A Soul Awake In Gratitude

An offering to the Guru

There is an image, a formless awareness There exists an aura, an elixir of life A finite set of ideas, an eternal prayer The path of every breath, a passage to bliss A timeless search within, a door to eternity

I seat myself at this door, eyes wandering mind wavering heart restless thoughts paused love invoked soul seeking

I commence the walk without moving

A light becomes the guide Brighter than any single colour

I begin to wander in the garden of my thoughts With each step, the weight of the burden starts to ease

I ruffle the bag of dreams I carry holding tight Slowly the attachments fly without wings

I search for the teachings flowing ceaseless in my veins All there remains is a colourless river devoid of ego

I see my skin made up of questions cracked and pained The doubts of sweat evaporate healing the body

I witness the heart open to carry the light The master appears in the rhythm divine

Suddenly, I am left bare Having rehearsed, prepared, imagined In this moment, I have nothing to offer, to the Guru

But

A fragmented vessel ready to house the wisdom of eons A river of tears to wash the feet that embark upon the journey A lamp of acceptance to burn the darkness on the path A bow of reverence to be in the presence of love A breath of chants to connect the all pervading consciousness A pure thought to dissolve the self into dualities A bell of shattering patterns to ring in thoughtfulness A garland of emotions to adorn the shadows of unknown A soul awake in gratitude to the vibrations of the visions

Oh Guru! What do I give you?

these words have been strung in a language by you the expressions are a reflection of your experiences

this dance is a movement of your stillness the song is a melody of your intense quietude

the energy is centered to your gravity this life a celebration of your blessings

I wait for the Guru to respond

The formlessness echoes from the beyond… and then I continue this sojourn alone in silence

offering the meaning, to the one who gave the vision devoting the self, to the one who carved the wings surrendering, till there remains no me, no other but a dance of life.

This poem is my humble offering to all my Gurus on the auspicious day of Guru Poornima. ‘Gu’, meaning darkness and ‘Ru’ meaning Ignorance ; Guru is the one who removes the darkness of ignorance and takes us towards light This day of full moon (Poornima) is observed in the Hindu month of Ashadha (June–July). A traditional dedication by the disciples to all the spiritual and academic Gurus, who share their wisdom.

The author is an Indian Classical Dancer, Performer, Educator, Storyteller, Writer and TEDx Speaker. For more works from her, do follow on Instagram and Facebook.