Goa: A Heaven On Earth: Poem by Ravi Panamanna

Matchless is her shores
Silky white is her sands.
Soft, leisurely winds are her dales
The flavors of eons she wafts.

By the river Mandovi
She is lass, a princess charming.
With Nature dancing all around
She is ever evincing.

Along her corridors
Melodious church bells ring.
The whisper of centuries-
Those chimes echo a lively spring.

Along the country-side
It is a refreshing experience.
With vegetation all around
She sounds like your neighboring village.

Along the waterfront
It is a memorable drive.
There is an inviting call
Shores lay basking for you and me.

The passing ships at night
Form a pearl-studded necklace.
From Dona Paula beach
This is an impressive sight.

At Miramar, an evening spent
Is a long remembered sunset,
Upon the waves in trousers tourists frolic
In salwar kameej women also join.

Virgin is her sands
Poesy bubbles all around.
Life is vibrant
Moments trickle away in a wink!

Not far away is Dona Paula beach-
A rejuvenating tonic.
From the high pavilion
You may feel like floating.

Waves lash far below
Along the rocky ridge, the sea is open.
It is a jutting edge, an endpoint
Gushing under your feet is a raging world.

These tides reveal a tale
Of a lass, the princess Pola,
Her love with a peasantry youth,
Her suicide as fate was otherwise.

In the passage of time
I heard a whispering mourn.
I looked at the jutting rocks
It was indeed a blood-chilling affair.

For centuries the Portuguese reigned
St. Francis arrived on the scene.
With his body on a silver casket
The Bom Jesus carries his mausoleum.

At every angle,
Beaches ravish, waves play a chord.
Aguada, Anjuna, Arambol, Miramar,
Baga, Vagator, Colva, Calangute…and many more.

With canals and archway bridges
Venice is her pseudonym.
With churches inhaling the Portuguese air
She carries in her bosom a different breed.

Beyond the old Patto bridge
She spreads her wings.
A stroll along the river banks
Is a long recalled one afterward.

Mayem Lake is one in point,
Mangeshi Temple, who can certainly miss?
With the Goan Beats and a sip under the shades
Life is perfect among the whistling palm groves.

And we return our eyes,
Catch our trains homeward.
An echo follows our heart
Our dreams are silken veiled.

When Goa is remembered
The flavors are whispering.
Endless sandy shores are revisited
Sapphire Blue waters bring in shining pearls.

Waving Palm groves would visit our dreams
Carefree hours are recalled.
The taste of life is sipped,
Heavenly moments are experienced.

Distant church bells are heard
Springs are revisited.
Heart is enriched
A yearning is deeply felt.
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14th December 1999