The Collector of Smiles *

"Fool !!!!! " , he cries out

Not in agony for lying on the bed of arrows,

Created by his favourite son.

But for not collecting that one smile,

The one most beautiful and mesmerizing.

The one which would have made him choose life and not death,

Today !!

He had a choice.

He is the grand sire of the mighty nation.

He is, was ..the collector of smiles.

He closes his eyes to the world,

Tired of the looks of sheer disbelief at his fallen visage.

He closes to those gathered all around him.

For knowledge , wisdom , and truth.

He is the fountain, the foundation, the force behind the grand plan of the nation.

Spouting forth the mantras of  leading, ruling, conquest and guiles.

But not never of love, life ...and smiles..

He closes and crosses over.

Over the fields of death,

Courts of intrigue,

Palaces of opulence.

Times of building empires,

Of standing behind power and not ....

Defacto and not dejure.

"Ha" ,a mockery, he thinks,

Thats what his life was defacto .. never real, never his.

To a meadow of green and glen,

Of primroses and sun.

He sees a galloping steed, white with speed

And a knight.

Coming for that look,

That song,

That smile.

It is he, to see Her.

He collected the smiles.

The shy ones, which reached his eyes by the time she lifted hers.

The knowing ones, when both smiled together.

The happy ones, when everything glowed in their warmth.

The sad ones, cold yet comforting.

The just like that ones.

The teasing ones, and pleading ones.

The petulant ones and reluctant ones.

But that one smile which would have said it all.

The one he could have lived and died by.

He did not collect that one.

One that she was ready to give, waiting to give ..waited to give.

He lived ..death wasn't an option.

He opens his eyes.

All around are broken minds and bodies.

Hurting hearts.

He calls them closer.

And smiles.

It breaks forth through the mist of gloom.

"Collect smiles", he breathes his last.

They smile hesitantly then with understanding.

Written on 25th January , 2010.

* Fictional account of Devavratha son of Shantanu & Ganga also known as Bhishma Pitamaha.

(What if Bhishma Pitamaha was in love ? He could not do anything about it, because of his vow of serving the throne and life of celibacy. But what if ? It was very interesting how i came up with this idea. Don't remember the whole thing but started out with writing 'Can I fall in love' to a girl reading a love story to the fairy tale of knight in shining armour to someone reminiscing  about lost love to this ..or something like that. Did think of ending the poem by the girl closing the book and asking can she fall in love ..but thought the better of it . Now thinking doing a sequel to this poem where the girl reading the story says her part. Lets see.. BTW I think you all were very fortunately spared of the poem 'trouble in fairyland' where all the heroines have neck, back, shoulder pains and this causes their heroes trouble no end mirroring my own neck, back and shoulder pain. Thought it would be very funny but I don't think so now. Well till next time ..and this poem took a long time in writing but here it is. )