Radix & Ridge Poem by A K Sarker Shaon

1: My Soil & Roots

O noble soil of birth,
In crowded streets I weep.
Though left so far behind,
Your quiet roots run deep.

Do winds still call my name?
Does earth remember me?
Or has long time erased
The child I used to be?

2: The Mother's Shade and Endless Dreams
Where mother's gentle shade
And green branches met,
I found a peaceful world
I never can forget.

Though far in city gleam,
Through noisy, busy beams,
You still return to me
In all my quiet dreams.

3: The Waiting Shadow and Unforgotten Home
When dusk touches the pond,
And birds cease to roam,
Does one small shadow wait
To welcome khoka home?

Do wild weeds know my face?
Does the old soil know?
I left you long ago,
But never could let go.

4: The Lost Sanctuary and Unfading Memories
I tried to move away.
God knows how I tried.
I built another house,
But something inside died.

Once you possessed a door.
Once you held a wall.
Once Mother answered back
Whenever I would call.

5: Warm Evenings and Childhood Laughter
Father returned at dusk,
Fresh fish within his hand.
I thought those happy hours
Would ever firmly stand.

My sisters' laughter rang,
Courtyards were full of sound.
Life was so simple then,
Yet richest treasures found.

6: The Sudden Departure and Vanished Paths
I opened wide your door.
I ran outside to play.
Who knew that every path
Would vanish one fine day?

Who knew that evening light
Was learning how to fly?
Who knew that childhood leaves
Without a last goodbye?

7: The Ancient Pond and Waters of Youth
West of the ancient house,
A pond still quietly lies.
Once its green waters held
The whole of all my skies.

I jumped down from the trees
With laughter and with pride.
The boy and cool water
Were one with every tide.

8: The Aging Waters and Passing Years
I thought that little pond
Too small for my big dream.
Now I would give whole worlds
For that one childhood stream.

Through leaves I see below
Its water still and slow.
The pond has now grown old,
And I have aged also.

9: The Earth of Gopalpur and Early Identity
Does it remember still
The boy upon the tree?
When standing on the bank,
Does water recognize me?

O my dear Gopalpur,
My first small world of earth,
Before all maps were drawn,
You measured my true worth.

10: The Archipelago of Rain and Rushing Rivers
Meghna flows right beside.
Jamnai rushes free.
Bhata lies to the north,
And rain is all I see.

Monsoon erased all roads.
The village then became
A necklace of tiny islands
No map could ever name.

11: The River Journey to School
Boats waited at the ghats.
White sails met blue sky.
Rain sang upon the roof.
Wild clouds went wandering by.

Twenty young village boys
Sailed out each single day,
Books held within our arms,
To Nabinagar away.

12: Unaware of Lost Paradise
We thought it was just school.
We thought it was all fun.
We never knew our paradise
Would quietly be gone.

No angel gave a sign,
'Look well while you still roam.
One day you will spend life
Just seeking for a home.'

13: Evening Feasts and Earthen Fragrance
On market evenings late,
Father returned from town.
Mother lit up the stove
As darkness settled down.

Fish in the basket lay.
Rice steamed so pure and white.
Dried chilli fried in oil,
A heavenly delight!

14: The Kitchen Kingdom and Mother's Tender Plea
No grand and royal feast,
No bright and gilded hall,
Could match that humble kitchen,
That smoke, or Mother's call.

Whenever I would rise,
Mother would softly say,
'Eat just a little, boy.
Do not yet go away.'

15: Ordinary Grace Above All Treasures
Such simple, tender words.
Such ordinary grace.
I never knew that heaven
Lived in a single phrase.

I have read famous bards.
I have traveled very far.
I have seen city lights
Glow bright under a star.

16: The Incomparable Words of Love
I heard wise men discuss
Deep things so learnedly.
Yet none spoke any phrase
So precious unto me.

For what words can compare
When a loving mother will say,
'Eat something, my dear boy,
Before you go away'?

17: Echoes of the Bustling Courtyard
O my dear Chhayanir,
How noisy was your floor!
How blessed all that noise
Seems now from distant shore.

A sister complaining loud,
Another singing a song.
A visitor arriving late,
Staying a bit too long.

18: Unconscious Ghosts of Time
Father spoke loud and clear.
Mother scolded with care.
The rice pot boiled high.
Our stories filled the air.

