kurian's New Age Blog

                                      SAGARANGALIL               If my memory is correct,there was an unprecedented flooding of the Meenachil river in 1968,when I was a student  at  STC Pala.It  was so dramatic that,Kottaramattom Maidan,now Private bus stand,became a lake, and  some adventurers  were  seen paddling in the newly formed lake,in their  kothumbu vallams.After a few days,when the waters subsided,we  went  to see the fury of the river.It  was carrying a lot of  things from uphill, uprooted trees,stray coconuts,remnants of  huts,carcasses of domestic animals etc.This long-forgotten incident  resurfaced in my mind when I saw the flood in Facebook.Face book's flooding is forever;rising,expanding,bursting  the banks,nonstop. Like-minded people think in the same trajectory,as is evidenced by my recent thoughts about Facebook,and by Sony karackal's  poem  "Sagarangalil''.In fact,I am a newcomer in facebook.Since I joined,I have reflected about thi

               A  onversation  with Appu, my cat In my garden,27th  April,2013.Time 6 p.m.Appu has just finished eating a bird. Enter  Kurian ( Kuri)                                                    Kuri Hey,man ! What  have  you  done ?                                                    Appu What ?                                                     Kuri You have killed  one   of  my  visitors.It's a terrible  thing.                                                    Appu You mean,that  small  bird ?                                                  Kuri Yea,you are a killer, a murderer..I hate you.                                                  Appu Don't blame me .I did it because I  was too hungry. " Gathi  kettal  puli pullum thinnum" ennalle chollu.                                                 Kuri  Ennalum  nee ee kadum kai cheythallo.That  small bird  was my visitor.                                                Appu  I

                                          The  Critic's Choice Facebook is a flooded river,carrying a lot of good things and bad things,bursting its banks  due to the endless addition of new stuff in every split  second.It also looks like a  conveyor belt in the airport,on which luggage pieces of all shapes and sizes,and sometimes  tagged chakka,move slowly,up and down,left and right,looking forward or backward ,for a reunion with their owners.Recently,I saw a hapless suitcase,wide open, sans its contents.The  state of some fb posts are also  similar.There's no substance in them.Like the owners of suitcases,those who post in fb care only  for their posts. I'm not referring to SK's poems in any way,but trying to share some thoughts that flashed through my mind. Romeo and Juliet  fall in love,with unbridled passion.Their  'dhyana guru',Friar Laurence is alarmed by the uncontrollable passion of Romeo,and foreseeing the potential dangers,he advises Ro

                                        BIRTHDAY  DIARY 25 April  2013,Delareyville ,South Africa 6.50 a.m It's a sunny day here as usual,but a bit cold because Summer has exchanged the baton to Autumn pefectly.Here and there yellow leaves have fallen,and are still falling,presenting a beautiful  sight.Such trees are few;maybe  they are of European origin.As I drive to school,the sunrays pour right into my eyes,so intensely that I can't  see clearly ahead.I use an old Toyota  for the school trip because 14 kilometers are gravel road.My  sunshade had become loose,and was not replaced due to other pressing matters.I struggle to  keep the car to the left.Luckily, there are no vehicles in front or at the back. The problem is over when I turn to the left,to take the road which  forms a border of  Barberspan Bird Sanctuary, which can be seen from the car. The 2000 hectre lake is the centre-piece of the bird sanctuary.The lake is deep blue in the morning.The sun shin

PRANAYAVASANTHAM DELAREYVILLE,20 APRIL 2013 The rains died down last night.The morning opened with a comfortable cold,which tempts you to prolong your stay under the blanket for anextra 2-3 hours.After all,there's no hurry in this sleepy,small town.Nobody needs to rush as in Kerala,to bus stations,railway stations,airports etc..South Africans are not in a hurry.We have two full days to ourselves;mostly to sleep,eat and drink.Todays' weather is perfect,with the maximum temp.at 17 Degree C.The sun shines brightly,the sky is clear,the air is 100% pure.The sky is a combination of blue and white,which reminds me of the uniform of my students.African sky is different from ours in kerala.Here it's panoramic,clear,amazing,rejuvenating.My rating for today's weather is 10 out of 10. Sony Karackal's latest poem 'Pranayavasantham' perfectly aligns with the mood here.Pranayathinte theerthadakan karangi thirinju thante swantham thattakathil

