Faceless Veils

Beauty and essence of a veil

is in its drape & elegance
Why create an intense spiel
with societial vigilance?

Nursed with a veil at birth
Comfort infants feel as newborn
Carried forward into their youth
Confront they do, to be reborn!

Worn in style at happy times
Unveil she gets, as a bride
Governed by faith in tough times
Appeal she does, for her pride

Color of a veil defined in culture
Echo stories across many a tradition
Black and white in one scripture
Cause, in another, a contradiction

A veil in style creates a fashion
On a ramp it makes a statement
A veil styled to ignite passion
On a stage it makes one dominant

Faceless yet colorful is a veil
Let's not curate for it, an identity
Flawless and sans any spiel
Let's live in peace and harmony.

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© Balaji Palanidurai

This narrative poem was inspired by the painting (see picture) by a good friend Vesta. It decorated her aesthetically furnished flat in Chennai. When inquired, she said it was one of her art projects from her college days. I took her consent to write a poem about it, which she happily granted. I started writing and should admit, it took me a lot more time (5 weeks) and deep thinking to pen each paragraph and each one triggered may a thought and emotion in me.

Right through my life I may have seen a million people both men and women in a veil and I see them till date. I have draped one myself and I believe the purpose of draping a veil varies from protecting oneself from harsh weather at one extreme and at the other extreme to make a fashion statement; religion, culture, faith and ignorance all fall in-between!

So, let's not be judgmental about the who, where, why and how one wears a veil. Appreciate the necessity or admire the beauty of it. If you feel like, wear one just for fun or to make a statement!

I found this interesting link while researching for this poem..
https://www.abouther.com/node/3731/people/features/five-times-famous-people-wore-hijab

கண்டுகொண்டேன், கண்டுகொண்டேன்

கண்டுகொண்டேன், கண்டுகொண்டேன்

இப்பிறப்பின் இலக்கை நான் கண்டுகொண்டேன்

பாரம்பரியத்தை நோக்கி "ஒற்றன் பாதை" 

என்ற விளம்பரம் ஒன்று கண்டேன்

அச்சுற்றுப்பயணத்தின் நடத்துனர் என் நண்பன் 

என்பதில் பெருமிதம் கொண்டேன்

தமிழ் பாரம்பரியத்துக்கு உரிய 

அழகையும் பெருமையையும் கண்டேன்

அதை பார்த்து, உணர்ந்து மகிழ 

புதியதோர் உற்சாகம் கொண்டேன்

உலகம் போற்றும் இலக்கியம் மற்றும்

 பேரரசர்களின் சிலைகள் கண்டேன்

அவற்றை அறிந்து, உணர்ந்து வாழ 

மனதிலோர் உறுதி கொண்டேன்

நமது வரலாறு மற்றும் கலாச்சாரத்தை 

விவரிக்கும் கல்வெட்டுகள் பல கண்டேன்

இவை மரபுவழியில் தொலைைந்து விடுமோ என்ற அச்சம் கொண்டேன்

பயணத்தில் இரு சிட்டுகள் தம் தந்தையின் 

தோள்களில் உலா வருவதை கண்டேன்

இளைய தலைமுறை இனி தலைதூக்கி

திகழும் என நிம்மதி கொண்டேன்

பழமையின் புதுமையை அறிய உணர்த்தும்

கருவிகள் உபயோகத்தில் கண்டேன்

பழமையில் புதுமை காணும் தொழில்நுட்பத்தை 

ஊக்குவிக்க உறுதி கொண்டேன்

கண்டுகொண்டேன், கண்டுகொண்டேன்

இப்பிறப்பின் இலக்கை நான் கண்டுகொண்டேன்


--------------------------------
©Balaji Palanidurai

This poem is inspired by the "Beauty of our heritage" poem I wrote. I received a lot of positive feedback and appreciation for the deep meaning in that. I also received few requests to write a similar one in Tamil and this is it. I wrote this in a few hours on the morning of 28th July when I stumbled upon a WhatsApp message from a friend that had links to an article about Tamil influence in Japan and Thailand.

So, I would like to dedicate this poem to my friends Clement Anand Rajaratnam (father of Ottran Padhai) and Sandhya Aravind (Founder of ChapterTwo Life coaching) whose WhatsApp message expedited this creation.

Beauty of our heritage

Beauty of heritage is in the synergy

of tradition, buildings & language
Duty of people lies in their energy
to cascade it with pride & assuage

Diverse, are cities we live in, where
time & people move rampant & fast
Immerse, they do in routines, their 

yesterday seems like a distant past

No wonder, traditions with hardly
any existence or of age
Becomes a fashion and smartly
many call it their heritage

Buildings, preserved over ancestry
through care and diligence
Transformed into abode with luxury
throw culture in negligence

Tradition & values etched on stones
narrate to us many a story
Expeditions far & many, for thrones
curate for us a hearty history

Big temples & forts of supremacy
defied laws of nature & invasions
Stand testimony to our democracy
defined rules for modern inventions

Beauty of heritage is in the synergy
of tradition, buildings & language
Duty of people lies in their energy
to cascade it with pride & assuage

----------------------------------------
©Balaji Palanidurai
I wrote this poem after a heritage tour I went on 20-22 July 2018 Ottran Padhai (#OttranPadhai). It was to visit heritage sites of The Cholas and beautifully curated by a good (and crazy) friend of mine, themed on a famous novel "Ponniyin Selvan" by Kalki.

I started feeling like someone from that era. It kicked off an urge to find my ancestry, which I kind of know I have that roots. This, in turn, added fuel to my quest for my heritage!