ENCOUNTER

                            Latha Prem Sakhya

I met him one afternoon.

The merciless scintillating sun

Drove every  critter to siesta

So only me and him –

He on the other side of the wall.

His glistening, rhythmic body

Fascinated me, as he swam

Upstream, head held high against the current.

Mesmerised, I admired him,over the low wall

Sensing me, his serpentine movement suspended.

His eyes glued on me, an intruder, I felt

Spying on his mysterious journey

For a rendevous, else where.

His snaky gaze and his fearlessness

Shook me, to call out to my partner

But he balanced, unperturbed

The watery stream, rhythmically

Swaying his undulating body.

“Oh my, he is a beauty, a cobra”.

My partner’s presence, and his appraising  voice,

Disturbed him, slowly he retreated

His glassy stare still on us

As he vanished beneath the undergrowth.

A Mite’s Tale

                                       Latha Prem Sakhya

“Amma” she shrieked,

I tried to hide in a corner of my home.

“Look there it is,” amma laughed.

“Where? Over there.”

She pointed to my corner.

“Oh my, it’s such a mite’.

“No, I don’t want it here, I won’t sleep,

He will come on to my bed”.

Amma  rolled up a newspaper

Sweeping me out of the corner

She threw me out along with the paper.

Immediately I sprang up on the jasmine vine

Tomorrow I, will be there, I consoled myself;                                                        

The moment she starts for school.

I resumed my arduous journey   back

But in the night, the same drama was repeated

But I was adamant, it was a good corner

I caught enough mosquitoes for my food

So back I went  to my corner, this continued for days.

Amma was really sorry for me I think

One night I heard her say, 

“Let it be mone, he will never harm you,

He will eat all the mosquitoes and insects”.

But she was terrified of spiders

And amma had to throw me out.

One day I was fed up of weaving web

I decided to move off.

Fortunately I found a safe place

A secure corner under the kitchen slab

Where I knew my web would be safe

I was sure amma wouldn’t mind

Sharing her space with me.

.

Lany and Dany heard a noise one day,
Peeping out, they spied Miff and Muff at play.
Sniffing, snarling slow
Scratching, biting blow
The cat and the dog game became a fray.

                                                        Providence

                                                                              Latha Prem Sakhya

The little sparrow

Excited on its prime trip

Full of joy and aspiration

Landed on the car rack

Even as her friends flew away.

Stranded and trapped

  In an unknown place

Hungry and cold she waited,

Some hand would lift her up

Protect her from the cold,

Creeping up her tiny feet,

Paralyzing her bit by bit.

The cold wind had ruthlessly

Knocked her down to fall

On the luggage rack

Where she huddled

While death, snake like

Mesmerizing  drew nearer and nearer.

The car stopped suddenly

The air no more pierced her

She huddled into her wings, 

When a warm hand reached out

The fingers massaged her gently

Lighting up a fire in her

The heat seeped into her body

Chasing the numbness away.

Warm and comfortable

She stared through the window

The whiff of cold air made her shiver.

Dismally she looked around

Everything seemed friendly

Even those around her.

She stood swaying

Smoothing her ruffled feathers

She poised herself to fly

The slicing cold wind

Dismally put her off.

But a  split second later

Mustering all her strength

She flapped her wings 

And flew away

Never looking back.

My Rose Apple ( panineer jaampa)



A sappling cherished
From my Appa' s farm
Planted by my bedroom window
Started bearing fruits
But my tiny friends -the squirrels 
Thrive on the pink blossoms
And no fruits to ripen. 

I let them eat! my wild friends
They are a joy to behold
But occasionally the urge to taste
Atleast one , makes us to cover
Those close to the ground.
These are two we saved
For our li'l ones
To watch them bite
In to the luscious flesh
And relish its taste.

February 27

February 27

February 27 comes  loaded with memories which  is tinged with colours of pain. Thoughts of Appa who loomed large in our lives assailed me.  One day, too early for his age  he left to his eternal home, leaving  a gaping hole in our lives. I have never come across a visionary parent like him, who  had definite goals for his children. After the dissolution of his chit fund, which was a hard blow for him, he started the MB Tutorial where we all taught the local children. A  meagre fee was taken but it was more of a  social service. It lasted more than  30 years. And he taught there along with my mother until he was too weak to make the walk . Villapilsala is thus  filled with men and women whom our family had taught and  Bright Sir as they lovingly call him loom large in their hearts too, even now. A farmer with green fingers he converted the arid  hilly land to a cultivable fertile land through terrace cultivation.  He was awarded the "karshaka Pradhaman" award of Villapil Panchayat.

My Appa 

Not a day passes without thinking about you appa
How you send us to the best of schools
Believing and instilling in us the conviction, education is the greatest wealth
How with foresight you insisted that we learn malayalam because we were living in kerala
How you introduced us to all kinds of fine arts, 

Even taking us to temples to watch the various art forms
How you taught us to love people without discrimination
How you dreamed for each of us and encouraged us to scale the skies.
How you instilled in us a love for nature, preserving land and trees
Appa everyday begins with God and your words to guide us
You taught us the greatest romance, gifting flowers for amma everyday
On this day your birthday you are far away in Heaven
But we still feel your loving presence around us.
We are lucky to have such a father
Appa you taught us the secret of giving,

To the extend of giving your land to build road for the panchayat
Whatever we are is your teaching and guidance appa.
And before you we  lay all our achievements.
We miss you appa ...