Thursday, December 22, 2011

Homage

You welcomed with open arms,
a worn thirsty traveler, traveling
in the torrid desert of ignorance,
under the scorching sun of chance.

He was like a sapling, subjected to
gusty winds and frosty storms
- the tests of resilience, and now
moves on to scale unknown heights,
swim in uncharted waters.

He bids good-bye, mind drenched
with memories,  heart with emotions,
and promises to be back, to pass on
all that he got, the only way,
perhaps, to pay you back.

(This is an homage to my alma-mater IIT Madras)

1 comment:

  1. In front of me they stand, their eyes
    Are hungry, ask that they be fed,
    For her not are wine, cakes or pies,
    And he wants not freshly baked bread

    What will I give these travellers
    Who've come to me from far and wide
    And scaled the tall, high barriers
    From them, my treasures will I hide?

    I was too once as they stand here
    I sought too once what now they seek
    Kindly souls did then quench my thirst
    Into that past will I not peek?

    In trust did I receive my gold
    That I would let it freely go
    And not onto it all life hold
    But scatter it gently like snow

    What use are treasures, be they rich
    If all they do is collect dust
    What use are instruments shiny
    Unused they'll surely gather rust

    But in the eager minds of youth,
    What greatness may not they trigger
    For if one is to tell the truth
    There is so much to discover

    In return only must they throw
    away the dark of ignorance
    And I shall only ask of them
    An open mind - no walls, no fence

    And payment? What payment is due
    Why, None at all except for this
    To give as they receive, and two:
    To also learn whatev'r there is.

    And as the days go on there'll be
    A new time and a trave'ler new
    The old host would have left and gone
    The new host?, dear pilgrim, that's you

    ReplyDelete

Creative Commons License
Poetry and prose by Avishek Ranjan is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License