Poems by
Rao A J

Rains in Tirupati

a poem by Rao A J

It rained all night and all day
Frogs croaked
From muddy cesspools
Wet crows shivered
On wind-buffeted branches
Stray dogs shook themselves
Of chilly wetness
Moths took wings
Of one-day glory
Coconut trees swayed
In rain-drenched delight

Droplets from the sky
Were manna to the Chittoor farmers
Drought and despondency
Gave way to regeneration and hope
Rain-soaked Tirumala hills
Waited expectantly
For the ensuing festivities
Of God’s Brahmotsavam

Rivulets flowed on the hills
In shimmering cascades
The hills wore a mantle of green
Bright yellow flowers of Sampangi
Filled the air with heady fragrance
All the creatures of the earth
Joined in the ecstatic chorus of life.