ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்

நண்பர்கள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன  பயன்
தேவை படும்பொழுது கூப்பிட்டு பேச இல்லையெனில்

செய்திகள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
படித்து மகிழ நேரம் இல்லையெனில்

உணர்ச்சிகள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
பகிர்ந்துணர ஒரு வாழ்க்கைத்துணை இல்லையெனில்

மாற்றங்கள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
நிம்மதியுள்ள வாழ்க்கை இல்லையெனில்.

......பின்வரும் வரிகள் எனது நண்பர் எழுதியது....

வார்த்தைகள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
மயக்கும் கவிதை இல்லையெனில்

கவிதைகள் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
பாராட்ட ஒருவர் இல்லையெனில்

பாராட்ட ஆயிரம் பேர் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
மனம் ஒக்க வாழ்க்கைத்துணை
இல்லையெனில்

இவையெல்லாம் ஆயிரம் இருந்தென்ன பயன்
இறைவனடி மனம் புகவில்லையெனில்!

©Balaji Palanidurai

My WhatsApp group

First message pops up around 6am
To announce, still in the group, I am

Prayers and quotes next inline
Naysayers too accept and align

1001 the final count from yesterday
Could we better that today?

Music, pets, selfies, mood and food
Forward it gets ugly, bad or good

Emojis hundreds lands like thunder
Sometimes it is even to surrender

Timezones cross so does the greeting
Games get played without cheating

While the show and rants continue
Exit or not ...keep thinking a few!!

©Balaji Palanidurai

கவிதை

எத்தனை கவிஞர்கள் நமக்குள்
எத்தனை நினைவுகள் மனத்திற்குள்
எத்தனை நண்பர்கள் இந்த உலகில்
எத்தனை தூரம் நம் நடுவில்

குறைந்தது தூரம், பெருகியது நட்பு
கலைந்தது கூச்சம், நிறைந்தது உணர்வு
விலகியது தயக்கம், கூடியது உற்சாகம்
அடங்கியது உற்சாகம், தலைதூக்கியது கவிதை....

... தன்னடக்க கவிதை, தாகம் தீர்க்கும் கவிதை, தானாக வந்த கவிதை !!!


©Balaji Palanidurai

92 onceagain, onceagain in 42

Down memory lane some went
From around the world they had descent

Aliens most felt they will be
Wished, secretly they did to be a queen bee

Selfies millions they took, groupies while it was sunny
Smiles zillions they shared almost calling each other honey

Beautiful they were inspite of few extra pound and flesh
Bountiful they shared hugs and memories that still felt fresh

Years ago they departed with a book full of signatures
Tears filled most eyes when they saw a book with their caricature

The lane they traveled was aptly christened  "92 onceagain"
Friends they were and will be always, to celebrate again and again.
.....

©Balaji Palanidurai
I wrote this  poem about our school reunion after 25 years. 50 of us came together from across the globe.

Paid leaves not there to be left!

Paid, privileged or personal we call those days we get or allocate as leave 

They are there to be used and not to be hidden in our sleeve

22, 28 or 30 the number depends whether you work in private or public

Alas, some countries include in it days you end up in bed being sick!

Accumulate & en-cash some do, I heard a young lady say to me once

Late & ash they would be before they realize its not worth a pence

Use them every year with friends and family; however insane or wise

Excuse yourself from work & daily life to prevent black around your eyes

yatra, expedia and makemytrip are throwing up huge discount

Mantra there is none to book a trip and make those memories count!

Beach, heritage, culture, city break & for summer there is a hill station

Try it out my friends, a duet with nature could become a secret passion!

---------------------
©Balaji Palanidurai
Composed on 13th May 2017 – onboard a jetairways fight from Delhi to Chennai at the end of my 2 week Passion Leave!

Bread

Soft, crisp, round & square;
people eat bread
Depends, where they were
born and bred!

Relished with breakfast, lunch, dinner
or even as a starter
Getting a small piece of it, for some,
is still a big matter!

8000 CE, the grain was first crushed
battered and baked in an oven

Flat at first, from Egypt to the world
it evolved; the method was proven

French call it baguette, Egyptians as pitta,
Indian double roti and English as bread

What's in a name? When hunger strikes
humanity and hospitality must spread.

-----------------
©Balaji Palanidurai

I wrote this poem on 27th April 2017. The trigger was the scene in front of me on the breakfast table by the window in StayAt Bromma overlooking the street leading to the Bromma train station. I was there on business trip and stayed there for 2 weeks. Breakfast was simple and had a continental spread and I loved the butter there!

The slice of bread and the salt and pepper dispensers in ghost form in front of me got me to think about the importance of bread in our life. I also became a fan of the Crisp bread and started googling for history of bread. I wanted to save this information for my future reference and wrote it in a format that I would like to read - Poem!

Open spaces, closed minds

"It's a small world", a phrase we use
When we meet people from faraway land.
"Narrow minded", the phrase we use
When we see people with blood in hand.

We read then about battles fought over
love and pride in mythology and history.
We read now about war fought over
Ideology, hate & other reasons, a mystery.

Machines we invented to rear the herd,
sail the sea and pierce the air.
Machines used to plough through a crowd
before they realize, is totally unfair.

Freedom of choice,humanity & compassion
It's taught in closed spaces with open mind.
Freedom by choice, cruelty and execution
It's sought in open spaces with closed mind.

"It's a big world" with billions aboard
and more to come, open spaces not many.
"Open minded" let's become and,
live and let live with peace and harmony.

-------------
©Balaji Palanidurai

Submitted to WAX Poetry in September 2017