Expectations ......Rafiq Azad, Mysticism, reading, forums, Numerology, Sun Signs, Divination

Posts: 4397 · Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 6:42 am

Expectations

Rafiq Azad

There were many such days

As were passed in eagerly waiting for some one,

I have quietly waited in a jungle

In order to listen to the murmur of falling autumn leaves ;

I shall perhaps similarly wait for a friend or many others

in future . . .

Many days have gone by

When I had been home waiting for someone,

Someone had probably said, "Please wait for me,

We shall go out together."

One Saturday night a drunken friend uttered quite casually,

"Please stay put, I shall pick you up in the morning "—

It sounded like a groan.

He had perhaps Chunia or Sripore forest bungalow in mind ;

¾ I waited patiently.

Much before the Liberation War

My dear friend Alok Mitra said rather teasingly,

"You have hardly seen anything in life excepting

the dilapidated bar round the corner,

Come with me to Dinajpur,

We shall visit the RamSagar lake and Kantaji's temple

You will see a large rounded moon and a vast open sky

You will see the life of the landless peasants

You might as well get some material to write down something,

Please be ready, I shall come "

— I have waited ;

I have waited for friends, for acquaintances, and even for enemies,

I have waited for a friend’s sweet smile and

an enemy's dagger ;

But I shall certainly not wait for you,

I shall be in expectation of you,

I have carefully stashed away the word

in my chest only for you

The dictionary does not differentiate much

between these two words 'wait' and 'expectation' —

But both of us know that they are vastly different,

'Wait' is a word in everyday use

Without connotations or implications,

It is, alas, used by all,

'Expectation' is the word to be properly used by us,

Similar other word in not worthy of our purpose,

Shall we not wait in expectation of each other ?

I shall stand still and wait for you by the side of

the road like a pipal tree —

That tree is in expectation of the right wayfarer

Since time immemorial.

Please request me to expect you and

I shall stand there devoutly still in unshaken faith,

My feet will grow roots there

But my expectations will never end.

Translated by Faizul Latif Chowdhury