Night Came Poem by Emdad Shah Emdad

by Emdad Shah

I went to tell the moon my heart's unspoken mind
Then softly moved the gentle breeze
And stirred the forest's leafy hem aligned
Where hills and silent rivers find their ease
Within the hermitage's quiet glade
Night unbound her heavy braids of shade.

The gathering dark unspooled its raven hair
And cast a mystic shadow on the wood
In star-eyes waking longing, deep and rare
My longing heart in secret passion stood.

I went to tell the moon my heart at last
While night with sweeping tresses wandered past.

Her cloud-hued tresses cast a gloom profound
While distant drums beat softly in the breeze
A secret courier sped without a sound
Through jasmine groves and ancient silent trees.

Whence comes this lonely wind of half-felt sleep?
A rustling song of coming and of going—
Beneath her flowing shade the world lies deep
And midnight whispers of her beauty, knowing.

Her cupped palms offered green Bengal its grace
While palm-leaf sentinels stood dressed in hues
The forest flora veiled in that embrace
And starlight whispered tales the past indues.

Within the silent grove's sequestered ground
Night came and let her heavy tresses fall around.

The tired bird closed its eyes, the song grew still
And smoky shadows stirred the restless night
The dew of midnight fell on leaf and hill
Where peaceful fancies mapped the starry height.

Within the quiet hermitage's shade
Enwrapped by silent, whispering night-dreams made
Upon the tranquil lap of leafy bowers
Night came with sweeping hair to crown the hours
Her shadowed tresses spilled across the sky
While aimless breezes wandered wandering by.

The woodland deer sleeps deep in vine-wrought bowers
Beneath the star-lit blue of boundless sky
Like whispered prayers of meditation's hours
The silent drops of peace come drifting by.

A lonely flute plays out a mournful strain
While shadows wrap the forest's dark domain.

Within the hidden hut of woven reed
The little lamp's dim flame has died away
Upon the midnight wind a secret seed
Of some unknown refrain begins to stray.

The dark hem cloaked the forest from our sight
And silenced nature sang her quiet song
The jasmine fragrance woke the poet's plight
A lonely heart where memories belong.

Her garment filled with light in forest shade
I wait, a captive to her flowing braid.