CLICK HERE FOR BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND MYSPACE LAYOUTS »

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Just Before The Storm



Gray swarms the blue
Like angry bees,
The pregnant skies
Turn into seas.

The wind, he smells
Of joyous earth,
Of thirsty fields
Bathing in mirth.

Coconut trees, they
Dance and sway
To welcome clouds
That float their way.

Birds rush homeward,
Children dance
To the earth and sky
And their new romance.

Clouds in baritone
Voices sing,
A drop lands on
A heron’s wing

And then the skies
Start giving birth
Crash down in pain
Upon the earth.

Blurred and shimmery,
All at once
My world becomes
A cosmic dance.
This photograph was taken by my friend Bokom just before the first of the famed Kalbaisakhi (monsoon thunderstorm) hit Kolkata this Sunday. Wishing all of you a refreshing monsoon.
Amritorupa Kanjilal also writes at Rivers I Have Known: Books, Reviews, and More. Please visit her there! 

92 paper boats came floating back to me:

BrownPhantom said...

Vivid . Beautiful
Loved the cosmic dance:)

Sharmistha Guha said...

Awesome!! you've painted a picture with words....I can almost feel the rythm of the cosmic dance in your verse....

Deepa Gopal said...

"Gray swarms the blue
Like angry bees,"


"Coconut trees, they
Dance and sway
To welcome clouds
That float their way."


"To the earth and sky
And their new romance."


"My world becomes
A cosmic dance."

Wonderful lines...delivering wonderful pics...The images were flashing thru the mind.
Great l'girl. Great!!!

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

BP- yeah, the monsoons are really amazing, no?

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Sharmistha- thank you. but the real credit goes to bokom's photograph

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

deepa- thank you :) don't the rains just make you want to dance?

Arv said...

i loved the lines cosmic dance :)

superb :)

take care... Cheers...

Onward said...

wow....!! simply wow...thats some picture u just painted with your words...but i m quite angry with u!!...u just made me long for home even more!!..kya re LGL!!..not fair!!

Once again...brilliantly done.

luv
amith

Kriti said...

Like SGD said... very picturesque poetry... indeed!!

the words just come to life and the scnes start dancing before your eyes as you read through it.

a masterpiece!!

Cheers to you for coming up with such a beautiful piece of poetry! :D

pradipwritenow said...

Keep it open
my windows,my doors,my gates
don't keep them waitin(g)
Let the thunder and coolwind
come in.
Let the flah be seen
and like her beautiful eyes
Little droplets come in.

My gift to you for the nice poem you wrote.

Dave King said...

Without knowing the background facts to the photograph it had a pregnant feel to it. Your poem completes it admirably. Great blog. Will be back!

buno mainak said...

And then the skies
Start giving birth
Crash down in pain
Upon the earth.

-ahhhhh.simply breathtakin.vivid,picturesque.

buno mainak said...

@everybody
no credit to me,plz
it's a normal mobile hanky panky business,which is transformed into a beauty entirely by lgl.
kobi ki kokhono akash batas ful ke dhonyobad dey,pagol naki

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

re: bokom/bunomainak- guys don't listen to him... half the credit is his.

Sagorika Singha said...

Amritorupa,
Simply love this...
The imagery...oh!!
Liked "Secret Dies a Lonely Death" as well.
Have come back here after a long time. Have been unable to go through most of the blogs but your words just made my fingers work on their own..
Love it...
There is a kind of music to these words
take care..

Priyanka Khot said...

Beautiful! I could feel the rain drops... even when the temperatures in Delhi are soaring to 40C.

Really nice

Unknown said...

Beautiful..

I wish rains come soon!!!

Tanaya said...

Awesome amritorupa......I love it...ami jeno bangalore boshe kolkatar kalboisakhi upobhog korte parchi......thanks and let the music reign!!!!!!!!!!

Ire said...

Classic! Very vivid. Loved it.

Aniket Thakkar said...

Can't let me enjoy the attention for long can you, han?

I hate you!!!

PS: Lovely poem btw. I suck at establishing any sorta rythm... I envy those who can accomplish it!

And COSMIC dance... You had to do that didn't you! :D

Me said...

The pic is awesome and so is the poem.

I am scared of poems usually but this one did not shoo me away...hehe.

I loved it :) I cud actually imagine it all... and every word took shape to something real... :)

Anonymous said...

my fav line - The pregnant skies
Turn into seas.


lovely is a poor excuse for an adjective.....

its one of those that make u stare away, thinking of that right word that describes the feeling, but u don't get it, coz it stirs more than just one feeling....am i whacko? but ur still stuck with me!!!! :P

i loved it LGL :) u made monsoons look exactly how they deserve to be seen - cosmic dance!!

