The Funeral

I could sense, the overwhelming scent,

From the burning of the camphor;

The white fumes that blanketed the room

Rising from the agarbattis;

The garland that made my body heavy,

The fire from the lamp that raised the mercury,

And here I was, dressed up in a new cloth,

With all elegance, like never before.

There were a flock of people all around,

But a few ones with wet eyes.

I wondered was it for my wings that got cut

Or for my flight that is all over.

But nevertheless, I felt this moment

The most remarkable event of my life.

And then, it was time,

To bid adieu to everything I loved

So passionately all this while

And embrace a new life.

Now here I live, buried in forever,

With all my dreams, aspirations and lust,

Turning for a little space,

In this beautiful coffin of mine.

- Vineeth Mohandas

A Wish

I wish to fly
Like a bird in the sky
Which knows no boundaries
Drawn by men in their mind.
I wish to flow
Like water in the river
Which has no ambition but only
The free spirit of life.
I wish to make love
like animals in the wild
Not bounded with pseudo
Rules of 'civilised' life.
I wish to sleep
Under the stars in the night sky
With no fear of tomorrow,
Of love, sin, death,
Or success of any kind.
I wish I was this cold breeze
Wafting through the lonely space
Foundling everything it passes by
Leaving no memories
But just a smile
And vanish into the eternal sky
As if I never existed
At any point in time.

- Vineeth Mohandas

सफ़र

वो एक सफ़र था
यादों की बारात लेके
दिल के ज़ख़्म में खून की नमी लेके
आँखों के प्यालों में आसुओं का सागर लिए
मरहम की तलाश में तडपती गिड़गीडाती
नशे में भी जो सो ना पाती
वक़्त की बहाव ने वो ज़ख़्म जब मिटाया
खुदा को फिर से एक मज़े की सोच आई
एक दिल रूबा को फिर से मेरे दिल में बसाया
और हस्ते हस्ते ही दिल में तलवार घुसा दी
बहने को अब ना था दिल में लहू
रोने को अब ना थे आँखों में आँसू
बस रह गए ज़हन में काँटे यादो के
और फिर तलाश में निकले है हम
उस जादूई मरहम की
दुनिया बुलाए हुमको पागल आवारा
मगर हो गये है हमको अब
मोहब्बत मेरी सफ़र से यारा

- विनीत मोहनदास

तन्हाईया

गीला गीला सा यह समाँ

गीली पत्तियाँ, गुलाबों की कलियाँ

उसमे घनी घनी सी यह तनहाईयाँ

जो कह रही है कि तुम नही हो यहाँ

बेबस सी लगे मुझे

अपनी दिल की बेचैनियाँ

ढूँढ रही है यह नज़रें की

तुम हो कहाँ

एक फरिश्ते की तरह मेरी ज़िन्दगी में आई

बिजली सी एक रोशनी बिखराई

ग़ालिब के शायरों को मेरे होटों तक लाई

और इस नाचीज़ को भी शायर बना गयी

प्यार एक एहसास है जो

छोटे लम्हों की तखलीक है

उन लम्हों को तुम जीलो ज़रा

ना होगा अफ़सोस मौत का भी यारा

- विनीत मोहनदास

एक शायरी

दिल में एक राज़ था
जो होटों तक आया नही
नज़रों से बातें करती थी
लफ़्ज़ों के सहारे नही
जिस के इन्तज़ार में
तमाम-ए-उम्र बीत गई
आख़िर जब वह नज़र आई तो
हम गुलाम किसी ओर के हो गये

- विनीत मोहनदास

Ente Pranayangal (My Love Affairs)

(If you encounter any problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font in your system)

Fsâ {]Wb§Ä,

F³ A´cmßmhn³ Cê«dIfn FhnsStbm

Hê t\À¯ ioebm Rm³

Hfn¸n¨psh¨ clky NpêfpIÄ.

Fsâ {]Wbw, \n\ç am{Xw F³ {]ntb

Fì sNmÃn Rm³ {]Wbn¨

F³ {]Wbn\nIfpsS apJ§Ä,

HmÀçì Cì Rm³ Hê an¶Â ]nWÀt]mse.

