gulab khandelwal selected poems

It is rumoured,
‘The sun has grown old;
He will not be able to accompany us much longer,
‘The continuous journey
From morning to evening
Has begun to tell upon him;
Some day,
He may not rise after setting ;
That day,
There will be no chirping of birds
On the trees,
Neither will there be the prayer-calls from
The mosques,
Nor will there rise sounds of counch-shells
From the temples.
‘There will be no morning or evening, then,
Except darkness all around;.
It is true,
The warmth of life has not emanated from the sun,
He may be or may not be,
The flame of consciousness
Will burn as bright as ever,
But the question is,
Where will we get such a faithful gardener !
If the sun retires,
How will the flower of life blossom ?
Is there not a single star
Amongst these countless luminaries ?
Who can replace the old sun ?
Who may continue to give us
Light and warmth ?
Who may bear our responsibilities silently ?