Restless

“Thy peace, O Lord, a boon within to keep 

Amid the roar and ruin of wild Time

For the magnificent soul of man on earth. 

Thy calm, O Lord, that bears thy hands of joy.

Limitless like ocean round a lonely isle”. ( Sri Aurobindo - Savitri )

Restless

Peace! where have you vanished?

What chased you away from the mind?

Summer is about to end its course

Falling acorns break the midday silence

Autumn breeze tosses brown leaves into the air 

Scattered on ground wrinkled and curled.

Little squirrels chase each other down from a tree

The one on the lawn chair nibbles on an acorn - carefree

Her cautious eyes looking straight into my eyes

She senses a familiarity in my figure slight

Careful but not fearful is her demeanor.

A monarch came to rest upon a rose bush

Wilted and scorched from Summer's heat

A patch of white cloud floats in the blue sky

Beneath it, a morning dove glides high.

Nature is restive and calm for a downturn

Though restless is mind for no reason

O! Peace! Where have you gone to hide!

Come back and reign this tumultuous tide.

writer’s note: One thing Bhagavad Geeta talks about is Param Shanti ( peace of highest kind ). It is a boon reflected in the above quote of Sri Aurobindo. However in our life often there are moments when even a little peace becomes elusive. My poem above reflects on one such moment of uneasiness. It was written some time back but never posted on the blog. On February 21st our Sri Aurobindo Bhagavad Geeta study group celebrated Mother’s birthday. While reading their spiritual writings above quote was recited and it reminded me of my humble forgotten poem expressing the other side of the coin. Today I post it as a tribute to that great soul whose writings have brought so much peace.