A Rejoinder to Tagore

Rabindranath Tagore is my all time favorite Classic Indian writer! The romance, the mischief and his ease of language in poetry and prose, though dramatic, endears him to me like none other. Yes, I know I'm talking about a Nobel Laureate, but I like his works for the contradictions in characters and the 'picking up moments from real life to elevate them onto a higher realm of thought'! To him goes the credit for penning down the most famous words on the Taj Mahal (even a google search will only give you his quote for at least 6 pages, followed by Urdu poet Sahir Ludhianvi's verse on how he would like to choose a place other than the Taj to meet his love!!)

"... the Taj is like a teardrop on the cheeks of time...!" - Tagore

As I sit here, musing over a heart searching for solace in the moonlight of the world's wonder, I couldn't but write some lines of my own. What audacity to say tis a rejoinder to Tagore! Am I forgiven if I say its nothing but an impression drawn from the great writer's lines?

The Taj - a wonder alright, but also a monument of pain, longing and love.
The Taj - a symbol of heaviness that comes with separation, which is common to the poor man and the King. The Taj - an expression of an emotion beyond the mundane - much like love, though un-welcomed, comes laughing by, enters every pore of the human form & mocks at the helplessness of the mind ... that falling... falling... falling... falls!

Its dark here, where I belong.

Tonight...

The Moon is partial to the Taj.

Your silent Teardrop looks on ... listens.

Awaiting its Time to fall.

Yes -

Its dark here, where I belong...

I'm awake - My palms open - a Cup.

IF I were in my English class and were asked to interpret these lines - this is how it will read.
He, with his chest heavy - full of sorrow, of separation, of losing someone very dear, awaits the exact moment to let go - to cry. He is in front of the biggest Teardrop - The Taj, hence his own tears swell up only in the corner of his eyes, which are looking on...at what else but the Taj Mahal!
She - is far away, aware of his pain, in the stillness of the night, opens her palms (like a cup) to hold his tears... to hold him from falling! The Taj - is the only witness to this moment, where Time stands still! The opening of the palms is also an allegory to the fact that this is a monument built by a Muslim King - the opening of the palms is the Muslim way of prayer.

This work of pure fiction - brought to you by Yours truly!
Those that wish to whip or worship the ground I walk on, are welcome to do so by all means!