“What is there on the other side of the river?” Asked my grandmother. “Bangladesh”, I said. “The country of your birth!” The river was the boundary Between the two countries, Between many aspirations, dreams; Once an anxious yearning to cross For those, Who had tried to save their lives By crossing over and in the process became labelled as refugees during Bangladesh’s Liberation war. “My childhood is left back on the other side”, My aged grandmother said. “Perhaps lonely today. Perhaps it roams about Wearing the garb of serenity That nature stitches for all Amid the gentle lapping Of the moon lit river water On the river bank. This serenity induces A sense of nostalgia, Perhaps a longing even today”. “Tonight, this serenity colours my thoughts blue! I wish I could hold on to the clouds And cross the river’s boundary. I wish I could sit with my childhood, Bathed in my moonlight, Wrapped in my silence, In the serenity of my river bank, One more time!”
Copyright @ Goutam Dutta
Straight From My Heart 
Wow, this is exquisitely beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your comments make absolutely thrilled. Thanks so much. 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve reconnected to you via my new blog–you’ll probably recognize my style of commenting 🙂 Blessings to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
WOW! Call it a Soul connect or whatever you will..I was thinking about you yesterday evening and here you are responding with your message! 🙂
LikeLike
Really?? What a wonderful thought–thank you so much! In an upcoming post you’ll find that I’ve linked to your poem 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, I was thinking about you. Was wondering why I had not seen any post or comment from your side during the last couple of days. 😊
LikeLike
Well I deleted the Cobbled Contemplations blog–and moved over here 🙂 You can still call me “Rhen” if you like, or “Z” or “Zelda”–doesn’t matter. Now that we’re back on the Follows again, we’re good to go!:)
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊👍 Good to see you back!
LikeLike
Thank you for the warm welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is a beautiful poem Goutam. I also found the photo evoked nostalgic memories of my childhood.
LikeLiked by 1 person
So happy to know that you enjoyed my poem. The picture is so beautiful that it automatically evokes happy memories, I guess. I have often heard a grandma of mine talk of her village, which is now on the other side of the border and how it was a quaint village nestled on the banks of a river. This picture evoked those memories in my case. 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
For me the photo invoked memories of the camping holidays we used to take when I was a child.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I can’t even imagine the memories our elders have had to give up. Once when I was talking to my Mother in Law… she was telling me about a solider who she new on a ship that was sunk…
In a photo of her I have as a younger woman she looks very sad and cynical. Growing up during the depression must have been a very difficult time. I think though later in life her strong spirit helped her to cope especially after her husband passed…
Most often we do not get that chance to go back… except in memories. And you did a very fine job of expressing the melancholy of that.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much. So happy to know that you liked my writing. You are absolutely correct about the memories…with passage of time, sometimes the roads to go back get closed. Then it is only the memories that one has to cling to.
LikeLiked by 1 person