INTIMATIONS OF NATURE (Revised )

 



             
                                               

 

                                                      
                                                                  (  I  )

                         Laugh like white pearls of fresh dew on flowers
                    When Spring brings cool refreshing showers ;
                    Open your eyes like lotus buds in fresh morn
                    When the sun shines red like golden corn ;
                    Breathe gently sensing every touch
                    Of morning breeze without hurrying much ;
                    Wake up early in morning like birds or blooms
                    Don't lie down buried in slumber's gloom ;
                    Enjoy every sip of morning coffee
                    In every sip, fresh warmth with a sense of glee ;
                    Unfold the dreams like pea-cock's rain-bow feahers
                    Blend hopes with earnest efforts together ;
                    Compose they wandering mind calm and crystal-clear
                    Like whispering waters rippling near ;
                    Laugh untarnished by scheming thoughts
                    A self-made den of evil wrought.

         
   


  



                          
     



                                                    (II )

                    How cheerful looks ev'ry bloom and blade of grass
                    Not sullen filled with feelings gross
                    They smile even in scorching weather dry
                    Till they fade away with a gentle sigh ;
                    How birds do fly like angels agile
                    Flying from branch to branch with no sense of guile ;
                    Though ringed with thorns smile like a rose
                    Hope shines forth soon through darkened woes ; 
                    Little monkeys frolic and leap with a jolly grin
                    They don't bother whether they lose or win ;
                    How fish enjoy swimming through purling streams
                    With glistening bodies in sun-lit beams ;
                    How children play laughing with loudest noise
                    A sense of care-free ease rings through their voice ;
                    How squirrels frisk with dynamic spirit
                    Arouse thyself, face life with hope and grit.

                                              ( III )

                    Each and every herb holds some lesson
                    Unfold thy bosom's inner vision ;
                    Nature, the greatest scripture in universe
                    Not to be found in base pleasures of thy purse ;
                    Explore more truths undiscovered by you
                    Expand thy view and start on a journey new ;
                    Mere wandering from place to place like a fool
                    Will not afford true joy and conscience cool ; 
                    Treat Mother Nature with a compassionate heart 
                    Generous gift of God given to us unsought ; 
                    Hurt not your pets for devilish pleasure
                    If not, you have to pay and have to suffer ;
                    Treat them with affection and caring love
                    Let them be free, uncaged and let them move ;
                    Run like a fawn breathing fresh mountain- air
                    Bond with Nature, so beautiful and fair ! 

                                      
 

                              
                                                   ( IV ) 
                                                          

                   Nature's most precious gifts we plunder with guile                                                In most cunning ways with our modern style

                   The beasts that yield sweet milk, we tend

                   Once old, to butcher's knife we send ;

                   Dwell on gracious God's plenteous store

                   Given unasked with His mercy galore ;

                   Let's not befoul the air with dust and vapors impure

                   Our health spoiled by ailments beyond the cure ;

                   Let's not kill the creatures in waters clear

                   Polluting our life source, the rivers near ;

                   A heinous slaughter of innocent souls

                   Is this our life's chosen ultimate goal ?

                   Let's not disturb Nature's tranquility 

                   With blaring sounds of Satanic revelry ;

                   Let not our craze for pleasures destroy this earth

                   The only place where beings take their birth ;

                   Protect our planet or we will perish

                   A life in harmony with Nature, always cherish.

                                **********************

  Note : This poem written in couplets though not comparable with Wordsworth’s well-known poem “Intimations of Immortality” ode, is inspired by the great poet’s earnest dedication to Nature whom he treated as his nurse, teacher and guide. His whole life is influenced by Nature who gave him many precious lessons and directed him to tread on the right path.  He has such an intense attachment with Nature that every herb and flower touched his heart moving him to tears. In the modern materialistic age we have become too thick-skinned to feel and experience such noble sentiments on seeing Nature. But it is an undeniable fact that having intimate connection with Nature improves our health and gives us peace and joy. That is why our ancestors deified Nature and  expressed their gratitude in a devotional manner. Even scientists gave a strict note of warning on destroying and polluting natural resources. Let us at least for our survival realize the importance of Nature and try to protect her purity and not destroy her for our temporary and materialistic pleasures. We revere gods only when we revere the gifts of God.

