कवि लक्ष्मी देवी राजभण्डारी
काठमाडाैँ
This is a story,
of two birds Frisky and Sweetie,
whom I had watched them live on the same nest.
The nest was on the branch of a tree,
in a garden beautiful surrounded
by colourful flowers, sweet smelling fruits, herbs
and vegetables of kinds, many trees, thick foliage and bamboos
as its fringe on its frock.
There were streams and ponds for the water,
there were fishes a catch for the birds.
There were many siblings,
but I am talking only of the two.
One was the first born.
As it had to fend for itself
and the little ones, it became efficient.
The other, the youngest, who often depended
on the elder’s love, love, it was at that time but knew not,
it was a rope, that was binding the feet from flight.
Happy was their home.
All would chat all that came across the flight,
in the daytime.
Then cozy and warm in each other’s arm
they would recline,
that was the day to day chores.
But a day came when the eldest had to go
for adventure far away from the nest,
with the one who was handsome
and strong in all ways, to start a new nest.
Then, she was a little afraid and sad
to leave all the little ones back
whom she had cared
and to go to a new place with someone new.
But that was the rule of the jungle,
one had to take a venture, with likes or dislikes.
A lot of terrifying height of trees and cobwebs
there were, that she had to encounter.
But her partner was strong.
He pushed her along with cheers
and let her have the wings strong
to fly against all tempest and gale.
That too was though sometime tiring for her,
yet, she went on as she was young.
Then they hatched eggs and the little ones came out.
They were in glee in caring them,
helping them to be free,
by letting them fly to rocks and vales.
By that time that big bird thought,
of her small sister.
She started to find a suitable match for her,
like she had found.
She flew back.
Told her mom and dad.
There is a worthy one,
let her start a new nest,
it will be the best.
That small bird Sweetie
was big in built, a pity!
Yet the thinking had not matured,
to find for herself what was right.
She was teaching other small birds,
of her surroundings,
how to sing and read the languages of the jungle.
The twittering of her elder sister she heard.
She wondered how come she is back?
Yet thrilled, she went to her, assured of her love,
and agreed to what she proposed,
to start a new nest in a place where she had never went.
of two birds Frisky and Sweetie,
whom I had watched them live on the same nest.
The nest was on the branch of a tree,
in a garden beautiful surrounded
by colourful flowers, sweet smelling fruits, herbs
and vegetables of kinds, many trees, thick foliage and bamboos
as its fringe on its frock.
There were streams and ponds for the water,
there were fishes a catch for the birds.
There were many siblings,
but I am talking only of the two.
One was the first born.
As it had to fend for itself
and the little ones, it became efficient.
The other, the youngest, who often depended
on the elder’s love, love, it was at that time but knew not,
it was a rope, that was binding the feet from flight.
Happy was their home.
All would chat all that came across the flight,
in the daytime.
Then cozy and warm in each other’s arm
they would recline,
that was the day to day chores.
But a day came when the eldest had to go
for adventure far away from the nest,
with the one who was handsome
and strong in all ways, to start a new nest.
Then, she was a little afraid and sad
to leave all the little ones back
whom she had cared
and to go to a new place with someone new.
But that was the rule of the jungle,
one had to take a venture, with likes or dislikes.
A lot of terrifying height of trees and cobwebs
there were, that she had to encounter.
But her partner was strong.
He pushed her along with cheers
and let her have the wings strong
to fly against all tempest and gale.
That too was though sometime tiring for her,
yet, she went on as she was young.
Then they hatched eggs and the little ones came out.
They were in glee in caring them,
helping them to be free,
by letting them fly to rocks and vales.
By that time that big bird thought,
of her small sister.
She started to find a suitable match for her,
like she had found.
She flew back.
Told her mom and dad.
There is a worthy one,
let her start a new nest,
it will be the best.
That small bird Sweetie
was big in built, a pity!
Yet the thinking had not matured,
to find for herself what was right.
She was teaching other small birds,
of her surroundings,
how to sing and read the languages of the jungle.
The twittering of her elder sister she heard.
She wondered how come she is back?
Yet thrilled, she went to her, assured of her love,
and agreed to what she proposed,
to start a new nest in a place where she had never went.
The small bird had lots of school children who loved her.
They cried, when they knew she was flying away.
They brought so much of flowers and gifts,
all containing the peals, of their laughter and good wishes.
The teacher bird, Sweetie,
with a heavy heart collected them
with thanks and tucked them, within her heart,
letting them know she will never forget
all the love and respect they had showered, the heaven itself.
What a strange desolate place !
all around, there are barren rocks and granites.
Our jungle had streams, water falls, tall pine trees,
high mountains of snow and hills.
Here, in this jungle, one does not care for the other,
shirk the shoulder, and the smile they return not.
Oh what is this !
where am I?
Am I now lost for all the time ?
The small bird Sweetie started to brood.
Only sometimes the elder bird Frisky,
she would come across as she was always on the flight.
Once or twice, when she came across her,
the small one would say let me too have a flight,
as I used to do in the open sky.
‘Sister help! help!’
Now the small one trapped,
down in the dense jungle within the foliage,
and she... high above in the sky, forgot, all her love.
She hardly heard her heart’s wrenching call.
Elder flew higher and higher,
almost to the top of the sky.
With less pressurization, had almost gone deaf.
And the ones down who had not soared
so high said, oh what an angel of a bird is that !
Frisky simmers like the light.
sn’t she an angel with all the mercy
in her eyes for the needy ?
Yes, she was flapping her wings,
from early dawn to the dusk,
collecting worms and corns for the nest
and give out some to the rest.
So the others said she is an angel, she is a mercy on us.
Yes, they were right,
but alas!
it is said ‘the charity begins at home’.
She never this understood.
The small sister in a den,
was withering and shivering,
with little shelter and dearth of love of understanding her.
All said,
oh she groans like a hawk amongst us the white pigeons.
The small bird but witty, she still worked hard.
She had learnt in school to do the duty from the heart.
God appreciates that.
For, when one is really put to trial,
He gives light and guides through.
Never is a child of God ever in the jungle lost.
In sincerity,
when Sweetie was lost deep in thought
called God for help.
She whispered a deepest thought
‘no one has ever reached
and read my heart.
Come, light me
with your good thought
so I can still fly and survive
They cried, when they knew she was flying away.
They brought so much of flowers and gifts,
all containing the peals, of their laughter and good wishes.
The teacher bird, Sweetie,
with a heavy heart collected them
with thanks and tucked them, within her heart,
letting them know she will never forget
all the love and respect they had showered, the heaven itself.
What a strange desolate place !
all around, there are barren rocks and granites.
Our jungle had streams, water falls, tall pine trees,
high mountains of snow and hills.
Here, in this jungle, one does not care for the other,
shirk the shoulder, and the smile they return not.
Oh what is this !
where am I?
Am I now lost for all the time ?
The small bird Sweetie started to brood.
Only sometimes the elder bird Frisky,
she would come across as she was always on the flight.
Once or twice, when she came across her,
the small one would say let me too have a flight,
as I used to do in the open sky.
‘Sister help! help!’
Now the small one trapped,
down in the dense jungle within the foliage,
and she... high above in the sky, forgot, all her love.
She hardly heard her heart’s wrenching call.
Elder flew higher and higher,
almost to the top of the sky.
With less pressurization, had almost gone deaf.
And the ones down who had not soared
so high said, oh what an angel of a bird is that !
Frisky simmers like the light.
sn’t she an angel with all the mercy
in her eyes for the needy ?
Yes, she was flapping her wings,
from early dawn to the dusk,
collecting worms and corns for the nest
and give out some to the rest.
So the others said she is an angel, she is a mercy on us.
Yes, they were right,
but alas!
it is said ‘the charity begins at home’.
She never this understood.
The small sister in a den,
was withering and shivering,
with little shelter and dearth of love of understanding her.
All said,
oh she groans like a hawk amongst us the white pigeons.
The small bird but witty, she still worked hard.
She had learnt in school to do the duty from the heart.
