'Tis an idle fancy! - A poem by Deepak Menon

I love HER? How can you say that?
I tell you it is not true!
You insist! Even when it isn't a fact?
Oh! How can I convince you?
.
I do not believe a word you say!
And even if I did, so what?
So what if throughout the day
My brow is feverish and hot?
.
So what if from my deepest slumber
I start and then to her call out?
So what if efforts to erase her memory
Have by time - been put to rout?
.
So what if I only think of her
And talk and dream and live her name?
So what if my eyes are often filmed
With tears of sorrow, lingering shame
.
That I could not my conscience still
And keep my tryst with destiny's call?
So what if her image my heart does fill
So what if she holds my heart in thrall?
.
'Tis nonsense, once more I tell you
You are mistaken though you know me well
Even though away with my soul she flew
'Tis an idle fancy, - can't you tell?

Lyrics of the Red River Valley - Singer and writer unknown

For long I thought about the lyrics of the song
The days spent in looking for it became long
Then out of the blue came the beautiful three
Who knew the words and sent them to me!
AND THOUGH THE WRITER OF THE SONG
IS LOST IN THE MIST OF TIME ...
THE SONG REMAINS IMMORTAL FOR ALL TIME
.
Here are the words :-
.
Red River Valley
CHORUS
From this valley they say you are going
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathways awhile
.
Come and sit by my side, if you love me
Do not hasten to bid me adieu
Just remember the Red River Valley
And the cowboy who loved you so true
.
I've been thinking a long time, my darling
Of the sweet words you never would say
Now, alas, must my fond hopes all vanish
For they say you are gong away
.
Do you think of the valley you're leaving
Or how lonely and how dreary it will be
D'you think of the hearts you are breaking
And the pain you are causing to me
.
They will bury me where you have wandered
Near the hills where the daffodils grow
When you're gone from the Red River Valley
For I can't live without you I know
.
CHORUS
From this valley they say you are going
We will miss your bright eyes and sweet smile
For they say you are taking the sunshine
That has brightened our pathways awhile

SONNET NO 3 by Deepak Menon

A dryad of the Forest on a wooded mountain's crest
Flicking in and out of the shadows of autumn leaves
A magic fleeting glimpse of dappled dreams blest
By the hand of the Creator for whom eternity grieves
. Was the love I yearned through troubled times and good
. Was the sound of a voice long gone into yesterday's bed
. Was the being of a golden smile carved in hardened wood
. For which again and anon my dispirited heart bled
Till ensanguined it became as the pale horse of death
And the wine turned vintage and dried into grey ash
While the vessel crumbling did scream out the threat
To eject the dying spirit in one great blinding flash
. 'Twas then that like rain from the sky - thy falling tears
. On my upturned face - gave life for the coming years.

Reflections on Jealousy by Deepak Menon

11. JEALOUSY.

11.1 Beware of jealousy. It will reduce the strongest mind to
imbecelity. It will reduce the strongest body to a bag of bones.
And it will burn out all emotions forever.

.
11.2 The jealous are like the clouds passing on overhead. One
is never sure when one or the other will pour.
.
11.3 Behold the great Oracle. He can tell you every thing that
will happen in the future - except the actions of one afflicted
with jealousy.
.

Entry for June 22, 2006 - A verse from my book "Tamamshudh"

'Tis a strange desire that will not go away

Even when the Vine's daughter holds me in sway.

.      To try to forget the moment spent with thee

Is the reason I go to the tavern - day after day.

                                  Quatrain No 76 from Tamamshudh by deepak menon

The Glorious Love Flag - A poem by Deepak Menon

Treasures of life lie scattered along the way

Ahead is the fiery dragon we must slay
To cross the bridge across the abyss so deep
To reach the paradise where we are to sleep

No sword do we have in our hands to weild
The dragon is strong and will never yeild
And if we stop and pause a while to think
Time will see that our armour has a chink

And the insidious mist of foraging time
Will enter with its sweet enticing wine
And lost in reviewing our life page by page
We shall fall victim to ravaging age

What shall we do? The cry erupts in pain
From our parched lips turned upwards for rain
Then falls on them a tiny little drop
Of sweet nectar of love from Gods own crop

And the sword is sheathed with a bright smile
Lightened strides swiftly cover the last mile
The beacon of love lights up the dark world
The glorious love flag above is unfurled

And the dragons fire of hate dies out
And he stands aside – we joyously shout
Hurray! As we enter the promised land
To embrace for ever our long lost band

The people who had left our little world
Or into the raging storms of life hurled
By time, which then only stops at the gate
Of Eternity where we meet our mate

Then there is no other journey to start
There we shall again never have to part
From the ones who were the songs of our life
To oblivion shall be banished all strife

By Deepak Menon - 14th June 2006 on this blog

An utterly butterly divine creation of nature - photographed by me!!