Feet crossed the wooden floor.
Doors opened and then closed.
Nobody ever guessed
How soon we'd turn to ghosts.

19: The Purest Wealth Under One Roof
At night we slept together
Under one humble roof.
We needed no far heaven,
We had the living proof.

The greatest wealth on earth
Was ours every single night:
All those we truly loved
Were safe within our sight.

20: The Scattering Nest and Growing Up
And then we all grew up.
Such innocent, simple words.
Like leaves that leave the branch,
Like nests that lose their birds.

One left to find a job.
One married far away.
One built a separate life.
One simply could not stay.

21: The Silent Rooms and Lonely Shadows
Heavy trunks appeared.
Rooms lost their lively sound.
Mother kept waiting alone
When no one was around.

Father grew very quiet.
The evenings turned so long.
A house once full of noise
Forgot its own sweet song.

22: The Loss of Mother in 1996
Growing up sounds just like
The coming of the spring.
Only much later in life
We learn its bitter sting.

Then came the dark ninety-six.
Mother was lost and gone.
The house saw heavy night,
But never saw the dawn.

23: Father's Silence and Solitary Days
A year upon a chart
May quietly pass away.
But some years are heavy stones
That shatter our display.

Father stayed on alone
For two short years or more,
A silent, aging man
Beside a silent door.

24: The Fall of the Guardian (1998)
We thought he was like stone.
We thought he would endure.
A father's deep, long silence
Makes children feel unsure.

Then ninety-eight arrived
And took Father away.
He followed Mother's path.
The house lost all its day.

25: The Abandoned Gates and Rusting Time
Two graves filled up with earth.
One home filled up with night.
The people were all gone,
And so vanished the light.

Yet houses die so slow.
They know how long to wait.
First quiet silence comes,
Then rust upon the gate.

26: The Encroaching Green and Creeping Vines
Then rain finds a small crack.
Then moss follows the rain.
Then vines creep through rooms
Like a slow, green chain.

Roots enter deep in brick.
Wild branches soon appear.
The forest moves much closer
With every passing year.

27: Nature's Conquest Over Human Shores
Softly nature conquers all.
No trumpet and no drum.
Earth takes back every spot
That humans leave so numb.

A wall becomes plain soil.
A room turns into shade.
A kitchen turns a nest
Where wild birds have stayed.

28: Time's Decree and The City's Call
Where Mother once cooked rice,
A bird sings clear and free.
Such is time's final decree
On everything we see.

But hear me, Chhayanir:
I did not take my flight
Because Dhaka appeared
More beautiful or bright.

29: A Father's Duty and Hard Choices
My children needed room
And better grounds to grow.
Good schools were the main cause;
A father ought to know.

We needed medical help,
Doctors who were nearby.
Life forced a hard choice;
Love made me give a try.

30: The Rise of Shaonaz Villa
So Dhaka then became
Our necessary place,
Not to forget your soil,
But life's demands to face.

I built Shaonaz Villa.
A new roof had to rise.
To shelter those I love
Under the city skies.

31: Unchanging Inner Maps
Yet changing an address
Is harder than it seems.
A house can be replaced,
But never childhood dreams.

Ink writes a new address.
A form records a name.
The map inside the heart
Forever stays the same.

32: Ancestral Roots Beneath the City
Under my Dhaka home,
Deep down inside my veins,
Chhayanir of Gopalpur
Forever still remains.

You were not mine alone
To rule or to command.
The bloodline was so wide
Across our family land.

33: Seven Brothers in One Courtyard
My father and his brothers
Were seven men in all.
One courtyard held them close
Behind the ancient wall.

I loved each little spot.
I loved each shade and tree.
Shared ancestral ground
Was not just mine to decree.

34: Helpless Longing and Family Claims
Love gives a burning wish.
Love gives a rightful claim.
Yet law and family shares
Are not the very same.

Perhaps that is the reason
My helplessness just grew.
I knew what I desired,
Unsure what I could do.

35: The Human Lamp in the Old House
We placed a needy couple
Inside the old structure,
So one small human lamp
Might fight the dark future.

A stove could raise some smoke.
A voice could still be heard.
At dusk there'd be footsteps,
At dawn the song of bird.

36: Breath of Life and Conflict
A house where people live
Can breathe a little while.
A courtyard still survives
Through footprints and a smile.

But some relatives came,
And people from around,
And drove that poor pair off
From our ancestral ground.

