nowhere road

outside the window there’s a path,
across the mountain to the other side.
clouds all around swirling in the night,
capturing all in their velvet clutches.
leaf-strewn steps lead ahead
pines, oaks and maples everywhere its green.
a stream gushes from a source unseen
a bed of pebbles like crystal in the water.

the stream becomes a river,
down the rapids and through the falls.
yellow fields – sunflowers dancing in the wind
with no care of life or time.
rich, sweet smells in the air,
chirping birds drown out all other sound.
fertile pastures everywhere around
speak of affluence and prosperity.

nowhere road is going to take me home
with the waves at my feet and spray in my face.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where the grass is green on both sides.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where snowy mountain peaks sparkle like a million soft fragments of pleasure.

the river loses strength, the land becomes dry
and majestic waves of golden sand rise.
dust in the wind and sand in my face
covering everything around in a coat of gold.
the desert is a masquerade for gold, oil
and wealth for all alluring.
dunes shifting and ever changing
revealing richness of life and lessons from ages past.

endless sands fade into shores of a vast sea;
hypnotising rhythm of the surf, the breath of power.
a gentle, sleeping giant
preserving the immense force within.
hidden under the sheen of soothing waves
brilliant walls of vibrant coral, full of life and forever boundless.
deeper still lie dark caves, creatures ancient and timeless
tell a tale of ages past, of freedom, simplicity and trust.

nowhere road is going to take me home
with the waves at my feet and spray in my face.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where the grass is green on both sides.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where snowy mountain peaks sparkle like a million soft fragments of pleasure.

from the depths of the ocean comes a surge
of walls of mountains breaking through the surface,
the water wanes after a brief struggle
content to chip away at the surface for centuries of ascendancy.
majestic they rise above all now for all to admire,
a crest of silvery snow for a crown.
in a panorama of mountain, ocean and pastures overgrown
lies a man entranced in his dream.

nowhere road is going to take me home
with the waves at my feet and spray in my face.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where the grass is green on both sides.
nowhere road is going to take me home
where snowy mountain peaks sparkle like a million soft fragments of pleasure.

satyajit venkatraman
january 2010