Raja narrates about a prince who entered the night, emerged at dawn, and became Buddha under a tree, leaving silence and eternal light, exclusively for Different Truths.

The night slept on
In the eyes of his wife and newborn, 
The silence of the air stands guard
Gautama opened the door and walked out
The cobbled pathway held the last of the footsteps 
That never returned to the palace again
 
Nights of reckoning come unannounced 
The call beckons, a tolling bell 

Years passed, years gained
The tree bore fresh leaves
As a new dawn prepared for birth
 
The first rays of the sun broke
Sending in the soft glitter of enlightenment 
Blue light engulfed the frail, famished frame
A pure, peaceful smile spread across thin lips
Dreamy eyes, shut yet, glowed with understanding 
The tree saw it all, sipping in the miracle
 
The man broke his séance
To look at a world that could have been
 
And uttered, "Life is simple."
It is a forest out there, but no one fights for ego
The lion hunts only when it is hungry
Redwoods share the same sky and earth with grass: 
Words of wisdom carried by the wind and sea
Buddha finally slept, leaving the flame to burn.

Picture design by Anumita Roy

Raja Chakraborty

Raja Chakraborty, born in Kolkata, is a bilingual poet, a gifted artist and bureaucrat, crafting seven English and nine Bengali poetry collections. His works grace magazines, anthologies, and e-zines. In the West Bengal Excise Department, he combats drug abuse and oversees liquor shop licensing under the Bengal Excise Act 2012, curbing illegal trade. Balancing literary passion with public service, Chakraborty’s contributions enrich West Bengal’s cultural and administrative spheres, showcasing his dedication to poetry and societal welfare.

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