     23rd May, 2016                                          Somaseshu Gutala

       


 

Is it ?

  

                                Is it destiny's trick to make us aspire

                                To pine and  strive for what we deserve not 

                                 In self-made web of miseries caught

                                 In hellish flames of agony to perspire ?

                                         

                                Is it destiny's trick to hurl our dreams into hellish fire

                                 Our friends stab us in the back whom we trust a lot

                                 Our helpful acts and love so soon forgot

                                 Our ideals crushed by their destructive desire ?

                  

                         

                                

                               My bosom questioned loud again and again

                                 Time smiled a mysterious smile-- no answer plain :

                                  Life is a mixed fabric of pleasure and pain

                                  Nothing remains unchanged, seek not for gain

                                  Accept whatever comes with a balanced mind :

                                  Lessons of life with faith and hope in every event find

                                     #####################################    

      

"Things happen to you and you just let them happen."

                                                                    -- John Hilton

     19th May, 2016                                               Somaseshu Gutala                                                                                    

                                      

The Mango--Cutters

 

Mango Cutter at work

Mango-cutting tool

                        1)   The branches laden with round mangoes bend
                             Raw, sour and green, not yet ripened
                             In diverse shades of green and yellowish brown
                             A colorful bounty by Nature thrown
                             Like parrots peeping through dense leafy glade
                             The mangoes swing in the coolest shade.

                      2)    We went to the market in early hours
                              To look for mangoes fresh and sour
                              A yearly ritual for us to choose and take
                              Raw mangoes for spicy pickles to make;
                              The vendors shouted loud to come and buy
                              Too hard to choose, our luck we have to try.

                     3)      Tasting the samples one by one
                              Too sweet or sour to pick fit ones
                               None can decide and there is none to ask
                               Selection of things--a difficult task ;
                               Our tongue too confused; yet we picked the best
                               To neighbor's judgement we leave the rest.


        

                     4)      Too noisy seemed the market today
                              Through justling crowd we pushed our way
                               Heaps of mangoes in baskets seen
                               Some big, some small in different shades of green
                               Armed with long cutting tools some young boys sat
                               Ready to cut our mangoes on the mat.

                     5)      With bottles of water and a cleaning rag
                              We stood before a boy and opened the bag
                              Swish, swish, he cut the fruits with easy grit
                               Into perfect pieces not wasting a bit;
                               He spread them neatly on a plastic sheet
                               For us to wash and wipe them neat.

            

                    6)       We patted the boy for his well-done deed
                               Agile and active with no sense of greed
                               We gave him a few mango slices along with some tip ;
                               He tasted them with thrill and smacked his lips
                               The mango-cutters had  a lively and busy trade
                               During this time of pickles good profits they made.


    

Ladies preparing the pickle

                         
                 

                 

Pickle stored in the jar

                   7)         The ladies busied themselves to mix and prepare  
                                The pickles in basins with scrupulous care
                                To add spices in right measure with experienced skill
                                A pungent smell tickled our nostrils with thrill
                                When they mixed the mango pickle pouring oil :
                                Getting together they lightened their toil.

                  8)           With ruddy glow the pickle shone like delicious sunrise
                                A welcome gift from summer's surprise
                                Though hot and dry to make us thirsty a lot
                                Cool melons, grapes and mangoes summer brought
                                Her spicy gift throughout the year will last
                                Thrilling our taste buds with her memories hot.

                                 
                   

Mango Pickle in a basin

           Note :
                     1) Mango Cutter-- one who cuts mangoes with a large cutter fitted at one                            end to a long wooden block.  

                     2)  Justle -- push roughly

                     3) grit ---    strength


        
        Dear Readers, "The Mango-Cutters" describes the common scene we notice in bazaars during summer when people are busy in proper selection of raw mangoes to prepare their tasty pickles that will go on stimulating their taste buds throughout the year. A spicy gift for you to taste and enjoy.

