Buddha crossing the line that separates
comfort from struggle, shade from sun,
royal legacy from choice
sensual indulgence from severe asceticism
to unravel the mechanism
that keeps men trapped in the cycle of rebirth
Defining spiritualism far from his kingdom
is freedom
Meera singing songs in Krishna's devotion
with impassioned longing and anticipation,
draped in divine bliss of union
with complete surrender to her lord
and indifference to the rest of the world
is freedom
Van Gogh exploring his inner self with every stroke of brush,
filling his life with what could be seen but not touched
painted a new form of freedom
with that he didn't ask for much
Charles Bukowski writing brutally honest poetry,
whimsical, defying logic, kissing incongruity
Writing not for anyone but himself
is freedom in its own sense
Kamala Das expressing in her own signature confessional way
leave men awed or angered by her explicit word play
is nothing but freedom, so to say
Freedom is a sublime way of life
The taste of it lingers on forever
Bio
Pragya Bajpai, Ph.D. is a Central Government Officer serving at the National Defence Academy, India. She is a post-graduate from Lucknow University and holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University. Her debut book titled A Potpourri of Proverbs, a collection of poems based on 51 English proverbs was published in 2021. Her poetry has appeared widely in national and international anthologies and journals. She has jointly edited 4 anthologies celebrating the armed forces. Her poetry is a way of reflecting on experiences and social life which covers psychological issues affecting people in general. She can be reached at pragyabajpai@gmail.com. Instagram: pragyabajpai29
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