The Upside-Down Tree

By Chris Ramdhani

His poems, written during his years in business, show glimmers of his lyrical awareness. They are unassuming. They reveal the connectiveness of everyday events and living things to the all-pervasive, eternal governance—hidden and often ignored—while exposing simple truths, aligning them with the healing power of ubiquitous silence. His unpretentious village life—a vigor of green branches and blooms—animates his poetic landscape with beauty and strength.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638854524

Book preview

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The Upside-Down Tree

Chris Ramdhani

ISBN 978-1-63885-451-7 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63885-453-1 (Hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-63885-452-4 (Digital)

Copyright © 2021 Chris Ramdhani

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books, Inc.

11661 Hwy 707

Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

www.covenantbooks.com

Table of Contents

My Divine Companion

The Upside-Down Tree/text>

In This Alluring, Abundant World

Dawn

A Familiar Place

Freedom from Action Lies in Action

Like Migrating Birds

In-Between

Witnessing

A Heart in Solitude

Rehearsing

Serenity

Cosmic Vault

A Simple Prayer

Who Am I?

Urging

Three Gates of Hell

Now

Linked

Truth

Journeys

Beyond

Broken

Spring

Petals of a Newborn

Sandcastle

A Different Traveling

Painful Memories

Adrift in a Dream

Timekeeper

Retirement

A Beautiful Symbol

A Beggar in Jaipur

A Rickshaw Rider—Varanasi

Evening Rituals on the Ganges

Gandhi’s Smriti (Martyrdom)

Delhi’s Lotus Temple

Dear Land of Guyana

Guyana 2014

Stabroek Market

Rioters

Death of an Anaconda

The Lotus Plant

A Stump Owl

The Burnt Clay Road

The Burning Fields

Self-Portrait

Kiting

A Still Picture

My Family Is Dearer

Walls of Clay

My Saintly Mother

My Saintly Mother (II)

My Saintly Mother (III)

My Saintly Mother (IV)

My Saintly Mother (V)

Mother

To Indra—my life’s partner.

Witnessing

My Divine Companion

When I opened my eyes,

you sat there smiling but said nothing.

I was confused. My gaze shifted,

and you were gone.

Only night remained,

her dark-gray presence everywhere.

And I inquired, Where have you gone?

And night answered, Where you must follow.

The Upside-Down Tree

A sacred verse in the Gita speaks

of an upside-down tree—roots

above, branches and leaves below.

For decades, this symbol waited

on the thick seeded growth of

desires that spread strain

and disturbances