Poetry from Sandip Saha

No need to worry

In my crescendo of joy travelling Switzerland

East and west coasts of United States of America

Surreal terrains of Norway, voyage in Baltic Sea

Fabulous Finland and many other countries

I captured all marvelous moments this world can offer

Why this glittering fountain does not sustain forever?

The culprit is an inherent fear that is overwhelming

Reminds me after every enjoyment, “This is evanescent”

Soon dark clouds of gloom cover me blind me

I shall have to leave all whatever good I may have

Death will come sooner or later 

Disconnect me cruelly from all achievements.

I find it unbecoming of a god incarnation or prophet

To die in diseases, murdered or drowned

After attaining trance and enlightenment,

They are unable to die with dignity

Choosing calm and peaceful departure from here

Hopelessly in the same way as the common people.

Advaita philosophy declares every human is free

Ignorance like ‘a lion cub in a flock of sheep’

We think ourselves different from the Self

Due to the dirt that blurs our vision, 

In reality, we are parts that form Paramatma

No power can undo this truth.

The accomplishments of material life

Is like the pleasure of swallowing a sweet

There is no need to rush for these

If one wants name and fame

Nothing wrong in it

One must remain determined to go for extinction.

2

Soaked in love

It is so difficult to reach 

To the bottom of her heart

Looks so deceptive

Angry face

Shouting to the top of voice

As though 

Will swallow me

At that very moment.

Curtain falls

The next scene-

I Get up in the morning

Working on my desk

Writing poems is 

My every day habit,

She comes to me silently

With a plateful of fresh fruits.

So beautiful a face she has

Crossed sixty-six years

Suddenly clouds cover

The eternal painter inserts defect,

Eager to remove the faults

She becomes pale

Nothing is working

I run from pillar to post.

Deep in her mind

She stores nectar

Outer layers camouflage

I cannot catch her,

When my love soaks

She appears to be as pearl

Garlands me with a necklace

Purely made out of her soul.

3

Reversal of a polluted river

Yamuna at Delhi 

                         Is turned into

A sewage open 

                        Drain full of froth

The river is vomiting

                        Like a bedridden patient

Infected by the

                        Human virus

Who dumps garbage

                        Organic wastes

Nobody dares

                        To touch its water.

A new government

                        Has come to power

After twenty-seven years

                        Of exile as the opposition

The river is being cleaned

                        Gigantic machines are at work

Day and night 

                        On war footing

River cruises are plying                         

                         Passengers enjoy breeze onboard

The banks are beautified

                         Flowers are smiling in the gardens.

4

Heart melting

Love is floating in the air

Like bubbles filled with colors

Used in celebrating Holi in India

Rich or poor everybody enjoys it

Emotions run high between lovers

Young or old nobody is left behind.

An old man with grey hair and beard

Is sitting with some vegetables

By the side of a road

For some money to meet hunger

Love comes flying to him

In the form of a young police officer.

He tells him to give all those

Spinach, coriander leaves

For which the old man charges him

Only fifty rupees 

The young man’s heart melts

Gives him three hundred fifty instead.

The old man who is hungry for food

But not at all for undue money

Refuses to take so much

The young officer calls himself his son

Requests him not to deprive of serving 

Tears roll down the cheeks.

5

Gruesome government

I deposited my gratuity money in a bank

Retired life, interest from it was important

Suddenly the bank stopped all transactions

The virus of financial scandal engulfed it.

The government intervened to make payment

To ninety-five percent customers

Who were vote bank 

I was left in the lurch.

My fault was I had a large sum of money there

It was blocked for many years without interest

Paying back a paltry amount in initial years thereafter

Keeping the large amounts for payment in final years.

I planned for a tour abroad

Paid the tour operator through the nose

Due to sudden sickness cancelled it

The government did not return GST I paid.

I published a book through a publisher

Paid them high cost of publication

Surprisingly the government charged huge GST

It was my first such book yet to earn royalty.

Sandip Saha won two awards from India, one from USA, was finalist in ‘Origami Poems Project ‘Best of Kindness Contest’, 2020 and Lengthy Poem Contest of Defenestrationism.net, April 2022, both USA, published six poetry collections, 177 poems in 59 journals in six countries- India, USA, UK, Australia, Romania and Mauritius.

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