Gitanjali Ghei: The girl who conquered death
Click here for a brief biography of the poetess, photos, paintings etc. plus the poems in .html format (recommended only if you have a fast connection).
I AM NAMED
GITANJALI
After the famous book of Tagore
I wish and pray
Oh! Help me God
I so live that...
I live up to the name.
(NOTE: Gitanjali was extremely sensitive about her name and once actually fought with her mother for naming her after the great work by Tagore. She always felt that she had to live up to that name.)
FAREWELL MY FRIENDS
Farewell
Farewell
My friends
I smile and
Bid you goodbye
No, shed no tears
For I need them not
All I need is your smile.
If you feel sad
Do think of me
For that's what I'll like
When you live in the hearts
Of those you love
Remember then...
You never die.
WOUNDED PRIDE
Tender is the age.
Tender are the thoughts
and if someone treads on them
It will only break my heart.
Before the dreams can
Wake and scream
for the freedom of thought,
the pain entwines itself
around my wakeful hours.
Youth, beauty and
innocence:
all three hand-in-hand,
feel crushed
against their fate and
their wounded pride
WITH DIGNITY
When you caress me
Fondly and kiss me
With thine eyes
I’m afraid, I may
Break down and
Drown you in the
Tide.
Every moment
Of my life
I know not
What may happen
Next.
All I desire
And want is
You should be there,
When
I meet my end.
When the actual
time of parting
Nears
Be brave, and
Do not fear.
Just be near me
And hold my hand
With utter trust
Give in to HIM
And let me too
Die with dignity
DEAR GOD
Dear God:
Please hear my prayer
Give me the strength
To accept your will
And forgive me for
My sins if any.
If you think it fit
To take me
Then please give
Strength and courage
To those who love me
And help me
Not to rail in self-pity.
Asking why?
But to have faith
And to know that
Your will is best
Help me!
Oh, please help me
To trust you
Not from fear but
Because of Love and Faith
GLIMPSES OF TRUTH
When the sun sets
With it appear
The shadows of the night.
Along comes
The Darkness
And then
The stars appear bright.
Grief brings
Glimpses of truth
And reality.
Each sorrow
Takes us few steps
Nearer to
The Promised Land of Destiny
There is no failure
On this road
People can let you down
He will not.
REFLECTION OF AGONY
When sorrow, grief
And pain are near
And when you know
You are going to lose
Some one most dear
It’s time to reach out
For His hand
For He alone knows
What is right
Trust Him and
Leave all else aside.
He has thousand ways
His love and help to show
Soon you will tread
With steadfast feet
With fears and doubts
Left far behind
You are not alone
In this world so wide
Who is afflicted alone
Raise your eyes
And you will find
The reflection of your agony
In many more
Thus it will help you
To bear your loss
And with courage
Face the world
With a smile.
THE HARP
I am being used
by God like a
Harp.
One moment He caresses me
Like a fond child,
next minute
He grasps me firmly
and strikes.
A sharp quick blow
that wrings me with
pain,
torturing me by
pulling at my
heart strings
in vain.
And just when I am
about to snap,
He rests my head
with warmth on His chest.
Softly and tenderly
He holds me to His heart
and wipes away my tears
to replace them with
laughs.
THE SEASHORE
On the sea shore
I often go
To watch the waves
Come and go,
The waves wash
The pebbles bright:
I pick them up, in turn,
To find the one
Which I like the most.
Joyfully I bring it home.
We, too, are like these pebbles
On the sea shore of life
And when God wants
He takes us away.
Whether it is day or night,
Whenever we feel proud
Of our possessions
He comes.
Why deny God his choice?
YOUR MESSAGE
My eyes are
glued
Under the
Door.
Where from
Your message
Will come.
In a feverish
Response,
I’ll grab
The letter,
And hold it
Against
My throbbing
Heart.
What you have to say,
Is up to you.
What my eyes will scan for,
Is up to me.
I TRUST YOU STILL
I trust you
Still
Oh my dear dear God
Though the sorrows
Keep falling
Like the rain drops.
I trust Thee
Yet
Though You have
Betrayed my trust
And refused me
All that I yearn for.
The Xmas is here
There is music
In the air
I have but
Sweet old memories
Tapered with love and care
Which I now unfold
With great pain and
Much sorrow.
Cry I will never
Weep I will not
I left these stupid
Emotions behind me
For a long time now.
This mighty
Unknown
Sea of Death
Does pass a shudder
Through me I confess
I sway at the thought of it
But dear God
Your nearness holds me
In a grip.
Isn’t it amazing
For I trust you
Still.
THE JOURNEY OF LIFE
When too much of sun
Withers the flowers
Then the nature takes its course
The rain comes bouncing
Hither and Thither
And everything is in chaos.
The sun takes shelter
Behind the clouds
While the clouds hang
Frighteningly thick and black
But fear not my frail soul
For this is the journey of life.
