Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar Poems

The child is sincere in what it does;
With no goal set, it will not be tense.
Man is serious in what he does;
With a goal set, he will be tense.
...

I am lucky in that
I am in the old age home
Run by my son.
Yes, he would be there
...

Goddess Athena is a virgin.
Mother Mary is a virgin.
Virgin state inspires your cults,
Your pride and your merits.
...

When a door is shut
There might be another open.
But we wait looking
At the shut door to open.
...

As the wise regard fools as fool
Fools regard the wise as fools.
The theists are fools to the atheists
And atheists, fools to theists
...

As sensitive, I am neither tolerant nor patient.
As sensitive, I am neither neutral nor indifferent.
As sensitive, I am either a rose or a cactus.
Whose fault is it that I am sensitive?
...

Robes show us men as seers.
There are seers without robes.
The world sees men by robes.
Injustice is triumphant
...

Kings’ biographies are seeds sown.
Beggars’ biographies are grains eaten.
Millions of grains are eaten
Against a grain planted.
...

You have had the past; so has she.
Don’t go to her past when in love
As you don’t expect her to repeat.
She could be as fresh to you now
...

Pursuit of love is a pleasure.
Pining of love is a pleasure.
Pain of love is a pleasure.
Failure of love too is so.
...