The Rishikesh Poem

Rests the revered city of Rishikesh
On the banks of the mystic Ganges
The Gateway to the mighty Himalayas
The sanctuary of sadhus and sages


Behold the brook of myth and legend
Slipping between the Shiwalik ridges
The sacred Ganga bubbles and babbles
Below the Ram and Lakshman bridges


The blissful sparkling hue of aqua green
Mesmerizes me with its alluring glimmer
Smooth round pebbles on fine white sand
Form a serene backdrop of the river


Talking to me with splashy gurgles
Runs the torrent of liquid snow
It cools my feet, heals my soul
It does indeed forever flow


As the greyish orange twilight sets in swift
I find myself sprawled on a rock in a dream
The soothing zephyr strokes my bare chest fondly
Lapping my legs, the water gushes downstream


As the moon begins to take over the glow
Come tiny stars twinkling in the night skies
Now I realize the vastness of the Universe
As I gape at space with spellbound eyes


As I slosh back to my tent in retreat
Dimples a diamond in the holy river
Blends the sun and rill in rhyming tranquil
Romantically into a quivering shimmer