FOOTSTEP

 

FOOTSTEP

 

Human life is very-short for learning,

Ocean of knowledge depth unknown,

Strewn at the beach wisdom jewel,

Picking lifelong beach still expands,

Footstep of wise humanity studies,

Unique manifestation in a millennium,

Peruse human footsteps call divine,

Peruse human lifetime still unfinished,

Names illustrious life as prophet monk,

Service to humanity message sacred,

Follow human footstep salvage in a birth,

Liberation to sure, serve suffering soul,

A critical test of life sprouts on pavement,

No food, roof over the head, clothes,

Disease visits, never keep for long,

Leave a weak body, leaves hungry,

Crippled lingers thousand soul sleep,

Sleeping on the footpath till midnight,

Wake up hungry body walking alone,

A stick, footsteps resound lonely road,

Barks dog running behind angrily,

Plight life faces, even dog senses,

Share leftover bread, paper plates,

Picks a dark spirit from a garbage drum,

Sleep on pavement dog sleeps near,

At dawn dog wakes up, not a life,

Footstep from road ended got still,

Surprised heart essence of birth,

Purpose of unseen Lord mysterious,

The ocean never a life could reach in life,

Ignorance, darkness covered a lifetime,

Where is God, doubt ever dying prayed?

Ever all merciful ocean of compassion,

Melted for limitless misery, His heart,

Puzzled, I thought, if God has a Heart,

Listen to destitute in pain, sick, hungry,

Sat quietly with tear probing in me,

The footstep of the prophet, clearly seen,

Buddha walked out of his kingdom,

Left wife, his child in the night,

Disturbed visualized death of old,

Observed closely, sick suffering,

Probed life for a lifetime, sought creator,

Found answer for life on earth,

Discovered ocean of knowledge,

Wrote footstep to be followed by,

Renounce dear soul desires of limbs,

Soul deathless, a traveler with a frame,

Built on elements of fire, water, soil, air,

Death is certain once born,

The body perishes, but sufferance is a game,

Own deeds reaping results to take birth,

Enjoy good deeds, pain for sins,

Lord exists, seen by the seer, unaware,

Unaware of the footstep of each human,

Each footstep causes action footprinted,

Footprint erases waves of time,

Found my answer, unseen Lord, I felt,

Whispers in silence, I was listening,

He was my conscience, showed footstep.

Life is a play, less get disturbed.

A footstep changes your life, be watchful.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

FRIGHT

 

FRIGHT

 

Remember my childhood often,

First time I encountered fright,

It shook my heart, felt uneasy,

Witnessed the lightening thunder,

Frights in my heart, I thought,

As if clouds are angry thundering,

Hiding bright sun shines singing bird,

Lightening frightens blinding soul,

Preferred closed room years passed,

Youth adulthood touched my life,

Witnessing fright known to me mostly,

Young life once visited a zoo, socked,

The roar of a lion, tigers so threatening,

Visited frights, I enjoyed, then,

The barricade, steel wires assuring,

Scène of bullfighting on road charging,

Ferociously coming forward frightened me,

Angry bull immense strength charges,

Fear of getting killed, I avoid in front,

O’ soul, listen to my owes, frightful,

Seen a few get angry, shouting, scorn,

The rage I compare to cloud thunder,

Eyes angry look, like lightening sparks,

Can kill a life without hesitation charge,

Charging like a bull, I see frequently,

Viewers experienced dark moments,

Fright sickens heart capture cowering,

Watch these days angry crowd violent,

Ferocious look, my mind reminds, roaring,

As a wild beast lion or tiger roar loudly,

Threateningly takes posture as if to jump,

How similar angry crowd look fearful,

Fright controls mind start running far,

Life frightful, getting wounded or killed,

Saving for life, run for home, close my room,

Watch neighborhoods, a person beating his wife,

Beating wildly, curses, brutally wounding,

Chocking to cry, bitterly praying for mercy,

The man his look of beast angrier,

Parents angry beat children mercilessly,

By a wooden stick hitting soft limbs,

The child cries loudly, pleads to stop,

Fright even I experience tears rolling,

Why, why human you get angry ever,

Ever got frightened at least once feared,

Feared for life, ran at break-neck speed,

You never become angry once,

The anger I have seen with elements frightful,

Burns entire forest turns everything to ash,

Dear soul, often cry, animals charred,

Human anger charred homes, cities, villages,

Frightful sight life got killed, anger swept,

I have seen blind rage like forest fires,

Angry river sweep villages marooned lives,

Kill people, children, women, cattle, drown,

Equal sight angry people invade torch,

Flooding midst of village torch cottages,

Fright in the eyes of resident, a scar of life,

Human anger only frights I break down.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