God appreciates that.
For, when one is really put to trial,
He gives light and guides through.
Never is a child of God ever in the jungle lost.
In sincerity,
when Sweetie was lost deep in thought
called God for help.
She whispered a deepest thought
‘no one has ever reached
and read my heart.
Come, light me
with your good thought
so I can still fly and survive
amongst the mass;
not an average life, that twitters the time away,
in useless frolics and yet notice not one’s own folly’.
Indeed within that very jungle
there appeared a flash of light
of rainbow colours.
So dazzling !
for a while she couldn’t make it what it was.
She went numb but
the light had already engulfed her.
Now after that the small bird
flies higher and higher than the others
with the help of that invisible wings of light,
often out of reach,
of all the Incy Mincy spiders.
By then the others
heard of her metamorphosis.
“Sweetie has become Light!”
They were frightened to be near her,
lest they be scorched.
They started murmuring,
what is this ?
She speaks in a language of light,
a language far beyond our understanding.
Oh! she has gone abnormal.
She does not frisk, as we all do,
we laugh, adorn, ourselves with fame and name.
Look at her now,
She is bare, naked of feathers.
It is a shame! to call her our own.
The small one of course
had taken the flight to the enlightenment,
and soared above the ‘normal’ and ‘ abnormal’.
She is happy
she is somewhere on the height
above from where she can have the bird’s eye-view.
Yet, she is egoless.
She comes down to earth in disguise,
as every body else so others would not notice her affluent change.
Now on her own, in self confidence,
the small forlorn bird, Sweetie
sings out the heart’s note
in the natural tune of her own,
dubbed by that Merciful Light.
She has vowed to be useful
and thankful to one and all,
but never to lose that
ethereal light all through her life.
And, so what we learn from Sweetie
is to be sensitive to others’ call,
and help whatever way we can,
so that the aching heart would heal
and live a healthy life to bless all automatically.
And never to give up hope, but to go on working
on one’s own even without the hope of rewards,
which may come or may not come,
but our own mind and conscience remain clear,
with no burden of evading it for doing our part.
All Seeing Eyes will ever see us through.
The Only Chief Justice gives the sincere verdict to all.
Let the universe be an abode of peace
not an average life, that twitters the time away,
in useless frolics and yet notice not one’s own folly’.
Indeed within that very jungle
there appeared a flash of light
of rainbow colours.
So dazzling !
for a while she couldn’t make it what it was.
She went numb but
the light had already engulfed her.
Now after that the small bird
flies higher and higher than the others
with the help of that invisible wings of light,
often out of reach,
of all the Incy Mincy spiders.
By then the others
heard of her metamorphosis.
“Sweetie has become Light!”
They were frightened to be near her,
lest they be scorched.
They started murmuring,
what is this ?
She speaks in a language of light,
a language far beyond our understanding.
Oh! she has gone abnormal.
She does not frisk, as we all do,
we laugh, adorn, ourselves with fame and name.
Look at her now,
She is bare, naked of feathers.
It is a shame! to call her our own.
The small one of course
had taken the flight to the enlightenment,
and soared above the ‘normal’ and ‘ abnormal’.
She is happy
she is somewhere on the height
above from where she can have the bird’s eye-view.
Yet, she is egoless.
She comes down to earth in disguise,
as every body else so others would not notice her affluent change.
Now on her own, in self confidence,
the small forlorn bird, Sweetie
sings out the heart’s note
in the natural tune of her own,
dubbed by that Merciful Light.
She has vowed to be useful
and thankful to one and all,
but never to lose that
ethereal light all through her life.
And, so what we learn from Sweetie
is to be sensitive to others’ call,
and help whatever way we can,
so that the aching heart would heal
and live a healthy life to bless all automatically.
And never to give up hope, but to go on working
on one’s own even without the hope of rewards,
which may come or may not come,
but our own mind and conscience remain clear,
with no burden of evading it for doing our part.
All Seeing Eyes will ever see us through.
The Only Chief Justice gives the sincere verdict to all.
Let the universe be an abode of peace