APRIL 19,2013 The weather in North West Province has changed dramatically overnight due to continuous rain that has caused a drop in temperature,very ideal and comfortable to stay indoors,watching Tv or engaging in intellectual pursuits.Fortunately the wet condition has coincided with the weekend,which South Africans enjoy fully,because Saturday is not a working day. SK's latest poem 'ee vazhiyil' is a gloomy one.The title of the poem is very significant and meaningful.'Vazhi'is a metaphor of the journry of life.The speaker in the poem is revisiting the place where he grew up.It's a painful journey which recreates the poverty and suffering he had passed through in his early life. It's a lonely,deserted ,colourful place which has remained relatively untouched despite the march of Time.The remains of the speaker's house,a part of it,are still there.I expected a big mansion there,but it's only vazha. This indicates that,even though t

MORAL POLICE Characters Tony (19) A college student Rony ( 17) A college student Soman A KSRTC bus conductor Passengers in the KSRTC bus Inspector Shaji Constable Janaki Other policemen and policewomen SCENE 1 The green room of a college auditorium.The time is 6.30 pm. It's the end of a drama competition.Boys and girls are busy packing their costumes and removing make-up.Rony is dressed as a girl.He is trying to remove his churidar. Rony Tony,please help me to remove this churidar.It's too tight. ( Tony's cell phone rings.He attends to it.After two minutes:) Tony Rony,there's a bandh declared.A double one.For two days. Leave the churidar.They say it's with immediate effect. Rony Bandh? Innale oru hartal kazhinjatheyullu.What's the reason? Tony In Kerala,it's unreasonable to ask for reasons.Hurry up or we'll be left behind. Rony You mean,dressed as a girl?Isn't it too risky? Tony Then you

NIZHALPOOVUKAL Sony Karackal shows no sign of slowing down in his dailly production of poems.Due to writing reviews almost every day,I'm under pressure to put on hold my other posts.But it is a blessing in disguise because new ideas pop up from nowhere,and are added up.I was about to advise SK to slow down a bit,to avert a backlash from the readers,when I read "Nizhalpoovukal' and liked it.This is because SK has taken a detour,and ventured into the unexplored territory of social criticism.The poem is short,but effective. keats's 'Ode to a nightinagale ' is a short poem,but it's one of the greatest poems in world literature. life is an endless search for safe havens,or shades,to escape from the harsh realities of life,such as floods, heat waves,fires,eartquakes etc.Nizhapoovukal' opens with the lines: nizhal chilappol valiya aswasamanu We are familiar with the Tv images of fighters and camera persons diving for cov

                                        Valapottukal In this poem,SK  undertakes a journey  through Time.When I read the  first two lines,Emily Dickinson's poem "Because I could not stop for Death' popped up in my mind: Because I could not stop  for Death He kindly  stopped for me The carriage held but just ourselves And Immortality By  coincidence,SK has used the imagery of the chariot,used by Dickinson,which describes her journey together with Death. 'therottam' is a phrase widely used in Indian epics,and is dear to the Indian psyche.The poet has created a nostalgic mood in this poem,most probably  referring to his own college days.Many of us have gone through this bitter-sweet experience.The poet embarks on this journey alone:   Ormathan  theril  Njan mathramayini As  Time passes on,most of our cherished friendships,love affairs, likes and dislikes fall by the roadside.  padi kadanna paribhavangalum sahayathrikarum iruttilevideyo enne

                                             Ilamveyil I have heard of a church at Kothanalloor near Ettumanoor,which is devoted for twins,triplets and quadruplets,and when the 'perunnal' is on there,onlookers are at a loss as to find out who is who.When reading SK's poems ,I am facing the predicament of the spectator at Kothanalloor.He has written many poems on the same theme  'pranayam',and sometimes it's difficult to distinguish one from the other,at first glance.This doesn't imply that he has made repetitions. Indeed ,he has treated his theme from  different angles. The present poem'Ilamveyil' treats  pranayam from a rare  perspective.The metaphor  of the rising sun:    udayasooryaneppol    ninmukham  thudukkumbol is a devaition from  poets' usual practice of  using the imagery of the full moon to depict the face of the pranayini or the mood of love eg indumukhi,chandrikayilaliyunnu chandrakantam,madhumasa sundara chandralek

                                                 PRANAYAKASHAM In this poem,SK is reflecting on the vagaries of the age-old theme, pranayam.I think,sometimes SK and I have the same wavelenghth or chemistry,because,by some strange coincidence,we have the same thoughts simultaneously.I have been reflecting about pranayam recently,and my line of thought is that  pranayam is continuous,infinite,like the sky (pranayakasham) and it isn't solely the pathway to marriage.The excitement and novelty of pranayam might gradually  fade with marriage,because the daily challenges of life are likely to create tension and conflict between  the couples,and pranayam might take a back seat,and it's eventually stored  somewhere,like old albums.Of late,we have seen some marriages  collapsing like the twin towers.I think pranayam is bound to continue after marriage,but not necessarily with one's own spouse.This can't be called extra-marital affair if it's within some limits.

