THE FESTIVAL OF DOLLS

                                                                      Ten Incarnations of Vishnu

Lord Krishna playing with milk-maids

Vllage Life

Marriage Procession

                                                    Pipers with decorated bull

              1)     A row of figures in gallery seen

                       Not just a shop where toys are sold

                       But in houses with painted colors bold

                        Adding mirth and colorful sheen

                        A festive display of pretty dolls

                        A happy occasion for one and all.

              2)       The Holy Trinity with spouses on topmost line

                        With golden jewels and crowns they shine;
                         
                        Gods of eight directions and planets nine; 

                         With various weapons and faces benign;

                         Ten incarnations of Vishnu add charm     
            

                         Lord Shiva on snowy hills with countenance calm.                         

             3)         Lord Rama’s coronation scene we find

                         With his beloved brothers and consort great;

                         Lord Krishna plays here with his dear soul mates

                         As they dance around with enraptured minds.

                         The seven sages here sat in deep penance

                         Lord Buddha preaching there Love immense.

             4)        A pretty jungle scene in this line appears

                         With tiny trees, blue lakes and hills around

                         With spotted deer, monkeys and hares abound

                         The floating swans and ducks in waters clear;

                         While colorful birds on branches sit cool and calm

                         The toy-jungle attracts all with novel charm.

 

             5)         The sturdy elephant with slow, regal pace

                         The scaly crocodile in her marshy domain

                         The spotted leopard and spiky porcupine

                         A veritable forest in this tiny space;

                         A cute creation of the rural handicrafts

                         A lesson to protect wild life with humane hearts.

                                                                                                    

              6)       The harvest-festival’s charms re-created here

                        Children awake and see with curious eyes;

                        The soothsayer rattles his drum with rousing cheer

                         Blesses all men in his strange colorful guise;

                         The singing bard with his lute seen in early morn

                         With brass bowl on his crown for collecting corn.

              7)       The bull dressed in brocaded silks with painted horns

                        The piper sings at every residence

                        With festoons of mango leaves and flowers adorn

                        Makes his bull perform feats with intelligence; 

                             

                        The minstrel rings bells and chants loud Lord’s name

                        Blessing all with prosperity and fame.

             8)        The marriage procession in colorful show

                         With turbaned pipers and drummers in a line

                         With torch-bearers and dancers fine

                         With kith and kin all dressed in silks do glow

                         The blushing bride in palanquin – a joyous sight

                         The bridegroom responds with love and delight.

             9)         The toddy tapper with swelling brawn

                          Perched on the top of palm-tree seen

                          The cow-herd grazing his cattle on the green;

                          The peasant singing while threshing corn

                           The rustic women with pots near the well

                           Create a village scene with magic spell.

             10)         These pretty dolls revered as forms divine

                            Worshipped by all with flowers, fruits and incense

                            With prayers and hymns with devotion immense

                            A happy time to meet all near this shrine

                            These dolls about our gods and epics convey

                             Noble truths and ideals to all who pray.

   

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

   Note : The festival of dolls is celebrated in south India in January after the harvesting season is over. In some regions dolls are displayed during Navarathri festival. The houses are cleaned and decorated with festoons of green mango leaves and wreaths of marigold flowers. All people get together on this festival day. In many houses and even in temple premises dolls are exhibited with decorated flower garlands and jewels. The dolls are worshipped every day with flowers, fruits and sweet delicacies during the festive time. Many house wives show their creative skills in selecting and arranging the dolls. This is an occasion for children to know about the names of gods and goddesses and about various epic themes. Likewise dolls are chosen to give social messages about village life, conservation of wild life about patriotic leaders and philosophers.  Thus this is an occasion for beautifying homes with pretty dolls and for all to get together. Children enjoy this festival as all of them love to see various kinds of dolls and figurines done in an artistic manner.

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

           

                  12th March, 2019                                 Somaseshu Gutala

                            

         

THE TALE OF MERRY DAN

         1)          With entertaining talk he made us laugh

                       With dramatic gestures and vibrant wit

                       For hours together he made us sit

                       But never hurt others, mock at or scoff;

                       A perfect gentle, well-bred polished man

                       All fondly called him ‘Merry Dan”.

          2)         A man of learning and literary skills

                      He spoke with ease on any topic a lot

                      As a worthy scholar full praise he got;

                      To hear his talk infused a sense of thrill

                      Well-dressed with decent manners clean

                       A prolific,fast reader he had been.

          3)          Right from his boyhood days till present date

                       With meticulous details he did narrate

                        About his relatives and his classmates;

                        He excelled all in every event he states;

                        He wrote inspiring letters with ease

                        His jovial mirth with age doth not decrease.                          

                            
                   

           4)          A string of diplomas did he acquire

                        Within a short duration without much strain

                        So swift and dynamic his nimble brain

                        No topmost rank or fame did he aspire;

                        He managed all with a merry countenance

                        He never seemed perturbed or tense.

           5)          The same old jokes did he always repeat

                         But none felt bored but laughed with glee

                         His dramatic tone and apt gestures free;

                         With keen outlook and humor discreet

                         Took off the blues from every heart

                         His merry company everyone sought.

           6)           Though for duty he came from a distant place

                          Never had he showed an exhausted face;

                          He made his days an enjoyable race

                          With quick-witted smiling dynamic face;

                          For hours we sat in his favorite spot

                          A wayside stall to drink coffee and chat.

           7)            His wayward son disturbed his mind a lot

                           His mounting debts and gambling debts;

                           Dan bore his cares and never did he fret

                           In friendly company relief he sought;

                           His preaching skills in church mesmerized all

                           His pious and humble ways attracted all.