37: Extinguished Light and Cold Walls
'This belongs to our clan!
Who are you staying here? '
Harsh words act like a knife
When petty power is near.

The poor couple departed.
The little lamp was gone.
And Chhayanir then entered
A much colder dawn.

38: Unsold Soil and Lasting Truth
Let this be clearly written
Under the open sky:
We never sold the land;
That truth will never die.

We sold the structures only,
Not soil, not the ground,
Not roots that lay beneath,
Nor memories around.

39: Measures of Tin and Timber
One house stood on the plot,
Twenty by forty wide.
Two rooms held all our lives,
Our laughter and our pride.

Another house was smaller,
Twelve by twenty in size.
No tape can measure wealth
That memory supplies.

40: Beyond All Monetary Value
They went for tiny sums,
Almost water's low price,
Not that the thought of gain
Could ever tempt us twice.

You can price timber boards.
You can price a tin door.
You can carry tin sheets
Far from an earthen floor.

41: The Priceless Shadows of Yesterday
Price Mother's warm kitchen!
Price Father's wooden chair!
Price one childhood evening,
And tell me what is fair!

Price a sister's sweet laugh!
Price a mother's gentle call!
Price shadows that once played
Upon the mud-plastered wall!

42: Sacred Treasures and Unsold Clay
No buyer bought those things.
No seller could ever sell.
Certain sacred treasures
Only in memory dwell.

The houses were sold off.
The soil was kept behind.
Remember this true fact
When other thoughts unbind.

43: The Plea to Rebuild (2005)
In two thousand and five,
I tried to build again.
I spoke to my own brother
With deep hope and pain.

'We brothers are just three.
Let us unite our strength.
Rebuild our Chhayanir
Across its width and length.'

44: Impossibility of Rebuilding Ghosts
It was no grand palace
I wanted there to see,
Just one small modest home
Where I could truly be.

Perhaps I asked old bricks
To do what bricks cannot—
Bring Father back to life,
Bring Mother to the spot.

45: The Elder Brother's Warm Offer
My elder brother said,
'Stay at Uncle's old place.
Father or Uncle dear—
I see the selfsame face.'

I understood his word.
An uncle is so dear.
Blood gives a shelter warm,
And love is always near.

46: The Meaning of One's Own Floor
Yet I answered him back,
'A distance lies between.'
Not love opposing love,
But what a home can mean.

I honor my dear uncles.
I honor their open door.
A welcome, howsoever warm,
Is not one's own floor.

47: The Seeking of a Small Corner
I cannot feel at home
In another person's room,
However kind the host,
However sweet the bloom.

Give me no lofty palace,
No marble and no dome.
Give me one tiny corner,
So long as it is home.

48: The Masked Photograph in the Ruins (2011)
In two thousand eleven,
A picture recorded me.
I stood beside the ruins
Where weeds grew wild and free.

My clothes looked clean and neat.
My face appeared composed.
Cameras catch only faces,
Not wounds that stay closed.

49: The Return to Encroaching Green
Years passed continuously.
The bushes grew so high.
The walls became smaller
Under the selfsame sky.

A cousin sat with me.
A friend visited one day.
My sisters came back
To what time took away.

50: Smiles Masking Inner Despair
We sometimes posed a smile
For pictures taken there.
A smile can still exist
Right next to deep despair.

For humans can sit down
Where happiness has died,
Smile for a camera flash,
And scream deep inside.

51: Gani Dada's Green Field
Now village boys gather
Where once our courtyard lay.
They play their cricket games
And laugh the afternoon away.

They call our homestead now
Gani Dada's green land.
A new name has grown up
Where old memories stand.

52: The Stolen Identity and Early Pain
At first it hurt my heart.
You were our Chhayanir!
Not just a common garden
Where strangers might appear.

You were my mother's lap.
You were my father's shade.
You were each little thing
That early childhood made.

53: Joy Among the Ruined Weeds
And then I heard them laugh.
A cricket ball flew high.
And suddenly, dear Home,
I saw with different eye.

Let the boys play their games.
Let young voices resound.
You have had quite enough
Of weeds upon the ground.

54: Reborn Childhood Echoes
Let someone run about
Where once I ran in joy.
Let childhood rise again
In every village boy.

Perhaps in their loud cheers
My parents still may hear
The children of Chhayanir
Returning every year.

