FLEETING GLANCE
Leaving the airport; the airplane shuddered,
Lift sooner, vanishing ground very soon,
Watershed moment in my life departing,
Leaving my city, dearest land, to the future,
Happening now dreams of young heart,
Successful, for an alluring job on a foreign shore,
Winking thousands of questions, doubts,
Desire sprouts budding hope endless,
Insatiable, dreamland to quench thirsts,
Higher study, career, house, luxury links,
A curious mind, unknown people, culture,
Lifestyle immensity of megapolis traffic,
Waiting, busy, prosperous lifetime moving,
Time move over the clouds, smiling gently,
Miniature houses, hills, rivers, and greens,
Passing under indistinct vanish faster,
Vanishing my yesteryears, childhood,
Turbulent years of youth indiscipline,
Unmindful, thrilling at vibrant youth,
Loved school days, friends, hot gossip,
Rebuttal of teachers, fun behind, jokes,
Cycling, swimming, playing funny games,
The freshness of the forest, tracks on hills, rivers,
Lap of nature so alluring, intoxicated mind,
Picnic visits cities, mix with locals,
Clubs, stadiums, cinemas, restaurants,
Wildest pleasure, nights, lamps burning,
The study, apprehension of exams, fear,
Heart-stopping at the breaking of the result,
Forgetting existence, a world at feet,
Success in exams concluding college life,
How fast gone so quickly, dear time,
How far do friends, and parents, love people?
Relatives, teachers, elders, their love,
Brother and sister waving at the airport,
Parting look smiling, marked glistening tears,
A bond so thick in life, seeming unbreakable,
Found tears trickling, I hide, consoled,
Unknown fear, future was challenging,
Diverted mind again loved my country,
Born on the sacred soil, fertile, ancient,
Incredible culture, festivals, worship,
Temples, big crowd, burning oil lamps,
Incense sticks fragrant, mingling with air,
Devotion to unseen Lord, heart begging,
Seen life through hardship, cried talking to God,
Stone idol covered with flowers, gold,
Never could if listening to owes of crying humans,
Folding hands, protesting on a stone floor,
For a child, career, home, money, cure,
A million wanting Lord listens, I watched,
Fulfilled my land, nurture more than that,
I grownup handsome, young, educated,
Sheltered me in fear, hunger, sickness,
Pleasure never I could imagined got,
Feeling now, leaving my dear country,
Can’t promise to return to life so demanding,
Prove capability, meet challenges, win,
Extract the elixir of life, the nectar of success,
Luxurious life, comfort, prestige, fame,
Prosperous family, dreams built castles,
Castles in the air convinced me, shed emotions,
No more dear country is visible below,
Blue Ocean, its expanse, matching thought,
Endless, mysterious, life was speeding,
Atomic in the vast sky, like a glistening star,
Winks now vanish next moment,
Speechless to idol God, dumb, deaf,
As if whispering, why betray your land,
Going way, waiting anxiously only me,
A fleeting glance down, it fled for my life.
@ Bijayananda Mishra
