You!

You've filled me with hope,
Sometimes brought a glimmer of smile,
At others, I'm lost in your thoughts -
Wondering if you would ever come!
But, at many others,
You've whispered sweet nothings
And left a fond wish on my lips,
A quiet prayer in my heart,
Or, inspired me to shut my eyes,
So it brings along a dream
About you!

As fall paves way for winter,
And a playful breeze rolls back the pages,
One thought makes way for another,
Until a stubborn leaf gets stuck at a page,
At a distant memory, many winters back.
When Sunday afternoons were short,
I'd laze in the terrace, hardly warmed by the sun,
And merrily watched the crimson sky fade away
Day after day,
To make way for soft glitters of twinkling stars.
When the silver moon dazzles in the sky,
It lights up the verandah and the galli before my eye,
An unusual warmth draws up around me
Egging me to desire greater warmth,
And I slip into a dream,
To be woken by streaks of sunlight,
Closer only to you!

© Sashikant Mohanty

Guest By My Window

With every new evening, comes a guest.
She draws me to my window everyday
To relish her beauty -
Decked bright and passionate
On a star-spangled canvas on some days,
Dreary and lonely in the gloomy sky,
On others.
She's mastered playing hide-and-seek,
And I've willingly been tricked -
All for that one day every month
When she sets the sky on fire,
And leaves me with hope - enough -
For Another day, week and month!

With every new night, comes a guest
She stays close to my heart
Easily tucked away from public glare
She whispers into my ears
And I giggle about our fate into her hers,
Sometimes, when the giggles run over the brim,
I don't try to hold back the warmth from flowing,
From soaking my heart and my pillows.
I look into her eyes and let the hours pass,
Sometimes until wee hours.
And when it's time for my loneliness to leave,
It leaves with warmth enough - to look forward to
Another day, week and month!

© Sashikant Mohanty

Diwali Again!

That was a Diwali evening!
Everything seemed so special,
The diyas didn't just light up the terraces
Or, the pillars at the main-gates of homes,
They also lit up a fond thought,
That thought of touch,
Or maybe kindled the warmth,
Like someone is around,
The one you've been waiting for.
They also brightened up the spirit
And my heart missed a beat or two,
As if I could hear someone tip-toe towards me.

The faint light of the diyas,
That Diwali evening,
Didn't aspire to disturb the dark
Of the amavasya evening,
The crackers in the distance quiet enough
For one to hear their calling,
Or, listen to the rumblings of the heart,
Or the soft hummings
That would appear from nowhere,
As you traveled back many years
And lived those sweet memories,
all over again!
The sparks in my mind
Weren't trying to assert their space,
But the sparklers didn't seem to mind -
As I was lost in a long gaze - through the dark,
And smiled, as the moments danced by!

Today is also a Diwali evening!
The decks of the tall apartments are lit again,
All too loud, and bright
With stubborn piped strips of colored light,
That didn't have a flicker
or, send out a warmth -
Made me wonder if they had a heart that beats!
There's no breeze today!
Am I missing lighting the diyas -
After being put out by a naughty whiff!
With the wired lights, does the breeze even matter?
There is a deafening sound of crackers,
Or, the tapes of china bombs,
And everyone seemed to be lost in the race,
But only to be left so lonely,
As to miss the rumbling of their hearts,
Or, the tip-toe of the memories of Diwali.
There was an unusual chill,
not because there was a nip in the air,
And as I gaze into the lifeless skies,
full of smoke and fog,
An eerie thought crosses my mind -
Am I a stranger in my own home?

