Uninvited guest

Update:

Edwin Alvarez was the kid I wrote about in my poem below today.  Please read the request below from his friends trying to arrange for his funeral.

“Hey guys. I believe everyone is aware already that on Friday night there was a boating accident after which our friend Edwin unfortunately passed away. I don’t know however, if everyone is aware that he comes from a very humble family and I don’t know up to what point they relied on Edwin’s income. As far as I know, he was paying for his brother’s education, bootstrapping a business with his dad who works in construction and looking for ways to also help his mother, who is a maid, to find an alternate source of income.
Needless to say this is a life-altering situation that is going to be incredibly difficult for his family to overcome. Eduardo (one of Edwin’s friends who helped us contact his family), started a GoFundMe to help them out with the funeral expenses. Any help will surely be greatly appreciated. Here’s the link https://gf.me/u/ykvm62 . He also mentioned that Oscar (Edwin’s brother) is already aware of this effort.”

I write about current events, my poems are fiction, penned during my flights of imagination. The poem below is based on a tragedy that happened two nights ago.  A young soul was called back too soon by the Lord.  He was my son’s friend.  I never met him but heard about him from my son. A hard working, honest, fun loving friendly guy.  These are the times one questions, why? Why?  I guess there is no answer.

a day in a life of hope

started with fun and frolic,

a boat ride down the river,

azure summer sky pierced

with laughter and singing.

sun moved slowly

to the western sky,

blazing the horizon,

tired frolicking souls, returning home,

tying their boat to the dock,

did not notice

the uninvited guest.

 

was the path slippery,

or did his foot falter?

did he hear the bell toll,

or did he hear his destiny call?

when his head struck the water,

did he lust for life,

did he struggle to survive?

 

a promise

nipped in the bud,

lots of hope, lots of dreams,

met a watery grave.

no answer to myriads of

questions from friends,

why? why?

somewhere a brother grieves,

a huge hole in the heart unfilled,

somewhere parents wait,

unknown to them,

their light turned off.

leaving behind the puzzle

of a question without answer,

he left.

 

some will say destiny,

some will blame God,

some other will console,

what happened,

happened for the best,

maybe the power unseen

spared him the pain,

that would have been his

in the future.

no one knows

what is the truth,

but for him

the truth is,

today there will be

no new dawn.

 

this is life, an uncertainty,

sparkling, a colorful dream,

a moment, in just a moment,

everything shattered,

a promise, a future,

a name, relationships,

all remained incomplete.

just for a brief moment in time,

an identity,

dead body,

A Dead Body.

 

today is a new dawn,

cycle of life continues,

the absence of an actor

won’t stop the drama of life,

life goes on, life goes on,

going forward is the

name of the game.

tomorrow, on the door of his room,

there will be a new name plate,

a new actor,

a new name,

and somewhere else

the bells will toll

for someone else.

 

অনাহূত অতিথি

আশাভৰা জীৱনৰ সোণালী দিনটো

আৰম্ভ হৈছিল আনন্দৰে,

নদীৰ বক্ষত নৌকাবিহাৰ,

হাঁহি ধেমালিৰে গুঞ্জৰী উঠিছিল

গ্ৰীষ্মৰ নীল আকাশখন।

লাহে লাহে দিনমণিৰ ৰথৰ চকা

ঘূৰিছিল পশ্চিম আকাশলৈ,

দিগন্ত হেঙুলীয়া কৰি।

ঘৰমুখি নৌকা, ক্লান্ত শৰীৰ,

ঘাটত বান্ধিলে নৌকা,

নেদেখিলে কোনেও

অনাহূত অতিথি জন।

 

পথটো পিছল আছিল নেকি,

নে ভৰি খন পিছল খালে?

মূহুৰ্তৰ অসাৱধানতা,

সি বাৰু দেৱ দুন্দুভি শুনিছিল নে,

শুনিছিল নে সি কালৰ আহ্বান

মূৰটো পানীয়ে স্পৰ্শ কৰোতে,

জীয়াই থকাৰ বাসনাত

কৰিছিল নে সি সংগ্ৰাম?

 

এটি প্ৰতিশ্ৰুতি

অকালতে মৰহি গ’ল,

বহুতো আশাৰ, বহুতো সপোনৰ,

সলিল সমাধি হ’ল।

বন্ধুবৰ্গৰ প্ৰশ্নৰ নাই কোনো উত্তৰ,

কিয়? কিয়?

কোনোবা ভাতৃৰ বুকুত ৰৈ গ’ল

বুজাব নোৱাৰা শুন্যতা,

জন্মদাতা পিতৃ-মাতৃৰ হয়তো

শেষ দেখা নহ’ল,

এটা উত্তৰ বিহীন প্ৰশ্নৰ

সাথৰ এৰি সি গুচি গল।

 

কোনোৱে কব ভৱিতব্য,

কোনোৱে কব কণা বিধাতা,

আন কোনোৱে সান্ত্বনা দিব,

সকলো ভালৰ কাৰণেই হয়,

হয়তো ভৱিষ্যতৰ কষ্ট কৰিব লাঘব,

লৈ গ’ল তেৰাই তেওঁৰ কোলালৈ।

সঁচা কি নাজানে কোনেও,

সঁচা মাথো এই,

তাৰ কাৰণে আজি আৰু

নহয় নতুন প্ৰভাত।

 

এয়েটো জীৱন, অনিশ্চয়তাৰ,

জিলমিলিয়া, ৰঙীন সপোন,

এটা মূহুৰ্ত, এটা মূহুৰ্ত মাথোন

সকলো হ’ল থানবান,

হাঁহিয়ে ভৰা জীৱন এটি

সম্ভাৱনা, পৰিকল্পনা,

এটি নাম, অলেখ সম্বন্ধ

অপূৰ্ণ হৈ ৰল।

কিছু সময়ৰ বাবে থাকিল

এক পৰিচয়,

মৃতদেহ,

মৃতদেহ।

 

আজি এক নতুন পুৱা,

ঘূৰিছে ৰথৰ চকৰি,

নানা সপোনৰ ভাওনা ৰ‌ঙচঙীয়া,

এজন ভাৱৰীয়াৰ অনুপস্থিতিত

জীৱন নাটক নহয় স্থগিত,

চৰৈবেতি, চৰৈবেতি

গতিয়েই জীৱনৰ নাম।

কালি তাৰ বন্ধ কোঠালীৰ দুৱাৰত

ওলমিব নতুন নামৰ ফলক,

এক নতুন ভাৱৰীয়া,

এটা নতুন নাম,

আৰু অইন ক’ৰবাত বাজিব আকৌ,

মহাকালৰ আহ্বান।