Arrival
Four Poems by Kharan Badri
Arrival
Embers in my soul ignited by the setting sun
Searched these canyons for meaning & found but one
I’m meant to wander till my last tale has been spun
Renewed my sense of self in the Rio Bravo Del Norte
Floodwaters hewing a path through limestone to note me worthy
Salvation, a drop of hope for my body, starved & thirsty
When before, I had been miserly with my time & attention
Now generosity flowed forth; my heart took on a new dimension
Allowing my worries to drift free, I realized perfection
Requires no great quest, not a place to go but a place to be
On every journey taken, there’s only one thing you need
Without presence, you’re guaranteed to return home empty
Daydreaming of faraway happiness in some then-&-there
Robbing himself of joy, the cruel thief does despair
Forgetting the bliss of here-&-now if he were but aware
So, too, do I share his struggle; I am a no better man
No matter where I go, she endures, the Rio Grande
Her identity’s unchanged; it’s me who must understand
If I seek meaning, it’s not myself I should court
My time on Earth is fleeting; at best, it’s short
Desires for attention & glory must I cork
When making deposits of gratitude into the cosmic account
The crystallization of my purpose has erased all doubt
Santa Elena’s love blesses me in times of plenty & drought
Bespoke
Floating in the deep blue sky
Dreams take me halfway, chance the rest
Where I’ve been met its end in lost goodbyes
My welcome overstayed; I meander to the West
Waiting impatiently for despondency’s wave to crest
Do freedom's bells ring in the air
When you've grown deaf from oppression
Maps burnt to hide the way to the land of nowhere
A kingdom where worth derives not from your possessions
But the veracity of being, unfettered in expression
In the vast caftan of interdimensional lace
You're the most exquisite stitch in time yet sewn
Ignore the foolish noise from the marketplace
To discover who you are, explore alone
Climb
atoms arose from antediluvian chasms of conception
trillions of stars & supernovas for inky expression
billions of galaxies tattooed onto the cosmic canvas
with darkness' incalculable vacuum in which to vanish
as we slowly ascend self-realization's spiral staircase
how many lifetimes would it take for me to retrace
consciousness' sprouting branches & foresee the path that awaits
fate's happiest accident, that of being born a texan
one hand clapping to the universal sound as time dances
life is but our idle imagination playing in space
Dusk
Arms outstretched to the horizon
Where the sun kisses the sky goodbye
Bathed in vivid tinges of tangerine
Giving way for pink blushes to bloom
As scarlet rays dapple the indigo canvas
I find myself transported by a power unseen
Passing through the realm of light & shadow
I come to rest upon a generous cloud
Who shepherds us across vistas endless
There’s no hill too distant, no canyon too remote
Whose beauty goes unrevealed by my host’s good grace
Sunlight’s final gasps linger indulgently
Allowing time for one last gilded silhouette
While the desert dusk shyly announces herself
I’m returned to the overlook with loving care
By something I can’t explain
Who pitied a wistful wanderer
& gifted me the finest story alive
Kharan Badri is a first-generation American with roots in India & Germany. His creative influences are Rumi & Terry Pratchett. He composes poetry, prose, & comedy on his website, badwriter.net. His poems appear in Bryant Literary Review, riverSedge, & ArLiJo.