When The Day Dawned Poem by Rafiq Sandeelvi

When The Day Dawned

Rating: 4.7


The day was yet to dawn.
From the warmth of my cosy bed,
as I stepped out of the house,
the entire town slept;
a gigantic cocoon,
in its depth,
the silkiness of existence,
folded in the mystique of darkness,
in the aura of a wasteland from ancient times,
as if the roads, fields, houses and trees cast by a magic spell;
time, to its core drunk with antiquity,
environs perpetuating colour.
In the timelessness of eternity,
in the mute fog,
people in their bed-chambers crouched in sleep,
the radiant moonlight in the sky paled.
A deathly silence,
flames in clay-lamps dwindling to their end.
A probable rain ahead.
Right above the street, chunks of clouds coursed the sky.
Shivering in the wintry wind adjusting the folds of the dark shawl around my body,
wiping away from the canopy of tearful eyes,
images of children serenely asleep,
mumbling to myself,
I reached the riverside,
got into the boat.

The day was yet to dawn.
Yearning for the other shore,
my boat moved with the rushing waves.
The morning star winked.
The boat, water,
the sail, the oars, the darkness and my drowsy self,
all elements converged into one:
a long lost memory flowered in the heart.
Then the day dawned.
The sun took over at noon,
shadows crawled in the descending light,
evening fell,
then darkness cloaked all.
A journey of several hundred nights at last touched the shore.

When the next day dawned,
my house was draped in mourning.


(Translated by Yasmin Hameed)

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Jacqui Broad 08 October 2011

'Don't pay the ferryman, until he gets you to the other side.' I think this is an insightful poem about life, and death. Not nice to think about, but its the only certainty we have... I still have so much to learn...

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Ency Bearis 13 October 2011

nice vivid write, a remarkable concept

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Louis Cecile 24 October 2011

Nice flow and growing narrative style to cast a great image for the day to dawn. Good piece of writing.

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hdhd dudjf 30 October 2011

I was just stunned...and then I read it again n again n again...

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Miraj Patel 29 December 2011

your poems have great sense with imagination and story.... amazing work that's the only thing i can say....

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Colonel Muhamad Khalid Khan 05 December 2014

The sun took over at noon, shadows crawled in the descending light, evening fell, A poem on beautiful description of dawn in its entirety.Well expressed Well done.I enjoyed it. Col Muhammad Khalid Khan

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Jasbir Chatterjee 04 April 2014

it's a beautiful poem, Rafiq, thanks for sharing...The last 2 lines make it all the more poignant and touching...

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Shania K. Younce 26 December 2013

I would like very much to read more. That is if you have any more. I like this most. Well done!

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Dinesan Madathil 25 December 2013

Well expressed and aptly worded. You have talent and enough wherewithal to make innings. Go ahead.

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Saiom Shriver 24 April 2013

We are indebted to Yasmin for translating your beautiful poem... of all the powerful lines my favorite is 'a long lost memory flowered in the heart' For the sake of all of us please keep writing

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