55: The Illusion of City Prosperity
I live in Dhaka now.
People admire my gate.
They see Shaonaz Villa
And say I am fortunate.

They see big walls and glass.
They see bright rooms of light.
They do not see Gopalpur
Inside my heart at night.

56: The Homeless Owner and True Addresses
A man may own big houses,
Yet be a homeless man.
For having an address
Is not what home can span.

My present town address
Shows where I sleep and stay.
My permanent address
Is very far away.

57: The Annual Pilgrimage of Grief
No postman goes out there.
No letters ever arrive.
Yet Chhayanir remains
Where memories survive.

Once every single year,
I make the same old ride,
Uttarkhan left behind,
My sorrow by my side.

58: The Reverse Journey Through Time
Nabinagar passes by.
Gopalpur then appears.
The road becomes shorter;
The journey spans long years.

The nearer I approach,
The younger I become.
The older my deep grief,
The more my lips grow dumb.

59: Standing Before Vanished Walls
At last I stand right there.
No doorway and no hall,
No window to open wide,
No Mother left to call.

I stand among wild weeds.
The green pond still gleams.
And suddenly my childhood
Walks out from my dreams.

60: The Whispered Call in the Dusk
A green leaf moves so light.
The quiet dusk turns slow.
Winds cross through vanished rooms
From long, long ago.

And then I hear her voice
From somewhere near my heart:
'Eat something, my dear boy,
Before you now depart.'

61: Searching the Unseen Breeze
Mother? I turn around.
Only leaves on the tree.
Mother? I call again.
Only the breeze I see.

Yet somewhere hidden deep
Behind the bush and green,
I feel she waits for me
With rice and love unseen.

62: The Desperate Cry to Mother
Come out, O Mother dear!
Scold your son once more!
Ask why your khoka stayed
So far away from your door!

Say Father is coming home.
Say dinner is getting late.
Say anything, dear Mother!
I promise I will wait.

63: Pleading Against the Reality of Death
Tell me the warm white rice
Is cooling on the plate.
Call me a foolish child
Who always comes so late.

Say anything, dear Mother,
Whatever you wish to do.
Only do not tell me
That death took hold of you.

64: Facing the Cold Truth
I know that you are gone.
I know what is quite true.
I know wind is just wind.
Leaves are not really you.

I know ruined old walls
Cannot remember names.
I know cold, dead stoves
Cannot rekindle flames.

65: Mind's Illusion and Seeking Her Face
I know mind creates
The voices that we miss.
I know life does not give
A miracle like this.

I know all of these facts.
I know them through and through.
Still, when Mother calls,
I turn to look for you.

66: Apology to the Sacred Soil
O my Home, forgive me.
I could not save your frame,
Not that my love grew cold,
Nor that I felt no shame.

Life has a heavy rule.
Money has rigid laws.
Good intent cannot fix
Every heart-breaking cause.

67: Tears vs Mortar and Heavy Costs
Longing buys no timber.
Regret builds no floor.
Tears make very weak mortar
To raise an ancient door.

After building in Dhaka,
I could not build again.
A father must pay price
For children's future gain.

68: The Teacher's Wise Counsel
So you remained out there,
And I remained right here,
Two halves of one address
Split up year after year.

Then my old teacher came
And gave a simple call:
'Plant a bakul tree
Where you once had a wall.'

69: The Seed of Living Memory
A little bakul tree!
Just that small simple thing!
How could a single phrase
So many memories bring?

Perhaps I cannot build
Your walls anew today.
Yet one small living tree
I still can plant and pay.

70: Planting Tears with Roots
I can kneel on the soil.
I can touch the dark ground.
I can plant new life
Where silence lies around.

And when I pour water,
Should tears fall like rain,
Let no one ask of me
Which drop comes from pain.

71: The Bakul's Mission of Memory
Grow tall, my bakul tree!
Grow where Mother stood!
Grow through all the sorrow!
Turn memory to wood!

Send down your deep roots!
Reach down into the clay!
Find all the old footprints
That time has swept away!

72: Searching for Hidden Footprints
Find Father's honest toil!
Find Mother's gentle grace!
Find where our early childhood
Once filled the quiet place!

Find the old earthen threshold!
Find laughter buried low!
Find what I lost behind
So many years ago!

73: Becoming the Family Guardian
And when you find those things,
Hold them so tight for me!
Hold what I could not keep!
Become our family tree!