Wonder of wonders - the very first butterfly

I saw in my garden this year and the lazy and

noisy me managed not only to get the camera

before it flew away - but also managed to reach

it noiselessly and photograph. I wonder if some

one will give me the pat on the back I richly

deserve for this stupendous acheivement!!

A Distant Shore - A poem by Deepak Menon

A Distant Shore
.
Strange, through this crowd of anguished souls
My chariot with some hidden purpose rolls
Carrying me helplessly to some distant shore
But will I reach it before my bell tolls?
.
And having reached that dim distant shore
Will I find that I have been there before?
And will I hear that same song in the breeze
That was sung by thee in the days of yore?
.
And will that great love folklore of the past
Awaken to its destiny at long long last?
And will thy spirit assume the form I knew
Before it too was into the cauldron cast?
.
And shall then the cauldron spill out its content?
And shall then serenades, the still air rent?
Summoning the lost loves, of yester-years
And shall then return those, who yesterday went?
.
And will they have the meaning of life learned?
And will they cherish what once they spurned?
And will there be songs singing in their hearts?
Or will their souls too, into stone have turned?
.
Deepak Menon
Copyright ©2004 Deepak Menon

'Daffodils' by William Wordsworth

'Daffodils'
William Wordsworth

.
I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host of golden daffodils,

Beside the lake, beneath the trees

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze

.
Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way

They stretched in never-ending line

along the margin of the bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance

.
The waves beside them danced;but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be so gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

.
For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon the inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

.

The simplicity and beauty of great poetry ...

All Through The Night
Alfred Lord Tennyson

.
Sleep my love and peace attend thee,

All through the night;

Guardian angels, God will send thee,

All through the night

Soft the drowsy hours are creeping,

Hill and vale in slumber sleeping,

Love alone His watch is keeping,

All through the night.

.
While the moon her watch is keeping,

All through the night;

While the weary world is sleeping,

All through the night

.

O'er the spirit gently stealing,

Visions of delight revealing,

Breathes a pure and holy feeling,

All through the night

.

A quatrain from Khayyam and one written by me..

LXXIII. A quartrain by Omar Khayyam from

his immortal Rubiyyat of Omar Khayyam

translated by Edward Fitzgerald
.

Ah, Love! could thou and I with Fate conspire
.
To grasp this sorry Scheme of Things entire,
.
Would not we shatter it to bits--and then
.
Re-mould it nearer to the Heart's Desire!

.

*******

No 132. A quartrain by Deepak Menon from his book of

Poetry - Tamam Shudh - Poems of Passion

.

Many a time have I made strong my resolve

.

To seek an answer - the great mystery to solve

.

As to why HE who gives and takes all

.

Decreed that the puzzle of life - remain unsolv'd?

A CHILD OF THE EARTH - A poem by Deepak Menon

I am a child of the Earth
Priceless and Rare
A child so fair
Drinking its love since birth

At first I understood not why
Hunger made me weak
No one to me would speak
And I would cling to the Earth and cry

And many questions rose in my brain
Why were my clothes torn?
Why was I weary and worn?
Why did I have to sleep out in the rain?

And as I grew the answers came to me
I was a child of the Earth
Which was my house and my hearth
To share it's joy and pain was my destiny

And now as on it's cold bosom I lie
Its anguished love to share
I see before me laid bare
The souls of the Averted Eyes scurrying by.

Copyright - Deepak Menon

Re Post of Empire Hill - The Battle of Bunker Hill - A poem by Deepak Menon

I decided to post this again

.

EMPIRE HILL

The battle lost , the remnants fled

Of the once proud host, gallantly led

By flamboyant officers in flashing red

Nursing wounds that profusely bled

.

Not long 'ere had bounded up the hill

Hearts pounding, flush'd with the thrill

Of certain victory, no thought that ill

Could befall them, of indomitable will

.

Almost at the summit, they heard a shout

"NOW LADS," and then, there flashed out

A wall of flame, from the silent redoubt

And then began the rout

.

Of the greatest army the world had known

By ragged farmers in skin and bone

Who rebelled against the British throne

To found a nation of their own

.

