THE ABSOLUTE

This book is a collection of Sri Chinmoy’s poems selected from his
entire body of poetic work that spans over six decades. He started writing
poetry from the age of thirteen and continued writing even in the last year of
his life. As a child he was thoroughly trained in the craft of the poetic art.
All his early poems were written from within the poetic restraints of meter and
rhyme. Only later in his poetic career he wrote in free verse. Speaking of his
poetry, Sri Chinmoy said, “Throughout my poetry-journey, my poetry-tree has
cherished various branches: philosophy, prayer, religion, spirituality, my love
of Nature’s beauty, my love of word-making, which the English language
indulgently allows me to explore, and my abiding love, concern and hope for
this world of ours.” Because of the shear originality, sincerity, honesty, and
truth in his poems, the cadences of Sri Chinmoy’s poetry, like the poet
himself, will travel through time for centuries and centuries to come offering
hope, strength and salvation to many an earnest traveler in his or her journey
through life.

The question arises, can anyone write poems like Sri Chinmoy? The
answer is — it has to be another Sri Chinmoy — a poetic genius, for Harold
Bloom asserts, “Talent cannot originate, genius must.” So what is the genius in
Sri Chinmoy’s poetry? The genius in Sri Chinmoy’s poetry is the song of his
soul. You see the purity, innocence and the power of this song percolating all
through his poetry. You hear this song in the sound of the language he uses.
For instance, consider these lines in one of his aphorisms:

His heart is a most powerful

And soothing murmur

Of his soul’s dream river.

When reading Sri Chinmoy’s
poems in his poetry books like My Flute — a collection of 90 poems, My First
Friendship With the Muse – a collection of 58 poems,  From the Source to the Source — a two-volume
collection of 401 poems, The Dance of Life — a 20-volume collection of 1,000
poems, just to name a few, one is astounded by the depth, originality,
diversity and the superb use of the craft — the powerful expression, in the
poems.

Consider the following poem:

                                                                    
GOLDEN MYSTIC SUN

                                                                
The descending fire descends;

                                                                
The ascending fire ascends.

                                                                
The smile of Light

                                                                
Watches their tasks divine

                                                                
From across the empty space

                                                    
            Where the hands of
ether

                                                                
Salute the golden mystic sun.

                                                                                         
     - Sri Chinmoy

This poem is taken from Sri Chinmoy’s poetry book ‘The Wings of
Light”, Part 12, New York: Agni Press, 1974 is included in the book 'THE
ABSOLUTE' - Collected poems of Sri Chinmoy. The vision, the thought and the
images used in this poem are absolutely original and unique, as if coming from
another higher world of esthetic beauty and charm.

                                                                                                                                   
 -   Mallikarjun Rakala