Four Poems by Jamal Uddin

 

Fall View from the Opera House

Floor to ceiling wall

A massive glass window,

Not reflective though

To see out and to be seen

A citadel from within.

 

Modern Architectural marvel 

With light and shadow warmth of wood

And cold steel blending into showcase

For a showplace :

Ballerina gracefully floats,

Aria spreads its wings.

 

Etrog's sun bird on an artful elevation

Watching in benevolent metallic silence,

People mingle in intermission chatter

Glasses happily clink.

 

In vain across the busy street 

Urban concrete jungle

Attempts to block autumn sun

But the warm ray cuts a swath through,

 

Blessing maple trees standing erect. 

Golden blazing arms

Shivering with cold caress 

Of gusty autumn wind, 

Stripping, a ritual dance of the season

Slowly unfolding. 

 

 

Satyriasis: 

 

Flying across the ocean

Shedding his cloak

In the dim corridor

He rises once again.

 

The man with satyriasis.

No flower in the vase

Empty champagne glass

Hall filled with putrid lust.

 

With flaring nostril and fire

in the breath and charcoal eyes

He devoured and consumed 

In the  well practiced tune.

 

Never an adagio 

Just presto to crescendo

To reach his moon.

 

 

Burning Green:

 

 

Rows of tall green and under brush 

silently scream,

burning to brown 

then to ashes.

 

Canopy thins, balding planet

gaping  patches in green earth’s skin

not just in Amazon;

Smoke signal rising to heaven

In desperation for help in vain.

 

Neglect and profit guiding

perpetual willful sin

Habitat destroyed

species extinct 

Homeless natives huddle in despair.

 

Across all parts of the globe

Alaska California  to Indonesia

forest burns.

 

Juvenile dickering in worlds playpen
all around fire.
Modern day Nero
Building his own pyre.

 

 

No ball:

 

 

Ball to balls,

hard to soft 

 

hurled with gusto

as the ineffective 

 

box guard 

hides in shame,

 

in near shock 

doubling up in pain 

 

macho man

endures in agony 

 

as thousand 

amused eyes 

 

some showing  

sympathy foresee 

 

a new ball

slowly emerging 

 

out of erratic attack 

should have been a no ball.

 

 

 

Joe Root was hit by a cricket ball at the net And also while at the crease.

 

Jamal Uddin - Octagenerian retired physician in Toronto. Love classical music both Indian and western, cricket and soccer. Self published poetry books Portal and its translated Bengali version "Kalantare Bashabas" and participant in two anthologies.