Give shade to village boys
When cricket games are played!
Drop flowers for my sisters
When sitting in your shade!

74: Blooming Spring and Eternal Roots
Drink deep from monsoon rain!
Stand firm through winter cold!
Bloom every single spring
With blossoms sweet and bold!

And if some child should ask,
'Who planted this fine tree? '
Do not mention my name,
That matters not to me.

75: Anonymous Love and Words to Children
Tell that small child only,
If trees could speak a word:
'Someone loved this soil
As deeply as was heard.'

And now, my children dear,
Come close and listen well.
I leave no long sermon,
Just a plea I must tell.

76: The Plea to the Next Generation
You may shift your roots
One more time, I well know.
The thought itself brings pain,
Yet you may choose to go.

I changed my own address
And carried heavy pain.
I would not wish on you
To feel that grief again.

77: Shifting Roots Only Once
Yet I fear our homeland
Is wounded far too deep.
There are promises fathers
Can no longer keep.

If you must move away
To find a safer shore,
Then change your roots just once—
And change them nevermore.

78: Carrying Heritage Across Distance
Go where your children can
Flourish and freely rise.
Go where their futures need
Not fear the stormy skies.

Do not depart from home
With hatred or with blame.
Carry your mother tongue.
Carry your family name.

79: The Portable Sanctuary of Dreams
Carry your childhood tales.
Carry your family grace.
Carry old Gopalpur
To every distant place.

Carry our Chhayanir.
Carry Shaonaz Villa.
Carry the green pond water
And its reflecting mirror.

80: Three United Branches of Fate
Tell those yet unborn
Who their ancestors were.
A root that is remembered
Can travel anywhere.

My children, you are three.
Remember that clear line.
Three branches joined as one
Can weather any time.




81: Strength in Unity
One branch alone may break
In a fierce, sudden storm.
Three woven close together
Can keep a household warm.

United, grow much stronger.
Together, stand up tall.
Three hearts linked in truth
Can overcome it all.

82: Guarding the Kinship
Stay close if you can.
Stay near if you may.
Do not let silly pride
Drive loving kin away.

Sisters may wish to stay
Forever side by side.
Yet new homes often bring
Another person's pride.

83: Ego vs Love
New bonds will surely form.
New families will grow.
Yet never let your ego
Teach love where it should go.

No partner and no wealth,
No anger and no gold,
Should sever hands you once
So tightly used to hold.

84: Preserving Cousin Bonds
No quarrel over land,
No argument over share,
Should make three siblings break
The bond of childhood care.

Let your children grow
Knowing each cousin's name.
Let cousins share the meals,
The stories and the game.

85: Peaceful Evenings
Let birthdays be crowded.
Let laughter ring out loud.
Let family be a bond
That makes you truly proud.

If anger comes at dawn,
Let peace return by night.
No home becomes a home
By proving who was right.

86: Building Real Roots
Wherever you choose to live,
Settle deep and stay.
Do not let generations
Keep drifting far away.

Choose your new country well.
Choose wisely your own ground.
And build a lasting home
Where real roots are found.

87: Planting for Centenary Trees
Plant trees for future children
Whose names you will not know.
Build bonds that are so strong
Centuries can grow.

May a hundred generations
Still know from where they came.
Time may shift their speech,
Not erase their name.

88: Protection From Wandering
May none of them wander
Through wild weeds all alone,
Searching for a kitchen
That once was called their home.

May none have to wonder
Which room their mother knew.
May none ask the bushes,
'Where did my childhood go to? '

89: The Legacy of Hearts
May no future child return
So late in life like me,
Searching through green leaves
For one ancestral tree.

Perhaps Shaonaz Villa
Will change hands one day.
Perhaps my own descendants
Will all move far away.

90: Beyond Physical Bricks
I cannot rule or command
What tomorrow may bring.
No father can bind tight
Next generation's wing.

So keep not my old bricks
If bricks drive you apart.
Keep one another close.
Keep home within the heart.

91: The Unbreakable House
A family joined in love
Is stronger than hard stone.
Three children kept together
Can never be alone.

If every physical house
Must one day fall apart,
Build an enduring home
Inside each other's heart.

92: Definition of Home
O my dear Chhayanir,
Now I can understand.
Home is not merely walls
Or roof built on land.

Home is a mother's voice
Asking you to stay.
Home is a father's step
At the end of the day.

