Hem Raj Bastola

3:22 AM.
Annapurna Base Camp

Enough is enough!
I saw it today.
Dashing girl in the dining room.
Performing her duty
Playing cards and laughter
lacking respect and
role of her duty.

Did she represent
The culture and society
That she is grown to cater
A question within me asks as I see.
As a mute observer reading
By coincidence in the same place
As I happen to stay tonight.

Forgive me!
My eyes are loud,
My ears sharp and my mouth blunt
And I am looking for the sharpener
For the pencil that
I have perceived.

Thousands of
Kilometers I have walked,
Feelings I read.
Person to person different,
Attitudes and manners.

Honking horns in the city
While walking on the roadsides.
Songs of Rivers and rillettes
I have understood,
In the silence of the mountains.

I have listened to the silence,
Roars and cries and rain.
Pitch of its meaning is different,
The way you realize:
The essence.

Peace it carries
As the gong, it echoes far out.
Soothing to the sense of calmness,
Whenever I visit the temples
I ring the bell, to listen.
And to invoke the silent god.
Within me dwelled.

As the years pass by
The roads are changing
The way people think,
Lacking respect for human values.
Quick response, they require.
The ethics of patience!
Modern time is gone.

One day
When I was answering
To the customer he said:
“They do not respond in time”

Still the knowledge of
Impermanence is forgotten.
The ignorance we are imposing
To harm the universal law.
By the flourishing culture of
Immediate result,
And impatience saying:
Here and now.

And It is shame to say,
For the dying forbearance
In modern times.
Lacking kindness,
Generosity and compassion!

Life is an omnipresent
Conscious spirit.
I understood and realize:
An echo dies in a minute.
And I discovered a sound!
On this very night in silence.
Still learning to listen!

I am the river,
I am the rain!
Visible cloud my life
I will never be
The same again.

Was a child,
Not anymore.
Deep you are
Deeper you want to go.
It is the process,
Anywhere you see.
Struggle a life!
What do you want to be?

Wanted to be like:
The lake stagnant
Not static, an inconstant flux.
Neither can stop the cycle
Nor any trick to Dam.
Ever fickle is a human!
Look.

Change is what?
A phenomenon you see.
In order to exist and to be,
Meandering I flow
Stage to stage passing.
And surrender,
To the ocean finally.
The source!
The eternity!

Transporting
The milk of life,
Trains of his veins,
Flowing energy.
Making him to move,
To live and
To collect,
The experience.

In the cauldron of life,
Stirring veins of
Sanguine sap.
Fire of his youth
Finally the milk scald.

And, slowly calm,
By the age resting,
In the canister cordon;
Curdled into yogurt.
To fulfill,
The vow of silence.
To return
To the source
Ultimate.

Sun is casting
His powerful gong
I can hear it
Glittering so strong
Pastoral he is
Playing with soil
It’s hard to live
Without such a toil.
To continue
To exist.

Scorching heat
peeling off the bark.
The rind is hard
Still it broke.
Earth is so dry to plant.
He has not given up
The hope.
Wiping his forehead
By the sleeve of:
His shirt.

Stranger, I reach
Fascinated by the country
Where the lane of life
Is slow, though smiles
Of welcome
Pulls me with attraction
Invitation leads me
To the barn.

His sweat
Is fermented
Rancid brine filtered
Through his body.
To quench his thirst
and to shed his skin,
To protect from
The midday heat.
We now in a barn rest,
Beside the farm.

And a loitering
Peregrine
Found his friend
To talk with.
Where he is still
Spinning his living yarn
To continue life.
Blooming calluses
On his palm

Along with
Ongoing gossip
Boiling available herb
The tea is served.
The taste was
Beyond the price.
The way he lives
His rustic life.

Where the smell
Of the livestock
Was more refreshing
Than perfume.
Invigorating strong,
Inspiring moment
Of experience

Putting somewhere
Not to forget
And I am unable
To restrain my words.
While resting
In a country barn.

Enough!
I see enough!
The light!
The progress!
The growth.

One day
When I was
Contemplating
Sitting by the hermitage
Alone and isolated.
While delusions of the world
Were chasing a mirage.
Where does it lead?
A question within!
Question ask.

Did we understand!
What is peace after all?
Humans are running for it!
Even in luxury, in comfort!
Of material ease.
I know everything
has to die, decay
And decompose.

I see them
Holding heads of
Anxiety, anger, and stress.
Ah! Still, when?
Humans will realize,
the knowledge of:
Contentment.

