A Nocturnal Song by Vikash Gope

 

A Nocturnal Song

 At the witching hour of midnight
When you stand on a sequestered site
Surrounded by the nocturnal band
Where your hackneyed soul is dignified –
You endure the darkling night
As a luminous thing forever alive!

The lunar sky, populated with the tiny stars,
Pours on you showers of gladden delight.
You stroll amidst the dark canvas
Carved on which are the silhouettes of life.
You see a cloud of bats fly o’er your head
And hear the owl’s sober hoot far in the west.
You dwell in the secret ministry of solitude
Where the quiet music of silence is spread.
You breathe in the cool breeze which bears
Fragrance of some aromatic roots –
You know not what flowers are at bloom
Nor do you know what incense are at stake
Still love the fragrance for fragrance’s sake.
Far way behind the secluded hill
That stands steep and still,
You see two or three city lights, glowing 
Through their weary boredom;
And there shelters a mock-holy life
That’s lost in its endless strife for freedom.
But this alien pastureland, covered
With a velvet shroud
Keeps you far from the madding crowd!

About The Author

Vikash Gope, M.A. in English Literature, is from Rourkela, Odisha. He takes interest in Literature and music as well.