zen: a very short history by Raj Arumugam
dhyana went to China from China Ch’an went to Japan and Japan gave the world Zen Copyright ©: Raj Arumugam ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster — the multilingual library of poetic […]
you witness my dying by Raj Arumugam
you witness my dying by Raj Arumugam you witness my dying as you see my life, my hopes and desires and all my embarrassments and my achievements too, dear moon O quiet presence, O radiant presence all one’s life; and what do you look at these days in my life darling moon what do you […]
you say you love the earth by Raj Arumugam
you say you love the earth love the ocean but you don’t really do otherwise you wouldn’t have pissed poison in there; and even when you protest you do, you do you just love it for your own and so I’m taking it away from you you say you love the skies but do you […]
you are there moon by Raj Arumugam
you are there moon by Raj Arumugam you are there moon; I thought you were not and I went to sleep and I sighed: “She will not come, not tonight; she has some other lover”; and I went to sleep and then much later now I wake up and you’ve come, out there and your […]
word of God by Raj Arumugam
I never speak of God but people keep telling me about God and they keep telling me: This is the Word of God! Or they brandish a Book before me and they say: This is the Final Word of God! But I say: Look, I’ve just had a Revelation; God has just spoken to me; […]
women picking edible plants by Raj Arumugan
a little more haste, neighbor, as we pick edible plants on these slopes of the mountains; the air is fresh and the delicate plants abundant enough though one has to humble oneself by leaning down to these rare ones; we will bring them home and some we can eat fresh and raw and most we […]
what I want to know by Raj Arumugam
what I want to know what I’d really like to know before I drop down dead or crawl into amnesia or alzheimer’s or whatever; what I really want to know (if I can remember it; let me see if I can recall it, refresh please…. try and retrieve it from the backwaters of my mind) […]
what a poet must do by Raj Arumugam
a poet, it is said, must be pure and holy; a poet, it is decreed, must bring truth and clarity; a poet, it is declared, must use words good and sublime; a poet, it is said must choose subjects that are sanctioned and chaste like the moon and stars and butterflies and innocent creatures of […]
was it you, mooon? by Raj Arumugam
was it you, mooon? by Raj Arumugam cold moon I am sad; was it you, distant moon, who made me so tonight? Copyright ©: Raj Arumugam ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate repository of world poetry. Poetry Monster […]
walking with a staff by Raj Arumugam
walking with a staff by Raj Arumugam I did not want the courts and the life of the cities and I did not want the struggle but I did not leave – perhaps it was me that saw the tension but could not come into integrity and put the blame on duty, care and responsibility […]
The village girl models for the artist, 1904 by Raj Arumugam
You want me to talk, Sir? I’d relax and you can paint better, Sir? Maybe, Sir…maybe, but what shall I say, Sir? For I am not used to talking to important people like you, Sir… Why do you laugh, Sir? It is true, I’m just a girl from the village, Sir attending to Laxmi and […]
The Discovery of the Kama Sutra by Raj Arumugam
Part 1 At the Saint’s Book Store (Singapore, 1970) when I was just 15 and just after a trip to the National Library I saw a slim volume at the Saint’s Book Store (named after a TV series and true to the borrowed name, a second-hand book store) and its spine said: Kama Sutra Now […]
Taking yourself too seriously by Raj Arumugam
OK, granted, you got to take yourself seriously or no one will – but take yourself too seriously and you’re like a cracking statue about to crumble there’s too much really of people running around taking themselves too seriously pushing themselves forward putting their faces to the forefront almost pushing it against other people’s arses […]
Sohni and her love Mahinwal by Raj Arumugam
Sohni and her love Mahinwal by Raj Arumugam Sohni’s heart pines for Mahinwal for she loves him beyond all things earthly By day she paints flowers on the pots her father makes O Sohni’s heart is always filled with love And by night she swims across with a pot to help her float and she […]
