Special Edition: Toolika Rani

Toolika Rani

Smiling in Pain

(Composed on the sculpture by Mustafah Dhada- Damaged-Not Destroyed)

The twisted ways of life have left

Many a festering wound agape,

The tinge beneath the warrior’s shield

Will be found dazzlingly red.

But what of that?

It only means a dull ache

Throbbing in the heart’s casket,

And a wistful look perennially placed

In the centre of the eyes glazed.

In spite of that I am still amazed

At a cuckoo’s call and a peacock’s tail,

The winds arouse an urge in me

To open my arms and flirt with the gale,

The soul is still stirred by the kiss

Of the dancing drops of the first rain,

Though old I am, I can’t contain

The joy of falling in love again

With the calm that comes with a wiser stain.

***

 

 

 

The Sadabahar

Drooping and shrunk to look like a blade

the leaves of my Periwinkles frail

find did I upon my return

from a venture onto a mountain trail.

My heart did wail to think of the strain

they must have borne without a complaint

searching the hardened soil in vain

for a drop of water to sustain

the flow of life in the drying veins.

Guilt-ridden, sat face to face

offering water with an embrace

whispering words of quiet solace-

the world was quite an unfair place.

Rest O tender souls brave;

in the morning we will meet again,

and here they are revived somewhat-

elliptical leaves and dainty flowers!

They are after all the sadabahaar!

(Note: Sadabahaar is the Hindi name of the Periwinkle flowers. It means a perennially blooming flower.)

***

 Bio:Squadron Leader (Dr) Toolika Rani is an ex-Indian Air Force Officer, Mountaineer (Everest Climber), Motivational Speaker (twice TEDx), Bi-lingual poet, Author, Assistant Professor of History, and was the G-20 Brand Ambassador of U.P. Government. She is the author of eight books i.e Beyond That Wall: Redemption on Everest, Sherpas of Solukhumbu, three English poetry books, and two Hindi poetry books. She has edited an Anthology on Himalaya, The Mountain was Abuzz, displayed at the Kathmandu Mountain Film Festival 2024.

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Setu, June 2025