93: The Sacred Presence
Home is a sister's laugh
That echoes through the years.
Home is a childhood boy
Unmoved by adult fears.

Home is the ancient pond
Reflecting the blue sky.
Home is the sacred place
Where loved ones never die.

94: The Silent Wound
Home is the silent wound
We carry deep inside.
Home is an absence real
That time can never hide.

The evening shadow falls.
Birds know their nesting way.
They fly back to their nests
At close of every day.

95: The Tragedy of Late Return
Perhaps that is the reason
Their song brings me pain:
Birds return back home
Before no nests remain.

We humans travel far.
We conquer and we roam,
And only return back
When there is no home.

96: Waiting in the Silence
Still wait for me, Chhayanir.
Wait as the silent ground.
Wait as the quiet space
Where voices used to sound.

Wait as the green pond.
Wait as the monsoon rain.
Wait as one old brick
That remembers my name.

97: The Sweetest Load
Wait as the sweet scent
Of bakul flowers at night.
Wait as my dear mother
Beyond all human sight.

I shall return again.
I know the winding road.
I have carried you long;
You are my sweetest load.

98: A Father's Blessing
And when my children cross
Their final distant sea,
Travel beside their path
As memory of me.

Go as a father's blessing.
Go as a silent prayer.
Go as Gopalpur's
Soft monsoon air.

99: The Cost of Home
Go as a warning sign
From a house left alone.
Teach them how very dearly
We pay for a home.

Let them build somewhere new
A root that will last.
Let their bright future days
Remember our past.

100: Shelter Reborn
Let their descendants still,
A hundred years from now,
Feel family is their shield
To which all storms must bow.

Then, my dear Chhayanir,
Your loss was not in vain.
A house that vanished once
Will shelter hearts again.

101: Extending Shadows
The shadows lengthen out
Across the quiet green.
I stand beside the earth
Where early life had been.

The monsoon clouds return
To paint the open sky.
I feel the gentle breeze
That softly wanders by.

102: Music on the Tin Roof
The tin roof used to sing
When heavy rain fell down.
We sat around the lamp
Far from the noisy town.

The water dripped so soft
Upon the courtyard floor.
We never asked for wealth,
We never wanted more.

103: The Mother's Soft Touch
The oil lamp flickered low
Against the wooden beam.
My mother told a tale
That sparked a boyish dream.

Her hand upon my head
Was soft as morning air.
No darkness in the night
Could touch us living there.

104: Father's Quiet Sacrifice
My father cleaned his hands
And sat beside the light.
His quiet smile brought peace
To every passing night.

He worked through sunny heat,
He worked through heavy rain.
He gave his life for us
Without a word of pain.

105: The Hearth of Love
My sisters played their games
With pebbles on the floor.
Their gentle laughter echoed
Beyond the wooden door.

The small hearth kept us warm,
The rice was pure and white.
Love held us safely bound
Through every single night.

106: Betel Trees and Soil
The morning sun arose
Above the betel trees.
The smell of wet brown soil
Came riding on the breeze.

I ran with open arms
To greet the morning light.
The world was vast and grand,
Unbroken, clear, and bright.

107: Swimming at Noon
We swam inside the pond
From morning until noon.
We watched the floating clouds
Beneath the silver moon.

No fear was in our hearts,
No sorrow in our mind.
The simple days of youth
Were wonderfully kind.

108: Restless Longings
Then came the restless years,
The longing to be grand.
I left my mother's side
To seek a distant land.

I thought the world outside
Held all I wished to find.
I never knew I left
My true heart far behind.

109: Cold City Lights
The city streets were cold,
The city lights were bright.
Yet darkness filled my soul
When evening turned to night.

Among the busy crowds
I walked along alone.
I missed the humble soil
That I had called my home.

110: Titles Without Warmth
I gained a title high,
I built a name of pride.
Yet tears of silent grief
I always had to hide.

No victory outside,
No praised and honoured name,
Could match the simple warmth
From where my childhood came.

111: Ink Cannot Rebuild
I wrote down many lines
To tell my inner pain.
I tried to bring the past
Back to my heart again.

Yet ink upon a page
Can only paint the shade.
It cannot rebuild walls
That time and age decay.

112: The Stranded Traveler
The ninety-six brought grief,
The ninety-eight brought night.
The two great pillars fell
That kept my world so bright.

