Tempest of time (poems)

Tempest of time (poems)

-Kondapalli Niharini

Translated by Elanaaga

16. Bonalu – Dazzlers of Art

When devotees pour ‘five syllables’ in the vault of the heart
and intelligence becomes a firmament of piety,
they place faith on heads, turn themselves into a carnival.
Hunger, food… they are not recent ones,
but came into existence when life began on the earth!
They think so, lift bonum with the cool smile of the crop.
Lifting a‘bonum’ is tantamount to
raisingthe motherly feeling on to head!
Festivals give relief in the
ephemeral life struggle, they think.
Flexing arms know toil’s value.
Footprints moving to temples on the outskirts,
songs being composed on Amba,are meant for
removing screens of the Earth and sky and enjoying!
Stars always appear without fail,
the sun and moon never stop moving;
envy, hatred should be quit
and humanity should show up in us.
Bonum helps achieve this.
Ma, protect us from the invisible deceit
of inhumanness, natural disasters!
Truth ascends onto the pot, rages
saying,“MaMahankalee! Maisamma,
Ellamma, Poleramma, Uppalamma,
our salutations to you.”
Becomes greenness, rawness like the
dividing line between people and rulers.
Kids’ lives and health are equal to festivals!
The song of tears is sung by opening
the window of heart with a hope that
gods in rocks may reform humans.
Jatharafestivities draw people
of different natures to a single place.
It’s the flurry of Satyam, Sivam, Sundaram;
an indelible signature on the sheet of a hectic life.
Bonalu festival wants no difference
between poor and rich.
Its artistic lustre erases
the miseries of revellers.

(Written for anthology of poems, Bonalu)

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(To be continued-)