War a hearts ravage-6
English Translation: P. Jayalakshmi & Bhargavi Rao
Telugu Original : “Yuddham oka Gunde Kotha” by Seela Subhadra Devi
Now,
world’s war theatre
has shifted to living rooms.
When canon balls burst on city outskirts,
flying-fleeing hawk claws
snatch a dreaming babe’s life
smiling in swaddling clothes.
Then,
not knowing for whom to shed tears—
for battle-felled son’s life, or
for guiltless-harmless babe no more,
heroic mother’s tears clouding
rain over razed-to-ground nations.
Has to look for food
to feed children, helpless battle survivors.
As feed packets drop as thunderbolts—
Here they are!
Shall feed right away!
Do not weep… don’t!
Alas!
What is this?
Who do I feed this blood-dabbled food?
War unfolded its eyes
amidst mountain ranges.
Missile seeds sprout smoke trees.
Religion’s putrefied odor
from carious corpses pollutes air,
air wafting frenzy
helmeted and shielded
is all set to conquer the world.
A marble-playing babe
begins to load his gun with cartridges.
A girl child not yet learnt to recognize
a letter’s outline, twisting shy
runs inside a ‘janana’
hiding fingers in heart.
Morality seeking meanings
culls paged treatises.
Differences line-drawn
draw people in differing directions.
Limits lengthening, each in its orbit
lengthen out in rage.
Conclaves control lives
as reaction to counteraction.
Religious texts and religious tenets
meant for reading alone.
Meaningless they are in practice.
Do not love thy neighbors–
doubt them.
Loves only religion, dies for it,
chants heaven’s door to open
ignorant of its existence.
Now all gods, to gather souls
have to come visiting earth
blow among ash mounds
to know who sacrificed for whom.
She lays five elements
to bring child to birth.
Though out of teens
looks upon him as apple of her eye,
lives for blood bound than for self.
When her heart’s humanity is recognized,
that day would see divinity in humanity.
If heart’s chambers were to be sensitized
Mandirs and Masjids wouldn’t crash to earth, or
idols of Messenger of peace
wouldn’t have been punctured.
Hunted and haunted unknown
in confused attacks
nipped are innocents in bud,
ignorant of justice and injustice,
virtue and vice.
Who is the slain?
Who the slayer? Obscure.
Democle’s sword hangs on
murderous play carries on
as humanity’s neck takes on.
In world market,
cheapest is human life.
Humanity is not to be had
if want to buy even for healing.
Apart from spoon feeding
teach diapered infants gunplay beside.
Do not need charming little playthings nor
“twinkle-twinkle little star(s)”.
Blasting, bombarding guns are all.
Wanted are vulgar monster masks
unasked are tales of noble heroes of yore.
Demanded are the hair-raised-on-end
Peril-causing, eye-popping,
confounding tales of
underground gangsters, unscrupulous.
Dream not inventive imaginings,
bombarding strategies banal, are all!
Are we seed scattering
ruinous thoughts in the raw?
Pushing them into wide polluted world, are we?
Age, before moonshine is delighted in
murmured with flowers
bodies butterfly colors smeared–
rainbow-braced love tunes sung,
pervaded the body,
push them into swirling pool of promiscuity,
teach them Valentine days!
Helpless, watch pub’s
ghastly spirits and witches dressed
drunken-swaying midnight parties.
Now
see them jaundiced,
faces terror-fraught
committing horrific deeds with ease
declaring jehads on peace loving lives.
If hearts surge in a swirling swell wave,
what right do we, now, to wail
for crucifying their future,
what else is left but dip heads
in shame ostrich-like in sand?
Taught them these, haven’t we?
When did sulphur-seething conflicts
scorching civilizations
as cinder-cone, flow through valleys,
reaching among nations
solidify into stone wall?
When did culture singeing spark
turn, simmering oven of nations?
When did it change to swordful-barricade,
dig into peoples hearts, cleaving thought?
Pirouetting at a spot top-like,
caste and class wars, within self,
increasing ever so much
crossing frontiers, societal and national,
when did it rest its third foot on globe?
*****
(To be continued-)
జన్మస్థలం విజయనగరం.రచయిత,కవి, చిత్ర కారుడు ఐనా శీలా వీర్రాజు గారి తో వివాహానంతరం హైదరాబాద్ లో నివాసం.1970 లో కథారచన తో సాహిత్య రంగంలో అడుగు పెట్టి తొమ్మిది కవితా సంపుటాలు, మూడు కథా సంపుటాలు,ఒక నవలిక వెలువరించారు. వంద మంది కవయిత్రుల కవితల సంకలనం ” ముద్ర” కు డా.పి.భార్గవీరావు తో కలిసి సహసంపాదకత్వం వహించారు.ప్రధానోపాధ్యాయినిగా పదవీవిరమణ చేసారు.