Elvira Maria Mathews
Associate Instructor, ELS Language Center SRM
University,
 |
Abstract:
We are an extension of nature at a higher
level. We are part of a whole and depend on the other parts to be complete. We
are one with nature - we give birth, grow, bloom, bear fruit and die only to
become manure for the trees that gave us air and sustained our life. We
reciprocate in death.
The
overwhelming power nature has, moved poets to pour out words from their hearts
and drown those who were able to perceive. The greatest testimony to this would
be William Wordsworth. ‘I wandered lonely as a cloud’ by this great poet has
remained in my heart and will continue to echo till I cease to breathe. Like
him, there were many more like Robert Frost, Alfred Lord Tennyson, P.B. Shelly
and John Keats who were inspired by the beauty of nature to write verses that
linger till this day.
Like
these great poets, I too have been stirred by nature to express my innermost
feelings, the ecstasy of profound joy as well as the deepest sorrow that has
touched my very soul. These poems of mine span over a life time……
Keywords
SRM DEFL 10TH
conference, Landscape and poetry, one with nature, Lamb’s rock, Aftermath, I
mourn for you
We are one with nature
‘Men
will come and men will go, but what lingers on are only memories of them’. I’ve
heard this adage so many times and wonder if we were born only to die and leave
behind memories. Are we so insignificant? Did we toil on this earth for no
reason or for no purpose? Ney, Nature has taught us and shown us that after
death life springs forth. We will surely die but be absorbed by mother nature,
deep into her womb and become delicacies to flora and fauna only to be born
again. Our existence is everlasting because we and nature are one. We are an
extension of her at a higher level. We are part of a whole and depend on the
other parts to be complete. We are born, grow, bloom, bear fruit and die only
to reciprocate in death.
Nature celebrates us by making each one of
us unique. Unique in attributes and character. Must we not give back? Must we
not take care of her, praise her and sing of her beauty? Must we not lament and
drown in sorrow when she is ruined by her own offspring? My heart bleeds when I
see a tree cut down and when the filth of humanity is poured into our rivers.
Amidst the stench, a daisy blooms with vengeance to remind us that there is
still hope.
From the day man learned to express his
thoughts in words, he has only sung praises of the beauty around him. There is
nothing in this world that can stir the deepest emotions of man as mother
nature does. The overwhelming power that she has, moved poets to pour out words
from their heart and drown those who were able to perceive in the waters of
emotion. The greatest testimony to this would be William Wordsworth. ‘I
wandered lonely as a cloud’ by this great poet has remained in my heart and
will continue to echo till I cease to breathe. Like him, there were many more
like Robert Frost, Alfred Lord Tennyson, P.B. Shelly and John Keats. Nature was
the inspiration for all of them.
Like these great poets, I too have been
stirred by nature to express my innermost feelings, the ecstasy of profound joy
as well as the deepest sorrow that has touched my very soul. Born and brought
up in the Blue Mountains, better known as the Nilgiri Hills, I was surrounded
by lush green mountains, dales and valleys splashed with purple Jacaranda and
flame of the forest red. A feast for the eyes and soul. The roses and
carnations perfumed the air by day and the queen of the night did her part at
night making life a joy to experience.
As I grew, my love for nature grew as well.
I would sit out on the carpet of green grass and watch the mist crawl by,
drawing a veil across the mountains and across anything that came in its way. I
would just stare into the wilderness and wait for a glimpse of the mountains.
Sometimes, the mist would sail away and sometimes would remain the whole day.
Misty mornings had their own beauty but for some unexplainable reason, a sense
of melancholy would overpower me. I just loved the sun and starry nights.
One sunny day…….
I lay under trees,
With books on my
knees,
The sun gleamed
bright,
Through the leaves
like a light.
I walked through a
river,
Which made my body
quiver,
I sat on a stone,
and found myself all
alone.
I walked passed
fountains,
Which rose high as
mountains,
The small creatures
on the ground,
So quiet, not a
sound.
The moss on the wall
so green,
Which I had never
seen,
The bees each flying
out of their cell,
The pretty flowers,
the pleasant smell.
I wrote the above lines when I was 14 years
old. I lived in an old British Bungalow called Harwood. I loved sitting under
the gigantic tree and looking up at the sun through the leaves. Very often I
would stroll down to Darlington bridge and walk through the river that rolled
along beneath. Jumping from stone to stone, chasing dragon flies while the
birds sang a song. I felt one with them all.
