And the Mountains Echoed

Years ago, when I was backpacking across western Europe

I came across a majestic bronze mountain,

proudly making its way from the ground

I stood in its shadow and called out. It heard me

It lent me an ear I had missed for so long in city lights

Then, having pondered over my words for a while, it howled back

Almost as loudly as I had howled at it

Almost with the same words

The answer, it turns out, was not very different from the question

And I didn’t know if the mountain echoed me

or did I echo the mountain

But I did find answers, within its reflection of my words

And my words became more meaningful, having bounced off the mount

And I knew that I was understood

And felt a longing, that I had not felt in a while

A longing of words left unspoken,

and maybe hence never echoed back

Secluded, I wished to stay, and continue the dialogue

But alas! my trail only went so far

And city lights called me back

And I wonder am I home in these lights I recognize so well

Or was I home at the foothills of those mountains

Which refused to embrace me

 

Vishal Gupta

5^th September, 2022