BAL KRISHAN PANDITA

Fear not my little frail man
You are not frailer than
A tiny branch of a tree
Bending under the weight of snow
...

It is a nightfall
And the black clouds
Are feathering the sky
In this dark hour
...

When the stars shine and smile
And the crystal moon dances amid clouds
When birds sing at dawn
And the river runs in melody
...

I am just a soldier
And in love with my land
I am here to fight
Till the last enemy is wiped out
...

Today I had an introduction to a man
When I saw myself in the mirror at dawn
I was frightened to see the other man
And wished it was someone else but me
...

I had heard your footsteps and waited for your knock
And you came not and I still wait for you
As a child waits for his father when alone
As a night waits patiently for the day to break
...

Look she is dressed in silk and gold
She wears her favorite diamond bangles
But her smile is waning
Her face is sullen like an ash
...

This is my garden
Here I had once sown the seeds of flowers
And planted branches of trees
And let the birds built their nests atop
...

In winter when morning is under a cold spell
I get up from bed to sweep the hotel
With a broom in my hand
I watch the school children as they stand
...

When the stars shine and smile
And the crystal moon dances amid clouds
When birds sing at dawn
And the river runs in melody
...

Some elderly men in the village had said
Leave not your motherland, here you have land and bread
True there was chaos and violence in the region
But it was not a war of religion
...

Let remembrance of Your name alone
Fill our mind with unquestionable faith
And our faith in You
Reaffirm our faith in ourselves
...

Where is the time for you to weep
And be nostalgic about your lost home
Forget that the night ahead is dark and lonely
First you have to find a roof for yourself
...

He was a dear friend
And a worthy classmate
And by all measures
A noble laureate
...