Rama Series

By: Bijay Kant Dubey

Rama Series (Written in continuation of, in commemoration)/ O, Singer of Rama, Strange Singer! People Will Go Away, But Your Song Will Remain It Here/ Song of Rama/ Strange Singer of Rama

Foreword

I do not write the poems keeping in view the epical formats, but the poems get tagged to naturally to take the canvas and length of epical poems and so the case is with my Rama poems which I have been intermittently to discharge my emotions and feelings just as a compensation for from time to time to recuperate and to recover from tragedy and trauma felt in the aftermath of the loss of lives. How to console the broken self? Where to gather moral strength? How to repair the damage? The haunted houses dilapidated and lying as mouldering heaps of debris and rubble with the input phantom listeners listening and whispering, where to go leaving them? Death is a great leveller and time is the best healer, how to ignore them? My end, I know it well, there is none to be by my side. I do not want to waste my precious time just after engaging with words and if there is something to read and say to, say you definitely passing them on and if not, keep them aside branding it rubbish. And with this, thanks, let me take leave of you!

                        -----Bkd

The Prologue

They Also Sing The Songs of Rama Who Sing In Whispers

They also sing the songs of RamaWho sing in whispers,They also are the devotees of RamaWho sing it silentlyAway from public gaze,Thy also sing the songs of Rama Who sing in whispersThe songs of Rama from farWho we know it notWho they are, who the strange singers of Rama!

Hey, You, O, What Are You Singing?, When Asked, Said He Feebly, The Song of Rama

When I approached himListening to the songWhich he had beenWith so much zest and devotionAnd delightFelt he perturbedAnd started retreating, But I dared ask him, Hey, hey, you, What, what are you singing? , Into whose responseCame it the feeble answer, The song, The song of Rama, The song of Rama, He sang the songWhich but heard IAnd after singing the songfrom the hazy domainWent he away, Went he away that singer, That singer of RamaFor whom still weep I, Break I down! 

O, Singer of Rama, Singer of Rama, Go You Not Away!

O, singer, Singer of Rama, Before you go away, Sing, sing the songBefore you go, go awaySing, sing you the song, Song of your Rama, O, singer, Singer of heartSing, sing youBefore you go awayMaking me hear, hear it! O, singer, Singer of Rama, Your song I knew it not, Heard it not, Came it not to feelThat you, You too a singer, A singer of Rama, A strange but silent singer, Singer of Rama! I do not knowWho you are, What it your identity, What my connection, Connection with you, What my relationship, Relationship with youAs you come it near not, Sing, sing you from far, From farBut appear to be, To be my own! As I can see, See the tears, Tears trickling, Trickling down the cheeks, Tears, Teardrops falling, Falling throughAnd you, You lost, Lost in singing, Singing the songs the of Rama, Silently, All but silently, But so melodiously. As introduce, introduce you not, Who, who you are, What, what your identityJust from far, From farKeep you, Keep you singing, Singing the song, The song of RamaWith so much of zest, So much tearfully, O, my love, My heartbroken loveSo much forlorn and forsaken! 

The Body

O, Singer! Singer of Rama! Sing You! Sing You!

O, singer,Singer of Rama,Sing you, sing youThe songs, songs of Rama!

And as thus go you singing

Refreshing my love

Which I have in my heart

For you, for you!

O, singer,Singer of heart,Singer of soul,I can feel, feel!

The pain of your heart,Your heart and soulThat you how far from me,That you...

O, soul,O, spirit,Departed soul,Departed spirit!

O, singer,Singer of heart,O, singer,Singer of soul,The Holy Spirit!

Whenever disturbed and morose,

I turn, turn to you,

To you,

O holy singer,

Singer of Rama!

They also sing the songs of Rama

Who sing in whispers,

They too the pious men,

Devout fellows!

O Singer of Rama!

O singer,Singer of Rama,Sing you,Sing you the song of Rama!

A Poor Soul He Was But A Unique Singer of Rama

A poor soulHe was but a unique singer,Singer of Rama,The songs of Rama!

So distraught 

And dishevelled in life,

Broken and devastated

A poor singer,

Singer of Rama!

Singing,Singing the song,The song of RamaWith so much delight,So much pain!

When smiled he, smiled I

And clapped with

Singing the song,

The song of Rama 

In zest.

But when wept he, wept IHearing his song,Seeing him weepingInconsolably.

With tears into the eyes of mine,

I trying, trying to console

The broken self of the singer,

The singer of Rama!

O, singer,Singer, weep you,Weep you not,My brother,Weep, weep you not!

Break,

Break you not down

Wiping the tears said I,

Said I to console him,

Weep, weep you not!

Stopped he,

Stood he still speechlessly

And thereafter went, went away

That singer, singer of Rama!

Wiping the tears,Wiping it himself,Singing That singer,That singer of Rama!

Wiping the tears,Wiping and singingThe song,The song of Rama!

The traveller from far,

The strange singer of Rama,

That very mysterious singer,

Singer of Rama!

Rama, I Knew It Not, Krishna, I Knew It Not

Rama, I knew it not,

Krishna, I knew it not,

Just said it,

Said it by the way,

Taking it otherwise

That I knew,

Knew it Rama,

That, that I Krishna,

But Rama not my Rama,

Krishna not my Krishna.

But the utmost devotion

With which people love him

Stood it yours,

Only yours,

Rama is not my Rama,

Krishna not my Krishna,

It is not in outward show,

But in the innermost recesses

Of human heart. 

I just boasted it,

Boasted among

That I knew it Rama,

Knew it Krishna,

But Rama is Rama,

Krishna Krishna,

How could I,

Could I

A small man

And can,

Can one the Unknowable?

The Epilogue

O, Singer!

O singer,

Your Rama will remain

Your Rama,

Your Krishna

Your Krishna,

O singer,

None can,

None can

The love,

Love of your heart,

Heart,

None can,

None can

Your zest,

Zest of singing!

You Went On

You went on,

Went on singing,

Singing and singing,

Singing the songs

Of Rama,

Rama and Krishna,

Krishna and Rama

With so much zest,

So much delight,

Joy and pleasure,

But the wide world,

The wide world knew it,

Knew it not the pains of yours,

The pains of your heart,

Your heart and singing

What it ailed,

Ailed you and your heart,

What it marauded and maligned you,

You and your self,

Poor self

The world,

The world knew,

Knew it not! 

O Singer of Rama, Strange Singer of Rama!

People will come,

People will go away,

But your song,

Song of Rama

Will remain,

Remain it here,

The song,

The song of Rama,

Rama and Krishna,

Krishna and Rama

Will remain,

Remain it her,

O singer,

Singer of Rama,

Rama and Krishna!