© Sashikant Mohanty

ଦୀପାବଳିର ସ୍ମୃତି - ଆମ ବଡ଼ ବଡ଼ୁଆଙ୍କର

ପବିତ୍ର ଦୀପାବଳିର ହାର୍ଦ୍ଦିକ ଶୁଭେଚ୍ଛା ଓ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ।

ମନେ ପଡ଼ିଯାଉଛି ସେ  ପିଲା ଦିନ କଥା।

ସପ୍ତାହକ ଆଗରୁ ବୋଉ ଢାବଲରୁ ପୂର୍ବ ବର୍ଷର ଦୀପ କାଢ଼ି ଭଲ କରି ଧୋଇକି ଶୁଖାଉ ଥାଏ।

ଦୀପବଳି ଦିନ ଚିନି ମିଠେଇ ଆଣିବା କାମଟା ବାପାଙ୍କର। ଆହଃ ‐ ସେ ରଙ୍ଗକୁ ରଙ୍ଗର ହାତି, ଘୋଡ଼ା, ବାଘ ଇତ୍ୟାଦି ଇତ୍ୟାଦି!! ଘରେ ଥାଇ ମନରେ କେତେ ଉତ୍ସାହ ନେଇ ଅପେକ୍ଷା ବାପାଙ୍କ ବାଟକୁ ‐ କେତେବେଳେ ସେ ମିଠେଇ ନେଇକି ଆସିବେ। ସେ ମିଠେଇ ଖାଇବାରେ ଯେତିକି ଆନନ୍ଦ, ତାଠାରୁ ଉତ୍ସାହ ବୋଧେ ସେ ମିଠେଇର ଅପେକ୍ଷା!!

ଦିନ ଯାକ ଘରେ ସରଗରମ ‐ କେତେବେଳେ ବୋଉର ଡାକ, "ଆରେ ଛାତ ଉପରେ ଦୀପ ଗୁଡ଼ା ଶୁଖିଲାଣି କି, ଦେଖିକି ଆସ!" ଠୁଁ କାଉଁରିଆ ବିଡ଼ା ଆଣିବାପାଇଁ ମନେ ପକାଇବା।

ଏମିତି ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ନଇଁ ଆସିଲାବେଳକୁ ବୋଉ ତାର ଅଣ୍ଟା ନଇଁକି ଦୀପରେ ତେଲ ଢାଳିବାରେ ବ୍ୟସ୍ତ। ସନ୍ଧ୍ୟା ହେଇ ଆସିଲା ବେଳକୁ ଭାଇ ଭଉଣୀ ପାଞ୍ଚଜଣ ଲାଗି ଯାଉ ଦୀପ ସଜାଇବାରେ। ଛାତ ଉପରେ ଛିଡ଼ା ହେଲେ ଭଳିକି ଭଳି ବାଣ, ହାବିଳି, ରକେଟ ଦ୍ବାରା ଆଲୋକିତ ଆକାଶକୁ ଦେଖି କେହି କେବେ ଚିନ୍ତା କରିବେନି ଏହା ଏକ ଅମାବାସ୍ଯା ରାତି। ମଝିରେ ମଝିରେ ଦୀପ ଗୁଡିଙ୍କୁ  ତେଜି  କି ତାଙ୍କର ଉତ୍ସାହ ବି ପ୍ରଜ୍ଜ୍ଵଳିତ ରଖିଥାଉ ଆମେ।

ଏମିତି ଆତସବାଜି, ରଙ୍ଗୀନ ଆକାଶ  ଓ ପିଠା ପଣାର ମହକି ଉଠୁଥିବା ପରିବେଶରେ ହଜି ଯିବା ସ୍ବାଭାବିକ। ସନ୍ଧ୍ୟା କେତେ ବେଳେ ରାତି ପାଇଁ ବାଟ କଢେଇ ଦେଇଥାଏ ଜାଣି ହୁଏନା।

