| RIVER FLOWS malathi nidadavolu * The river flows Like a thousand-hooded cobra Uncoiling In a sly, sensuous oscillation Like an archetypal danseuse In a dazzling finale, Full of zest and splendor, The river flows. The river flows. And moves on as she flows. The river flows And moves on I gaze in amazement As she bursts through The caverns on the hilltops Like A towering inferno Devouring space, Or, a raging bull Charging his opponent, Hungry lion Pouncing on its prey, The river flows Rolling down the mountain slopes Stomping on the rocks Tumbling over the boulders Like an expert juggler on a rope. The river flows. And Stops for a moment As if Gasping for breath Or, To size up With a touch of disdain, The transient lives, The lost souls of animate things, Their hopes, Fears, frustrations, Anger and avarice, Petty jealousies, Foolish clinging To insignificant things And Thousand shades of Empty aspirations. The river flows. The river flows Stealing my heart With her imperious gestures, Like a seasoned dancer, Following her own course, Carrying the tender souls In her arms To the unknown shores As she flows. I wonder... Does she feel the things She holds In her luring heart The things She collects In time and tide And Leaves behind As she moves on? Does she feel The umpteen silly objects She is forced to contain, Paper boats, Broken hearts, Flower bouquet, The holy dip, Seashells on the riverbeds, The dirty feet, The human waste, The spit, Dead bodies, The moss, Motorboats Tearing her guts, Crocodiles glutting Over the half-decomposed bodies, Little fish Fighting for their lives The River flows. The river flows Moving in a stately defiance Of the mean structures Men construct, Poking steel, Pouring concrete, Desecrating the pious waters In a desperate attempt to curb Her invincible waters The river flows Following her own course. Enraged by their arrogance, The river Bursts forth into a Ravishing outpour Of fury, Shattering The dams and bridges The mean structures men built And their dwellings, In one clean sweep As if Breaking ground For a new order, As if challenging Their inadequacies, And Proving Her own strength Beauty And integrity. As if Staging the fiery Cosmic Dance Of Nataraj. I sit there on the shore And wonder.. Is she aware of the bond Between her apparently Unfathomable flow And the complex lives of the myriads on the banks? The mankind conglomerate Replete with Mothers, daughters Fathers and sons, Polluted with Politics, power And money, Electric lights Engulfed by Low life, And, Where, Scholarship has failed Human decency, And turned into a market commodity And sold at discount price She flows quietly, Like a royal gamut Untouched by the failures Of mankind As I sit there, Listening To the murmurs of the Million little ripples, Hitting the rocks on the shores, Melodious to the beat, I wonder. Is She, Unaware, unobtrusive, Unattached, indifferent, Intent on pursuing Only her own course? The river enters the plateau In a noble stride Reciting Vedic chants Propping up the drooping spirits Embracing the dismal creatures And unfolding universal harmony. As she flows Touching myriad souls Lighting up thousands of hearts, Splashing the colors of rainbow Holding up her generous heart To the dark clouds, The river flows Graciously, Basking in her own lustrous spirit, And murmuring rhythmic notes. The river flows. The river Flows like an ageless dancer Imparting the wisdom of centuries The mettle of a divine warrior And the aura of an empress, The river flows... The River And the Life Entwined in one Intricate bond Each An intrinsic part Of the other... The river flows. And As the river flows Life goes on. * (Written for Dr. Parul Shah for a bharatanatyam performance in the Lathrop Hall Theater, UW-Madison on March 20, 1998. Dr. Parul Shah is a professor of Dance at Baroda University, Baroda, India. --Malathi Niadavolu. 3/3/98) |