That Day And Today Poem by Bishnupada Sethi

That day:

The street in deep slumber has woken up,
In this late hours of the night,
To the beats of drums.
The loud noises of the crackers pierce the silence,
And the dancing and singing troupe lead,
As I proceed to your house.

I am bedecked with flowers,
The fragrance of them wafts in air.
My friend, my kith and kin accompany me
And I am the king of the show.

Your father welcomes me,
The waiting crowd at your place
Rushes to have my glimpses.
With the greetings from smiling faces
I am led to an altar.
The priest lights a fire,
He makes us to promise
And we walk around it,
To the recital of holy verses
And we tie our knot.

We make promises before all
To lead from there
A new course of life,
With our eyes, full of hopes and love.

Today:

A procession comes out of your house,
The friends and relatives accompany me,
I am being carried,
Fully bedecked with flowers.
The priest chants holy hymns,
And the fire is being lit.

But the sounds of the crackers,
The dance and songs of my friends
The noises and the rushes,
Are not there around.

You are in tears,
Many are there to console you,
And your wailings pierce the silence.
You are probing to know
About the hopes and dreams
You had grown with, years back.