A haphazard derelict mob, of motley men

With flintlocks so old, some knew not when

they had been made, or even when

had last been used, or would function then.

.

They crouched behind their earthen mound

which overnight, had raised from the ground,

And with haggard eyes looked around

Their ears filled with the thunderous sound

.

Of the Redshirts charging in full cry

And each thought he'd surely die

And his body rotting there would lie

Food for the vultures circling high.

.

For ammunition, they almost had none

No strength had they to try to run

Just one thought, into their minds was drum'd

Hold fire, and the battle is won

.

So there they crouched with simple faith

Until it was almost too late

For nearly upon them, crazed with hate

Loomed the enemy, invincible and great

.

Then suddenly they heard the awaited shout

"FIRE," and the trusty flints belched out

A sheet of death in a mighty gout

Which toss'd the British right about.

.

Like corks floating in a stormy sea

Shattering instantly what used to be

The pride of the Empire's army

But the farmers still crouched wearily.

.

Not even knowing they had toll'd

That day on Bunker Hill

The bell, whose chimes rolled

Around the world until

.

......THE LOSS OF EMPIRE

Pictures of long ago and a trophy

This post is dedicated to my son Sammy who was so
caring even when he was a little boy and my startling
daughter who is not serene at all unlike her name
Serena and my "dedicated to work" wife Abha who won
the trophy on the SARC two wheeler rally on a scooter
and the friends who had a picnic with us when I
had the idea of having a Birthday Picnic instead of a
Birthday Party at a picnic spot near our town and
finally and mainly it is dedicated to my wonderful mother
who is in the blue saree in the group of people you see
and who taught us in her own simple words
"you should always be kind, gentle and loving"

Sailing over the Turquoise Sea - A painting by Deepak Menon

The days of the great sailing ships are over

but memories of their glory live on ....

The Reunion of my Probationary Officers Batch 1980

We had a wonderful reunion in January 2006

and though some were missing - many came

and we remembered the old days and

and laughed and joked with abandon and then

suddenly realised that - though we were older,

and perhaps a little wiser, we were in no way

different from what we had been when

we had joined that wonderful organisation

"The State Bank of India"

Sleep! - A poem by Deepak Menon

SLEEP

Sleep! Why do you not come to me?
To cradle my furrowed brow in your lap
And gently close my eyes
Shutting out the world of lies
Where caged I live in this iron trap.

I know that you do not understand why
I should call to you so very soon
When it was only last night
In dusk's fading light
That you came to me with the rising moon

And while I slumbered, you smoothed my brow
And covered my body with your own gown
Though restless I slept
And in dreams I wept
Tears my livid memory scars to drown

I woke with the same old ache in my heart
Feeling that to me you had never come
Had never rested my head
On your lap pillow in bed
Forgive me! I was not what I have become.

And where lives the Gardener ... A quatrain by Deepak Menon

Quatrain No 88. From Tamamshudh

There are some old debts, which I must but repay
for collecting roses scattered along my way.
But how will I return along the path of life?

And where lives the Gardener, to whom I must pay?

Where have all the flowers gone - The words of that beautiful song

Having long ago forgotten the words - I asked a question

on yahoo answers and then went through the similair

questions list and FOUND the words !

So I am pasting them for you all to sing and cherish the

thought behind them.

.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time passing

Where have all the flowers gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the flowers gone?

Girls have picked them every one

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

.

Where have all the young girls gone?

Long time passing

Where have all the young girls gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the young girls gone?

Taken husbands every one

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

.

Where have all the young men gone?

Long time passing

Where have all the young men gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the young men gone?

Gone for soldiers every one

When will they ever learn?

When will they ever learn?

.

Where have all the soldiers gone?

Long time passing

Where have all the soldiers gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the soldiers gone?

Gone to graveyards every one

When will they ever learn?W

hen will they ever learn?

.

Where have all the graveyards gone?

Long time passing

Where have all the graveyards gone?

Long time ago

Where have all the graveyards gone?

Covered with flowers every one

When will we ever learn?

When will we ever learn?

.

I may never see - a Quatrain by Deepak Menon

A QUATRAIN for those who are far away...

I may never see the tender beauty of thine eyes
Nor see thy body from gentle slumber rise
But far away, I have felt the heaving of thy bosom
Its raging storms, soaring into the skies.

And the same thought restructured and

rewritten with the syllables counted....

I may not see the beauty of thine eyes

Nor see thy body from its slumber rise

But from far I have felt thy bosum heave

It's raging storms, soaring into the skies!