           8)            A gradual change came over as time went by

                           His careless son set right his erring ways;

                           Procured a job in a faraway place;

                           To get a better job his son did try

                           A tragic accident upset his goal

                           A terrible blow, too hard to console.

           9)            Depressed and dumb like a stone Dan sat alone

                          He lost his quick-witted talkative skills;

                          He stood silent beside the window sill

                          He mumbled in a slow melancholy tone;

                          He left this world without long-dragging disease

                          The happy memories we spent will never cease.

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

             5th March, 2019                                      Somaseshu Gutala

                                          

                         

     

THE TALE OF PROFESSOR BRAG

     

                                                 (  I  )

              Drest in a trim suit he seemed a scholar great

              He deemed that others should respect his state;

              Strutting and talking with a sense of pride

              To listen to others’ words he never tried;

               Stressing too much on syllables sheer

               He made his language too heavy and harsh to hear;

               A stylish mode he thought himself with pride

               A raucous roar of sounds while others deride;

               By making vain incomprehensible fuss

               He deemed himself a heavenly genius;

               None addressed him by his real name “Richard Stag”

               But for many he is Professor Brag;

               At every meeting never did he lag

               About his talents he did always brag

               Others merits he ever mocked in derisive way

                He thought himself supreme in every way;

               Though he complained his head did ache

                He talked for hours without a break

                And laughed aloud echoing to the roof

                A doctor’s bill he ever carried as proof;

                In looking down on others he is on top

                In praising his own talents did he never stop;

                                         (  I  I  )

                 He felt happy in hurting others  

     

                 He did not spare even his sisters and brothers; 

                 For him a joyous sight to see others in plight

                 If they are calm he provoked them to fight;

                 In endless arguments in bombastic way

                 Devoid of meaning he shouts night and day;

                 His wife never meddled with his antics strange

                 She knows that her husband will never change;

                 In endless arguments he wasted his time

                 Raising his tone without reason or rhyme;

                 He bragged himself as a man of noble creed

                 But there was no end to his sense of greed;

                 He never missed a chance to get some gain

                  By devious methods without stress and strain;

                  His envious eyes looked at others for flaws

                  Yet he never observed all rules and laws;

                  If you invite him as a respectable guest

                  He thinks himself as best above all the rest;

                  Whatever he says, he considers as right

                  Your views and feelings below his range and sight

                   Because of his bickerings a loner at last

                   Stuck in the illusion of his knowledge vast;

                                           

                   If you meet him by chance on your way

                   Beware, you will be his inescapable prey.

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

                2nd March, 2019                        Somaseshu Gutala

         ( A humorous portrayal of an egotistic and self-conceited person through this imaginary character.)                      

             

The Tale of Happy Sam

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                                             ( I )

              He was never addressed by his actual name

              As a scientist he gained much name and fame

              Exploring secrets with keen scientific ease

              And yet he spared some time his friends to please

              Nicknamed as happy Sam he ever beamed

              With friendly smile and sad he never seemed

               Himself as a great scientist he never thought

               In helping others immense pleasure he sought

               While on duty he worked with sincere mind

               Showing attention, nothing he left behind;

                He used his time aptly though lazy he seems

                He wrote so many books on scientific themes

                All gaped in wonder at his writing skills

                What angel his brain with such matter fills!

                To gladden his mates he did quickly include

                Their names acknowledging gratitude;

                 About marriage matter he never thought

                 He spent all time in his dear lab a lot;

                 In twilight hour a different man indeed

                To play with friends to club did he proceed

                With jovial words a merry time he spent

                To please his dear friends he lavishly spent;

                Sometimes he made too many promises tall

                And vanished like swift wind beyond their call

                He never seemed to stay at one place at all

                Like air he moved swift like a rolling ball;

                Making use of his easy temper mild

                An easy target -- they took him for a ride;

               They praised his charities up to the sky

               They cheated him often, but he did not sigh;

                Borrowing much, they drained his earnings all

                Poor Sam pledged his belongings all;

               In drinking bouts he entertained them still

                His greedy mates made him pay all their bill;

                                            ( I I )

                                   

               While once engaged in his research profound

                He saw a lady talking with a feeble sound

                A scientist too she was with a limping gait

                Burdened with debts, in a pitiable state;

                Our liberal scientist came to her rescue

                He cleared all debts, long -pending dues;

                As a research assistant helped that lass

                On scientific themes, much time did they pass;

                His easy-going nature impressed her a lot

                Her humble helping hands impressed his heart;

                Happy Sam called his chums with wide-stretched hands

                No secret hid; with swelling zeal did he expand

                About his love and gave a party grand

                Pouring all his savings exceeding the limits

                Surprised the bride with gifts beyond her wits.

                                              ( I I I )

                 Happy Sam never gave up his friendly team

                 Once a week he went there with a friendly gleam

                 He penned science books along with his mate

                 And did research till his retirement date;

                 Age did not dim his love for technical skills

                  In his private lab research did he still

                 Along with his spouse he gave lectures fine

                 Inspiring youth to expand their mental domain;

                 Like a pair of swans floating on milky seas

                 Both found delight in science with harmonious ease;

                 He prided not in wealth or in his name and fame

                 No high recognition or honor did he claim

                 To live like a man with a sympathetic heart

                 To make others happy he always sought

                  Happy Sam still visits his haven to meet

                  His oldest chums and enjoy their company sweet.


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


              26th February, 2019                             Somaseshu Gutala