……………………….
Late evenings always saw me
out in the freezing cold. I would walk around in the garden, talk to the
creator and be lost in the tranquillity of the night. Later I would retire to
bed, fully intoxicated by sheer natural beauty and fall into deep slumber only
to be woken up by a new dawn………. I would think of…
The enchanting night
The stilled night,
The blossomed trees,
The mist white,
The turquoise seas.
The shimmering moon,
The cluster of
stars,
No sign of gloom,
Or drooping of
flowers.
The veil of darkness
disappears,
The sun’s face then
appears,
Good bye O’ Silence,
Your end has come at
last,
But please don’t forget
to come back fast.
-------------------------------------------
Many of my birthdays were celebrated in the
wilderness. One of them stands out in my mind. Close family and friends had
dinner around a fire at Lamb’s Rock. This was the highest point on a hill from
where one could see the sprawling plains below. The distant lights would be
flickering like the stars in the sky. A sight that will remain in one’s memory
forever. Then suddenly the moon came out and reminded me of its presence.
I had to write………
Night at Lamb’s Rock
In the still of the
night,
The moon shining
bright,
What a wonderful
sight,
God! Am I not right?
Pretty flowers in
rows,
Dance as the wind
blows,
The river passes by,
Rolling stones,
saying good bye.
The mountains so
high,
Nearly touching the
sky,
Water falls gushing
down,
Through gorges into
town.
The night
disappears,
The yellow light
then appears,
The black mountains
are clear,
Showing green trees
and dew tears.
………………………………..
One cloudy evening, I was walking back from
school. There was a smell of rain in the air. And then suddenly……
Rain
The clouds became
grey,
The wind howled,
there was thunder.
The country children
were gay,
The sun was still
shinning, what a wonder.
Suddenly the roads
were wet,
On my way the crowd
I met,
People running
helter skelter,
Looking for a little
shelter.
Hail stones fell on
the grass,
White against green,
what a contrast.
Slowly the mist was
on its rise,
From where? Only God
knows, it’s a surprise.
Then slowly the rain
stops,
The hail stones, now
they don’t drop,
The sun becomes
bright again,
Down the mountain
comes the train.
Time, in great speed
it goes,
The wet roads with
water flows,
‘Rain’ that valuable
name,
Throughout the ages
will remain in fame.
………………………………
Time was flying, and so was I. Transforming
from a larva into a butterfly. I was budding into a woman and yearning for the
other part of my existence. It didn’t take long for me to find my soulmate. I
was in love, madly in love and couldn’t bear to live without him. There were
times when he went on journeys and I was left alone. Each evening I would stare
out of the window hoping he would come home………
Melancholy
When the evenings
arrive, when
Darkness has power
over night,
I find myself all
alone,
I don’t think
everything is alright.
Off course
everything is not alright,
A part of me has
gone,
Gone to some distant
land,
Leaving me forlorn.
We are so close and
yet so far,
Why has distance
come between us?
Is it because as the
saying goes-
Yearning for your
love brings nearness.
Come back soon and
bring sunshine
Into this cloud
stricken life of mine.
So together, and
forever
We could share love
divine.
………………………………
I couldn’t lament anymore. After great
turmoil between the two families, we were united in wedlock. Our wedding took
place in a church on a sea shore. We spent the next few days just walking on the
sand, gathering intricately designed shells and listening to the roar of the
waves. It seemed like they were wishing us and pouring out their blessings on
us. We felt bliss. My emotions were stirred and I said to my love……
Spark of my life
You came into my
life like a spark
And kindled the fire
of my soul.
And now my heart is
set on fire,
And the flames of
passion and love are burning high.
Come taste the flame
of my passion and love
And get your soul
caught on fire too,
And we’ll both burn
wildly, madly kindling each other –
Until our souls
return to dust.
………………………………………..
Time went marching at a great pace, seasons
came and seasons went and in a twinkling of an eye, a year went by. We were
living on a plantation, a paradise on earth. I sat under coffee blossoms and
recalled memories of past years. Then I rushed home to my husband and said.....
Do you remember?
Do you remember the
day we climbed a hill and picked little yellow flowers?
Do you remember the
night we sat under trees and admired the stars?