VICTIM

 VICTIM

 

Seen the world, failed to understand,

Failed to realize the essence of life,

Astonishing there is God unseen,

Exist, belief helps humans gracefully,

Found thousand-year temples,

Idols worshipped generation faithful,

Compassionate removes pain, heals,

Incurable gets cured, all his mercy,

His grace man rises from rag to rich,

Protects from calamity danger to life,

Mesmerized in enchanting hymns,

Never human could visualize really,

Suffered immensely from mistakes,

Got experience, which helped me,

Speechless at my success, people say,

Blessed this guy, an achiever in life,

Higher education, skill, experience,

Burned midnight lamp for a decade,

Strongly believe work changes destiny,

Having assets, a glass mansion,

Attendants many, I pay salary,

Gold, jewelry, ornament, costly dress,

My family enjoys everything, demanding,

Worship God, beautiful golden idol,

Flower bedecked oil lamp burns,

Wife children sing prayer beautifully,

O’ Lord, give us more pleasure, joy,

Fulfill everything, our gratitude,

Silently I stand behind them, observe,

None ever expressed to me obligation,

Trust our golden idol than me,

Urban, high-profile, wealthy is a curse,

Family little knows sleepless night,

In the bedroom, I stroll alone, confused,

Business crumbling in a day, sudden,

Years of hard work, profits vanished,

Crashes share market, stocks collapsed,

The tension, worries, life is dark,

Selling properties, meeting huge losses,

Golden Idol in my home mute,

Crying first time before Lord, alone,

Save my business, O’ divine,

Worshiping my family, please help,

Save me from status to road,

Help me, my family, my wealth,

No, nothing happened, mercy,

Invisible Lord, failing to protect us,

Heartbroken, sick, angry at my life,

Fled, to get recluse left family,

Rishikesh, at the bank of Ganges,

Living in an ashram with a sadhu,

Enlightened in orange cloth, bright,

Answered my questions, plight,

A human stout at eighties radiant,

Smiling, soft-spoken, at peace, happy,

This happiness, peace I never saw,

Transcendental, sitting on a rock,

Flowing blue water freezing bathes,

Singing prayer to Lord, upward,

Where is Lord, Baba have you seen,

I am a victim of my faith, today,

Lost everything, name, fame, gold,

 The Golden idol in my home didn’t help,

A loincloth, bowl, a few books, a stick,

The sadhu was telling me softly,

You are a victim of Maya, desire,

Physical desire is limitless, worldly,

That born here must die, a rule,

Rejecting lust, you are a victim no more.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

 

 

 

 

DELIRIOUS

 

DELIRIOUS

 

Youth visits spirit was like a deer,

Restless, I was running madly,

Impatient to satiate curiosity running,

Brimming energy, able limbs,

Eyes alert, endless, insatiable hunger,

Mingling with people enjoying company,

Allure fun, laughter, group song, dances,

Festive seasons celebrate mood travels,

Mirth visible watch the celebratory crowd,

Forget pain, miseries, fever, hunger,

Effulgent happiness floods festival over,

Ears hooked to the occasion, memory stays,

Sang my life song of life felt pleasure,

Unlimited wanting heart small enough,

Throbbing goaded rebellious to be calm,

Running in the day at night disobeyed,

Never listened to elders searching my world,

Beautiful youth springing to challenge,

Meet future plunder wealth at my will,

Wealth was my strength, health, vitality,

Successful in a study made life good,

Settled family life adulthood socking,

Never thought, suffering these days a lot,

Sapping inner strength diminishing energy,

Weak I got feverish, medicine fails,

Unknown disease bed ridden delirious,

Blanks mind thinks next dawn far,

Limbs tramble, cold, reason failing,

Bedridden, dark in my room, light hurts,

Closed windows, air fail to tolerate,

Thinking my youth, vitality superb,

Sickness stole my life, still stealing hope,

Desperately wait, night endless,

Absent sleep, worried, tensed mind,

What will happen tomorrow, ever recover?

