Thanks Kunjubi for those wonderful adjectives!

Latha

Thanks Yash for your comments!

Latha

Dear Raj

Thanks a lot for your wonderful comments. I am glad that you have read the poem with the same interest with which I wrote it.

Thanks a lot for your suggestions. You are most welcome to suggest anything that you feel since I am a novice and would love to learn more to improve myself.

I shall remain away from using 'soul' in my poems as per your suggestion.

In the third stanza, I had mentioned that green leaves give us 'hope' by which I mean that it gives only hope and not 'assurance'. The end is death undoubtedly. But the hope of a blissful life is prevailing in many of us. I am interpreting it only now and I honestly did not think about it when I actually wrote it. 

I have started writing only recently. I know I am bound to make mistakes but would love to learn and rectify my errors from erudite people like you. I am fully aware that my readers are learned and intelligent and are capable of interpreting what I write. I am glad that I have somebody to guide me this way so that the possibility of perfecting my works before publishing the next time seems much higher.

Thankyou once again Raj for your honest comments. You are neither wrong nor rude - just perfect 

Latha

Wow!!This is so beautiful and inspiring..I wonder how did I miss it.............yash

Hi Latha

The third stanza is just so brilliant, radiant: the first two lines in this stanza and with that imagery of a red-spot start to our lives is so original and  your lines in the same stanza  on  our lives as  a journey of colors is  so overwhelming. Beautiful and stunning concept, Latha.
And how so aesthetically pleasing when you make reference to it again later as a threat through blood.

Again that phrase in your final stanza Transitions of colors from red to black is  poetic imagery any good poet would be proud to have coined.  And the irony in the last line  What a radiant life we have got to live!   -coming as it does after warning us of the blackness that engulfs us at the end after a red beginning - is again a  poet's proud moment. 
That edning is so bleak, Latah, I'm almost tempted to lecture you on positive thinking - but the brilliance of the lines shuts my mouth.




Suggestion

I am of late a little wary of offering suggestion to people beacuse I seem to be getting mixed signals from people, though I do it with the best of intentions. Do tell me if I'm rude or such suggestions are not welcome as I do get carried away by poetry.


Well, stay away from cliches like:
hymn to a life of harmony; subtle aura of the soul...
Do read the lines where these phrases appear and ask yourself if the lines do not become a
little weaker because of these cliches... Give me a kick if I'm wrong!
I almost never use the word soul, heaven etc - these are cliches that have no pwoer in modern poetry. But I'm not saying these words cannot be used.


While I said that the third stanza is powerful, the didactic nature of osme of the lines like Green leaves and trees show us the hope of eterna llife and the last line And the black terrain connotes the ultimate end  mar somewhat the original quality of the rest of the stanza.
How is that? In English poetry,as you will remember, it is better for the reader  to make out these "lessons" rather than for the poet to take a classroom-teacher approach.   Trust your reader is inetlligent enough - and so your 'lessons'  will be more subtle as in your excellent lines  I've discussed in the earlier half of my comment.

                  
Do challenge me, please if I'm wrong - and as informal as Aussies can be, you can even give me a kick if I'm wrong or rude!  You know, I wish they a had a GENTLE KICK icon in the smileys section at sulkeha! 

Latha... This is a fantasy.. a chiarascuro...classic..Appreciating your talent. You are a promising poet.  My earnest appreciation for this  mastercraft you have presented.. Inimitable. cheers... kunjubi

Thankyou Akash for your lovely comments.

Latha

Thankyou Spk100 for your comments!

Latha

Thanks Meera for your words of appreciation. Thankyou very much!

Latha

Thankyou Premsaran for your comments! Thanks also for the hope you have in me!

Latha