Reflection (Poem)

In the horizon, the sky in dusky crimson hue

Blended with the forest’s silhouette 

As the dusty path led me-

Through the woods to a rivulet

To rest my life’s journey worn feet.

I perched by the stream-

Marveling at its clear waters -

Reflecting the sky’s gleam;

I bent over to look at

 My reflection in the water,

Only to find a face,

With a strange demeanor;

A face I had not seen ever.

When I observed it closely,

I found images of the ages gone by  

Appear as momentary ripples

On the surface and disappear from sight.

To catch on the receding images

I held on to a thorny bush,

And leaned towards the water

But, blood trickled from

My thorn gashed hand

Into the water giving it a crimson hue;

Agony of the wound affected my view-

And I witnessed moments from history

Harrowing events of pain and misery-

That filled me with vengeance and fury.

Overpowered by such dismal feeling

I knelt on the ground and-

Unintentionally dislodged a stone;

That fell into the clear water;

And gently settled on the stream’s floor

I gazed at the concentric ripples

 The fall of the stone had caused

On the tranquil surface of the stream;

Once its surface regained its transparent gleam

I saw countless tiny grains of sand

 Reverently swirl around the stone

 Like a constellation of devotees

 Revolving around the creator’s deity

  I gazed at the star spangled sky

 And found it reflect the devout galaxy.

A gentle breeze whispered by

Through the branches of the trees nearby,

Showering their crispy yellow leaves

On the serene surface of the stream;

They appeared to me

As raft like time machines

Transporting me to my life’s cherished moments

That defined my being in the present-

My life seemed ensconced in the instant.

I saw my being reflected

 In every grain of the creation;

Making every moment of my existence

As unique and inimitable as me-

The calmness of the stream

Mirrored my inherent peace

With the truthful realisation-

I am an integral part of the creation;

Every moment of my life’s journey

Will remain as a fragment of the creation to eternity