May I see tomorrow’s dawn sun rays?

Inhale fresh air lungful, watch healing,

Exertion, fatigue, tension culprit,

Sleeplessness, worried life, waiting for the end,

Culprit myself, not my fate or destiny,

Ran for gold, blindly I ran, minted,

Hard work, the family lost me, now I think,

Workaholic, I shall get success,

Complete projects got applause, ovation,

Melted everything today into thin air,

Plead my darling to recluse soon,

Disclosed my wish to her, let me die,

Let me die amidst nature, I request,

Soul mingles with wind wilds gets freedom,

Dreaming greens, meadows, waterfall,

Dreaming forest canopy of fog thick,

Disappear within trees flowery,

Sleep on a velvet grass field, wildflower,

Colorful wildflower for a day fragrant,

Smiling knows tomorrow is too far,

Fallen flower, my spirit, matching,

My beloved with me, in a wheelchair,

Kept my request, hill station here,

We are roaming within nature,

Miraculous recovery, healing silence,

Clean air, the freshness of life abundant,

Comparing me to a wildflower,

Delirious unreal happiness overwhelms.

Delirious state in a dark room, forget,

I realized like never before.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

 

UNRESPONSIVE

 UNRESPONSIVE

 

Touch miraculously golden electric,

The youth arrived, fascinated heartthrobs,

Heart revolted these days mind wild,

Sneaking rebellious spirit seeking a touch,

Touching soft grass transcendental,

Softness, of bosoms of a woman equal,

Bridal nature so alluring enticed,

Budding youth, I preferred recluse,

Midst of forest, grassy fields invited,

Squatted on the field, watched wildflowers,

Enjoyed executive beauty, color, fragrance,

At dawn, slept on velvety grass, bathing in rays,

Dews decorating grass leaves reflecting,

Gems shining white in a sea of green,

Clouds dazzle with sunlight sailing,

Blue sky, green earth, birds noisy,

Unexplained heart chirpy seeking paradise,

Aware now youthful spirit searched,

Wanted to plunder sensual pleasure,

A murmur of the brook transparent,

Refracting sunrays plays a game of light,

Crisscross rocky bed, wet, mossy,

First time felt love similar to a brook,

Undisciplined, grumbling mind,

Matched like a book murmuring,

Circling rocks like rules got path,

Flowed from mischief heart, I ran,

I was running through the meadows,

Disappeared in thick mist, wet limbs,

Playing with the beauty of the beach, waves,

Golden beach, lonely passed day,

The blue sea and bright sky, expanse of beach,

Artificial castaway, alone on the beach,

Discovered luxury of life got happiness,

Peace was my abode, pleasure foliage,

First touch, my love, I got speechless,

You were the first woman in life,

In contact, felt wildflowers, my darling,

Blossoming fragrant swaying freely,

Resembled as if smiling, love smiled,

Choked to express feeling shied,

Eyes sparkled, love, sifting glances,

A found transparent water of the brook,

Shifting refracted sunrays sparkled,

Your smiles, like glazing gems on dews,

Black hair long, wavy, a poem,

My ecstasy, I was comparing charms,

Attractive soft voice soothing like leaves,

Gentle breeze playing music in trees,

Dreaming first time darling, saw lust,

Drinking that day, charming presence,

Wanted to hug you like the trunk of a tree,

With a profusion of flowers fragrance,

Cool shade, a place near you I found,

I found dear a home our lives entwined,

I felt like a tree you encircled like a creeper,

Your love match, as if jasmine,

Acutely aromatic, tranquilized limbs,

Unresponsive to pain, torture, hurt,

Unresponsive to discrimination, insult,

Unresponsive to scorn, hatred, cruelty,

I found a sweet home in our world,

Where love exists, united we tolerate,

Sharing is a divine gift your care rejuvenates,

Unresponsive to growing age, life won.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra