SWEPT BY THE HASTE / BY SUMAN POKHREL

SWEPT BY THE HASTE
— By Suman Pokhrel


Let me not be so much occupied
that I would fail to recognize
the fragrance of flowers smiling at me
in my own courtyard.

Let me not be so consumed
as to forsake the merry play of children,
gathering every joy of creation,
drenched in bliss, aglow with pure ecstasy.

Let me not be so lost in haste
as to miss the touch of the breeze, filled with love,
the chirping of birds, singing life's chorale,
the shimmering waterfalls, dancing downhill with joy,
and the twinkling fireflies teasing the darkness.

How long may I be swept away
by the bustle of rush,
trapped in a whirlwind of urgency,
chasing peaks uplifted by the crumbling of life?

How much longer must I shuttle,
never getting to pause and grasp the sight of myself,
until I reach the farthest edge of my life?
and by the moment I catch a splinter of time,
the glow, glory, and grace of my beloved's face,
that smiles with me when I look in the mirror—
would have already gone.

Bearing the weight of emptiness in my head,
how long shall I keep sweeping away
in the chase of this weary, age-old time?

Please keep walking
on your journey in search of life.

I, staying here for a moment,
will join you
having lived life for an instant.


…………………………...……

Translated by the poet
..........................................
(Original work written in August 2007 as व्यस्तता [Byastata] . in Nepali. Published in जीवनको छेउबाट Jeevanko Chheubaata , 2009, p. 75. Vani Prakashan, Biratnagar.)