Pages of Poetry

You’ll Be Home Don’t worry, o frightened one, The night may be dark, the road may be long, But after all of that, You’ll be home. And I’ll be waiting, with a lantern in my hand, Waiting to welcome you home. After the long journey, through the dark night, You’ll be home. Don’t despair, o loved one Don’t be afraid of what lies ahead, Think, instead, of what awaits you at the end, because You’ll be home. Look for the light, little one, The light that will guide you home. Listen for my singing, o one who is afraid, And you’ll be home. Do not cry because the night is cold, Rejoice, instead, that you can be warm Do not weep because your feet hurt, Rejoice, instead, that you have something to get hurt for. And do not stop, o tired one, Your heart may be weary, your feet may be sore, But keep them moving, one after the other, for soon, You’ll be home. -Anugraha Venugopal

The Rain The earth is parched, The land sheds dry tears. The animals lament loudly, The flowers wither in silence. But wait! In the distance, The sound of thunder is heard. And this sound, is sweeter to their ears, Than the cooing of the birds in the spring. The sky is lit up by a bolt of lightning, The clouds come rushing and join the fray, The thunder roars, the lightning glares, And the first raindrop starts to fall. As it lands it is followed, immediately, By its brother from the skies, And one by one, drop by drop, The clouds give up their precious pearls. And suddenly, the heavens burst! And shower nectar from their midst. The earth is revived, The land sheds tears of joy. The animals laugh, The flowers smile. Sparkling diamonds from heaven, Sent to adorn the Earth, In the most precious necklace, Ever made. And so, the grand play With its majestic actors, Comes to an end. And they depart, With a farewell rainbow. As

An Ode To God You make the flowers grow, You make the wind blow, You made the sky so high, You made the birds fly. You make the koel sing, You crowned the lion king, You made the birds and bees,  You made the oceans and seas. Without you, life wouldn't be worth living, In fact, life wouldn't be living at all. Love, sharing, caring, giving, Isn't that what life is for? 'As above, so below', The ancients have decreed. But I doubt you have all this in Heaven, This anger, pain, sorrow and greed. Why don't you do something, o God? Why don't you ease this suffering and pain? Your innocent children have suffered much, In nations' strife for profit and gain. Help the troubled ones, Help the ones in need. Then turn to those Who devoutly follow your creed. And shower them with blessings, Not luxury, now wealth, Just love and affection, Sound intellect and health. Anugraha Venugopal

This is inspired by the books The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns ,both by Khaled Hosseini. Ode To A War-Torn Land I wrote of children, Playing by the river. Their eyes sparkling with joy A smile, a laugh on their lips. And brighter than a thousand suns Was the sparkle in their eyes, And more beautiful than the glowing moon Was the sight of them playing, By the river. And it seemed but a dream, In this war-torn land, Where those who step out of their homes, Are not sure If they will return. And most of those who do come back, Are fated to remain, for the rest of their lives, Wallowing in misery. Emotionally, physically, mentally scarred. Wait! Far in the distance, I see a glimmer of hope. Small it may be, Insignificantly so, But it’s there, and that’s all I need to know. It fuels me, gives me strength. It allows me to believe, That someday, things will change. That someday, people who leave their homes, Will be guaranteed a safe return.

Best Friends Sent a thousand e-mails, You didn’t reply to one. Made a thousand phone calls, You didn’t answer one. Wrote a thousand letters, That I would never send. Filled with grief, filled with sorrow, Would this be the end? Of all the giggles, all the secrets, All the food that we shared? Would you leave me Feeling lonely and sad? And then came the news, You’d had an accident. I went out of concern For my (ex-) best friend. And, wonder of wonders, I beheld A completely new girl. ‘I’m Sorry’ written In every feature and curl. We hugged, we cried, at the thought Of the friendship that had been saved. The road to a stronger relationship Had just been paved. I left with a skip in my walk, And a song in my heart. And thanked the Almighty For driving us apart. For it showed us the beauty of friendship It showed us the power of pain. And it taught two young girls To be best friends again. Anugraha Venugopal