping fit altogether for all time to come till this year. No less was the untiring efforts of my mother who did all nursing and kept alive in me the faith in god and my father’s medicines.

In fact, I was always flummoxed to notice later that, barring three weeks, I never needed any allopathic medicines at all.

It was only recently when I saw the video of renowned Doctor from India B.M Hegde, I could know the reason as to why my father’s medicine worked.

A friend of mine cited WHO study which found that western system of medicines was as good as any other systems: Tibetan System of Medicine, Chinese System of Medicine, Integrated Chinese System of Medicine, Hereditary System of Medicine (Father tells son and so on), downright Quackery (Registered Medical Practitioners).

One indeed wished to castigate him for creating a no-hope situation when he goes on to add that neither surgery nor medicine helps body heal itself. It is your body’s immune system that will decide the healing. Then he goes on to tell that it is tender-love-care (TLC) that helps fire one’s immune system. Sympathy and empathy are the best tools towards this end.

Obviously Florence Nightingale did much better job in healing wounded soldiers than more glamorous doctors or surgeons. There is lot of scope of hope for everyone in the society to handle suicide-prone ones. My another poem titled Dilemma of Death (Why favour it ?) no wonder attempted to reflect all these reasoning. It tried to reason with suicide-prone one that there was no heroic in death and it is life which gives lot of opportunities of heroics.
May 2020 · 56
Koh-I-Noor (of Family)
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
Why worry at all about
Mother Nature or Queen Mother
First to feed and walk you,
Foremost’ld be your own mother.

Shrouded behind many layers of mystery,
You may end up in knowing HER not,
With many guards to frown upon entry,
You may land up in meeting her not.

Ready to **** snake closing in,
Brave enough to shoo tigers away,
When I came to this bad world,
She continued to value that day.

First to teach you alphabets,
First to tell what religion’s all about,
Every guest’s treated as god,
That’s how she earned her clout.

Before I’ld mire myself in break-up,
She chose to bring home my wife,
Trained her to be my best-loyal ally,
Who stands by me during strife.

When I got a kid of my own,
She volunteered to take her to school,
Washing her or dressing her up,
Everywhere she enforced her old rule.
PREAMBLE OF POEM

Let us forget for a moment all the popular stories of Koh-I-Noor and concentrate only on preciousness it imparts to British Crown. Looking towards individual family scene, one would find only one persona serving as Koh-II-Noor: MOTHER.

As true maker of family, she readily agreed to hand over headship to husband she gets married to and silently went about collecting jewels in his crown. Indeed, when a women becomes wholesomely a mother, she serves NOT ONE BUT THREE generations in a family,

Finding it that way within my own family, I celebrate Mother Day on May 13 which is marriage day of my parents on account of which alone her three boys and two girls came into being. Call it MY MOTHER DAY.

Mother's Day in 2017 was sadly on Sunday, the 14th of May (14/5/2017) which is my birthday and I lost my mother last year in April 9.I never knew that recapitulating her teachings and thoughts about time with her would result in poems, that too in English …a language she hardly spoke but could make out what other guy is talking about, thanks to her old experience of English-speaking people at home.

She had a flair for life and she lived it fully till the age of 87… always insisting on moral order not far away from humanism and her own religion. To my humble mind, parents are the best version of gods and goddesses because they are hallucination-free. But, are’nt we busy elsewhere and forget them easily.
May 2020 · 60
Corona or “Dragona”
Lal Ratnakar May 2020
Tongues wag, some even lash,
Virus was definitely made in China,
Some don't skip to play mischief,
Say it's led into US from Havana.

Think of China, hear virus news,
If I imagine dragon, I would not be alone,
Name any nation which is spared,
Whole world's has become a killing zone.

Vietnam war toll fades into oblivion,
Virus now proves to be the biggest killer,
No faith cure survives its onslaught,
No vaccine yet, drugs fail to be healer.

Some attribute it to animals or aves,
Some assert it's produced in lab,
No planes, no ship, no guns, no missile,
Nuke powers wilt like hollow slab.

One would chuckle at stress on hygiene,
Man,, our parents had taught it long back,
In fact everybody is shooting in the dark,
Looking desperately for a needle in the sack.

If India shows less of casualty,
It's not a single man's feat,
Indians actually owe it to psyche,
Not taking liberty in eating meat.

Then, mask was not an original ploy,
You'll find it worn by many seers here,
Veg is in, large meat should be out,
Nose is wet, there is nothing to fear.

— The End —