sadness from the night by Raj Arumugam
sadness from the night by Raj Arumugam last night as the clouds spread thin breaking like long dry leaves long in the open there was a loneliness; last night as the street lights cast their glow on the walls and their fingertips touched my lips there was a sadness; last night as the cool wind […]
run home, run home butterfly by Raj Arumugam
run home, run home butterfly by Raj Arumugam run home run home butterfly; run run fly fly fly there’s rain and hail and the wind blows wild; what are you doing flitting idly by? run home run home butterfly; run run fly fly fly duck for cover excuse the expression; hide under a tree or […]
Rip van Winkle’s dream by Raj Arumugam
Rip van Winkle’s dream by Raj Arumugam I slept for twenty years comfortably below the tree up in the quiet mountains and all that time I lay in a sleep as deep as before I came to my mother’s womb and yes, I had dreams in those two decades of sleep – but no, I […]
Revenge of the Ghost of the Betrayed Husband by Raj Arumugam
Revenge of the Ghost of the Betrayed Husband by Raj Arumugam Heee! Heee! Hooooooo….. Well, Hello, lovebirds…making love are we? One on top of the other still with flesh and organs all intact and making all sorts of crude noises and getting into this messy business – getting your bed sticky and wet with sweat; […]
Poet Herodia of ancient Pincaeia by Raj Arumugam
Poet Herodia of ancient Pincaeia by Raj Arumugam one day the poet Herodia of ancient Pincaeia found in the garden a note thrown in over the wall: dear poet do not sing us of unpleasant things; do not make us think: sing us of love instead a poem about a kiss is far easier to […]
pissed-off cow by Raj Arumugam
pissed-off cow by Raj Arumugam What have you come to admire? says the cow you guys and gals stand around new to the farm you say ah, look at the horses (memories of horse races in the corners of your mind) you look at the lambs and you go soft and sweet; “Oh, how cute,” […]
on the edge of the seat by Raj Arumugam
on the edge of the seat by Raj Arumugam you’re not going are you today to the edge of your seat to the corners of insanity? to the corners at the cinema nearest the exit to run off when the demons come to sleep in the day below your bed so the rabbits cannot find […]
on our conditioning by Raj Arumugam
on our conditioning by Raj Arumugam there is no seeing, no clear seeing; we do not want to see… We rather have glasses with rainbow colors on them, so what we see is seen through them… Why see for oneself? it’s far easier far better, much more comfortable to get in a group and believe […]
Old Man Poet by Raj Arumugam
Old Man Poet by Raj Arumugam Poetry and poverty go together, the saying goes; this poem explores this bleak idea. The narrative is set in an ancient Chinese context. Old Man Poet you’ve grown a rich self while your body grows weary and your vision fades; all your friends Old Man Poet have hoarded silver […]
oh no – not another love poem! by Raj Arumugam
oh no – not another love poem! by Raj Arumugam poem after poem at online poetry sites you find is another love poem Oh Susi your eyes are like fire and my heart is hot for your touch OK, fair enough everybody falls in love and we got to keep the human race pumping OK, […]
of spiritual matters by Raj Arumugam
of spiritual matters by Raj Arumugam and now, most dignified Gentlemen and most cultured Ladies – it is time to turn our attention to loftier matters, to speak of the spirit rather than of mundane concerns and to be stuck in unimaginative and non-inspiring habits; and so we turn our attention to the spirits to […]
Number 1 by Raj Arumugam
Number 1 by Raj Arumugam 1 two days ago we argued about food and my sweetheart she moved out; she picked up her pillow and she slept in the next room 2 the next morning we joked and laughed as if nothing had happened but in the evening we argued over her phone bills and […]
nonsense verse by Raj Arumugam
nonsense verse by Raj Arumugam I told my mind (using the principles of creative bidding): “All right; let’s two write some nonsense verse O Mind of mine, be silent awhile and draw from the deepest recesses of your profundity some short nonsense verse” and the Mind answered with desperate urgency: “But what have we been […]
