Magical Ladakh Poem by Rigzin Namgyal

i learnt all the words
and broke them up
to make a single word
homeland
~~Darwish

next to God
my place is the greatest wonder of this universe
the vast sea of mountains
covered in the thick blanket of white
proudly displaying its might
the color of blue that span the entire sky
splashed with sparse clouds of white
the countless small rivers
cascading into the mighty Indus
the magnificent sight of the chilling river
merging with the Indus
the grand royal Leh palace
still standing stall, withstanding centuries
overlooking the Leh city
the soaring hillocks protruding into the sky
the deep gorges and the grand canyons
cradled in deep slumber as if inviting us into its lap
the hills enveloping itself
by the mellow colors of the setting sun
the cacophony of the birds echoing in sweetness
the Yaks grazing lazily in the thin parches of green
the scattered manis and the chortens
exhibiting its glorious past
adding to the aura of this magical place
the sound of the gong of a nearby monastery
echoing into the valley
the rickety gompas perched atop the hills
in secret conversation with the skies
the littered villages, the roaring streams
the far flung places
still secluded from civilisation
the winds whispering to my ear
and the ' aroma ' of homeland