Be cautious, bard
Surendra Nagaraju: Poem ‘Be cautious bard’
Words are babies;
They are precious like delicate dames
never exposed to the sun.
Words are infants sleeping
on beds of parchments.
Would not a poet be gratified if he placed
word babies in a book-cradle and rocks it?
Is not vocabulary more precious
than the treasure beneath the ground?
Aren’t words pure like innocent young girls
and snow-drenched jasmines?
Some words are very white;
they get smudged even when touched lightly
Others are too delicate;
burst even if held gently.
O bard,
Arranging words in lines
shouldn’t become a crucifixion
Careless use of inapt words is akin to
assaulting guileless, ill-fated syllables.
When propriety eludes,
even novelty cannot win applause.
Passing errors in the veil of charisma
equals rendering a pretty painting ugly.
Words are like babies;
Be cautious, O bard.
(Self-rendering of my Telugu poem titled ‘Padilam Kavee, Padaalu Padilam’)
