In search of Love the young man went
From village to city and every land
And under the heaven, his nights spent
With not a shawl in his handsome hand.
When he met a girl in a vale
With eyes black and radiant skin –
Her locks of hair over shoulder fell –
Beautiful than had he ever seen!
Asked he with the murmur of a grove
With eyes large and a hopeful face:
“Can I be the one whom you will love?”
Replied, “I love one whom none can trace”.
The words were sharp in their approach
They tore his chest, they opened his heart
(Though hard they tried, they couldn’t touch
His heart’s dark and innermost part).
With rhythmic treads he walked her past
Humming a song with pensive thoughts
And to a forest he came at last –
With vegetation wild from berries to nuts.
He saw a saint in saffron robes
Engrossed deep in thoughts of God
Touched not by the Dead man’s sobs
Or tangled by Merry’s cord.
At his feet, the young man bowed
With hope and joy in his heart
Asked he, “Is there one whom you loved?
Great soul, speak from depth of your heart”.
With eyes closed and a tranquil smile
With thoughts of saint and saintly broad
Replied, “Neither by a lie nor by guile,
I never loved one but only God.”
Not yet satisfied by the words said
The man journeyed from day to dim
And though he had grown old and tired –
Decided to seek from the Supreme.
He approached the Spirit in his heart –
And what a revelation on part of his!
That then he found a voice at last –
To seek the answer of his longing wish!
The Spirit answered in a voice bold ,
“I love you and all the world here
For I do dwell in your every fold
So you will find me everywhere”.
And then followed the added reply:
“I am love in Heaven and Hell,
Iff I am in your each apply,
You’ll discover the art to dwell”.
—
By Swetansu Mohapatra (Sep 2003)