And... it smiled!

It was our recent trips to Kashmir(last summer), Sikkim and a part of the northeast that made me so solemnly wonderstruck by the mighty Himalayas. They just stand there, as if teasing you to dare and get closer to them. I am in love with the awe-inspiring ranges... scared, aware of the dangers, know that they are tedious to fathom, but still in love. I had to express myself... I was so full of emotions. I couldn’t think of appropriate prose to do justice to its beauty. So, just tried to rhyme a bit, this time. Hope you will be able to envision it through my words.... Thank you!

And it smiled....

It stood there, mighty and strong,

Adorned by snow and trees and rocks.

Like it played its own tune and song,

And wouldn’t let anything go wrong.

And.... it smiled.

The mystic fog tried to cover it in its arm,

Like a beautiful veil.

It peeked through; meaning no harm,

Showing off its eternal charm.

Hence.... it smiled.

The halo of the sun stood in command,

As a witness to the timeless tale.

Its rays peeping through, wherever it could land,

Almost like a bejewelled hand.

For this... it smiled.

The naughty trickle and her friends,

Ushering along to roll together.

It gave way to their flamboyance and their trends,

Their meanders and their bends.

So.... it smiled.

The leaps and the bounds and the freefall,

The lakes and the chasms and the gorges;

It was decorated by one and all,

And it did much more than just enthrall.

Oh, it smiled.

The sweeping valleys looked up to it,

And it looked upon them as their escort.

The blooms and the chirps and the hooves, all playing a skit,

What a beautiful symphony and oh, so close-knit!

It felt proud and smiled.

Then came along the most menacing of them all,

Wiping the greens and losing the browns.

Paving his way through its thicks and thins and haul,

Minuscule yet dreaming of the mighty’s fall!

Yet.... it smiled.

Man dug lingering tunnels,

And hijacked the demure rivers.

He brought down the resilient glaciers into funnels,

And smeared the innocent runnels.

But.... it smiled.

He claims to have reached the top,

He claims to have crossed them all.

But to what end and prop...?

He was still a tiny speck almost ready to swap.

No wonder it smiled.

It has stood the test of time and trash,

It has seen the follies of the fickle.

It saves the footprints of many who have dared to cache,

And it enchantingly poses for their flash.

And so.... it gorgeously smiled.

The mountain teaches us a lot,

If we are ready to learn.

It reaches beyond yet stays true to its spot,

Serves all, in return for naught.

And humbly... it smiled.

Its aura and its sheer presence,

Is so condescending.

When will we do our penance?

Where not burning the bridges is of essence.

And... like a snob it smiled.

We can just be awed and go in a trance,

By its mesmerising stories.

It speaks of bravery and adventure and harmony and romance,

Nature, love or wrath, at its best left to a chance.

And... we smiled.

And then there are those who have no iffy,

Its daughters and sons, alike;

To protect the mighty with only bravery,

Ready to lay down their lives in a jiffy.

Now we know... why it smiled.