Do you remember the
day we drove up a mound through bushes and trees?
Do you remember the
day we walked on the shore gathering shells, listening to the sea?
Do you remember the
day you bathed under a water fall and I looked on?
Do you remember the
day sitting outside our home munching corn?
Do you remember the
day we sat high on a rock and I rustled your curly hair?
Do you remember the
day we walked through woods and took in scented fresh air?
Do you remember the
day the sun shone bright, we went boating on the lake?
Do you remember the
nights you try to sleep and I telling tales keep you awake?
It’s great having
beautiful memories for me to recall……
It’s great having
you as my husband, I love you most of all.
-------------------------------
Our love for each other was as deep as the
sea. It expressed itself in two little beings. Two little sons that brought us
joy. They were the world to us and still are. Life wouldn’t be complete if not
for them. I thank God every single day for these precious gifts. Every new year
I would send them a wish……
Wishes from the heart
Dearest Franchen,
Tanu and Mark,
You three are the
spark that set my life ablaze,
With purpose,
meaning and praise.
You are precious
stones bright,
Embedded in my heart
so tight
May God bless and
protect you,
Now and the whole
year through.
May 1999 be divine,
Filled with joy and
sunshine!
…………………………………………………
Life has its ups and downs. The path could
get rough when time throws its challenges at us. When the going gets tough, the
tough get going and I was no exception. For all the joy and happiness that I
had experienced, equal measure of tribulations came my way. Family needs forced
me to separate myself from them and cross the seas to another land. I faced
great turmoil but mother nature taught me how to bend in the wind. Living in an
alien land, very often in pensive mood, I would contemplate our lives as
streams……….
Streams
A little stream was
joined by another.
They caused quite an
uproar but kept running along
Over hills and
dales, through gorges and over waterfalls-
Their lives were
full of ups and downs, but they blended with each other and became one.
They travelled along
with great force, polishing stones along the way, and giving life to those
along the edge.
It’s now past 24
years and many a time the stream nearly dried up.
But the creator
thought better and sent down showers of life
Giving momentum to
the little stream and helped it roll along.
Then one day it
branched again, flowing in two different directions to give other pastures
life.
Though separated,
they became one, are one and will continue to be one.
The life force
that’s in them is ONE
And so they will
join again and will flow together to eternity.
…………………………………..
Living away from my husband was the most
difficult part of my life. Difficult for him as well. In 24 years, we had not
spent a single day apart from each other. And now….living alone in a distant
land, I felt a part of me was non-existent. I tried reaching out to him in a
spiritual way. If nature and we were one, nothing could separate us. I wrote to
him………….
Waves from my heart
The waves from my
heart lash out to your soul-
Listen, and you’ll
hear the roar.
Thoughts from my
mind constantly flow towards you-
Listen, and you’ll
hear whispers of my love in the breeze.
Look into your
heart, and you’ll see me there- mingled with your life force.
If faith can move
mountains, then think of me and I’ll be there.
Distance can
separate the physical being. Can it separate the mind and spirit?
I’m with you every
second of your life, just perceive, and you’ll feel me. We are One.
…………………………………..
I had to immerse myself in my job to combat
the loneliness within. Oman was a beautiful country and the landscape was
breath taking. I had to motivate Omani children to appreciate their country and
ruler. I taught them a song………
A land by the sea
Our Sultan is just
and kind hearted,
Faithful to him we
shall be,
Shout out with joy
all you young children,
To God let us make
melody.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land to see, to see.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land by the sea.
The mountains, the
hills and the valleys,
The deserts, the
gorges and palm trees.
The flowers, the
fruits and the honey bees,
Such amazing things
to see.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land to see, to see.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land by the sea.
The wadis, the hot
springs and falajes,
The islands, the
ships and the seas.
The water falls, the
towns and the villages,
The forts, parks and
museums too.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land to see, to see.
Oman, Oman, a
wonderful land by the sea.
………………………………………….
Time flew by and letters and phone calls
bound us together. Then one day, I was informed that the son of our dear
friends had passed away. I was filled with sadness. He was only a few years
old, crippled and bed-ridden from birth. He couldn’t sit, walk or talk. Most
part of his life he spent in the arms of his mother and father. They showered
him with so much love. All he could do was smile and laugh to show them he was
happy. His death was devastating to them. I wrote them a letter expressing my
sympathies and a poem too………
Little hail stone
Little hail stone,
You fell from the
heavens,
And though for an
instant,
You filled our
hearts with joy
And melted away into
nothingness.
