Saturday 6 February 2016

With the River it goes

With the river it goes

On a cliff, in the mud, a small rock stands
Mocking the chasm behind, in which many fall.
The rock doesn’t know that it will soon stall
For there is something that fate itself demands.
The rock falls too, in the chasm below, beneath which a river flows.
Knowing not the path, knowing not the end, with the river it goes.

 Inside the river, caught in rapids, the mud is washed away
Accepts there is no way back, so it doesn’t yell
The rock doesn’t know how and why it fell
But there is something that makes it want to stay
The rock is down, with water around, inside the river which flows.
Knowing not the path, knowing not the end, with the river it goes.

The rock sees now, the fall was rough, it has broken apart
Shredded by the pain, all it can do is moan.
The rock doesn’t know that now it’s a stone.
But there is something that gives it a fresh start.
 Slow at first, but speeds up fast, through the river that flows.
Knowing not the path, knowing not the way, with the river it goes.

Amidst the wrath, of the river, it moves like a wraith
Neither floats nor sinks, thinks it may drown.
The stone doesn’t know if the river will lown,
But there is something that makes it keep its faith.
The stone hits the ground, jumps around, within the river which flows.
Knowing not the path, knowing not the end, with the river it goes.

Not a rock, not a stone, it’s a pebble now.
Has become streamlined, the currents now do no harm.
The water is soothing, the river feels calm,
And the pebble now knows exactly why and how.
The fall wasn’t rough, the rapids aren’t strong,
It’s the rock which has been rough all along.
That something which kept it going was love.
Which wasn’t there in the world above,
The pebble is at peace and loves the river with which it flows.
Knowing not the path, knowing not the end, with the river it goes.
-Neel J Sattigiri

It Froze Before My Eyes

It Froze Before My Eyes



It’s always winter where I come from,
And always darkness where I live.
Light, I can’t get in this storm.
Warmth, I can never give.
I was used to the dark,
The frost was fine with me.
Light, I never tried to seek,
Nor did it ever find me.
Then one night I saw a spark,
Such a beautiful sight.
I ran and ran through the dark
Towards the glowing light.

The closer I reached, the more I felt,
Both its heat and glow.
All the ice started to melt,
And my heartbeat went slow.
Reached at last, where it was lit.
Saw something I never desired.
Yet could not take my eyes off it,
Such was this warm fire.
Spent all my time in its warmth.
The best time I ever had.
Would talk to it for hours and hours,
And it would answer back.
Then suddenly, saw it freeze.
Went out without a shimmer.
Couldn’t see the light anymore,
Not even a single glitter.

Realised then, it wasn’t the flame,
But the frozen one was me.
Never was I meant for the light
So I should let it be.
Darkness is where I belong.
The frost itself is me.
Though bits of warmth I still can feel,
The flame I will never see.
Neel J Sattigiri