Ominous clouds with threatening arms
shovel light
into dark folds of flowing robes
and in unspoken solidarity
stand close together
holding the sun a prisoner
In the spreading gloom
leaves nervously chatter
of doom
and (maybe) of life hereafter.
The libertine breeze, the prankster
ruffles treetops
swoops low to teasingly tickle
and in new found familiarity
dares to kiss
and cuddle
the startled trees
who duck in mock annoyance
swaying this way and that
making leaves quiver and whisper…
The day is somber gray,
Yet… an ineffable elation
unfurls from my heart
like a peacock its feathers
in colorful splendor
dancing with joy and abandon
when the rain clouds appear…
The indescribable joy spreads
bestowing new litheness to each cell
I am grace, I am elegance.
And then ….the rain drops fall
Quenching an eternal thirst
I am stillness, I am motion
I am fluid, I long to flow,
moving to his rhythm….
I am the joyous peacock
for the dark cloud
In his benevolence
I dance in ecstasy
We are ecstasy.
– Shail Mohan (May 2011)
I had put up a status message on Facebook a few days back : “Guess who makes me indescribably happy… always, any time, anywhere??!! Who makes the inner me dance in joy that the outer me cannot but in reply respond??!! :)”
I got quite a few interesting replies too, that ranged from Pepper the Kitteh, to the L & M, books, gulab jamuns et al. But no one asked the question like Vivek did, ” Reminds me of a childhood game.. Thing or Person?” Anyway, this poem above is my answer 🙂
Umm… I confess, yes, there is one more thing that never fails to lift my spirits high and let it soar, bringing me much joy. That is what my next post will be about. Errr…. any guesses??! 😉


Dust storms and cold winds in NCR. Your poem fits the mood 😛
@Phoenixritu,
*Sob sob* And I am left waiting….
LOVED this play with words Shail, I am zero at it but loved reading about shoveling light into folds and new found familiarity resulting in leaves quivering and whispering…
And today I was taking pictures of droplets of Raptourous Doom in Gurgaon – first a dust storm and then cool, cool rain to usher in the doomsday 🙂
@indianhomemaker,
That sounds so absolutely divine considering that I am still waiting for monsoon to set in. Just a few more days… sigh, have to be patient. And that is if we cross this doomsday of 21st May 2011! 😉 😆
Also loved the cloud photographs… and the answer to what makes you ecstatic could be, “Comments on my blog 🙂 ” ??
@indianhomemaker,
Thank you, they are from different days.
About the guess, you will soon know 😉
Lemme guess… the rains eh?
Beautiful poem…coincides with your pictures…. I can envision the scenes…
Nothing like Kerala or Mumbai in the rains… 🙂 love it!
@Ashwathy,
The dark cloud and the rains 🙂 Yes, one of our best seasons in Kerala 🙂
Very evocative and lovely metaphors. Lovely, Shail. Yes, rain is my favorite too! 🙂
@Agnija Bharathi,
Thank you 🙂 Ahh someone else who loves rain! 🙂
I should have remembered Jagjit Singh’s Woh Kagaz ki kashti. :). Love the image and the Feeling this evokes. There is something about rains that come to cool the summer’s heat.
Now rains where I am, is a whole different thing. I am sooo waiting for sunshine and warmth. *sigh* Relativity.
@Rashmi,
Yeah there are many rain related songs. 🙂 I have this belief that I must have been a peacock in some life (Is there a peacock Planet somewhere??) or have some peacock genes in me to feel this incredibly joy 🙂 But there is one thing, I have to have solitude too, to enjoy my dark cloud and the benevolence! 😉
Rainy season is never too cold here as you know.
@Rashmi,
Btw you are pretty close to what is going to come up in my next post! 😉
Brilliant!
Loved reading this.
The words were a feast to the mind.
The pictures a feast to the eyes.
I like this idea of presenting words and pictures side by side.
Regards
GV
@G Vishwanath,
Thank you 🙂 I cannot resist taking pictures when the rain clouds gather 🙂
Lovely. How about “Dancing in the Rain”…..I am game
@Vivek,
Thank you…. and, why not? 🙂
Beautiful pictures alongwith beautiful wordplay, Shail! I can just admire both the rain and your poems! Am not good at words!
@Sandhya,
Thank you. I hear that you all enjoyed quite a downpour. Sigh, I am waiting my turn 😦
And Sandhya, I admire your posts for the way they reflect you the person, your heart of gold. I am not exaggerating.
@Shail, Thanks for the compliments, Shail! I am a very normal person with lots of drawbacks, which I keep on trying to improve!
Is it a person from your past, perhaps a childhood friend. So good to catch up with a friend from the past on a rainy day, eating pakoras and chai… pleasant thought. That would get my innner self dance with joy. Well some black eye peas track can have the same effect too 🙂
@Anita Menon,
Black-eyed peas is your fav?? My son listens to them. Well, let me write my post and see whether you are right or wrong 🙂
WOW.. as always hats off to you or writing such beautiful words ..
Reminds me woh kagz ki kishti , woh barish ka paani 🙂
Rain rain take me away 🙂
loved it
Bikram’s
The pictures are very nice tooo Shail… thanks for sharing
@Bikram,
Thank you 🙂 You are welcome Biks. 🙂
Awesome pics .. and the lines are beautiful Shail :)Lovely post!
@Priya,
Thank you. 🙂 when it comes to the dark cloud, I cannot resist taking pictures!
leaves nervously chatter of doom – ha ha ha, so aptly coined for 21st…. 😉
Loved the dark clouds and the whole dance of words by you !!! 🙂
@UmaS,
Thank you Uma. When the leaves start chattering it does feel like they are predicting doom, with an impending storm 🙂
perfect poem for a perfect day !
@Ruchira,
Thank you 🙂
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wonderful poem and great pics!
@Reema,
Thank you 🙂
Great poem, it’s exactly how I feel about storms. It’s a dark dance, but it is still a dance, and a necessary one. Thank you!
@John,
Welcome to Shail’s Nest and thank you. A necessary dance of Nature and one that is immensely enjoyed by me 🙂
you mean the clouds se bhi zyada ecstacy you experience when it pours rite??
loved your description… at so many points I can relate to it… I can never put it so beautifully in words like you do… but I can feel it so so much like you do 😀
When the clouds come you are ecstatic in anticipation! 🙂
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