Now I Walk Alone: A Poem by Ketaki Mazumdar

On the undulating scorching sand dunes,

The sandstorms are unrelenting,

Whips and slashes my skin and hair,

Blinds my eyes and confuses directions,

I walk alone.

I search for that Promised Oasis.

My thirst remains unquenched as the burning sun blazes overhead.

I see skeletons and vultures of death.

Travelers defeated on this life’s journey,

Disillusioned, defeated…giving up the search.

At night the stars are brilliantly bright,

I follow the lodestar with faith and all my might,

Keep it steady in my sight.

There are no roads.

The freezing night gale is death cold.

I walk alone.

I don’t give up the search for the Oasis, The Promised Land.