Atanu said...

... I was going to write something... but its pretty late for that.. by the way I was so frustrated... I'd already written on one of your post... that "spring was not so springy in 40 degrees"...I silently cursed the city...for its being so cruel to me... after all... all our wait came to an end... it not only rained... as if it was taking revenge to me...it rained like it never had... burst out in anger...and I could not stop my feet inside my room... oh...I drenched for hours... only they know who waited for it madly... others won't know what does it mean to me.. and the people like me... thank you.. I was expecting it from you...

Ire said...

Hello I just saw your comment on my bitching blog...lolz. http://funny-un-funny-banter.blogspot.com/

Thank you for stopping by. I am a sample of mixed parentage-bong + gujju. And yes I do speak bangla decently well.

Keep visiting. I write more often at Ire.

Thanks! and TC.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE rain and this poem makes me wanna go out and get DRENCHED! Good work :)

Amal Bose said...

awesome work..
loved it

Arnab Majumdar said...

That was magnificent. The weather out here in Delhi has also become quite cool, with sudden showers yesterday and today. Could almost feel the raindrops falling on my head again while I was reading this one :)

Cheers...

Ashrita said...

Beautifully written! I have a lot to learn from you.. Amazing work lady!

Tongue-fu Lady said...

pregnant skies?? very new concept..can u explain it... love the poem..its so surreal :)

Amit Kumar Das said...

magical!!!.......it rained here YESTERDAY..........i too wanted to write something.......but its good i didnt coz....my feelings is best summarised by ur words.......just great....keep walking!!!

vinny said...

beautiful!
i cant wait for june here

The Unsure Ascetic said...

Hey Amitorupa, absolutely amazing, I miss the monsoons in London, It rains here all year around, but not as heavily as the monsoons though. It also goes to show the difference in the personalities of the Brits and the Indians. Who would be grim if they have ever come across the breathtaking monsoons ? You have made me homesick, somewhat.

Anurag said...

Lovely,wonderful!Also,comes at the right time for people like me when a much awaited but mini monsoon seems to be setting in here!

Karen said...

The poem is delightful and perfectly depicts the feel of the beginning monsoon. Your blog is always varied and interesting. The poem is good!

lafemmereva said...

hey!!! I liked the cosmic dance part!!! really nice!

joaquin carvel said...

this is incredible.

"Clouds in baritone
Voices sing,
A drop lands on
A heron’s wing" - you have given those clouds a song, with all the majesty of their voice and the delicay of that drop.

i will be re-reading this many times. it is magical.

Toon Indian said...

nice lines..monsoon is there cool yar..delhi is bloody scorching:((

coffeeismypoison said...

GASSSPPPP!
Theres only one word for this : H-E-A-V-E-N-L-Y.
The rhymes are adorable...delicious...i like this even more than the secrets post...
Its like the yummy, sticky, sweet, gooey part of the ice cream cone...I wish I could gobble it up...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

arv, thank you, i wasnt sure if it sounded cheesy or nice... :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

amith- so glad i could transfer some homesickness on to you.

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Kriti- masterpiece? WHOA!

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

pradip- thank you so much. that was so beautiful!
why don't you post it?

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

dave- thank you :) pregnant is such a loaded word, no?

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

modern exile, that makes me feel so proud... really??

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Prianka k.- don't worry, the summer promises very happy rains :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

priyanka a.- thank you for commenting, though i know you did not like it. :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

tanaya- thank you so much for the visit...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

aniket, do you know, ever since i read a poem by joaquin called 'why don't you write a modern poem?' i have been too ashamed to write in free verse.

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

harshita-i love that this poem didnt scare you :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

crafty- i love being stuck with you. you are a reader who makes writing worthwhile :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

atanu- wow, your line form a poem in themselves...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

ki- yeah, me too, i wish they would just goddam come....

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

amal- thanks buddy

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

arnab- welcome man, i've been hearing a lot about the weather in delhi

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

satan's darling- YOU learn from me??!! HA!

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

TFL- my poems are free, i charge money for the explanations :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Anorak- Damn, why is it raining everywhere except here?

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Ab-Sci- yay! another homesickness victim...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Pandeyjee- LOL! mini-monsoons?

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Karen- i consciously try to keep it varied... so as not to slot myself :) thank you...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

lafemmereva- and you hated the other parts? :(
thank you :)

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

Joaquin- Magical? you said magical?? Whoa!!!
joaquin thinks my poem is magical!

goofing apart, i was writing this in free verse, when i read a peom by you, called 'modern poem'
i felt so ashamed of my modern poem and immediately set down to giving it rhythm :)
you inspire me every thursday...