Your innocence,
purity and your very presence filled the void space in our lives.
Your remembrance
will be to time indefinite!
………………………………..
Holidays brought me back home. It was a time
to rejoice with family and friends. A time to glimpse into each other’s lives
and share experiences. Mother nature has
so much to offer. We just had to allow ourselves to be engulfed by her
beauty………
Light of the night
Bonfires and
barbecue dinners,
Saw many family
get-togethers,
We sat near a tree
one night,
And suddenly we were
filled with delight.
Hundreds of stars
covered the tree,
Twinkling like
diamonds, one was near me.
This was a marvel,
we were struck by awe,
We had never seen a
sight like this before.
What were they?
Close inspection revealed,
Tiny glow worms were
dancing with zeal.
They sparkled and
winked, and seemed to say,
We are the light of
the night, please let us stay.
……………………………………..
My mother land was calling me back. She said
you have had enough of foreign air. Come back and explore the land that gave
you birth. So in 2008 I returned back home. The noise, dust and pollution was
getting on my nerves. The very landscape of my town had changed. It had become
a concrete jungle. I just wanted to run away into the wild. Why was man
treating mother nature this way? How long will she be patient and bear the
atrocities committed against her? It didn’t take too long. In 2015 she was
enraged and poured out her wroth on the inhabitants of Chennai, a city in S.
India where I was living. This is what I witnessed………
Aftermath
Only pebbles lie on the road to tell the tale of what went by,
Bottles and shoes, kittens and mews.
Branches and leaves, tyres and trees,
Speeding cars, bikes and buses too,
Causing waves as high as you,
Shouts and screams, barks and caws,
Leave alone the buffaloes ......they walked along tall and strong,
Faces filled with arrogance , braving the raging waters.
For how long the heavens will cry,
We have to wait and contemplate.
……………………………….
Chennai suffered the
worst floods in ages. Concrete jungles had sprung up everywhere blocking the
natural water ways. Mother nature brought man to his knees because of his
foolishness. He brought calamity not only upon himself but upon other creatures
as well. They too paid the price for errors unknown to them. I was stirred to
write…….
I mourn for you
I mourn for you little puppy dog, washed away by floods,
Away from the warmth of your mother’s arms.
I mourn for you mortals with wings, no branch saves you from the torrents.
I mourn for you cattle on the roads, your bed has become a river.
And last but not least, I mourn for you O' man, where is your power?
You danced on the roads, cut down the trees, shooed away the birds
And chased away the dogs.
Now you stand alone marooned.
I mourn for you O' man who isn't part of the whole,
You know not empathy,
Wings, hooves and paws are better than you.
………………………………….
We are changing the landscape of our planet
which was so beautifully designed for us. We are stripping her naked and
inviting her fury. We are cutting down trees and limiting oxygen which is our
very life force. We are releasing carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons into
our atmosphere and destroying the ozone layer, a protective blanket that mother
nature encircled us with. We are changing forests into deserts and snow caped mountains
into bare towers. We are making the sea waters rise and swallow up our land. We
are filling up mother nature with so much plastic and choking her soul to the
core. We our inviting our own doom. How foolish can man be? We are killing
ourselves because we are ONE with nature.
Is there still hope? Will poets be able to eulogize the beauty of mother
nature in the future? Will there be anything left? I believe there will be.
Doesn’t she colour the sky with a rainbow after a storm? Doesn’t she give the clouds
a silver lining in the dark sky? Don’t cactus flowers bloom even in the desert.
Mother nature is a survivor. Black holes are healing and she knows how to
restore herself back to paradisiacal
conditions.
So
it’s up to us to return back to our mother. Like the prodigal son, we should
realize our folly, become conscious of our limitations and remember we are part
of her. If we run back to her, she will welcome us with open arms and drench us
with her beauty. Sunshine, crystal clear water, perfumed air, green meadows,
colourful flowers, butterflies, music of the birds and rivers will be our
abode. We just have to be One with her.
Reference:
Poetry collection of
William Words worth Robert Frost, Alfred
Lord Tennyson, P.B. Shelly and John Keats
