Ask me not… I beg you, ask me not…
What avalanche cleaves the heart within?
If the soul departs… if it must depart… this leaving is a storm the heart cannot erase.
The sun descends, a pallid, fading sphere;
The night has wept, its vigil long and deep—
How many hours yet until the dawn appears?
Open your eyes, awaken, gaze on me.
Speak once more, I pray, and be for me.
Open your eyes, awaken, gaze on me.
Say my name once more, and take me with you…
……
…………………………
And who shall tell, and who shall now be told,
That all our lamentations have been spent?
He took the tidings of the heart away,
Left the heart’s own weather in its stead,
And journeyed on a road of no return.
The very sky a mantle on his frame,
He laid himself to rest on the ocean’s bed.
In a silence absolute, all tears were dried.
What is left behind? What could survive?
O Mother Assam’s cherished, precious son…
My own dear mother’s one, most treasured child—
He, too, is gone…
Go, live in heaven, and dwell in peace—
For you, your mother weeps today.
And how shall I now bear this weight?
How find a place to rest?
How form a single thought?
…Shall we, too, swim the Brahmaputra’s heart and meet our end?
The distant sea can never comprehend
Your vastness, O my son,
For you were boundless as the sea itself…
And now, become the Brahmaputra’s surge,
Only these endless tears can flow.
Clutching this river to my breast,
I set upon its foam and bubbles
The total, crushing agony of loss!!!
...
You are not here… you are not here today…
…And yet, somewhere you are.
And so, I must stay awake;
Our unfeigned love stays ever awake;
The soul of this entire nation lies awake,
With but one anguished cry—
Leaving a wounded world behind, O wayfarer,
How, in this illusory night, did you meet a silent, final hour?
How can the spirit ever acquiesce
To still the vibrant tiger’s mighty roar?
Can the great Luit’s voice be truly silenced??
O Mother Assam, why does your sweetest, dearest air
Now seem a fractured and a broken song?
Why do the very trees stand disarrayed?
Who was it that departed, tell me, who?
He who was the very breath, the timeless, steadfast tune,
The very reason for a million hearts to live!!
-
Author:
Mottakeenur Rehman (
Offline) - Published: September 23rd, 2025 07:01
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 4
Offline)
Comments1
So good to see you back and this poem a seeming dialog of such poetic form speaks as if from the dead. What does it mean? But who has died? I became startled upon finishing the first part for right below you name appears in what appears to be the answer to the question. Sighed a sigh of relief seeing that it merely meant that you had written it. There appears to be great suffering here and sadness that pervades the poem. It leaves me with a sense of mourning. Very nicely written
At the sudden demise of the most beloved son and leftist socialist reformer of the century, the messenger for the poor, we witnessed many unprecedented events in the last 5 days... Let us write them down...
1.We saw members of every household in Assam mourning together as if experiencing a collective, untimely loss.
2.Just as he had said, we saw every town, every city, every village, every neighbourhood, every street corner, every office, every educational institution paying homage to the same person with his songs, words, and melodies.
3.We saw Assam come to a standstill. We saw everything stop without anyone having to ask.
4.We saw the chief minister of a state rushing to receive the mortal remains. We saw the rare sight of a chief minister kneeling down to pay respects.
5.We saw an entire state staying awake for four nights.
6.We saw over a million admirers participating in the final procession.
7.We saw records being broken even after death. We saw the crowd at the final procession being counted as the largest in Asia. We saw the second-largest crowd in world history for a musician (first being Michael Jackson)...
8.We saw Google recognizing him as 'The Humming King of the World.'
9.We saw the love of animals for the departed. Dogs, monkeys, horses, crows... We saw a fierce bull stop for a moment and shed tears.
10.We saw decisions being taken under the supervision of the Assam Sahitya Sabha, the All Assam Students' Union, and the government.
11.We saw mountains of gamochas (traditional towels). We also saw gamochas from every ethnic community.
12.We saw an ambulance take 6 hours to travel from Guwahati airport to Kaliapara... We saw the driver driving while crying... We saw police officers performing their duties while crying...
13.We saw royal representatives from other countries coming to pay their respects.
14.We saw the day when Assamese cricket fans did not watch the India-Pakistan match.
15.We saw social media dedicated 100% to the stories, words, and songs of one person for four continuous days.
16.We saw every one of us witnessing the wailing of our own family members at the same time.
17.In a kingdom without its king, we saw the anxiety and apprehension for the uncertain future in everyone's eyes.
18.We saw tributes being paid simultaneously in monasteries, temples, satras, naamghars, and mosques.
19.We saw tears in the eyes of every artist.
20.We saw government offices and educational institutions closing due to someone's death... We saw exams being postponed.
21.We saw all groups, organizations, and political parties uniting.
22.We saw hand and foot impressions being preserved for future generations... We saw demands for preserving the body instead of performing the last rites.
23.We saw everyone abandoning their duties at the airport, cheering and running desperately when the body arrived.
24.We saw truck processions, ambulance processions.
25.We saw the news of the death being featured in The New York Times.
26.We saw a tribute displayed on the world\'s tallest tower, the Burj Khalifa.
27.We saw an American band playing the tune of "Maya Bini".
28.We saw every national-level leader paying tribute.
29.We saw the BCCI planning a program based on a person's life at the inauguration ceremony (30th September) of the upcoming Women's World Cup cricket as a mark of respect.
30.We saw mobile theatres suspending their shows.
31.We saw a second post-mortem being conducted due to public demand.
32.We saw plans for establishing a university in a person's name and offering scholarships and fellowships.
33. We saw a university vice-chancellor being assaulted for not allowing a tribute ceremony.
34.We saw suicides and suicide attempts.
35.We saw his special songs being played on the railway station's sound system.
36.We saw various unprecedented phenomena in nature... We saw cloud formations resembling that special person's silhouette... We saw an inverted rainbow... We saw strangely shaped colourful clouds never seen before... We saw rain falling only near this special person, while everywhere else was dry.
37 We saw the Assam Sahitya Sabha demanding the bestowal of the Bharat Ratna award.
38.We saw much more...
We saw many hopes left behind... We saw the absence of the most precious musician. We saw the neglect and carelessness of some demons towards this most beloved asset... We saw selfish motives...
39.After seeing so much, only one thing remains now... Peace and Harmony amongst the all tribes and religions or faiths. ..
(When our children ask... 'Whose photo is being kept with so much reverence?' then we will read this post to them... They will understand who he is.... Who our Boss is) #ZubeenGarg(ZG)💖🙏🏻
#ZubeenGarg #assam
You are most welcome and this is most beautiful
Thank you so much🙏💝💝🙏
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