The Lure Of The Commonplace Poem by Valsa George
The Lure Of The Commonplace
I watch the men and women in soiled clothes
Their hands and feet with cracked nails and toes
They work in sun and rain in the open fields
How their weather beaten body easily yields
To laborious works to eke out a living
In the evening after a day’s hard striving
They joyfully return to their humble shacks
And sit with their family in a mood to relax
I don’t find any regret on their face
Neither any trace of despair in their eyes
Ordinary men with ordinary pleasures
Whose world is confined to their domestic enclosures
I enjoy rambling into the city’s far outskirts
Watching ordinary people in commonplace pursuits
Imbibing much from the life of the peasantry
Whom none can beat in life’s lessons, elementary
How they interact devoid of all cold formalities
And remain free from all artificialities
I inhale the fragrance of the wayside blooms
Watch kingfishers and parakeets in colorful plumes
My eyes never miss Nature’s minute caprices
And I rejoice in homebound birds’ sonatas
I watch the daylight paving way for the night
And the sun willfully surrendering his might
I listen to the invisible choir, singing in the dark
That breaks the sacred silence of the dusk
How these common scenes fill me with delight
Nevertheless making me sorry for the unhappy plight
Of those unable to enjoy any ordinary scene
And turn their backs to pleasurable sights umpteen
Blessed are those who have eyes to see and feel
And remain happy being close to Nature’s heel
Whose ears are attuned to the beats of the Average
And who need no other intoxicating beverage
Those who get a kick out of the commonplace
And seek for everyday banal sensations to embrace
a usual or ordinary thing is the definition i found online for commonplace [used as a noun; used as an adjective, the definition is sometimes quite different! ]. well then, the description of a commonplace must change drastically as the location, time, inhabitants, etc. change. so if one were to live in the royal compound in bangkok many years ago, that commonplace would appear much different than a village in the jungle, but it would still be a commonplace to the royal compound's inhabitants. see what i mean? yes, i've probably gotten off the subject a bit............again. i am one of the peasants i suppose. this is a nice poem to read. some of the rhymes are quite inventive. thanks. if i remember, valsa, i'll send a private message. if i get time after my laborious works are over. ha ha. bri :) look at dinesh nair's comment if you will.
Liked a lot, a smooth painting of commoners' life where only the real beauty is hidden - you're to have your eyes to relish..... very nice
Liked a lot, a smooth painting of commoners' life where only the real beauty is hidden - you're to have your eyes to relish..... very nice
Kings palaces and Queens castles are not always the places that dreams are made of. It is the simple pleasures in life that do us good. A farmer plowing his field in the early spring is lovely. Workers humming their personal tunes are like songbirds in the trees. Children playing in tattered clothes having lots of fun oblivious to the stares from the well to do. Health instead of wealth, More love from above. A very potent write.
Though the men and women in soiled clothes having their hands and feet with cracked nails work hard in the sun yet they enjoy their lives with the family members without any agony and regret..It is a great philosophical poem nicely composed by you. I love the lines....Blessed are those who have eyes to see and feel ./ And remain happy being close to Nature’s heel.
Blessed are those who have eyes to see and feel And remain happy being close to Nature’s heel.....A heart touching poem!
Blessed are those who have eyes to see and feel And remain happy being close to Nature’s heel.......A heart touching poem!
you have chosen to see the bright side and done a wonderful job in your description thanks Valsa-10
The poem reflects the thoughts of most people. I think you have explicitly brought out how much all of us long to embrace the simplistic things in life, out of the hustle and bustle we live in today. The various minute things that you mentioned in the poems makes each of us smile. The very details we consider to be too irrelevant to our existence. A wonderful piece! :)
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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12/5/2025 3:05:12 AM # 1.0.0
people perceive what they observe differently - then they start expressing it in a poetic medium. besides all the technicality and aesthetic values, what else can be the beauty of poetry. to me is the perspective of each individual poet made complete satisfaction when reading a poem. like this one, the poetess help me to see some place I have not seen before through her eyes. thank you Valsa George for sharing your perspective. :)