Transcendence... Poem by Sandeep Mandal

What's so fascinating about it?
That it has such a hold on my imagination.
Only to mystify the verse to add weight
Of ambiguity or rather to lend introspection.
Transcendence.
Is it going beyond all human fence?
Is it embarking on an interstellar journey?
To escape all the earthly bounds.
But what does being earthly mean
Only inhabitant of this planet
That gives us all sustenance?
Doesn't it mean all that resonates with human being
All the reality it has created so far and still creating
Therefore my friend escapism isn't going
To mars, to moon, or to Andromeda
Or to other galaxies known or unknown.

I wonder whether it's escapism at all
Or I should rather 'embracing' it call
Transcendence.
Isn't it rather going beyond and beyond
Only to come nearer and nearer?
Going as far to come as near
Nearer to who you actually are.
Still questions remain
What are the things we go beyond of?
And where to come nearer to?
But what we go beyond of isn't what we come nearer to?
Neither beyond we go nor within
Rather to the being, our very kin.
Like an audience watching the jester
Donning myriad of costumes and hats
Of fear, anger, envy, grief and so on
Not to get attached to the performance
But merley observe without judgement
To come as much closer as possible
That you treat them to be your own
To embrace affectionately as if yours
Your very own child of your emotion
Of various shades of tempting color
Every second of your waking hour
Unwittingly in an automatic cycle
That goes on and on without fail.
Your very own feelings they are
Like parents, son and daughter
How can you disown them?
When you treat yourself with love and care
Why in a fight them you dare?
Fighting them is fighting you
Avoiding them is avoiding you
Cursing them is cursing you
Criticising them is criticising you
But being kind to them is to stabilise them
Acknowledging them is to let them bloom
And thus channelising their force from the doom.
To transcend therefore doesn't mean to escape
But with utmost love and care embrace
Embracing yourself in your totality
Along with all your whims and frailty.

Transcendence is a 360° journey
Come what may navigating with glee
With awareness behind the wheel
Moving images of an emotional reel.