Before I... Poem by Bharat Trivedi

Before I say Goodbye,
let us walk bare-feet on the silky shores,
and collect handful of sandy spiral seashells.
Let’s gather the sea in our palm-cups,
while the turbulent silvery waves drench us
till our clothes turn transparent
like silvery stars shining in feathery clouds.

Before I close my eyes,
let the sun and moon play endless game of chess
on the sky’s infinite chessboard of
white-squared days and black-squared nights.
I like a solitary pawn will watch them
and wait for death’s final checkmate…

Before I turn to ashes
let the lamp of my life burn brightly
with the radiant oil of your affection.
Waiting for the cruel fate to extinguish
the flame of my life and let my dreams
stay buried with my remains in the urn.

Before the night ends and sleep awakens…
let the shadows of your memories tip-toe
on my mind’s red carpet
for even though I know that
although your intimacy is not chiselled in my destiny,
I hopelessly wait for the flower of love to bloom
in your heart’s garden.

Before I bid farewell and write my last poem,
let me retrospect how swiftly this treacherous life has ended
like the rain stopped before my thirst could be quenched.
And if I were to die tomorrow…
I would have borrowed just few precious moments
for I have lived as if I was never going to die
and I will die as if I never lived…
Let me disrobe my lifeless body
and let my parting soul wear
a dazzling cloak of eternity…