Is That All? — poem

 Is That All?— poem

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(thanks to ChatGPT for helping me to translate my original Tamil Poem into English  )

Is That All?

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Before placing

the round mound of earth,

a thought stirs within me—

to look at this face

one last time,

up close.

Is this the final day

for this face?

Is this the hour

to burn

a beloved bond?

Have the shoulders

that carried me

all those years

disappeared?

Have the hands

that shaped my life,

that gave and gave,

gone cold?

Is there nothing left

to repay?

Is there no love left?

Is there no gentle breeze

that once gathered itself

and came to me

with such tenderness?

Is that all?

Has it all

gone out?

Is this all?

Is loss

what life is?

— Nagendra Bharathi

My Poems/Stories/Articles in Tamil and English 

A Heat Beyond Endurance — poem

A Heat Beyond Endurance — poem

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(thanks to ChatGPT for helping me to translate my original Tamil Poem into English  )

At dawn,

you were the one who asked

for hot water for your bath;

you were the one who wore

a freshly washed sari

while it was still warm from the iron;

you were the one who plucked

the steaming idli

with fingers quick as lightning;

you were the one who touched

the sacred flame

before the goddess

on Aadi Velli.

“Every heat I can endure

is a pleasure,”

you used to say.

You kissed my cheek,

winked at me,

waved your hand,

and set out—

never knowing

that another heat

was waiting for you.

You came home

like a bundle of firewood.

As the breath

left your body,

did you call for Amma?

Did you cry out,

calling and calling,

until your voice grew weary?

Oh, sinner that I am—

did the dead fire

of my fate

not leap upon you?

Will I ever leap

across that fire

and behold

my precious one again?

— Nagendra Bharathi

My Poems/Stories/Articles in Tamil and English  

The Bitterness of Neem - poem

 

The Bitterness of Neem  - poem

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(thanks to ChatGPT for helping me to translate my original Tamil Poem into English  )

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You saved me

when a goat’s hoof

was about to crush me.

 

You gathered the earth,

moulded it around me,

and helped me stand upright.

 

You told them

to pour over me

the water left

after washing your household vessels.

 

You rejoiced

when you saw

my tender green leaves

sprouting into life.

 

That was the end

of my childhood.

 

As I grew,

you broke my little twigs

and brushed your teeth with them.

 

You plucked

my fresh green shoots

and fed them to your little goat.

 

When your child

was struck by smallpox,

you gave him life

with my leaves.

 

One day,

you placed a chair

beneath my shade

and sat there,

negotiating my price.

 

Today,

as I stand watching

the axe fall upon my branches,

 

you stand there too—

 

as still as a tree.

 

— Nagendra Bharathi

 My Poems/Stories/Articles in Tamil and English 

Favourite book - Speech at Tamilootru club

 Favourite book - Speech at Tamilootru club 

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Favourite book  - You Tube 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English are available at  

Memories of CTM Club - Speech at CTM Club

 Memories of CTM Club - Speech at CTM Club 

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Memories of CTM Club - You Tube

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English 

Calm and composed - Impromptu speech at TT group

 Calm and composed - Impromptu speech at TT group

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Calm and composed - Yoodli video 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English 

True friend - Speech for quote

 True friend - Speech for quote

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True friend - Spotify podcast 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English 

What , why and how - Speech for quote

 What , why and how - Speech for quote

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What, why and how - Spotify podcast 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English 

My passion - Speech for quote

 My passion - Speech for quote

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My passion - Spotify podcast 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English 

Problem solving - Speech for quote

 Problem solving - Speech for quote

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Problem solving - Spotify podcast 

My Poems/Stories in Tamil and English