Hunger

by Rajender Krishan

Umbilical cord cut
individual born
first breath blown
Pranava establishes sovereignty

The Word resonates
first cry
proclaims hunger
forerunner of all desires
            thirst,
            longing, yearning,
            craving, hankering
            wishes, needs
            name, fame
perpetuating in myriad forms
in every season

Destitute bear the yoke
resist suppression
seizing the hole of a charred bagel
while the insatiable wealthy
milking cream
thrive gluttonously

Alas! Satiety is, but a theorized sojourn!

Hunger departs
with the sensory cessation
the Sovereign
leaves the corpse
moves into a new abode

The cycle begins anew
with hunger
the commander of all desires

16-Nov-2012

More By : Rajender Krishan

Views: 1672 Comments: 16

Comments on this Poem

awesome word selection.... true n trenchant ... hits the heart.

debalina
29-Nov-2012 13:42 PM

Thank you all for your valuable comments.

Raj
20-Nov-2012 11:18 AM

18 Nov. '12
TO: Mr. Rajener Krishan

Simply a superb poem. Of course it is the old wine in a new bottle which we get particularly in Indian philosophical thoughts. Reminds me again of Tagore's -

"Here I revert to if you’ll wish so
This shore dashed by the waves of weal and woe.
Float my boat again,
On the dust play my game –
Run after the elusive golden deer
Only to flood in tear.
In the dark night, on the road thorny
Again I start my journey –
Either to succumb to my injury
Or survive its fury.
Again in disguise me to beguile
You play with me all in smile;
With my renewed mirth
Again I love this Earth."

Thus, Priyadarshi Dutta's observation "The goal is cessation of this cycle, which can be attained through cessation of egoism." may be just illusory

Rajat Das Gupta

Rajat Das Gupta
18-Nov-2012 09:32 AM

Rajendra sab
hunger redined in an innovative form kudos

Rpurushothamarao
17-Nov-2012 19:17 PM

Poignant....

G Swaminathan
17-Nov-2012 08:47 AM

'Satiety is but a theorized sojourn!' Gem of a truth,sir.Best.
.

Sony Dalia
17-Nov-2012 03:36 AM

Very touching and profound poem Dr. Krishan. Brought a lump in my throat as I read it! This also reminds me of an old song from Pyaasa - "Jinhe naaz hai Hind par woh kahan hain...?" Amidst all the hunger and poverty, the cycle of procreation goes on...Thanks for sharing and articulating so well the concerns of so many of us...

Padmaja Iyengar
17-Nov-2012 01:30 AM

Buddhism put in a nutshell!

Pavalamani Pragasam
17-Nov-2012 01:02 AM

Hunger....departs....reality of sojourn unfolds...fantastic sir..

T.ANANDH
17-Nov-2012 00:36 AM

so its true that BRAHMA SATYAM JAGANNAMITHYA..
wonderful sir.

aravind aasiyaa
17-Nov-2012 00:06 AM

Thank you Bhaiji

Raj
17-Nov-2012 00:00 AM

Wow! With each poem you are going deeper and deeper in to the philosophical world. Keep it up. Lovely poem.

V.K. Joshi
16-Nov-2012 23:53 PM

Thank you Dr. Sharma.

Raj
16-Nov-2012 23:48 PM

Good one Mr. Priyadarshi Dutta.... What an eyeopener comment. Love it. Bowing.

Raj
16-Nov-2012 23:47 PM

Deeply philosophical!
Hunger, a common experience, inspires profundity of thoughts!
A new poetic idiom, sensibility and syntax emerge with Rajender Krishan: A rare combo of the earthly and spiritual in current Indian poetry!

sunilsharma
16-Nov-2012 23:43 PM

A poem with a great insight. The cycle of of human life is actually a subset of a greater cycle of Nature. Men are born. They consume, they acquire, they produce, finally bequeath their inheritance and depart from this mortal world. Every person is unique in one sense, but in another sense just a puppet in the hand's of nature's law. All desires, all attainments, all sense of pride or frustration is actually scripted by Nature. We think 'I am the Actor' but we forget Nature is the Director. The Hindu philosophy holds that we are going round in a cycle of death and births. The goal is cessation of this cycle, which can be attained through cessation of egoism. One should realize 'I am not acting but the nature (Prakriti) acting through me'. Then one attains salvation.

Priyadarshi Dutta
16-Nov-2012 23:38 PM