                               
    ( Dedicated to All Mango-cutters and women who add spice to our tongues and our lives as well)

  16th May, 2016                                                            Somaseshu Gutala

                                  ##################################

A Glimpse of the Louvre Museum

Venus de Milo in Sully Wing

Cupid bending over Psyche to revive her ---  by Antonio Canova (1787)

Athena, Goddess of wisdom and Valour by Pyrrhos (500 B.C.)

 This is the most profound as well as the most complex topic for me to dwell upon as our limited stay for a couple of hours to view one of the largest museums in the world makes me feel not at all worthy to attempt such a theme of vast magnitude. Out of the collection of 3,80,000 objects, nearly 35,000 works of art and artifacts have been selected for display in eight departments.  As soon as our vehicle halted in the lower basement, our tour manager frisked us away quickly to ticket counter and managed to give the coupons within no time so that we can quickly rush in and have a quick look at the artifacts and exhibits of this most vast museum without wasting a fraction of a second.

 We entered the dept. of the Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities of the Denon  and Sully Wings. The whole gallery was flanked on both sides by marble sculptures of Greek and Roman gods with gleaming white figures of graceful physique exposing their naked bodies or covered partly with simple clothes without much decoration. The Greeks humanized their gods as if to make them  proper prototypes of physical perfection. We saw the statue of Venus de Milo (Room;16, Ground Floor, Sully Wing), belonging to 100 B.C. standing on the pedestal and showing the beauty of her well-proportioned tall physique. Only a crown of leaves adorned her curls. We saw the statue of winged Cupid (designed by Canova) bending over his mistress Psyche as if to kiss her and rejuvenate her. The statue of wrestlers interlocked together shows their graceful postures caught by the sculptor. The bearded statue of Dyonisius holding a bunch of grapes shows his hedonistic zeal for wine and sensual pleasures. The stalwart statue of Athena with helmet and buckled armour and holding a spear in her hand revealed the right posture and the strong muscular limbs of the goddess. Diana, the Moon Goddess of hunting, with a bow and quiver and touching a fawn with her palm, shows the skills of the sculptor in shaping the curves of her body. The heroic body of Hercules caught in the coils of a mighty Hydra shows the valiant figure trying to kill the reptile.Another famous statue (in Room:22, first floor, Denon Wing) is the marble statue of the winged victory-- Goddess Nike of 2nd century B.C.-- of Samothrace standing on the prow of a ship.Though the head is missing the statue revealed the perfect workmanship of the sculptor. There are nearly 275 works of art dating from 400 B.C. to 600 A.D. comprising the statues of gods, goddesses, heroes, emperors, mythological events and common figures. The rich culture of ancient Greece and Rome appeared before our eyes in artistic and solid shape. In ten rooms that form two galleries all these sculptures and statues were arranged in the ground floor of the Denon Wing.

Diana, Moon Goddess by Christabel Gabriel Allegrain, an 18th century French sculptor

         

Hercules fighting with a monstrous serpent, Hydra ( a Bronze sculpture)  by Francois Joseph Bosio in 1824

 

Wrestlers, a copy of the Greek Original 300 B.C. by Philippe Magnier carved between  (1684--1687)

Winged Victory, Goddess Nike, of Samothrace (200 B.C.) in I floor, Denon Wing

Later we saw the Spanish  the Italian paintings on the first floor of the Denon Wing. Next we went to see the most admired world-famous portrait of Mona Lisa, the star attraction of the museum, in Room NO.6, I floor, Denon Wing. A large group of tourists stood there clicking photos of that portrait. This painting  of moderate size (21x30 inches) does not appear so impressive at first sight. Leonardo Da Vinci used a very simple background and somber colors without much showing off or decorative splendor. The beauty of this portrait lies in that sheer simplicity and tranquil expression of  that visage with calm and innocent looks and in the curve of lips with a faint smile with a touch of tenderness. It is much like the saintly smile of Madonna but not like the flashy and voluptuous charms of Helen or Nefertiti. The arch of eye brows seems to be a little worn out, almost invisible and her hairline is parted in the middle without lustrous waves of curls lingering on the brow. Mona Lisa in common Italian means "My Lady Lisa" which is the portrait of Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giacondo. Leonardo da Vinci painted this portrait of this noble lady between 1503 and 1506. But some people say that he continued painting that portrait adding new features. The French king Francis I acquired this portrait by paying 2604 livers 4 sols and 4 deniers to Salai, a student of  Leonardo da Vinci.              


