On Becoming Ocean
written by: Pragya Bajpai
You don’t become an ocean overnight.
You must be porous to let the light
touch you, enter you yet, not let you burn.
At the end, swallow the sun.
Be a symbol of momentum;
with no beginning, no end, no point of return.
Remain heartless to the midnight tempest that stirs up rebellion.
Know that sometimes, stars don’t shine;
What’s divine is devil, dismal, unkind
Keep your buoyancy intact with the tidal waves
when hell rises above the horizon.
Bear the wrath, merge with storm
and refuse to be broken.
Let conflicts and sufferings sink
beneath boundless sapphire skin.
Be cold and callous to the frightening
expanse of uncertainty or seafaring experience and
keep flowing until
the abode of love that you are
regains life.
Pragya Bajpai, Ph.D. is a proud mother, poet, artist, and Central Government Officer serving at the prestigious National Defence Academy, Pune. She hails from Lucknow. She is a post-graduate from Lucknow University and holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from Banaras Hindu University. Her debut book of poems is based on 51 English proverbs titled A Potpourri of Proverbs (2021). She has co-edited three anthologies titled Unkahi: The Unsung (2021), The Force is With Us (2022) and Memoirs of Covid Warriors in Olive Green (2022) to celebrate the armed forces. She has also co-edited a collection of Hindi poems called Dabe Paanv (2022). She is editor and designer of the international e-zine. Her poems have appeared in many national and international anthologies, and e-journals like Different Truths, Outlook, Setu, AWS, The Wise Owl. Her second poetry collection is under publication.
Latest posts by Pragya Bajpai (see all)
- On Becoming Ocean - June 8, 2023
