When abandoned
in the wilderness of grief,
each song of your Geetabitan*
was manna dew to sustain me-
in the darkness
each luminescent word
stared at me, a broken being;
all mist and fog and dust and smoke-
stirring me into life they became my sky
where I spread my wings-
I live in your songs,
old, bearded man-
they are my home-
*Geetabitan is a book by Rabindranath Tagore in three volumes containing a collection of 2232 songs.
I acknowledge the traditional owners of the country where I live - the Waddarung People
Life beyond Barriers
mapping the nest
poetry... mostly...
Wake Up!
I acknowledge the traditional owners of the country where I live - the Waddarung People
Life beyond Barriers
mapping the nest
poetry... mostly...
Wake Up!
Tagore Songs in Translation
I like birds
Wet Ink - Don't Smudge
Scribbling Spiritual Sand...
Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. ~Robert Frost
~ Poetry and Rhyme by Sumyanna -
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poetry by claudia schoenfeld
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sumanar/lekha 
What a beautiful poem, Sumana and beautiful tribute to this favourite poet. A wonderful reminder of the power of poetry; sometimes nothing can equal it for touching and sustaining our hearts. I suppose it won’t be quite the same in English, but I’ll look for those books.
I can see how much Tagore’s poetry has meant / means to you! It must be wonderful to have such a refuge in times of great grief. These are absolutely beautiful words, Sumana:
“stirring me into life they became my sky
where I spread my wings-
I live in your songs”
“. . . stirring me into life they became my sky / here I spread my wings . . .” To live in a poet’s words is a great honor to the poet, and this poem is only a piece of the gratitude. There is a boundlessness here.
I remember that passage you made and the beautiful translations of Tagore’s work that you wrote. I love that his words became both dew and sky, and lifted you up. What a completely gorgeous poem. A poem that walks in the footsteps of Tagore himself.
I think we all have books of songs and poems to which we turn ‘in the wilderness of grief’, Sumana. I love these lines:
‘in the darkness
each luminescent word
stared at me, a broken being’
and
‘stirring me into life they became my sky’.
Ah, it’s magic to find home in the words of a kindred soul.
A beautiful tribute to your inspirational poet whose luminescent words healed you.
This is magical in the weaving of words into something that means so much. It really works.
So incredibly moving are your words, Sumana, how much more Tagore must be to you whose words “became my sky/where I spread my wings-” All the imagery is profoundly effective.
wonderful writing Sumana! 🙂✌🏼🫶🏼