Without my mother's grace,
Without my father's hand,
I felt like a lost stray
In a strange, foreign land.

113: Ruins Under Sun
I returned to the spot
To see what time had done.
The walls had crumbled down
Beneath the burning sun.

The wooden doors were gone,
The tin sheets carried off.
The wind blew through the space
With a low, quiet cough.

114: Forest Moving In
The moss had covered deep
The floor where Mother walked.
The wild vines wrapped around
The place where Father talked.

Nature had claimed its own,
The forest had moved in.
Where human laughter rang,
The silence did begin.

115: Touched Clay
I knelt upon the earth,
I touched the cold brown clay.
I wished that time would turn
And bring back yesterday.

I called my mother's name
Into the empty air.
Only the rustling leaves
Answered my silent prayer.

116: The Pond's Reflection
The pond was quiet still,
Its green surface so deep.
It guarded all the secrets
That memory must keep.

It saw the little boy
Who dived into its wave.
It now saw the old man
Standing beside a grave.

117: Sigh of the Waters
'Why did you go away? '
The water seemed to sigh.
'Why did you leave this peace
Beneath the quiet sky? '

I had no words to give,
No answer to restore.
I only held my tears
Upon the ruined floor.

118: Root in Immortal Ground
I brought a bakul plant,
A small green fragile thing.
I set it in the soil
Where birds again may sing.

I poured the water down,
I smoothed the earth around.
I gave a living root
To this immortal ground.

119: The Guarding Tree
Grow strong, O little tree,
Reach up toward the sky.
Remember every soul
That once came passing by.

Protect the sacred dust,
Give shade to all who pass.
Drop your sweet white flowers
Upon the green wild grass.

120: Living Monument
Let fragrance fill the air
When evening shadows fall.
Be a living monument
Beside the vanished wall.

Tell every passing breeze
The story of this place.
Keep safe my mother's love,
Keep safe my father's grace.

121: The Father's Weary Eyes
And to my children three,
I turn my weary eyes.
Learn from your father's grief,
Be thoughtful and be wise.

The world will pull you far,
The world will make you roam.
Yet never lose the bond
That holds the heart at home.

122: Blessed Harmony
Stand by each other's side
Through every storm and test.
A family joined as one
Is truly ever blessed.

Let no small quarrel grow,
Let no harsh word remain.
Love one another close
In comfort and in pain.

123: The Ancestral Name
The land may pass away,
The brick walls may decay.
Yet love inside the heart
Will never fade away.

Hold fast your mother tongue,
Keep your ancestors' name.
Remember where you started
And from whose blood you came.

124: Beyond the Ocean
Take old Gopalpur's name
To lands across the sea.
Let future generations
Know of our family tree.

Tell them of Chhayanir,
Tell them of mother's rice.
Tell them no worldly wealth
Can pay for home's true price.

125: Final Step from Plot
The evening turns to night,
The stars begin to glow.
The wind upon the field
Is blowing soft and slow.

I take my final step
Away from the green plot.
Yet every single inch
Can never be forgot.

126: Sanctuary Within
I carry you inside,
O sanctuary dear.
In every beat of heart,
I feel you standing near.

You are not made of brick,
You are not made of stone.
You live inside my soul,
My true and eternal home.

127: Shadow Left Behind
The city calls me back
To noise and heavy street.
I walk toward the car
With slow and heavy feet.

Yet half of me remains
Rooted within this clay.
I leave my shadow here
As I am drawn away.

128: Two Shelters
Shaonaz Villa stands
To shelter those I love.
Yet Chhayanir remains
Watched by the stars above.

Two homes upon my path,
Two shelters in my life.
One built for peaceful dreams,
One built through daily strife.

129: Peace Upon the Soil
May peace attend this ground,
May blessings grace this air.
May every wild bird find
A safe sanctuary there.

The Bakul tree will grow,
Its branches will spread wide.
It holds my family's soul
Safely kept inside.

130: The Last Call
One day my journey ends,
My final night will fall.
I shall lay down my pen
And answer the last call.

My body will turn to dust,
My spirit will fly free.
I know where I shall go
Beyond the dark blue sea.

131: Return to Sacred Soil
I shall return right here,
To this ancestral earth.
Back to the sacred soil
That gave my spirit birth.

No need for Dhaka's streets,
No need for city light.
I shall find rest at last
In Gopalpur's quiet night.

