THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
Many nights passed by,
Just gazing at the sky,
The stars, the moon, the entire ambience, the entire construct,
And I, an individual, an incomplete identity,
still searching for completeness.
Similar was this night as well,
But, with a difference.
For the very first time these shackles of identity seemed to be unlocked,
A sense of freedom, an absolute freedom from within engulfed me.
So strong was this feeling of silent infinite expansion of consciousness,
That I, an empty vessel was filled with life’s exuberance.
Dissolving it was, as every cell in my body was bursting with ecstasy.
Unable to fathom and discern,
followed my instincts to explore more.
From, at a distance, I just observed these changes,
Changes that were altering the very fabric,
the very foundation of my existence.
The concepts of time and distance just vanished,
And my heart was filled with a deep sense of inclusiveness and completeness.
The entire experience was so intoxicating,
That silence just overwhelmed me.
There were no communicative sound exchanges,
But, silently, every feeling of my heart was being nurtured and was riding over the cool gentle breeze around,
Carrying my heart felt desire to the consciousness by my side.
With limited understanding and awestruck,
I decided to go with the flow,
And just when I reached the peak of my joy,
I saw a face.
A face that has an irresistible assurance of faith,
A smile that had a blinding flash of light,
Drooping eyes that resembles a lotus radiating with full life and energy.
As I moved on to explore more,
A sudden force just sucked me in.
So strong was this magnet that the entire core, every cell just couldn’t relinquish the pull,
But, align with the geometry of the expanded consciousness.
Desperate to delve deep into this experience,
I decided to walk.
Walk a terrain unknown to me,
Just that face and me.
As the sun rose to its glory and the moon still watching it meekly,
The entire earth started witnessing the dance of creation, the dance of duality.
This union was spectacular and reverential,
And, I and the face also participants in this play of duality,
Witnessed this sacred union in absolute silence.
Inwardly we both were silent,
Outwardly the light and sound show was on,
And as the sparkling beam of sun fell on the face by my side,
I knew at once that this is the shine I wanted to have in my life,
This is the nectar which will fill my empty vessel.
The whistling of wind, the beauty of nature in bounty, the grace in the face of the face,
Transcended me to a place beyond description,
That humming of music was almost a consequence.
As I reflect back to those memorable moments,
That filled me with the abundance of happiness,
I can’t stop myself from expressing my deepest gratitude to the Almighty for his blessings.
Hoping and praying devoutly within hearts of hearts that one day,
This sacred and sacrosanct union would conclude for not once,
But, for many more lifetimes to come,
Leading to the gateway of final union and liberation for both – the face and me.