I can’t tell you how true it is
that you make me feel
I am much more than I could ever be,
that you make want to sleep,
just so I can dream about you

I can’t tell you how true it is,
that you make me want to wake up
just so I have a reason to look at you
that you make me want to sing
just so I can see you smile

I can’t tell you how true it is,
every word that I say,
every breath that I take
every moment I’m alive…

I can’t tell if this is love,
but if it isn’t
I truly know not what is!

there’s a blissful dawn
coming my way
and I’m shamelessly drawn…
my dreams, a disarray

no dungeons any more,
the darkness fades away
my freedom, it lies
from me, a sunshine away…

the sky’s a carpet, leading me
from my prison astray
no chains, no walls,
unbound here I lay

I seek refuge in my
memories of yesterday,
there’s a blissful dawn
coming my way…
I close my eyes,
can’t push it away…

By Jason Shinder :

When I talk to my friends I pretend I am standing on the wings
of a flying plane. I cannot be trusted to tell them how I am.

Or if I am falling to earth weighing less
than a dozen roses. Sometimes I dream they have broken up
with their lovers and are carrying food to my house.

When I open the mailbox I hear their voices
like the long upward-winding curve of a train whistle
passing through the tall grasses and ferns
after the train has passed. I never get ahead of their shadows.

I embrace them in front of moving cars. I keep them away
from my miseries because to say I am miserable is to say I am like them.

Woke up feeling blue today, …

http://www.maanikyaveena.com/Shek/shanky.mp3

This is a telugu folk song (yenki paata), written by sree Nanduri Subba Rao and composed by Sri Chittibabu. This is a song that is special in more than one way; my dad was a student of Sri Chittibabu, and he is my biggest inspiration to learn music. This was also one of the songs I would pester my dad to play ever so often, because of the beautiful ‘kooo’ (the call of the cuckoo bird) that he could make with the veena (the trick is that you have to use your thumb and the forefinger to pluck the string simultaneously – which can be quite tricky since you have to get it right every single time…). This was also the first song that I learnt to play on the guitar (other than a crappy version of raghuvamsa, which I had learnt to play on the veena anyway so that doesn’t count). Finally, though it isn’t in anyway related to the song, it gives me pride to know that one of the most eminent writers of telugu poetry is part of my lineage albeit not directly (my mother’s dad’s uncle..phew!)..

I don’t remember all of the lyrics, but it goes like this..

kommalo kokila kooyantadi,
raagathanamo emo,
baagogulu erugade…

enki dooraanunte,
yeti dari nenunte,
saavaasam inkevaru
sandadevaro yenki,
(kommalo…)

Anyway, here it is…
kommalo kokila

My first ’sontha’ composition!

raagam : kharaharapriya
taalam : chaturasra triputa (adi)

ku.mp3

yeh kaisi yahaan tanhaayi,
teri yaadein jo sang laayi
kyoon hoke mere aankhon se door,
hothi nahin ho khayaalon se juda

hai khwaabon mein, khayaalon mein,
khwaahishon mein tera chehra,
hai nigaahon mein, akeli saanson mein,
sooni raaton mein tera junoon,

sang tere jeethe hain pal bhar mein zindagi,
bichadke bujhti nahin baahon ki tishnagi
yeh kaisi doori, yeh kaisi yahaan tanhaayi
ab khulthi hai neend, tho dhalthi hai yaadein teri…

nikla main yoon akela,
yeh zindagi ke safar mein.
na koi sapne aankhon mein,
na koi manzil nazar mein..

tum jo mili in raahon mein,
guftgu jo hui nigaahon mein,
kho gaye hum yoon khayaalon mein,
tere pyar mein, teri baahon mein

dekha na kabhi tere jaisa koi kahin
paaya hai tujhe,tho paayi har khushi

tum jaise chaayi tasavvur mein,
khushboo banke aayi yoon saanson mein,
zindagi jaise ruki teri palkon mein
khoya jaise khud ko teri panaahon mein,
tum jo mili in raahon mein…

Guzarta hoon main aaj inhi raahon se,
yaadein tumhaari apni aankhon se sajaayi thi jahaan…
Dhoondta hoon main yahaan unhi lamhon ko,
khoya tha jab khud ko tumhaari baahon mein…

uljha hoon jo ulfat ki raahon mein yoon,
khwahish hai yahi ki palkon mein tere, sulajh jaoon

Ae kabhi tanhaaiyon mein parchaai banke mila karo,
Wafaai ka mujhe yoon na sila diya karo
Bewafaa hi sahi, khwaabon mein tho rafaaqat diya karo…

i dance alone,
under wicked stars
smiling like they see
a sun i never do

i plead, for a life
for but one dream
i pray for one tear
for everything that was mine

there’s no hope shining through
the door that destiny closed
yes i can see through,
and i can feel you
but i can not reach out
i can not hold you

through the empty darkness
there’s no sun shining through
and through my weary fingers
all life’s slipping through….