I slowly learnt, with you, for you,
To love the oak scented mountains.
And once I had loved the mountains,
And learnt to live under the stars,
I grew to love the dark shadows
The deodars cast on my window
On moon-lit nights, as April winds
Blew smelling of wild primroses;
Once I had loved the gray mountains,
Once I had seen the purple dusks
Settling on rain-washed August days,
I knew what it is to be blessed,
To live alone above the mists,
So close to God, changed forever;
For once you have loved the mountains
Your dreams are always wood scented:
You wonder how great it would be
To return someday, just for a while.
You are an Oak, rooted in the rocks,
Forever swept by April winds.
– Diptesh Ghosh (1992)
This poem was shared by Diptesh Ghosh on email, dated June 2013. (Yet another poem inspired by yet another OG visit)