(A tribute to my childhood friend)
With futile attempt to reminisce the past
And recollect the moments we met last,
Antiquated by time and separated by distance,
Yet bounded by our common roots of existence,
I try to navigate through my blurred memories,
As my mind flashes over the childhood journeys,
Like the person in the dark desperately groping
To make a move with the blinking light of lightning.
I see now the vast vivid vista of our good old days
While the past echoes like a thundering fury of blaze.
O my dear friend! I remember everything my friend!
When we were as carefree as fawn in our homeland,
Where we could see fire flickering far,
During the night on the hills of Bhedetar.
Many a time we flew the kite over the mountains,
With the birds flying in hundreds and thousands
In the blue sky towards the unknown destination
When the sun would set in the mellow red horizon.
We waded the rivers and climbed the hills,
We hiked the woods and had the thrills.
I had a plan that we would one day get together
And warm our tired bones beside the homely fire,
Sharing our thoughts and childhood memories
To relive and narrate all our life’s vagaries.
But now I stand dumbstruck as your days are done
And I wonder how sudden everything can be gone.
So Rest In Peace my dear friend, Rest In Peace!
Hope your soul gets the solace of heavenly bliss!
Though curtain is drawn and the play is over
Those rivers will remain endless forever and ever!
Sheikh Ahamed was born and raised in Dharan, Nepal. An international graduate student, he is currently pursuing a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at Iowa State University. Ahamed previously worked as a Research Engineer at the University of Akron (Ohio) for three years before moving to Iowa. He graduated from the University of Akron in May 2017 with an MS in Mechanical Engineering. Apart from analyzing numbers and graphs as a researcher in the field of engineering, Ahamed loves to visualize with mind’s eye the deepest dark corners of human psychology and portray them through poetry. Most of the imagery in his poetry is inspired by his homeland.
Sparks of Calliope 