Friday, January 16, 2015

The Hunt

Unicorn seal from Harappa- The image is taken from columbia.edu

All eyes turn to the seal,
Secrets of a lifetime they conceal.
Beyond the weathered stone,
A shadow of a creature unknown.
Scamper it did at the speed of light,
A glimpse and then just out of sight.

That night, the men again did try,
At the King's behest, they followed its cry.
Onward they rode, chasing its hooves
As it leapt across the sinuous grooves.

It thrashed its hooves as it fled,
A pointed horn towered above its head.
It sliced the thorny trees as it raced,
The men dared not to return red-faced.

The Captain roared for them to split,
"Corner it so that he be compelled to submit!"
He lead a group down another way
And soon they heard an angry neigh.

The clouds clapped as they eyed the chase,
The night began to wear a blanket of haze.
A scent of a rainstorm lingered about,
"Speed up or its gone!", he furiously did shout.
The Captain grimaced, his horse he lashed
Crack of thunder, a lightning flashed.

The Captain reeled his horse the other way,
The fear began to have its sway.
He called for his men to retreat instantly,
He lead the men as they tried to flee.

Another flash of lightning struck the skies,
The men could not believe their eyes.
Black as night, white as light,
Red as blood, the unicorns prepared to fight.
The sound of hooves grew close,
Trapped were they by a hunt they chose.


About the post: I thought about this when I happened to read about unicorns. The Indus Valley seals depict a one horned creature that resembles a unicorn. I was pleasantly surprised to know that their origin can thus be traced to India. Ancient Greek accounts also discuss the legendary one horned creature, unicorn, which has long been a famous subject of European folklore and a favorite of Renaissance art and lore.  


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Haiku - Food for thought



A stain that shan't fade
Their blood, that never shall dry
Can art ever die?

The hut is silent
The scent of gunpowder is strong
They throng at the morgue.

They eye him ominously
He fights the names and their games
Burning in the raging flames.

They fight, they argue
Quick to blame, to point fingers
For fear still lingers.

Her lips, they quivered
Outstretched hands as she shivered
Despair delivered.

A cold winter night
Cold pavement, they huddle tight
Man and dog in plight.

Dull and dreary day
-Hot tea steals me away
From thoughts of dismay.


About the post: This post is reminiscent of my thoughts around the recent events of the day and the season.  Would've loved to start the year with a cheerful blog post but I'm not exactly feeling any cheer right now. Tough times for humanity across the world, we need to stay strong.