Who ?

I am. But ‘who’ is what eludes me.
Hiding.... it appears
from nowhere I can see
and fetters me in a way,
I can’t breathe…

It strangles, nauseates me,
and watches me writh..
in pain, and then leaves me
when I’m on the verge
of dying, as I promise to...
continue my search,
till eternity !

As I walk around, I see people ramble
unaffected, unmoved, perfectly sound,
they laugh, they scream, they play….
They make me think as if I’m cursed
by a spell, to always be..
in search of me,
my identity.

It is scared of attacking me,
when I’m in a company…
But, it knows supposedly…
that sooner or later, it will be me
and only me...!
It grows in strength, till then,
waiting for a chance
to have me in its trance.

I know, it wont kill,
as, that will end both
...its pitiless delight
and my painful plight !

I pray, to YOU, the unknown,
unheard, unseen, THEE…
Either grant me liberty,
or answer my query….
or at least, give me immunity
and make me......
like others who’re so free !

बस एक.........

बस एक शब्द काफ़ी है
एहसास दिलाने को

बस एक नज़र काफ़ी है
दिल की बात बताने को

बस एक पल काफ़ी है
सारा जीवन जी जाने को

बस एक मुस्कान काफ़ी है
दिन सुहाना बनाने को

बस एक स्पर्श काफ़ी है
तरंगित कर जाने को

बस एक याद काफ़ी है
लम्हा लम्हा बिताने को

बस एक आँसु काफ़ी है
बेचैन कर जाने को

बस एक बात काफ़ी है
जीवन भर रुलाने को

बस एक प्रयास काफ़ी है
रूठे यार तुझे मनाने को

बस एक हाथ काफ़ी है
गिरने से बचाने को

बस एक 'साथ' काफ़ी है
जिंदगी बिताने को

On Death, without Exaggeration

It can't take a joke,
find a star, make a bridge.
It knows nothing about weaving, mining, farming,
building ships, or baking cakes.

In our planning for tomorrow,
it has the final word,
which is always beside the point.

It can't even get the things done
that are part of its trade:
dig a grave,
make a coffin,
clean up after itself.

Preoccupied with killing,
it does the job awkwardly,
without system or skill.
As though each of us were its first kill.

Oh, it has its triumphs,
but look at its countless defeats,
missed blows,
and repeat attempts!

Sometimes it isn't strong enough
to swat a fly from the air.
Many are the caterpillars
that have outcrawled it.

All those bulbs, pods,
tentacles, fins, tracheae,
nuptial plumage, and winter fur
show that it has fallen behind
with its halfhearted work.

Ill will won't help
and even our lending a hand with wars and coups d'etat
is so far not enough.

Hearts beat inside eggs.
Babies' skeletons grow.
Seeds, hard at work, sprout their first tiny pair of leaves
and sometimes even tall trees fall away.

Whoever claims that it's omnipotent
is himself living proof
that it's not.

There's no life
that couldn't be immortal
if only for a moment.

Death
always arrives by that very moment too late.

In vain it tugs at the knob
of the invisible door.
As far as you've come
can't be undone.

--By Wislawa Szymborska
(Nobel laureate in literature 1996)

The Song of the Free

The wounded snake its hood unfurls,
The flame stirred up doth blaze,
The desert air resounds the calls
Of heart-struck lion's rage.

The cloud puts forth it deluge strength
When lightning cleaves its breast,
When the soul is stirred to its in most depth
Great ones unfold their best.

Let eyes grow dim and heart grow faint,
And friendship fail and love betray,
Let Fate its hundred horrors send,
And clotted darkness block the way.

All nature wear one angry frown,
To crush you out - still know, my soul,
You are Divine. March on and on,
Nor right nor left but to the goal.

Nor angel I, nor man, nor brute,
Nor body, mind, nor he nor she,
The books do stop in wonder mute
To tell my nature; I am He.

Before the sun, the moon, the earth,
Before the stars or comets free,
Before e'en time has had its birth,
I was, I am, and I will be.

The beauteous earth, the glorious sun,
The calm sweet moon, the spangled sky,
Causation's law do make them run;
They live in bonds, in bonds they die.

And mind its mantle dreamy net
Cast o'er them all and holds them fast.
In warp and woof of thought are set,
Earth, hells, and heavens, or worst or best.

Know these are but the outer crust -
All space and time, all effect, cause.
I am beyond all sense, all thoughts,
The witness of the universe.

Not two nor many, 'tis but one,
And thus in me all me's I have;
I cannot hate, I cannot shun
Myself from me, I can but love.

From dreams awake, from bonds be free,
Be not afraid. This mystery,
My shadow, cannot frighten me,
Know once for all that I am He.

- Swami Vivekananda