PRETENSE

 

PRETENSE

 

Laughing silently today in solitude,

Alone standing on the sea beach,

Never betrays blue sea or sky above,

No betrayal, I found circling birds,

Floating clouds silently truly visible,

Beautiful, orange color, aura indicates,

Sun rising in the east truth glorious,

Inconspicuous a new dawn breaking,

Eons, unfailingly repeating in time,

Reclined on sand beach, bathe in sunlight,

Dreaming nature canvas changing,

Green hills, forest, ravine, fertile soil,

The animal kingdom, lakes, birds nesting,

Noisy, I once found life overjoyed,

The precious mirth spring visible,

Aroma acutely intoxicates heart,

Wildflowers in blossoms, creepers,

Intertwine tall trees, painting colorful,

Ah… Rewind my thoughts, sea breeze,

Salty wet limbs experience ethereal,

Exist eternal truth never betrays,

Sustains universe human life co-exist,

By nature heart is pure transcendental,

The face of a child, innocent and pure,

Smile tiny soul exhibits as if divine,

Simple, believing spirit invites happily,

Fertile mind, mine, went deeper,

Churning memories of complex life,

Laughed again, winking, admitted,

Admitted to my soul, not a child,

Learned, learned man book worm,

Learned about brutal war annihilations,

Read about mass graves, gun booming,

Kills humans silently from behind,

Steal other's gold, luxury proudly,

Built castles world heritage reputed,

No more monarchs, sultans, Mughal,

Silently merges with soil or in a grave,

The horse, elephants, swords, spears,

Vanished, new world free, civilized,

Astonished, I was tearful, a life missed,

Spoiled in looting pleasure, gold,

Deceived how many listless in life,

From young days to twilight lied,

Lied to own children, better half,

Lied to close friends, teachers,

Lied to own parents simple believing,

Little felt guilty, sought my comfort,

Sheepishly slipped out of duty,

Uncanny con, I forgot to care, service,

The love I know very well, my temptations,

Fulfilled to my capacity, now failing,

Caught by family, parents, friends,

Silently observing me caring, loving,

Never embarrassing praying for me,

Wishing my early recovery, sick,

My children wife serving watchful,

I feared their presence, feared my world,

Fled from my world now at a beach,

Whitened black hairs, receding,

Sobbing mind, heart rebukes harshly,

Why you are a crying ghost, lurks lust,

No way limbs can satiate you fool,

Realize at least your pretense,

Blunder surrender to your soul,

An immortal bird in a dungeon will be freed,

Your pretense evaporated.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

Good Luck

 GOOD LUCK

 

Watching motion pictures of a lifetime,

Sweet and sour events oscillate,

From crest to trough rises again,

Cycle motion picture projects distinct,

Time cycle at crest life in the climax,

Tragedy at trough life is shaken,

Pendulum old still oscillates in a bedroom,

Sat in the darkness alone, I was listening,

Mind lost in watching live events,

Slow motion of picture cinematic,

Walking through memory lane, dark,

After marriage few years passed,

Man and wife expecting arrival,

Arrival, for our conjugal life, is a grace,

Once we both dream of a child,

The daughter in our laps grew so fast,

Went for school passed with flying color,

Baby sat on study table till late night,

I was her father, teacher, friend,

Her secret aspiration to be an engineer,

Father and daughter, we gossip about life,

Life of an engineer hard work,

Forgets engineer family life comfort,

Dawn to dusk overnight labor,

Achiever in large projects construction,

Myriad shape drawing on paper,

From paper to scales take to shape reality,

A marvel before engineer’s mind skill,

Accomplishment at fag end of life,

Recognized dear a dedicated spirit,

Respected, famous, a name praised,

Life successful family children adore,

She was sleeping on my bosom,

I was dreaming one day to come,

The daughter will be an engineering student,

The wife was calling, dinner was ready,

That day, her campus life oscillated,

She was sick, recovering, weak at home,

With our infinite care, she gets cured,

Husband wife wait eagerly for her arrival,

Each semester break vacation,

The loving care watchful for her health,

Met her minute requests, papa listens to,

It was her final year visiting her hostel,

Her friends crowded circled me,

Informed she will be the best graduate,

The best student in their college knew,

Happiness at home knew no boundary,

News of her result in engineering,

We, a couple, shed happy tears, welcomed,

A day came in our life, my darling sad,

She was worried and crying learning the news,

She was going abroad for the future,

Higher education, a career overseas,

I was sad, sure to miss her, my heart,

A moment she was checking out,

At the airport, she kissed me hello dad,

I couldn’t look into her eyes, evading,

Only hugged tightly said silently,

Good luck, baby, at alien land, I bless.

 

@ Bijayananda Mishra

 

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