Gopal explores the intersection of nature and silence in DifferentTruths.com, capturing a luminous, meditative transition from dusk to deep dreams.
We sat in a circle, watching the dark sky, a living canvas. Someone left a little while ago, rising from their head, a silence – there was no time – nor did anyone return – as if someone was about to speak – we stumbled upon every place and got hurt, we never mixed with anyone, we moved forward. Someday, jacaranda would be blooming here.
Today, that soft earth, a narrow river line -the soft sound of the water's current, the watery moonlight, small stars drowning in the water, the cloud eyes closing together – we all lay in a circle, asleep. We were sleeping, but when did we fall asleep? Meanwhile, silence joined with a face of night, gradually becoming clearer.
star lights come on
the trees full of
sleeping birds
Picture design by Anumita Roy
Gopal Lahiri, a prolific bilingual poet, critic, editor, writer, and translator, has 32 published books, including eight solo/jointly edited volumes. His poetry and prose grace over 150 global journals and anthologies, with translations into 18 languages across 17 countries. Nominated for the 2021 Pushcart Prize and 2025 Best of the Net, he earned the 2020 Setu Excellence Award and 2024 First Jayanta Mahapatra National Award. His work features in the Penguin Book of Poems on Indian Cities.
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