I
Land of the rising sun
out of the east shining, blazing

Oh, heat of day
oh, merciless orange blaze
you make me thirst for truth
you set my heart ablaze

Wretched dry earth
my heart dusty, stale

Pain now blown away
cool breezes, lush green
flowing from my being

Water buffalo pass by
heathen night
stars aglow, fires burning
babies screaming, echo silent mothers’ milk

II
Daybreak gives rise to cascading showers of sunlight
dogs barking
car horns, endless noise
rattles the brain, awakens the soul

Cold water cleanses the body
more, deep, the soul needs a deeper fire
oh, purification, holy penetration

III
Ancient land of mystic nights
sun baked days, sacred clay earth
rolling plains, fields of rice
endless huts, days’ work never done

My life is here
to bare all fruit
of my being
becoming eternal, effervescent

Endless longing, agony
joy, ecstasy, mixed blessings
hidden gifts from the Gods

Trials, tribulations, exclamations
what, where, why?

Of priests from days gone by
of rituals in darkened skies
of birds that flock, children that cry
an endless march of human song

IV
Huts, ruts, toilets near trees
streams, water so green
coconuts, mangos, fruits with flies
sweet to the taste, bitter to the eye

Rambling on
earthquakes in my heart
trains in the night
endless faces in the dark

Mothers in rags
fathers, where?
Long days, long
sleep child, sleep

V
Believe in self
appearances not
temples of gold
masked in dust and rot

India, India
land of mother life
so much pain
so much strife

Like milk flowing from a mother’s breast
nourish the weak, strengthen the rest

VI
Temples of gold
pagan and more
Krishna, Shiva, open the door!

Rattles my bones
stirs the blood
longing, such longing
for love, eternal love

Peace falls on thee
joy this night
a candle burning for thee
ever, ever bright

VII
Much has happened, though you know not
much has transpired, forgotten not

Focus on the ideal, become
Native land calling thee

Return to a new home of paradise
the path has just begun


May 3, 1984
Sai Baba’s Ashram
Prasanthi Nilayam
Puttaparthy, Andra Prades
India