The joy the sorrow
The cry the laughter
Each follows like
Day follows the night
Don’t lose your heart
Stay firm and take
Everything in good stride.
The sky will clear
The sun will shine
The trees will look bathed
The birds will chirp happily
And so will your heart
And the rainbow will appear bright.
Pain and sorrow
Tears and smile
The ups and downs
Remember
If there was no contrast
You would never appreciate
The good things of life.
THE DEPARTURE
When my time comes
For the departure
Reluctantly though
I’ll bid you goodbye.
Is there any other choice?
But, I often wonder
Who will be unlucky
I who will die
Or you life
Who will be denied
the fullness of life.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT
My life is
Like a tide
One minute
The hope
Rises
The next minute
It’s low.
Who knows
Who can tell
When it might
Finally be
No more.
Please unlock
The gates of your
Heart
And let my love
Flow in.
I may warm and
Perhaps
Change your heart
For me.
Just once
Oh! please
Just once
Show up
Now that
The time is
Running out...
When will you come?
When the clock
Cannot be
Put back??
You’ll not be
Any poorer
If you at least
Write to me
My eyes
Long to see
The words
Which you haven’t
Uttered to me.
(NOTE: Gitanjali's parents had separated and she stayed with her mother. During her illness, she fervently hoped that her father would visit her, or at least write to her, something that never happened. Keep this in mind while reading the next poem.)
MY DADDY
I’ll let you into a secret
There’s a kind soul I know
Who dwells in my heart
It’s from him that I gain
My strength, courage and hope
He keeps kindling my heart
With each cherished glance
It’s fuel of his love that
Makes my heart glow.
He sits up beside me
With my head cradled in his arms
He tells me lovely tales
And warms up my shattered heart
He takes my cares away
And soothes my aching heart
His heart bleeds within his soul
He tries his best to act
But he little knows about
His bul-bul
That she chirps
Only
To make him feel swell.
DO BE JUST
Break my heart
Break it God
Break it,
If you must.
Break it
In a way
No one should
Get hurt
My pain I can
Bear it
Yes,
Bear it
With a smile
What I can not
Bear, is the pain
In their eyes.
Those who love me
And suffer as much
Break my heart
Break it God
But, please,
Do be just.
THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Gitanjali is dead
Gitanjali is dead
People are whispering around
A horror of shock
but the moment of truth
That’s all
It’s all about.
Foolish are those
Who shed tears
Mingled with sorrow and pain
Little do they realize
The joy that is mine
Free of torture
Free of pain
And free of guilt
That shook my faith
I am now at the threshold
Of my life to start afresh
A new lease of life...
The time stands still
The eternity has passed
Gitanjali the child has passed
The mother looks down
Upon the much loved
Blood drained face
Tears trickling down her face
Go my love,
Go my child
She sighs
I’ll be sad
I’ll be lonely
I’ll be miserable without you
But I’m glad and thankful
To Him the merciful that
At last you my child are at rest.
PEACE BE UPON YOU
In the core
Of my heart
Deep waves
Of sorrow
flow.
I try my best
To hide
My feelings
But sometimes
They overflow.
My hopes
Glisten
No more
With
Bright thoughts
For the morrow.
They mock at
The sadness
And chide with
My weary heart.
The aching void
Within my soul
Whispers to me
Calmly
Peace be upon you
Gitanjali
THUS SPAKE GITANJALI:
One thing I’m trying to say with my work is: care for the dead. Our feelings donot stop just because a person is dead.
In everyone of us there is a little bit of a dreamer, the poet. We are a composition of all these things and when the feelings lie low and we are caught in sad, heart-breaking situations then somehow, somewhere suddenly a song is born. Just like a rainbow appears after rain.
My chances are very bleak, but may be not. I wasn’t supposed to survive the last bout, so who knows? Its true, I’m not frightened, I donot fear death, I do fear dying. I think the thing that I fear most is the indignity - that is possible at the time of death.
I am no doubt scared, I’m scared to death. But, I’m not going to sit down and brood about what may or may not happen. My illness is [a] very small part of my life, what is important in my life is life, and I’m going to live it to the best of my ability in the allotted amount that God has given me.
The tragedy of life (or those who are alive) is when love dies inside a man while he lives on.
In the prime of my youth I had to accept the aloneness as my "birthright", I felt alone despite the fact that I never was left alone. The windows of my eyes and the doors of my soul were always left open. Then came a time, a stage when my inside loneliness ate up the fear of aloneness. I managed to get on top of my hurt. And finally grew up.
Try to recognize the subtle reflections of the power which does not scream to be recognized and yet it cannot be overlooked nor denied. The fact is that there is some supreme power behind all that you see. Look up at the high unknown skies, plunge into the depth of yourself, and try to connect the unknown with the known.