A Cosmic Symphony

Witnessing the Aurora in the Arctic

Happened to be in Tromso on the way back from a work trip (yes! Quite privileged that my work takes me to some beautiful places I would likely not have gone to otherwise) when we (Kshitij and I) decided to go out and try our luck in seeing that elusive wonder of the world - the Northern Lights. Also known by the majestic name - Aurora Borealis. And boy what a cosmic symphony we ended being witness to. Still when I close my eyes I can see those hues weaving and threading their way in the arctic skies. With those reveries in mind, here’s a small poem I put my pen to paper to that tries to capture (and fails) the feeling of experiencing one of the majestic natural wonders of our beautiful planet.

I wandered slow by a starlit shore,
Where moonlight kissed the silent bay,
When all at once, the sky unfurled—
In hues that chased the dark away.

They arched and wove in fiery grace,
Like banners draped across the stars,
And swept along the night’s expanse,
In glistening streams from worlds afar.

The lake, a mirror still and clear,
Bore every thread of light’s delight,
And in that moment, deep and near,
I stood as witness to the night.

For even though we’re small and lost,
A whisper lost in endless sky,
The heavens bend to meet our gaze -
And in their glow, we wonder why.

And oft when I still close my eyes,
In quiet thought or pensive dream,
Those ghostly lights return once more,
To weave their magic through the seam.

And then my soul with wonder fills,
And soars where stars like rivers flow,
The skies still call and say to me -
Yes the world is grand, my child, but so are you.