132: Under the Bakul Shade
I shall sit by the pond,
Beneath the Bakul shade.
I shall watch the green leaves
That time can never fade.

I shall hear sisters sing,
I shall see Father walk.
I shall sit by the stove
And hear my mother talk.

133: Khoka's Completion
'Khoka, you came at last,
Why did you stay so late?
The rice is getting cold
Upon the metal plate.'

And I shall smile at her,
And take my humble seat.
My long, long search will end,
My journey be complete.

134: No More Departures
'I am home, Mother dear,
I shall not leave again.
Forget the long, long years,
Forget the distant pain.'

The night will settle soft,
The stars will shine so clear.
And we shall rest in peace
Inside our Chhayanir.

135: Rivers of Grief
The river flows along,
The Meghna rushes wide.
It carries all our grief
Upon its endless tide.

The Jamnai sings its song
Through fields of golden grain.
It knows the human heart,
It knows the human pain.

136: Eternal Flame
The village stands so still
Beneath the monsoon sky.
The quiet centuries pass,
The generations die.

Yet love remains untouched,
A pure, eternal flame.
It keeps the spirit whole,
It honors every name.

137: Song to Open Sky
So hear my final song,
O trees and open sky!
I sing of love that lives
And never truly dies.

I sing of Mother's lap,
I sing of Father's hand.
I sing of Chhayanir,
My first and sacred land.

138: Sacred Space
To all who read these lines
In years that are to come:
Remember where you started,
Remember your first home.

No matter where you fly,
No matter where you steer,
Keep one small sacred space
Just like my Chhayanir.

139: Divine Love
For home is not a place,
Nor bricks built in a line.
Home is the love we hold,
Unbroken and divine.

It is the mother's call,
It is the father's care.
It is the quiet peace
We find in silent prayer.

140: Fragrance of Endurance
The Bakul blossoms drop,
Their scent is sweet and pure.
They tell the silent world
That true love will endure.

Grow on, O sacred tree,
Upon this holy plot.
Guard well my family's roots,
Let them be unforgot.

141: Embedded Song
The wind whispers low
Through branches green and high.
A peaceful quiet falls
Beneath the evening sky.

My heart has found its peace,
My soul has said its prayer.
I leave my song of love
Embedded in the air.

142: Farewell Until Return
Gopalpur, fare thee well,
Until I come once more.
I leave my tears with you
Beside the ancient shore.

Chhayanir, keep your watch,
Wait for the final day.
When all my earthly chores
Are done and put away.

143: Head Held High
I walk into the dusk,
My head held high with pride.
For I carry your soul
Forever deep inside.

No time can erase
The bond that holds us near.
You are my first, my last,
My eternal Chhayanir.

144: Shield Against Storms
My children, hold this truth,
Pass it along the line.
Let family love endure,
Untouched by shifting time.

Three branches of one tree,
Standing against the blast.
Together you will win,
And overcome at last.

145: Harmony Ceaseless
Remember who you are,
Remember whence you came.
Let honor, grace, and truth
Adorn your family name.

Build homes where love resides,
Plant trees for shade and peace.
And let the harmony
Of family never cease.

146: Peaceful Sleep
The darkness covers all,
The moon begins to rise.
It casts a silver light
Across the quiet skies.

The pond reflects the moon,
A mirror clear and deep.
The village falls at last
Into a peaceful sleep.

147: Rest in Mother's Arms
I hear a distant bird
Call softly to its mate.
It flies back to its nest
Before it gets too late.

We all seek for our rest,
We all seek for our nest.
And in our mother's arms
We find the final rest.

148: Guiding Star
Farewell, O sacred soil,
Farewell, O green trees dear.
Farewell, O ancient pond,
Farewell, my Chhayanir.

Your memory will shine,
A bright, guiding star.
It leads me back to you,
No matter where I am far.

149: The Poet's Rhyme
One hundred chapters written,
Six hundred lines of song.
A tribute to the place
Where my true roots belong.

Let it remain engraved
Upon the page of time.
A father's deepest love,
A poet's sacred rhyme.

150: Everlasting Peace
And when the night comes down,
And all the voices cease,
May Chhayanir remain
In everlasting peace.

Mother is waiting there,
Father is by her side.
And Khoka returns home
To stay forever inside.

Shaonaz Villa
Dhaka
07 September 2026