Even God Needs Work to Do

By the time I was six, my father, a hobbyist in palmistry, was convinced I was a "born artist". That prompted him to enrol me in one of Chennai's reputed institutions in classical dancing. The sensitivities I gained thereafter through the training I received in two different classical dance forms, followed by my pursuits in singing, acting, photography, craft, public speaking, painting and a career in advertising, eventually found common ground in poetry-writing. Dance, in particular, did much to influence my feelings about the Supreme Being whose implied presence in many of my poems, finds its way through praise, loving complaint and even frustration. I think this world is beautiful notwithstanding the pain, poverty and persecution because the goodness overwhelms what is bad. I see beauty in the most ordinary things in life even as I walk by on the road. In fact, many of the poems I have written have been inspired by the endearing sights I have been exposed to on the roadside. I am greatly troubled to think that I should soon be gone --- there are too many things to see, love, admire, ponder over and enjoy on this earth! This book of poems, to say the least, is an open, unstoppable celebration of life!