Rm³ Hê ]pêjs\¶mZyadnª

\mfpIfnset¶m AdnbmsX kv]Àin¨

arZp hncepIfn³ DSabmw

F³ _meyImekJnsbtbm,

AsXm, agbm Cud\Wnª

hkv{X ioeIfvçÅn Rm³ I­ണ്ട

\\hmÀ¶ \m`nçSabmw

F³ Kpê\mYsbtbm;

kncIfn \nWwXnfíp¶ {]mb¯nÂ

Xs¶ F\n¡mbn kaÀ¸n¨

aqVbmw B I\yIsbtbm,

AsXm, Hê hymgh«Imew Fs¶

{`m´ambn tamln¸n¨ns«mSphnÂ

Hê thZ\am{Xw _m¡nbm¡n

asämêht\msSm¸w DÃkn¡m³ t]mb

sIm¨panSp¡¯nsbtbm;

{]Wbn¨Xmtc CXn Rm³, AdnbnÃ;

AsXm {]Wbw Fs´¶dnbm¯

shdpw auVyamw N]eXIÄ am{Xtam

Fsâ A\izcamw {]WbKmYIÄ, AdnbnÃ.

amdnadnª apJ§tfm ]ns¶bpw

amdmsX ]n´pSê¶ HmÀ½Itfm

GXmé F³ {]Wb¯n³

_m¡n]{X§Ä, AdnbnÃ.

Ime§Ä amdn EXp t`Z§Ä h¶n«pw,

Iman\nbmbn Hê ]pWyhXnsb ]cnWbn¨n«pw,

{]Wb¯nsâ \nÀhN\sas´¶dnbmsX

Aebpì Rm³ വീണ്ടും 

{]Wbnçhmëw {]Wbn¡s¸Smëambn tamln¨p

s]êagbnteI\mb _mesâ

hndíp¶ ta\nbpw ]nSíp¶ s\©pambn

asämê {]Wb¯n³ kXymt\zjW ]co£Whpambn.

---hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

Oru Naal Varum (A Day Will Come)

(If you encounter any problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font in your system)

Hê \mÄ hêw

വീണ്ടും a\Xmcn ]pXpaeêIÄ hncnbpw

eXIÄ ]Sêw

InfnIÄ വീണ്ടും a[pKoX§Ä ]mSpw

Aì Hê æfnÀsX¶Â

\n³ ImXn a{´nçw

hncnbmsX t]msbmê

]\n\oÀ ]qhn³ IY

Hê am{X Aì \o

hgnbn hoé Zf§Ä sImgnsªmcm

kvt\l]pjv]s¯ HmÀ¯mÂ

AdnbpI, Zqsc Hê CêÄadbnÂ

PohnXhoYnX³ kmbmÓXnÂ

\nev¸q Rm³ \ns¶bpw Im¯p

Hêh«w IqSn \n³ aSnbn XeNmbn¨v

Hê ZoÀL \n{Zsb ]pevæhm\mbn

þ hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

Alone in the Rain

My life is shutting down in front of my eyes
And I stand like a boy, lost in the rains,
Chilled, Lonely and Frightened.
It was a tempest of life that came without a call
Destroying all that I knew as my own
Without mercy or an iota of love.
My life that was King size,
My beloveds, the pillars of my life;
The ego that gave me face,
And the greed that led to my disgrace;
All swept and flushed away,
Within the blink of my eyes,
And I looked like a fool of destiny
An actor on stage without a script.
Behind these bars life is so dark,
Just Me, my confessions,
And repentance for company.
Outside these walls will the storm ever die?
Will the birds ever sing again the songs of glee?
Will a new dawn ever come with the rays of hope?
Or will it all end in my silence
That lies at the mercy of this rope.

- Vineeth Mohandas
(Dedicated to S.Sreesanth, Indian Cricketer and all others who ruin their life chasing their greed)

Marikkunnu Manasakshi (Dying Consciousness)

(If you encounter any problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font in your system)

acnçì.. a\km£n

lm Iãw, CXp F´p arKobw

lrZbsas¶m¶nÃm¯,

kvs\lw Fs´¶dnbm¯,

GtXm Im«mf·mÀ sNbvX ImS¯w.