                                Madhuravenal When I read SK's  Madhuravenal,the words of the  exiled Duke in Shakespeare's 'As  You  Like It' surfaced in my mind.     Sweet  are  the uses of  adversity,     Which,like  the toad,ugly and venomous     Wears yet  a precious  jewel in his head     And this our life,exempt  fro public haunt     Finds  tongue in trees,books in running  brooks     Sermons  in stones,and good in everything.     I  would not change it.      The  words are self-expanatory,but note the words,'good in every thing'         Why  did SK  chose this time to write  about  summer,when Kerala is  on its knees under a merciless sun,and titled it 'Madhura venal'.I think it's because,like the exiled Duke,he has a kind and soft heart that sees 'good in every thing'.The poet  doesn't  lament about the ordeal  caused by the burning sun. Instead,he sees the positive aspects of this season.Many poets have writt

                                                          Ninakkayi Sony  Karackal  has beaten me in the race of uninterrupted poetry,or Marathon poetry, with  my review ,by about 24 hours.I was about to give up,because our schools are opening on 9th April,and I have butterflies in my stomach due to pending school work.I was about to give up,when I read the poem,and found many  beautiful concepts and lines in it,which deserve a closer look. Pranayam has been the pet theme of SK,and I have earlier pointed out that ee pranayagayakanu,allenkil theerthadakanu  vazhimary sancharikkanavilla ennu.Even if he occasionally   takes a  detour, he returns to his basecamp pranayam,like a fighter pilot returning to his base.Pranayam has been the favourite theme of all kinds of artists since time immemorial, and  continues to be so,and it will be ever fresh till  doomsday.Artists have tried to define pranayam in different ways,but there is no end to it.I think pranayam is that blessed

                                                MINNAMINUNGUKAL April 5, 2013 I read SK's latest  poem,'Minnaminungukal' only today because Leelamma and I had gone to Mafikeng,130 kms from here,to visit some friends,and stayed there overnight. Mafikeng is the capital of North West Province,which  is also known as the Platinum Province,because  it is the centre of platinum mining in South Africa. When I read this poem,immediately a golden hit of Dasettan  came to my mind."Madhumathi iniyunarru,indupushpaharamaniyu.....Madhumathi....from  "Gandhrva Kshethram'.It's a unique song that evokes the senses.To listen to that song is a dream-like experience. I have similar,dream-like experiences when I read SK's poem.Pranayathinte soundarya sankalpangale aswadakante manasilekku avahippikkunna imageriyanu ee kavithayil  SK valare thanmayathwathode varachu vechirikkunnathu.Oru Malayaliyude manassil ettavum sexy aaya oru sankalpamanu eeranuduthu mud

                                          Kilikkoodukal This poem has originated from the poet's heart,so it's devoid   of any artificiality.Birds are a passion for me in poetry and in real life.Keats's "ode to a Nigtingale 'is a favourite poem of mine.Perhaps the greatest of all poems.Birds are a metaphor of  love,freedom and peace. I'm fortunate enough to wake up early ,listening to the kalapila of birds in my compound.Around my house,there;s always the sound of flapping of wings,and the kurkal of pigeons.On my way to school,I meet various types of birds everyday.Association  with the birds,even though from a distance,has had a positive impact on my mind,purging me of the harshness and cruelty in me. Birds teach us about love,peace,harmony,and sharing.Let us teach our children to love trees and birds,so that they learn gentleness and love.Let  us follow the footsteps of Saint Francis of Assissi,who is the patron saint of animals and birds. When

                                            Pranayaksharikal I think S.K  has some hidden  agenda in writing poems every day.First,to to enter the Ginness Book of Awards/Limca Book,second,to win some awards from the Gulf area ( a cash award included).Please remember me in your shares of the prize money,even if you forgrt me in your prayers.For me the sweetest music is the music on my cell phone,when the salary or some extra-money is credited to my account.I call it 'moneynadam'.The discord that I hear on the same phone when  money is debited from my account is called 'maranamoney' or'maramoney'. " Vattakottayil  vellam korikkuka' ( to give an impossible task) is one of the idioms that I used to hear at home when I was a child.SK is doing the same thing to me by writing poems endlessly.When high standards have already been set,it's an uphill task for the poet to maintain those standards.That's the challenge facing  the poet and the