ବୋଉର ଡାକ ଶୁଣିଲା ପରେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଛାତ ଉପରୁ ଫେରିବାକୁ ପାଦ ଦୁହେଁ ରାଜି ହୁଅନ୍ତିନି। ଦ୍ବିତୀୟ ଡାକ ଶୁଣିକି ଆମେ ଘରକୁ ଫେରି ଆସୁ ତ ଦେଖିବାକୁ ମିଳେ ଘରର ଲିପା ଚଟ୍ଟାଣ, ଓ ତା ଉପରେ ବୋଉ ପକାଇଥିବା ଚିତା। ପାଞ୍ଚଟି ପାନ ପତ୍ର ଉପରେ ପାଞ୍ଚ ପ୍ରକାର ଭୋଗ ସୁନ୍ଦର ଭାବରେ ସୁସଜ୍ଜିତ ହେଇ ରହିଥାଏ।  ପାଖରେ କାଉଁରିଆ ବିଡ଼ା ଥୁଆ ହେଇଥାଏ। ବିଡ଼ାର ମଝି ଅଂଶରେ ଗୋଟା ପାଚିଲା କଦଳିକୁ ଚାରିପାର୍ସ୍ବରୁ ବନ୍ଧା ହେଇଥାଏ।

ଚିନି ମିଠେଇ ଆଜି କଟକର ମିଠା ଦୋକାନରେ ମିଳୁଛି କି ନାହିଁ - କହି ପାରେନା,
ଘରେ ଘରେ ପିଲା ଆଜି ରଙ୍ଗ ରଙ୍ଗ ର ହାତି ଘୋଡ଼ା ପାଇଁ ସେତିକି ରଙ୍କ କି ନାହିଁ, ଅନୁମାନ କରି ହୁଏନା,
କିନ୍ତୁ ଆମ ଘରର ଦୀପାବଳି ରାତିର ସେ ଅଭିନ୍ନ ଅଙ୍ଗ ଏବେବି ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟଭାବେ ମନ ପଡ଼ିଯାଏ... ଆଜି ଆମ ଘରୁ ଗୋଟିଏ ସ୍ବର ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ଶୁଭିବ

"ବଡ଼ ବଡ଼ୁଆ ହୋ,
ଅନ୍ଧାରରେ ଆସ, ଆଲୁଅରେ ଯାଅ
ଗଙ୍ଗା ଯାଅ, ଗୟା ଯାଅ,
ଶ୍ରୀକ୍ଷେତ୍ର ପୁରୀ ଯାଇ, ମହାପ୍ରସାଦ ଖାଇ
ବାଇଶି ପାହାଚରେ ଗଡ଼ ଗଡ଼ଉ ଥାଅ"

ପବିତ୍ର ଦୀପାବଳିର ହାର୍ଦ୍ଦିକ ଶୁଭେଚ୍ଛା ଓ ଅଭିନନ୍ଦନ ଆପଣ ସମସ୍ତଙ୍କ ପାଇଁ। ଖୁସିରେ ଥାନ୍ତୁ 😊

© ଶଶିକାନ୍ତ ମହାନ୍ତି 
© Sashikant Mohanty

Changing World

What a life you've embraced!

How willingly you've learned to lie 

Doesn't bother if a friend ever lied,

How happily you've chosen to move on 

Even if you were spied!

What education you marvel!

Where kids are taught moral lessons by rote

Only for a test score.

And tutored to lie to a frail granny

To avoid holidays they had lived for - for months.

Or fake illness at school - 

When they could win hearts, or hold head high

Sharing the smiles with Rainbow House' children.

What an existence you call - warmth of life!

A life - where love doesn't meet with love,

Where everyone is busy chasing warm beds, 

Where people let go of warm hearts, 
for the dreams of warm wallets

And none has heart or a hand to wipe warm beads

Welling up behind the expecting eyes!

What a land you call your own, 

Whose leaders held their values over their lives,

Whose history has taught lessons to the world 

Whose culture the world revers.

But like everything that must come to an end, 

They too had to leave the history books and calendars 

To make way for others

Only to settle for a glass-frame - 

Tough to tell if it's a token, or broken

Does it matter if they had the glasses on?


© Sashikant Mohanty