That day, on this Earth

That day, on this earth—

The shadow of the green isle—the rush of waves—

Faded slowly from my waking eyes,

Like sparks falling in mist.

In every direction, noise drowned away,

Suddenly, the ebb tide drifted upstream,

And the distant face of the sky came close,

Pressing against my chest as if with a cry of despair.

On that day, my rendezvous—

The empty chalice of soil shattered into chaos,

Floating like the white feather-light clouds shaped like egret wings—

Drifting was my weary melancholy.

Under the shade of trees, whose wet eyes floated?

Whose flute wept?

I did not hear it that day;

With hunger-stricken eyes raised high,

I opened them wide in longing for a distant star.

My veins and capillaries—

Snapped suddenly, breaking free from the earth’s roots,

I heard, ears strained, Mother Earth’s aged lament—

Calling out to me, "Mother Earth cries after you!"

The dewy grass called—winter's cold months—the fireflies' swarm—

The red fields of mirage beckoned me—coming to the cremation ghat by the cemetery,

Piles of skeletons,

Blazing pyres,

Ancestral fathers and forefathers of past lives,

Destruction, addiction, desires—

How many dead snakes’ hoods,

How many tithis—how many guests—

How many cycles of rebirth memories stirred me up.

Half-light, half-shadow—

They all rushed behind me, chasing me,

The kiss of the clay pot trembled on my lips, my pores;

The barren field—the paddy fields—the Kash flowers—the wild geese—the sandy shores—

Like a heron chick flapping its wings randomly over my chest,

They danced along with me.

But midway, they stopped;

Spreading their wings like vultures in the void,

Farther—farther still—I flew alone,

A helpless human child—into infinity’s white inner sanctum,

Beneath the hem of boundlessness,

Amidst the tumultuous joy of swelling seas,

I surged forth onto the untamed beach—

To distant galaxies.

Perhaps Earth’s ghostly eyes

Rose suddenly, searching for the reflection of my stolen smile in the mirror of stars;

For the miscarried child,

Mother Earth ran with tearful pleas, breasts bursting;

Bringing along mute infants, dead old fathers,

Maternity wards and funeral pyres,

She stood beside me, grief-stricken as a pregnant woman;

For my two infant eyes lusting after the stars,

Her teary breasts cried out, her soul aching;

In her womb’s egg had been born the longed-for, desired child—

For whom she had prepared beds of moss under banyan shades,

Brought new seasons’ hues—after winter nights, Phalgun’s playful charm;

For him, she poured Gangas’ waters at the Vaitarani riverbank,

Milked the ashes of death, filling her breasts with life-giving sap,

Adorned herself with durva grasses blooming bright,

For humanity, she brought forth womankind;

This spice-laden earth has such sharpness—why then

Does your heart lift two-hours’ worth of tears toward distant skies, drunk on thirst like bees seeking nectar!

Slowly I closed my eyes—the last light faded beyond the runaway blue horizon,

Darkness enveloped me like a newborn baby cradled by the earth.

O wandering soul, adrift between worlds,

What do you seek in the infinite expanse?

Is it solace for wounds too deep to heal,

Or answers to questions whispered through eternity?

The stars above seem indifferent, yet kind—

Their silent glow a balm for restless hearts.

As I journey farther, leaving behind the familiar embrace of earth,

I find myself suspended in a realm without boundaries.

Here, time dissolves into liquid streams,

Flowing backward and forward simultaneously.

Past and future merge into one eternal present,

Where moments unfold like petals of an endless flower.

What lies ahead? A cosmic ocean, vast and uncharted,

Its waves shimmering with stardust and dreams.

Each ripple carries echoes of forgotten civilizations,

Voices singing songs older than memory itself.

Some call out in joy, others in sorrow,

Yet all harmonize in the symphony of existence.

I see now that the universe is alive—

Not merely a collection of matter and energy,

But a living, breathing entity, conscious and aware.

Every atom hums with purpose,

Every galaxy spins in rhythm with destiny.

We are but fragments of this grand design,

Connected by invisible threads woven into the fabric of reality.

And you, O earth, mother of us all,

Your pain resonates across dimensions.

The cries of your children reach even here,

Where silence reigns supreme.

Do not despair, for within your soil lies the seed of renewal.

From destruction springs creation,

From darkness emerges light.

Let us return, not as wanderers lost,

But as bearers of hope and healing.

Let us plant trees where deserts sprawl,

Build bridges where divides grow,

Speak words of love where hatred festers.

Together, we can mend the fractures that scar our world,

Restore balance to the fragile web of life.

Imagine a future where humanity remembers its roots,

Where progress does not come at the cost of nature,

Where compassion guides our actions,

And wisdom illuminates our path.

It begins with each of us—a single step, a single choice,

Rippling outward until it transforms the whole.

So let the stars guide us home,

Back to the green isles and rushing waves,

To the dewy grass and firefly-lit nights.

Let us cherish the beauty around us,

For it is fleeting, precious, ephemeral.

Let us honor the earth, which bore us,

Nourished us, sustained us.

When the final light fades and darkness falls,

May we find peace in knowing

That we lived fully, loved deeply, and dreamed boldly.

May our legacy be one of light,

Shining brightly in the hearts of those who follow.

Thus, I descend once more,

From the heavens to the soil,

Carrying with me the lessons of infinity.

The stars watch silently as I land,

Their glow reflected in my eyes,

A reminder of the journey taken,

And the work yet to be done.