From: srsurapa@mtu.edu (Surapanani)
Subject: Kurukshetra - A Poem
Organization: Michigan Technological University
Date: Fri, 25 Dec 1992 05:32:03 GMT

              Kurukshetra

   Fascination and adventure
      has lured me away from the
      land of holy cows and magic fakirs
      to the land of green pastures
      wherein I graze on
      unmindful and uncaring
      the hardships of rest of my brethren
      with occasional pangs of haunted memories
      and patriotic ruminations

   Occasionally I wander
      through the battlegrounds of SCI
      watching and wondering on
      the several warring factions
      waging the games of war
      with friends and foes alike
      matching their wits
      one against the other

    The battles on religion ranging
      from mandir to masjid
      bahai to islam
      brahmin to sudra
      sunni, suffi and sikh
      make me sick
      but the succor never comes
      to spit it out

    And there are battles on homelands
      from the lions of punjab
      to the tigers of tamil
      crying and craving for
      khalistan or eelam
      one more bitter than the other
      for reasons unknown to them
      and which they cannot comprehend

    Then the battles wage on sex
      with the MCP's on one side
      and the feminists on the other
      sharpening their cudgels
      to stab one another

    Then the battles of Bengal tiger
      short tempered and irrational
      taking on naxalbaris and commies
      paki's and bangladeshi's alike
      with no compassion for norms of decency

    Once in a while the wars waged by the bulls
      stoop so low, that they claim
      the Tajmahal to be Tejo-Mahalaya
      and little do they realize
      that temple or tomb
      in our heart of hearts
      Tajmahal will always be
      a "Temple of love"

    The wars wage on dharma and karma
      ranging from santhan dharma to yoga
      from vedas to upanishids
      from Bhagwat gita to Quran
      from testament old to new
      from teachings of Swami Vivekananda 
      to Subramanya Bharathi
      from Adi Sankara Puri Yangal to Kural
      make my mind reel in circles

    Then the language wars on jokes
      from Ajeet and Mona
      to Raabert and Sona
      to undeciphered tamil jargons
      makes me wonder
      if I should laugh or cry

    Through the maze of wars
      the cries of hawaldar on discrimination
      the clarion calls on Somalia
      and the passionate calls of 
      development on our motherland
      ring on screechingly
      falling on deaf ears

    Occasionally a lone warrior
      cries his pangs of nostalgia
      from the banks of kerala to coimbatore
      and the tragic tales of tamil hero and his madhumita
      making my heart cringe in pain

    Then the battles of yester years
      of x+1 syndrome
      increasing in pitch to x+2 syndrome
      lamenting on the false promises and broken dreams
      nouveau rich styles and cross cultural breeds
      of the loyal sons from the land of holy cows

    With all these wars raging on,
      there is an occasional beacon of light
      shining in the form of "frequently asked questions"
      and the flashings from the lighthouse
      warning the pitfalls from travel agents

    And I hope in future, a path of enlightenment
      will lit up, showing the areas to be improved on
      for the fat milking cows
      grazing in the land of plenty
      to invest in the Bharat
      overburdened and undernourished
      so that the sons of future generations
      can wake up for a better tomorrow

    As the wars continue,
      so will I wage my own
      trying to pen like
      Susan C. and RSD
      I have failed for now
      as my "Kurukshetra" has little grammer and no rhyme
      but one day I will conquer
      another battle and another war
      and until then chow my brethren


                  Srini Surapanani
        (The cowboy from land of holy cows and magic fakirs)

       
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