(Click the picture to enlarge)An ancient city
Floating in deep waters
The land of light
The warmth penetrates
Into an over whelmed heart
Deep waters lash her by
As boats toss gently
Flowing down along her sides
Take with it life
Belief and love
The Ganges, sweet mother
Pure as she flows by
Covers the holy city
Taking the soul
Into her watery heavens
Oh sweet people
Don't you see
This beautiful city
Cradled in her lap
Tossing gently
The smoke from the pyre rise
Yet another soul departs
Where death is common site
Along her burning ghats
Reflect in her pure waters
A mirror to the self
A world departed
A world at hand
A cremation ground
A reality unfolds
And yet life moves on
With the vision of death
Burning into flames
A lamp I hold
A small flame of light
The Ganges in her motion
Sweeps the dust off my feet
Sweeps the ashes
The residue of lost life
Into her silent veil
And here Lord Shiva lies immersed
In her deep waters
His home his world
In a pure watery heaven
Along the Scindia Ghat
And as the sun departs
Leaving darkness to consume
The world rises up in flame
To worship the mother again
Yet another day
Smoke and incense rise
This time sweet fragrance
Cover the ghat now dotted
With lamp lights along her sides
And hymns fill in the ears
Fire for the soul departed
Fire to worship her waters
Fire the light for the living
Fire the way for the dead
Fire my guide through this dark life
The force I feel
Her wholesome self
The thundering sounds
As she wets me feet
A feeling sublime
A magical city
Where life meets death
Where illusion falls
Where reality strikes
And leaves me in a silent spell
Something about this land
Its potency its silence
Its faith its everlasting glory
Unshakable, a thick icy sheet
A curtain of illusion falls.
Aham Gangai Matha Namaskaromi.
Photo courtesy: Vaisnava.cz - The Hare Krishna inspiration
© 2001-2007
