Talisman Poem by anujan raja

Talisman

THE TALISMAN

.
आपदां अपहर्तारं
दातारं सर्व संपदं
लोकाभिरामं श्रीरामं
भूयो भूयो नमाम्यहम्


I prostrate Thee, again and yet again
O God. who delights the entire world.


The soft murmur of the chant faded
As I stepp'd down the stone steps
The fragrance of the tulsi* leaves
Lingered still in my nose,
The tall lean figure at the big patippura#,
Still watched, I was sure
I didn't need to look back.

Over mountains and lakes
Over rivers and oceans
Over deserts and oases
Over valleys and forests
Over cities and villages,
I travel, I travel,
Seeking riches, seeking power
The soft chanting I hear
Breathe the faint aroma of tulsi leaves
And see the lone, lean figure
Watching me and blessing me
Austere, clad in kavi **apparel-
The talisman takes care,
I feel safe, I meet success.

The big question marks,
Hoods of serpents raised to strike
The exclamation marks,
Jeering, mocking
Loom to baffle
And exasperate
Till one goes mad.
They straighten out
Some magic spell cast
To avert accidents and mishaps
To ease the strains,
The tensions and excitement
When the minds clash
In the sombre boardrooms
To catch the evasive decisions-
The talisman takes care
I emerge the victor
I feel safe, I meet success.


The soft chanting I hear
Breathe the faint aroma of tulsi leaves
The austere kavi-clad figure

The talisman.


*tulsi—Holy Basil Plant with aromatic leaves, used for pooja in Hindu temples
#patippura—The big portal of an ancestral home in the state of Kerala, India
**kavi—Ochre coloured robes traditionally worn by ascetics in India.

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