I am visiting my home town, Guwahati, in India for Durga Puja. The nine day celebration (Navaratri) of worshipping Goddess Durga ends on the tenth day with the immersion of her idol on Vijaya Dashami (October 19th this year. Last I was in Guwahati for Durga Puja was in 1984.
On my way to Guwahati, I stayed in Kolkata for two days meeting my college class mates whom I had not seen for more than four decades. The poem below is an expression of how I felt meeting my friends, with whom I had spent five years of my life, after such a long time.
We Travelled Time
For a moment time stood still,
And then we rolled it back.
As decades collapsed to years,
And years squeezed to
Months and days,
For a few hours there
We found our fountain of youth.
Years fell of like
Leaves falling off a tree in fall.
Behold the miracle!
As Yayati sheding his old age
Embracing youth,
In the dying rays of an autumn sun
We took a dip in the fountain
And emerged as teens.
Bewildered eyes of our sweethearts
Questioning what madness engulfed us,
We travelled time.
Drank from our cup of memories.
Rejuvenated,
We parted, not with a heavy heart
But promises to meet again.
©Pranab Sarma, 2018
Yayati – mythological king who was cursed with old age at the prime of his youth. He regained his youth as his son Puru agreed to take his father’s curse and gave his youth to his father.
Forty years! That brought a lot of change, didn’t it? I met with high school classmates in 2011, our 60th reunion, but we had met often every five years so there was not all that much change between seeing each other. We didn’t meet in 2016 and most likely will not again. Too many of the “organizers” have passed on. Perhaps they are meeting now, who knows?
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Lots of change, specially receding (and no hair) hair lines, increasing midriff and the list of ailments afflicting everyone😂. But for a few hours we forgot all that and was transfered to our youths.
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What a lovely poem to add to the celebrations! Enjoy the festivities Pranab! Happy Navratri and Durga Puja…they can be enjoyed more with friends and family.
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Thank you so much.
I hope to enjoy the celebration.
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Lovely poem to express the encounter of a world and its beloved people left behind, childhood memories evoked. Pranab, I see you are originally from India living in the USA, so your life walk is between two different worlds. Am I right? I have found Durga Puja on wikipedia and this celebration looks great. Wish you a very happy celebration! Marta
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Yes, I am originally from India and leaving in USA for 30+ years. On this visit I had the chance to meet many of my friends from college days and the poem was based on the feelings from that.
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Exactly! That is what I have seen through this beautiful poem. I was wondering at your name. Always a male name, right? I found this and it goes well with a poet’s soul like yours: http://www.bachpan.com/Meaning-of-Pranab.aspx
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Yes it’s a male name.
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Thank you.
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