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

sweata, how come your comments are always more fun than my posts?

coffeeismypoison said...

chup kor be! No such thing!

Anurag said...

"Blurred and shimmery,
All at once
My world becomes
A cosmic dance."

Stunning end to the whole thing....And nice pic to boot too ...

Me likes it :P

Amritorupa Kanjilal said...

anurag-thank you :) i'll tell bokom you liked his pic...

Gagan said...

So picturistic. All the verses drenched in refreshing monsoon.
Thanks a bunch for such a lovely read :)

And then the skies
Start giving birth
Crash down in pain
Upon the earth.

Brilliant!

PS: Wish you too a very refreshing monsoon :)

Sniffles and Smiles said...

You are a fine poet...I especially like the dancing imagery...but all of it is extraordinary! Thank you for visiting my blog! It is always so much fun to make new friends!

Catherine Vibert said...

I actually read this lovely poem the other day, and planned to come back and comment and...sorry. I love the stormy description, and I can't help but think you must be looking forward to monsoon season!

Himanshu Bhagat said...

'Clouds in baritone
Voices sing,
A drop lands on
A heron’s wing'

vivid imagination here..loved these lines...

thanks for visitng..u r being blog rolled :)

What About The Girl? said...

Angry bees...
Cosmic dance..

Beautiful!

Thank you for your sweet comments!
Oh me too, I shall be back! :-)Looking forward to your next post!

Kartz said...

Ah! Refreshing! Loved the penultimate stanza... :)

But couldn't you rhyme that laaast stanza? :(

Not taking away anything, though.

Peace.

---
A-M-R-I-T-O-R-U-P-A. There, no typos this time. :) I am familiar with Bengali names, actually.

Deepa Gopal said...

L'tl dear thanks for taking 'Passion' for your desktop bkground...your 'stealing' made my day:)

.... said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
.... said...

You make me miss India even more LGL. Sorry haven't been around for a while. Like I said in response to your comment on my blog. I just returned to London after a research project in Bihar. I feel I am getting pasteurized... boiling heat to freezing cold.

Sucharita Sarkar said...

Lovely images you have conjured up...esp the baritone of the clouds...great poetry!

joaquin carvel said...

oops...i didn't mean to make anyone ashamed...in fact it had more to do with me being self-concious. that said, i don't regret it...this is truly one of the best rhyming poems i've read in a long time.

Anonymous said...

I can smell that rain.

A wonderful gift of the Earth.

P said...

beautiful...really, i loved it!

sudarshan bengani said...

hey that river is hoogli i mean gnages na and ya monsoon in kolkota is a very beautiful time to be in actually its my birth place

Paresh Palicha said...

Loved your skillful painting of rains in words:-)

Unknown said...

Indeed a good sense of depicting thoughts. You'd make a good poet yourself.

Mahesh Sindbandge said...

i HAVE ONLY ONE WORD FOR IT.

iTS BEAUTIFUL AND PERFECT FOR THE THEME "MONSOON"

Sakshi said...

Wow you can put the whole world in a few words ain't it?? I can't browse for a few words in my brain to tell you how beautiful you make the rains sound...

Anil Sawan said...

amrita, did ya know tht u r awesome?? omg, this is such a beautiful portrayal!! i am sorry sweets, i cudn be here before, blame it on my work. i got aftrnun shifts, so wud be busy all day and wud be damn tired by night :(

i am gona read it again!! i luvd it :) *respects*

Akash said...

made me sort of eternally numb....its a 'wow' poem...*nods his head in amazement*

SUBHADIP said...

Outstanding poem..just shows your artistic sense and the love for worda you have..sorry I am 2 busy in a office work..anyway thanks for such a beautiful post..

Enlightener said...

Fabulous. You defined the storm . Its amazing....Keep writing. It was a pleasure reading the pen-paintings your wall...
Shine On

The Sunflower Collective said...

such a unconventional way to paint the romance of rain,the sweet pain

Amit Charles said...

Clouds in baritone
Voices sing,
A drop lands on
A heron’s wing

Refreshing

keep it rollin;)

Preetilata【ツ】 said...

i re-read it again n again n again. i sooooo loved it. :)

The Comedian said...

I was having samosa's at Deshapriya Park when said rains fell... ever since I've been trying to write an article about it - it's been 5 years since I got wet in Calcutta rains - but couldn't get my thoughts to do justice to what I felt. In any case, I guess someone beat me to it. Lovely writing. :)

The Comedian.