Sunrise At Nagarkot, Nepal Poem by Daniel Trevelyn Joseph

29th Jan 1998

Gold spot pushes from behind the hill,
On the Himalayan range, and moment by moment the gold
Is thrust upwards, a smooth shining ball
Of fire, even as the tourists clap
Symbol of joy at the dawn of life, of another day, spontaneously.
The cameras start clicking;
The honeymooners and eve older couples
Seeking aid from others
To frame them against the budding Sun,
Or against the snow-clad peaks of Himalayas
Piercing into the blue sky,
Coming to be bathed in bright white sunlight
By order and hierarchy, height-wise.

The shapelessly organized spongy clouds
For ever jealous, play the rivals behind, soaring
Higher, much higher, and being more flexible,
Ready to adjust to your every need
Unlike the rooted snow-clad peaks.
They float away disappointed nobody chose them,
Complaining to some poet, waiting on some Ramtek!
Clear the vision of the Sun was as it rose
But now the valley and branches of the Range
‘Steeped’ by the light reveals mist, mist everywhere
And one has to trace to ridges of hills
Carefully etched out in the mist
As far as eyes can see.
On the sides the hills stand out, cold and sharp,
Brightly clear ridge-line across the sky
Away from the direct path of Sun.

I remember last night this valley fronting
The Sun now, was plunged in utter darkness
Resembling the silence that flows into Yogi’s soul,
Dotted by yellow light on the hill to left
Representing the town of Nagarkot in Nepal
And far to the right, a small line of yellow
Seen to be four yellow lights through binoculars.

Up above the Earth, the Sky shone in splendour
Unequalled, away from urban lights
Each star glowed in crowded magnificence
Middle ones bathed in broad white stream
Of the Milky Way, engulfing the Orion,
The Canis Major, the Taurus and even the old Queen
Cassiopeia. Some compare her to a mere chair!
How unromantic! I saw the seven Sages
And with difficulty traced the smaller Dipper
The younger brother and the bright Pole Star at its end.
I could see Leo rising from the East,
Reminding me of the Sunrise in the East
The next day, eagerly awaited at 6 50 am
As helpfully announced by the Hotel management.
Darkness, the silence of the night,
And glorious sky glowing with studded jewels
Above, sank like beauty into my mind
And memory for ever to be cherished.

Having seen the alternate portals
Of light and darkness, Day and Night,
From Club Himalaya of Nagarkot,
I feel that the calm and peace of mind
Can be harvested only in solitude
And during holidays, I should learn
To look for such things even at work.
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