C{X Iãsam

Hê Aå {]mWnbmw aëjysâ 

{]mW³ FSpçhm³?

A³]s¯mì IjvW§fmbn

sh«nëdps¡Wtam

Hê Cfw Imän sImgnbp¶

Zfw Cdpçhm³?

sh«nbXp A³]sXmì XhW,

Hê aëjy PS¯nt·Â AÃ,

Cs¸mÄ Xé¯p achn¨p \nevçw

aqIkm£nbmw F³ a\km£nçtaÂ.

Pohn¡Ww \mw F´në C§s\

sImÃphmëw ]ns¶ sImÃs¸Smëamtbm?

Xfw sI«n \nevçw B cà¯nep­W­v­v­vS­v

GtXm Hê A½X³ ape]mensâ KÔw.

Du«nbXp F´në B A½

X³ tNmc B æªns\

Hê \mÄ Hê cm{XnbnÂ

GtXm \KchoYnX³ sNfnæW­v­v­vS­­­­nÂ

Ne\a« PS¯n\cnInÂ

Xfw sI«n InSçhmt\m?

hknçì ssZhhpw sNæ¯mëw,

thsd§paà F³ DÅn Xs¶.

\·IÄ acn¨ \nW¯n æXnÀ¶

Cu cm{XnbnÂ,

ssZhw Icbpì, sN毳 Nncnçì.

F¦nepw Im¯ncn¸q Rm³,

\·X³ shÅntaL§Ä¡mbn,

{]Imiw hnXdpsamê ]pecn¡mbn.

Imétam B DjÊp

Rm³ F³ I®pIfmÂ,

AtXm FcntªmSp§oSptam Rmëw

asämê Acnhmfn³ ap\bmÂ.

hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

Kaathirippu (The Long Wait)

(If you encounter any problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font in your system)

Im¯ncn¸v

I®p\oÀ XpÅnbmbv Hgpæì

F³ \b\§fn \nìw

s\©n I\embn I¯p¶ HÀ½IÄ

Hê am{X ]dbmsX AIepì 

PohnXXn³ ]cnlmksa¶s]mÂ

HÀaabn Hcn¡epw acn¡m¯ apJ§Ä

]ns¶bpw a\ÊnÂ

Hê Icn´ncn \mfw s]mÂ

]pIbpì æät_m[Xn³ sN¦\Â..

lm.. ibn¡®w C\nbpw

F{XImew Rm³ Cu ici¿bnÂ

asämê Z£n®mb\¯n³ ]pecn¡mbn...

þ hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

The Eternal Kiss

The hour is so freezing cold
Yet my heart is on fire
With no one close by
To feel its heat
With no one near by
To see it burn.
I wish one day
Out from the Saffron sky
Will come someone
To my deserted life
Who will Kiss me
As long as my loneliness
As intense as my agony
And take me to the world
Of Eternal Life.

- Vineeth Mohandas

 

Life, A Celebration of Being Alive

What a moment it was

A moment of revelation

When I got to know

With my each and every breath

That I'm getting closer

And closer to my death.

With the passing of moment

With the ticking of the time

I got to know more closely

More vividly, my Life.

Strange, yet so real

Confusing, yet exciting

And what a thriller is its climax

The silent, uninvited Death.

The point of realization

The moment of truth

When all that was thought real

Starts mocking at you

The grief and the lust

The struts and the frets

The love that went unseen

In the ego blindness

All my truth

Was nothing but a mirage.

Now I realize

How far was the haven.

Why this despair, why the agony

Why this quagmire that’s so funny

When the moments are passing

And the time is ticking

Life should be a celebration

A celebration of being alive.

- Vineeth Mohandas

The Voice, Unknown

Once in my sleep

I heard a gently voice

Cold like a breeze, soft like a flower

Echoing like thunder

Accompanied by lightening

That woke me up

From the long hibernation of mine

It said to me you have long way to go

And my doubtful mind asked where to go.

It said to me there is lot to be done

I wondered what’s there left for me to be done.

