Who is there upon my window sill?
What is your need or your will?
Who’s that tapping on my pane ?
Have you come to call again?
Do you wish to enter in ?
Or to share my space herein?
Oh little one as you think
And tremble there on the brink
I cannot do what you wish
Since we share a varied dish.
Will you rest upon my sill
And chirp your song as you will
Can you stay and live with me?
It’s your nature to be free.
Oh small creature once again
Tapping there upon my pane
I can pray that you may stay
I beg please don’t fly away.
Oh little bird of swift flight
Keep love in your patient sight,
Winter winds will too soon come
With hoar’d breath and lack of sun
Keep my heart and mind alive
We may both with care survive.
There’s the tap upon my glass
Tell me what it is you ask
Can it be that we both know
Secrets great that must not show.
I won’t beg you to delay
Will you come another day?
Perhaps show me how to live
Teaching me what I must give
By courage and moral stand
To comprehend God’s vast plan,
Make me glad to be alive
With His help we shall survive.
DATELINE: Hoboken, NJ USA “NIGHTINGALES” ( 2013 ) 2013/07/07
Tags: Blog, Blogging, Commentary, Memories, Naidu Sarojini, Opinions, Poem, Poet, Poetry, Sassoon Siegfried, Writing
In 1945, I stumbled upon a poem, “Transcience” by a poet, Sarojini Naidu. I was unaware that she was a woman or that she was so very special. However, my hungry mind gravitated to her incredible thoughts and words. In my effort to commit them to memory, I devised a plan by using the first 4 words of each of 3 stanzas and it worked. “Nay, do not grieve, Nay do not pine, Nay, do not weep,” now here we are almost 70 years later and with this single device I am able to recall that piece without hesitation. I find that time has not diminished its value or the consolation it carried in its rhythmic style to alleviate the almost unbearable tragedy of that era and its world impact ! This reminds me of another man of note and pathos, Siegfried Sassoon of World War I, still one more voice in the “wilderness “along with a cadre of others. Oddly enough both of these poets shared similarities, born late 1800’s , died after WWII concluded,educated in England and rooted in Indian culture with a passion for peace. Both deserve your attention and respect ! Please allow me to close with the last 4 lines of my personal favorite:
“Nay, do not weep; new hopes,new dreams,new faces,
The unspent joy of all the unborn years,
Will prove your heart a traitor to its sorrow,
And make your eyes unfaithful to their tears.”
by Sarojini Naidu
And so again, we find another facet of magic words in the hands of “word warriors” not to be ignored. I find myself compelled to think of one greater, the Preacher,Solomon, have you read him lately? That’s Ecclesiastes !
Sincerely,
Claire B.
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