Paradise – Where?

(6:28 PM)I was not a child – nor could I be, for every second since I’d discovered myself I’ve felt lost in time. I lived in a world spun off my dreams and in those hidden layers, truth I did find. I guess a child they could call at the age when I did, start hearing the voices that kept me aroused. For each night as blue clouds drank in grey, and then as the sky shed all its brightness away, I stared at the skies, far past what eyes could see and there amidst the stars had I woven my secret place to be. For now I was trapped in this world where I be, for none but the voices that spoke could see, how there could be a land beyond human sight. One day I realized that a path I should find, for from the edge of this world, a way there shall be. And thence shall I rise, above and move on – encompass the light, and ‘one’ with life shall I be one. I spent countless hours searching in vain, until shades of black and grey absorbed my sight. As I lay exhausted on the gravel path that lay ahead, I saw a bright light – mauve rising above. In a flash it rose to the stars up above and then broke into specks of vibrant delight. I stared up above – enlightened inside, for somehow I knew, that now I could find the path that shall take me my way. But the years went on and so did I – slowly numbed by the silence around. The voices remained urging me on, not letting me sleep, not letting hope die. My visions grew more complex almost taunting me now, sneering at my failure to find my own path to my land. Finally I could take it no more, exhausted and defeated I realized I’d tried too hard and had still lost my way. I stared up looking at the stars at night, trying to convince myself that it was not an illusion and not some mean game of my mind. My quest had taken me far – beyond all seven seas and thence finally did I return to the start. But, shocked was I to find my gravel path was not be found. The place from where I’d begun was lost – far from gravel, I could see not soil at all. Nor could I find the dust in the air and the barren lands adorned by stones. The sharp stones had given way to life’s soft touches in kind. Green lush lands had swallowed the path, leaving no gap for even doubt to get past. As I stared across the green fields around, I stood silent for a second wondering in awe as to whose land I had come to.., Then, I saw her – her hair blowing out wild, peering at me from behind her black curtain with a shy smile and moist eyes. I stood for a second amazed to witness the person who’d painted this world from scratch, given life to my powerless dreams. I smiled back glad to find that in the quest of truth I wasn’t alone and lay down on the grass. Slowly the voices that had kept me awake – faded away and I fell asleep finally – as I drifted away I realized that it would end where it all began and it was never too later to reach the end – for here Paradise I’d found at last (7 PM)

4th Jan 2006
Manas R Moothedath