   

Mona Lisa Portrait of Leonardo da Vinci , I Floor, Denon Wing

         

Wedding at Cana by Paolo Veronese in 1563

St. George slaying a dragon by Raphael in 1504

                .

 In the same gallery we saw another large painting showing Jesus Christ at the wedding feast in Cana where he performed the miracle of turning water into wine. This painting done by Paolo Veronese shows the crowded scene of wedding hall filled with lavish arrangement of tables laden with many dishes, goblets and vessels. In the middle Christ is seen seated surrounded by his disciples and followers. The painter caught the splendor of the wedding feast by using bright colors and ornamentation. The crowded atmosphere and the gracious looks of Jesus Christ were finely pictured on the broad canvass.

Great Sphinx of Tanis Body of a lion with the head of a King) in Sully Wing Belonging to times earlier  than 2000 B.C.

Sarcophagus (stone coffin with carvings and inscriptions) of Ramses III, Ground Floor, Sully Wing

Seated Egyptian  Scribe, Thoth, scribe to Gods (sculpted between 2620 B.C. and 2500 B.C.

Wooden Coffins from Lebanon

Dining Room, Royal Apts. of Napoleon III, Richlieu Wing, I Floor

 Later we entered the rooms of Sully Wing where Egyptian sculptures and artifacts are displayed. It is huge collection of nearly 50,000 works of art housed in more than 20 rooms. At the entrance we saw the statue of the sphinx of Tanis which is the guardian spirit of this Egyptian art collection. The head of a pharaoh with typical headgear is seen near the entrance. We saw many sarcophagi from Lebanon (wooden coffins in human shape) with painted faces and dresses. The sarcophagus of Ramses III (the famous Egyptian king who ruled Egypt from  (1187 B.C. to 1156 B.C.) is a huge stone coffin with engraved figures and designs. We also saw the statues of Egyptian gods and ladies with long eyelashes and head gears. "The Seated Scribe ", Thoth (scribe to gods) is a statue of a person squatting on the pedestal with a quill and a book in his hands. The upper part of his body is quite bare without any dress or ornaments. This statue made of limestone looks very realistic and life-like. We also saw a mummy swathed in covering from head to foot lying on the table. In Egyptian section the statues are mostly made of granite, wood and metal. The Dutch paintings are on the second floor in Richelieu Wing. The French paintings are located on the second floor in Sully Wing. We could not go further as the time allotted for us was nearly over.

A shop at Carrousel du Louvre 

Glass Pyramid Entrance to Louvre Museum

  We got down and came out. Near the exit there is a beautiful 21-meter high glass pyramid in the center of the entrance hall (Cour Napoleon) shining in the evening lights. This was designed by the eminent Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pai in 1989. This pyramid acts as focal point from where different corridors lead to different sections and wings. We went down to lower floor and drank hot coffee and felt refreshed. At the stall in the underground shopping center "Carrousel du Louvre", we saw many books and novels giving a lot of information about the museum and about Mona Lisa. We bought a few picture cards and came out to catch our bus where our tour manager was waiting eagerly to take us back to our lodgings. Our schedule packed with too many sightseeing places made us very much tired and exhausted. But we were happy that we had been able  at least to have a glimpse of this largest museum which one can not see in a few hours. For art lovers it may require months to see and appreciate the rare and wonderful creations of great artists and sculptors. No wonder that this most spacious and richest museum of world arts, culture and civilization attracts more than ten million tourists every year.
                                   
                                     *******************************************

   11th May, 2016                                                            Somaseshu Gutala