no ambition for eternity by Raj Arumugam
no ambition for eternity by Raj Arumugam you know that little bird that’s on the tree and sings when it wants to and then just sits just looking about? you’ve seen that thin cloud in the vast clear blue sky that little wisp of cotton that seems so aimless and so pointless? have you seen […]
Nature’s song for the children by Raj Arumugam
Nature’s song for the children by Raj Arumugam 1 stand up, children stand up and wipe those tears; smile and laugh in your love of the fields and the stars smile and laugh little darlings; smile and laugh in your love of the birds and trees and the streams and the creatures of the earth […]
Nasrudin’s donkey eats poetry by Raj Arumugam
Nasrudin looks in the magic mirror that allows him to peep into the future and he sees many marvelous poems in cyberspace. So Nasrudin calls his donkey and he says to the donkey: See, donkey – there are so many marvelous poems in cyberspace. They are beautiful poems. But Nasrudin’s donkey says: Ah what’s the […]
Mummy, mummy who invented school? by Raj Arumugam
Mummy, mummy who invented school? by Raj Arumugam mummy, mummy, who invented school? oh, sweetheart, what a clever girl you are; why don’t you tell me first who you think invented school? I think, mummy, school must have been invented it must be by people like old grumpy Uncle Grim next door; and the grouchy […]
Mum and children in the street by Raj Arumugam
give my children O most noble Sirs a means to a life; give them hope, Sirs and let them smile give my children O most esteemed Sirs a way to dignity and respect; give the young and innocent the will, a skill, and strength with your wealth, Sirs set up schools that the poor may […]
Mr Anonymous, a life by Raj Arumugam
Mr Anonymous, a life by Raj Arumugam Oedipus man you’re not done worlds move in and out and meaning is undone; and the Sphinx says it’s your mommy and daddy and this time you can never unravel the riddle the woman dad sleeps with is not his wife and his wife is not your mom […]
Moon poems by Raj Arumugam
Moon poems by Raj Arumugam 1 five moons for earth sometimes I wish dear moon sometimes I wish the earth had five moons and all so positioned we can see one every night and then in twos and in threes never four (just so for mystery’s sake) and then all five all in perfect alignment […]
Moon, I hear you are moving away by Raj Arumugam
Moon, I hear you are moving away by Raj Arumugam Moon, I hear you are moving away Why moon, are you moving away? Don’t you like your neighbors earth so blue and green and earthlings so adorable? Did you not come so near to get to know your neighbors? why then are you moving, moon? […]
minding love by Raj Arumugam
minding love by Raj Arumugam but when we are not there in the space circumstances bring us together and we are away, separate as we came to this earth, you are but spirit to me, it appears; though the body and the image and your mannerisms are there in my mind and if I clutch […]
message from the sun by Raj Arumugam
message from the sun by Raj Arumugam I lie asleep and you send in beams of messengers each with the same warm words: ‘Hey, lazybones – wakie! wakie!’ Copyright ©: Raj Arumugam ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and subject. Poetry Monster — the ultimate […]
may each find the peace within by Raj Arumugam
may each find the peace within by Raj Arumugam may each find the peace within and may each see the stillness as love embraces one; let the peace fill all hearts; let the quiet embrace nurture the life within the mind and one’s being and may one’s love flow with no preference and embrace all; […]
M for Man, Money and Moon by Raj Arumugam
M for Man, Money and Moon by Raj Arumugam M for moon M for Man M for Money; and at last Man has seen the moonlight and now they know Man can make Money out of the Moon ————— The End And that’s the End of the Poem © Poetry Monster, 2021. Poems by topic and […]
lovers in nature by Raj Arumugam
lovers in nature by Raj Arumugam sweet love come gentle love we’ll stand before the altar of flowers that bloom on the arms of trees and with the fish in the embracing lake; and moss and soft grass on the ground and clouds kissed by the benign sun we’ll have our hands tied with vines […]