The Sleeping Buddha

Under the frozen fireworks, the mighty Buddha sleeps

Lying blissfully in his fortress of snow as the dawn sweeps

A lens-shaped cloud draws over his face like a soft curtain

And I watch him, rooted to the ridge of another mountain

The bluish-white silhouette embodies eternal tranquillity

acknowledges me as a child lost in the crowd of humanity

Trekking from Sepi to Samanden to Sabargram via Molley

for a flawless view of the Kanchenjunga wasn’t some folly

I fill up on silence as my heart reels from the inner noise

awaiting la primera ray of light to stir the panoramic poise

A crimson orb appears in the east, highlighting the horizon

Casting a celestial glow on the massif that’s now vermilion

I stand witness to the genesis of a new world anointed by fire

And I see a shot at redemption before we face nature’s ire

Racing against disruptions, degradations, disasters & deaths

Why can’t we allow our only planet to catch a few breaths?

Will we finally ask ourselves how much do we really need

and let Buddha’s message of contentment win over greed? 

Jungle Trek - Walking Backwards

On the final day of the trek, we walked on a river

that wound through the middle of a forest cover

Steered by broad, tree-laden, bare-rooted banks,

the Gopat river rolled, gently nudging its flanks

The water, barely ankle-deep, cool, calm, & clear

gathered the sunshine, gleaming from ear to ear

The feet, simply bare, and to be honest, a bit sore

soothed at once on stepping in, like never before

Digging tiny puddles in the sandbed with the toes

I could feel each grain scrubbing away all my woes

For some time, we kicked and splashed and raced

learned how to drink the river water; new skill aced

Slowly the revelry receded & the reverie returned

and after walking about half the distance I turned

The entire trek flashed before me as if on rewind

It wasn’t just the footprints I was leaving behind

I started to walk backward, gazing into the infinity

the inexplicable, the all-encompassing immensity

Millions of years of unfathomable earth formations

and just thousands of years of human civilizations

Where do I belong in this inexplicable mystery?

Will it matter to the cosmos where I end up to be?

Trying to fit myself in this big plan seemed selfish

I felt small and big and at the same time outlandish

How much more? I was no longer tempted to check

rather slowed down to enjoy every step of this trek

Let the memories, thoughts, and imaginations play

Some flew off in tangents, some came back to stay

I was a part of the river and I was a part of the sand

And also a piece of the open deciduous forest land

Looking back at how far I had come was heartening

like a beautiful song that heals as you are listening!

A Scar_ry Adventure!

There is a small scar on my ankle bone, a souvenir from a trip. 
Each time I look at it, I’m trying to stand over a rock but I slip.

My ankle gashes against that rock, slimy with a film of algae,

bringing down sodden curtains over the spine-chilling soiree!

In the serene village of Mawlyngbna, Indo-Bangladesh border 

We had no idea what awaited us as we trekked down in order

Lush jungle all around with the rain clouds hanging above us.

The wettest place on earth proved its worth without any fuss.

Plunging into the canyon from a cliff was the tip of the thrill.

Barely beating the slide down the rocky cascades, sans frill.

Rappelling down waterfalls, struggling to keep the eyes open,

clutching onto the tree roots, hoping to come out unbroken.

Swimming when we could, floating away when we could not

‘Be one with the water’, the guide advised us, ‘Don’t be taut.’

We were high on adrenaline, despite the sore calves and soles.

Tottering along the edges, trying not to slip into the potholes. 

Gushing and gasping our way through a rain-engorged river. 

Soaked to the bone for over five hours in the freezing water.

A wild adventure, I remember every time I look at that scar 

when a crazy heart convinced a cautious mind to jump afar!