The gentle voice then said to me

 “Dear, that is what you got to find.

The mission for which you are born”

Saying thus it faded out

I saw a dawn in the shut eyes of mine

With the eternal Sun shining in its sky

It left me awakened

For the endless time to come

Searching for the truth

Of my existence and the world around.

-          Vineeth Mohandas

Oru Virahageetham (A Song of Melancholy)

(If you encounter any problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font in your system)

hnclapWêwt¼mÄ

hn[nX³ t\mhp]mSpì

CSdpw IWvTv¯n 

timIKwK Hgpæì

C¶o NSpeXmÞh \S\amSpw

a\kp tIgpì

Uaê sIm«pw lrZb Xmfhpw

inYneamhpì

Dêæao s\©nse

]nSbpao Np­nse

timI Km\XncIfn BSnbpebpw

{]]©inåv]nIsf

\nsâ hn[nX³ {IpcIc§fn\nbpw

im´amItbm

Cêfpao kÔybnÂ

adbpao hoYnbnÂ

Zn¡dnbmXpgdpw Rm³

Hê hn[nX³ tImacsam

I\embn s\©n I¯nsbcnbpw

{]nbkJnX³ s]mbvapJtam

hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

The above poem was published in Malayalam Online Magazine www.kanikkonna.com on 17 January, 2011.

Ente Rodanam (My Cry)

(If you encounter problems in reading the following text, kindly download and install 'ML-TTKarthika' font to your system)

GIm¦amw Hê \mSI¯në Cì

Imew ædns¨mcm Xncioe hogpIbmbv

hêhm\nà BêwXs¶ Iq«n\mbv Cs¶³ IqsS

Rm³ BSnXnanÀ¯ thj§fpw,

B«lk§fpw, tcmZ\§fpw, IctLmj§fpw

\ndbpw Cu hoYntbm C¶nXm

ivaim\w s]m aqIw, im´w.

Gs¶ apebq«n hfÀ¯nb A½ípw

Gs¶ kvt\ln¨p emfn¨ tkmZcnçw

]ns¶ Im¯p kq£nsNmê I\yImXzhpw

G\nç am{Xambv \ÂInb F³ t{]bknçw

\ÂIm¯ kvt\lw Rm³ \ÂIn kvt\ln¨ Fs¶

Cì Rm³ ssIhnSpì

Fcnbp¶ A\esâ Ic\mf§Ä¡v DffnÂ

Ahë `£n¸m\mbpÅ t`mP\ambn.

Imeta \nsâ angnIÄç ap¶nÂ

Dêæì F³ tZlhpw, KÀÆhpw

Hê lnaIWw t]mse

F¦nepw ]ns¶bpw DêImsX _m¡nbmbv

Fsâ Rm³ F¶ t_m[hpw

æXdn ]nSípì, Aebpì

{]]© hoYnIfneqsSmcnäp

{]mWizmk¯n\mbv.

hn\oXv taml³Zmkv

The above poem was published in Malayalam Online Magazine www.kanikkonna.com on 08 November, 2010.

I Wish to be a Child; All Life

I wish I had remained

A child all Life

Not knowing what

This world is outside.

I never knew

What it meant to be

A Hindu, Dalit, Buddha or Jain.

I never knew

What it meant to be

A Christian, Islam, Sikh or Jew.

For me Christmas was the time

To get gifts from Santa

Diwali was the time

To burst crackers and have halwa

 Eid was the time to have

Biriyani and Sarbath

And it was fun, full of life

I wish I had remained

A child all life.

I used to smile and smile all time

Never knew there were

Occasions to smile

Now when I see my smile in a mirror

I wonder where I lost it

And got this wrong one there

Now when I think of

My marriage and children

I first think whether my spouse

Is my caste and religion

Going for a job or for studies

I think more of

The reservation I enjoy

Days of Joy I would never see again

It’s the life of separation

Looming large and again

In the midst

Of all impossibilities of life

I wished I had remained

A child all life

Not knowing what

This world is outside.

- VINEETH MOHANDAS

Being In India, I have No Complaints

Being in India, I have learnt
To live with No Complaints.