It’s getting dark now!
Far out from the civilization
I smell the aura: the twilight.
And to get immersed within,
Magical rays
Of consciousness.

Breathing deep,
Along with
My folded feet,
There I sit.
Profound soul to purify.
It’s time to close my eyes.
holding self
In silence.

Whatever
You did!
You did ignore
My love!

I have cried
In the dry glacier bed,
You know!
I have cried in the moraine
Of the avalanche,
You know!

Disoriented!
I forgot,
To bloom in time.
What is spring?
What is winter? I forgot.
When does it snow and when to rain?
You made me so mad.
That’s why I pass over:
My routine!

Where are your ears?
My love!
Your disrespect to my devotion
Calling havoc, my love!
You betrayed me: to hold dear!
And still, you do not realize:
Stumbling every day
Unaware of my value.

You know!
I am parched, I am thirsty
And fissured too.
Unaddressed hunger
Cried through!
Wishing even to relinquish
I could not.

I am sorry!
You could not avail
My warm embrace.
My throat is dry
This whooping cough! Ah!
Give me some water,
I may quench my thirst.
But do not blame me
Many of my red light
Warnings
You ignore them.

I am not sure
How long will it last?
Craving for your care.
And to persuade you,
Warning through
My anger!

You are spoiled
Incredibly, oh human!
You have forgotten
To feel the sense
Of my flair.

Listen, please!
I am nature.
Speaking:
The order of
The universe.

Would spend,
Hours staring!
To that adolescent,
Blooming:
Each moment.

But!
What do I do?
With this treacherous time.
Neither keeps your luster forever,
Neither you can stop it,
From fading.

That vanishing cream of:
Auroral red!
Smearing on the eastern lips,
You born.
Among the hurry and haste
Of this selfish world.
Am I not involved too?

So, am I!
Compelled
To appreciate you,
While walking.
That redness, that colour
Letting graze on the cultivated
Romantic sky.

You arrive!
Oh! Dawn: the daybreak.
And within seconds
You are gone again, Oh! Dawn.
Forgive me, please!
I did not have any time today,
To spend more and
To describe your beauty.

Please!
Keep going
To do your duty.
I will do mine, forbearing life.
Work is our worship: The Karma.
The servant of action.
Our destiny of each other is,
Written within this:
Circle of duty.

Please!
Do not get angry
Oh! Dawn.
I was in haste today
Will kiss you,
Tomorrow again.

Don’t know!
What is missing?
In this gastronomy.
I am not satisfied yet
Unable to pin down.
What is lacking?

Dead silence!
The owl is hooting.
Silver rain of vigil moon is:
Illuminating the dark.
Peeping from
The sky.

Oh! I forgot!
It’s the time of poetry.
It’s the time of beauty
To the taste of solitude and
Ornamented spice of words
Am I not wakeful?
Moments of peace,
To adore.

Imagine!
My hunger is immense.
My longing! My craving!
Your immeasurable depth,
Had I the tool to fathom?
I would decipher:
That vague redolence
Of you.

Imagination even
Can not comprehend
Your mystery of:
Miscellaneous beauty.
Will I be able to
Embellish you? Oh! Poetry
Decorated on a platter
To serve.

Spatula pen stirring
On the cauldron paper
Waiting for the taste
To come.
I am still cooking!

Obscure still!

Humid veils
Of thought,
Venting mutely;
Silent world
Of shadows.

Devout artist, dig.
Neverland seeking,
Rubbernecking spirit.
Begetting progeny:
Parcel of the seed.

Rind is peeled,
Content served,
The ink spilled;
To entertain:
The dreams.

And I imagine.

It is trivial!
It is temporary!
I am gonna write up
Something today.
I am gonna write up
Something to say.

Early morning,
Welled up thinking.
A thought of bygone
Sieving memories.

A friend said:
“You are missed today.”
And I feel the wind,
Of overflowing joy
There on the way.

Lighter and
Free I felt.
As he learned the values
Of the moments of life.
And I think within:
That would be great
If he could keep
Such feelings forever.

At the same time
Other feelings arise
When human dreams
Drive further,
If you get lost with
Plastic luxury.

Selfishness
Succumbs the spirit,
You will be cheaper then,
Gravity of being
Will pull down.

Few peregrine birds
Passing through
On my return welcome.
As I arrive home
And stop.

His fickle
Childish spirit
Curious to tell.
Opening his jaws.
Father! Father!
You know! it is hurting,
My wisdom tooth
Is coming.