I, She And The Sea Poem by Dr Tapan Kumar Pradhan

I, She And The Sea

Rating: 4.9


Sombre though we were we knew -
For the hearts beneath our skins did throb,
As the surf surged up the sun swept shore
And we lay in repose in gold sands galore -
That we were in love!

The sea sighed on, yet we spoke but never -
Walls of agony as if stood in our mid;
Something I heard? Did something she say?
I longed to speak my heart out, but nay! -
The silent hours so silently slid.

Glooms gathered as the evening sun plunged,
Darkness, and farewell hour was near:
Guilt felt within, her hands I traced,
She too touched, shocked, we saw in the face -
Her eyes were cool ember!

'I love you, dear, but can marry you never,
Let me leave now', I said, 'And forget me!
Your people will never accept me, dear -
Not in this world, in some other, some better
United you and I shall be! '

'But what of the unborn growing within me?
What shall he say to the questioning few?
What of me? ', she said, 'I can't live sans thee!
If thou must go, my love, so shall I! ' -
What I meant, she meant, we knew.

All was spoken not through words but hearts:
We kissed and smiled for the final time,
And walked downshore, into the waters we stepped -
The cool surf up rose, up shoulder, up head,
And we sank, we sank, mid the Vesper chimes.

Ages hence when the wind shall change,
When roses blossom, and lovers engage -
Two bereft souls shall entwine to sing,
The solemn song to the world to bring: -

Sombre though we are we know -
Though our hearts have long ceased to throb,
That we are in love!

****

(Poem was first 'composed' in 1988 and has remained unchanged ever since. The words and phrases came in a vision. Please see the Story below for more details...)

I, She And The Sea
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Topic(s) of this poem: love,love and dreams,reincarnation
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
Poem describe the haunting visions of a woman I had loved and abandoned in past life. For details please read the book "I, She and the She (Three Women in One) ". It is a special poem. The words and phrases 'floated in' from the sea in a series of visions in 1988. But the poem was put to paper much later. Many readers have pointed out the non-rhyming pair 'throb'/'love' and use of archaic words like 'nay', 'thou', 'thee' etc. But that is exactly how they came. I did not know the dictionary meaning of the words Ember and Vesper, when they came floating to my mind. No deliberate attempt has been made to 'tweak' or 'fit in' the words to a rhyme/rhythm scheme. This is my only poem, of which not a single word has been altered since it was composed (?)in 1988. I have been often tempted to revise / modernise the poem, but have never done it, nor will I. Two of the original stanzas were lost, and I have never been able to recollect them....
COMMENTS OF THE POEM

An excellent write Dr. The concluding lines have a reminiscent overflow of sweetness found.

22 1 Reply
Palak Bubna 26 April 2013

Captivating poem..a story well strung.

20 1 Reply
One Wise Woman 06 June 2019

If you change the words to lyrics and put them to a melody such as Duke Ellington, A Sentimental Mood, it will make more sense to everyone who may not get it. Listen to song and read poem at same time and you will get it;

2 0 Reply
Me Poet Yeps Poet 20 January 2016

all love poetry in the teens emanates from ones heart as it is just infatuation you dear poet are no exception when ever flower gives only her hue and every slap of the wind does say doc wake up don't dismay be gay i am in love with you so with me come out and play in dreams we shall exchange our vows we may but as we are of the same age you will be married soon o my love who will I alone swoon they won't marry me too soon a guy must hold on for much longer by that time his fiance becomes a mother so infatuation be our love mother you become one as I linger..but till then let me feel I am the only lover and poet indeed

2 0 Reply
Dr Tapan Kumar Pradhan 21 January 2016

I do not know if people understand this poem. The incidents in the poem have nothing to do with my present life experiences. I have made it clear that it has emanated from the memories of a distant past life... In the present life I have genuinely loved three women. The first was Smt L, a childhood friend, whom I never really touched in this life. I never felt any physical desire for her. It was as pure as it can get....I could have easily married her (she was available) - but I never felt that kind of commitment for her. Second was Smt S, whom I married. It was not a relationship based on physical desire - but rather a deep spiritual attraction. The marriage brought me in contact with my Spiritual Masters. We spent most of our time happily in silent meditation. The third was Smt H, whom I first met in this life on this PH site. It was again an extraordinary spiritual attraction, which later turned to romantic love. The relationship brought back memories of my past lives. There was a total transformation in my life the moment I met her. The very first moment I saw her, the immediate feeling was Commitment for Life! ! ! And all other worldly desires simply vanished.... Almost all my love poems have been written ostensibly in memory of Smt L, whom I never even touched! ! ! But later I understood that these poems were actually the outward expression of the latent past life memories I had shared with Smt H. Till date I have not written a single poem for either Smt S or Smt H. That does not mean that I do not love them. In fact, my love for them is of the highest quality. In true love, there is no desire to write poetry, for your Beloved herself becomes Poetry for you.... And you begin to sing and dance in that joy, rather than laboriously stringing together worthless stanza after stanza....

1 0
Janaki R 17 February 2015

Pradhanji, i happened to read this after you left Tvpm. My God! It has come right from the heart.So beautiful, so touching and romantic. The feelings have come out so well, what expressions. Let the words be as it is, Don't alter or modify. it will lose its charm

6 0 Reply
Patricia Grantham 21 October 2014

A beautiful but very haunting write Dr. Pradhan. Your poem is romantic and passionate. Too bad the lovers could not be together. Their departure leaves much to the imagination. Great!

7 0 Reply
Prem Surya Kumar 17 July 2013

What a lyrical masterpiece! The poem took me to the age of Keats and Shelley. Lovely and charming lyrics. Haunting story. Sad ending and a beautiful positive sweet anti-climax in the end. Perfect poem. One of my favourites, I would say.

15 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Dr Tapan Kumar Pradhan

Dr Tapan Kumar Pradhan

Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Close
Error Success