Special Edition: Toolika Rani

Toolika Rani

Toolika Rani

The Eye of the Storm

(Based on the picture titled ‘The Eye’ by Marjorie Pezzoli, eminent silk artist-poet from the USA)

Concentric circles etched on the stem of the tree

Indicate the number of years it has lived

Nah, the storms it has endured, actually,

The winters it has survived

And the summers it has held the blazing heat of the sun

On its bare back,

To provide shade to those who stood beneath,

And now, with the years of experience

It warns the passersby of the storms impending,

It senses the change in the pattern of winds

Way before they reach the shores

Crushing them with all the fury they had long amassed.

It sways its head left and right,

The leaves trembling;

Hark, hark O blind!

Run home, run home, hurry!

A storm is approaching in a flurry.

The circles around its eyes can see

Straight into the ‘eye of the storm’

Causing havoc on the peaceful earth.

With all its might it stands its ground

And fulfils the promise made to God

A tree was born to shelter

And shelter will it no matter what.  

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Poet’s Profile: Squadron Leader (Dr) Toolika Rani is an ex-Indian Air Force Officer, Mountaineer (Everest Climber), Motivational Speaker (twice TEDx), Bi-lingual poet, and Assistant Professor of History. She has authored eight books i.e Beyond That Wall: Redemption on Everest, Sherpas of Solukhumbu, English poetry books tilted The Song of the Sky, A Wild Flower, and Thus Sang the Bluebirds, and two Hindi poetry books. She has edited an Anthology on Himalaya- The Mountain was Abuzz.

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Setu, October 2025