He smiled alone when no one saw
him,
And so because he was a lunatic-
And may god pardon man, Oh! Did you see him cry?
If yes, you wouldn’t be laughing at his disgrace.
He did no harm; the innocuous lover was but quaint-
He would roam alone, he would stare at the sky,
In moments gay, he wished he could fly;
He was but a troubled soul, he lay amid his woes,
And you smiling at his futility; but what not did he try?
Please don’t frown upon a lover in dejection-
You are blind for you see not how high he is above humanity!
A great soul he, he sacrificed all for that lonely smile;
Rich he was in fortune, sun shone brightly upon his tile,
Wretched he now lies at the roadside, as his misfortunes pile.
You know not why he shied away from the world,
Why he walks marooned, mile upon mile.
-12\10\98, Calcutta-63
