Solitude and Loneliness

Tonight I sit by myself, I feel alone.
The darkness feasts on this desolate seclusion.

Where’s the sun? Where’s daylight?

It seems to be playing games with me.
Let's see how long you can hold onto your sanity,
without catching a glimpse of me, Aranyani...
I sit in my room, absorbing the false light
Outside its still dark.
And I’m still alone.

My mind drifts to places I’ve felt safe and loved.
The room with the creaky single bed.
Serene monastries on majestic mountains
Ancient ruins by the riverside
Thick forests where a tiger saunters
Beaches, and hidden musical waterfalls.
In the kind of solitude he speaks of.

But now, I’m here…
Still alone.
Not a soul in sight.
The hollow wind whispers of loneliness.
The cold bites into my untouched flesh.
The empty mailbox tells of empty promises.
We’re all in different worlds of our own
Selfishly absorbed in our own little troubles.
No time for anyone else.
Why am I so shaken by this?
This is the world we live in.

But I want to go back to our world
of mountains, ruins, forests and waterfalls.
In that world, I’m never alone.
Not alone, but in that solitude he speaks of.

In solitude with him.



All photographs (except oil lamp) taken by Ganesh Krisnaswamy.