Visitor From the East

[Guest guest]

A Visitor from the East

 

Some enjoyed, some recoiled,

Some remained indifferent;

While a few welcomed

The visitor from the east,

 

Simple in dress, noble in manners,

Pure in heart, soft in talk,

Carrying little did he come,

The visitor from the east,

 

What shall he ask for? The poor fellow!

Everyone wondered; but, instead,

He offered 'My brothers and sisters'!

The visitor from the east,

 

He opened his box, closed his eyes,

Whispered a mantra, went into trance

Breathing as gently as a yogi,

The visitor from the east,

 

You strive for 'How much more can I have!'

And he said, 'With how much less can I survive!'

You look outwards and I inwards, said

The visitor from the east,

 

The night came as he was shown his room

The soft cushions and mattresses put him

In distress and discomfort; the compassionate,

The visitor from the east,

 

I saw the visitor in my dream,

His heart was as broad as his vision,

And he wept for the suffering poor,

The visitor from the east,

 

We shook hands as he departed

Bringing together two civilizations,

Like lingering fragrance he remains:

A " Voice without Form " -

The epochal visitor from the east.

*

 

c s shah

http://www.geocities.com/neovedanta