This poem is a tribute to Rabindranath Tagore for one hundred years of his Nobel acceptance speech which he delivered at Stockholm 26th May 1921.
This poem was published in Indian Science and Culture Journal MAY-JUNE 2021 to celebrate 100 years of his Nobel Peace Prize
Rabindranath Tagore
By Kelvin Brown**
Tagore, you bring twilight
to a single soul
and let the heavens
dance time into existence.
Tagore, you see
into the eyes of India
and reveal the beauty
of her welcome.
Tagore, you stand
beside the mystical priest
outlined in the starry sky
and whisper his words
across the serene lake
to a waiting flame of candlelight
flickered only by a heart’s response.
You take the strings
of a melodious instrument
and tune her for the
songs of the Earth you tread.
You give your land
the song of its destiny.
You take the hand of Nature
and dance the beauty
of her colours and presence.
You take nothing
but the hand of friendship
and introduce others
to its many gifts.
Though you stood
cold and desolate
in moments of great despair,
you knew the end
was a momentary blink
of an open eye,
never ceasing its eternal gaze.
Tagore, you know
the love of your country,
a love no greater
than that of the Divine
to whom each word you wrote
was a blessing returned
for all of us.
The lyrical beauty
of your inspiration,
the creator and the created,
sits in your garden of devotion.
And now,
in India your words rest
on a bed of original thought,
the heart of India,
the heart of those who belong.
Sci. and Cult. 87 (5–6) : 162-163 (2021)
Rabindranath Tagore (Painting by Prof Dilip Mitra of Kala-Bhavana, Visva-Bharati).
**Kelvin Brown – Australian poet, musician, teacher, music producer and composer.
He visited India in 1990, 2004 and 2011 and has given poetry readings to audiences in India and Australia.
Also visited Visva-Bharati, Santiniketan in 2011.
His poetry has been greatly admired in both countries and across the world for its universal
truth that both interlinks and transcends different cultures.