In the weakest of the breeze,
Or in a drizzle
When the power goes off
I have learnt to lite a candle
And live hours in sweaty solitude.
Taking it as an excuse
To skip my studies
And to live with no complaints.

During the monsoons
While driving down the road
Gives the nostalgic experience
Of the ponycab ride
Jumping to the skies, hitting the roof
And crash landing back on couch
I have learnt to take it as a ride game
And to live with no complaints.

When two rupees egg
Becomes three rupees over night
Because the hens
Have refused to lay eggs
During the pouring rains
I have learnt to drop my wish
Of having an Omelette
And to live with no complaints.

When a case
Filed by my Grandfather
Sees the light
Five years after his death
I have learnt to remember the saying
'Better late than never'
And to live with no complaints.

When my Minister does a small scam
For his 3 time food a day
I have learnt to say 'Oh its Politics,
Everyone does. Let him also live.
After all its just 170000 crores'.
Being in India, I have learnt
To live with No Complaints.

I know the truth
Yes I am selfish
And I am the root cause
Of all this
But Hey I wont admit
And I dont want the blame
So Being in India, I have learnt
To live with No Complaints.

- VINEETH MOHANDAS

शायरियाँ

कह दिया होता तुम अमानत है किसी और के
तो की नही होती हम मूहोब्बत इतनी आप से
अब कहने से भी क्या है फ़ायदा
लहू जो निकाली है आप ने हमारे दिल से

- विनीत मोहनदास

एक चाँद को चाहा था हम ने 
और नूर उसकी अपने आँखों मे बसाया था
मगर हमे था क्या पता
वह था पहले से आस्मान के बाहोमें

- विनीत मोहनदास

मरने केलिए हम है
तो कोई दूसरा मारे क्यों
मिटने केलिए हम है
तो कोई दूसरा मिटे क्यों
प्यार करने की जुरत की थी
मेरे इस कम्बक्त दिल ने
उसकी साज़ा दूसरों को भूकतना क्यों
क्या ज़ख़्म दिया था उसने
एक ही वार से
फिर रोते रोते भी यह दिल
उसका नाम लेता है क्यों

- विनीत मोहनदास

प्यार होते है क्या यह हमसे पूछो
दर्द होते है क्या यह हमसे पूछो
बहुत दुकता है यह दिल जब बिछूड़ते है वो
अब यह दर्द सहे कैसे यह हमसे पूछो

- विनीत मोहनदास

At the Crossroads of Life

Standing at the crossroads of life

Not knowing which way to go

I stood with a sigh

Watching the twilight.

Then an angel came on her car

Stopped by me and gave a smile

Showed me the way ahead

And told me to where it leads.

She got back to her car and drove away

With a tiny glitter in her eyes.

I walked forward, turned to my right

And then to my left

Saw all the paths that could lead me

To somewhere.

I turned behind

And saw her car going

Then I realized that I have found

The path that leads to my destiny.

- Vineeth Mohandas
(Inspired from the climax of the movie 'Cast away')

ENLIGHTENMENT, at last!

Watching the streets outside, which seems

Running into the infinity,

I lay on my bed near the window,

Enjoying the cold breeze wafting in,

Fondling my wrinkles, gifted by time.

Today the street is deserted where

Once with tiny legs I learned to walk.

Later I walked with the Giants;

Conquering everything before me

Destroying everything that resisted me.

I had, at last, an empire of mine

Which I ruled with a raised sword.

World called me Champion,

History called me Great and to myself

I was greater than the great.

But those hands that conquered the world,

Failed to win the battle with time,

When my sword proved heavier for my hands,

I had to leave that throne and crown

And find asylum in this godown.

Now I see dust rising again,

Drums beating, a battle again

O young men, please lend your ears,

Its not me but the history speaking

When you fight hard to build an empire

Remember no empire has lasted forever.

I know you won’t hear me, as I didn’t

But one day you will know it, as I did.

And now when my spirit is struggling

To leave this world and its hardships,

My destiny still whispers to me cruelly

The time is not yet… Not Yet!

 - Vineeth Mohandas