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THE BRIDE by Aparna Khanolkar


Love is the greatest longing of every human heart…

I wrote this poem for a deeper experience of the bride on her wedding day. 

Amidst all the excitement, festivities and joy is the secret of love. If we listen carefully enough, we can hear it reaching out to us from all corners of the universe. Yes, this is what we all long to experience most: love that is always there for us. 

The Bride

A longing, an ache in my restless heart
Love churns, spins like a whirling dervish in divine ecstasy
Sublime sorrow, the heart yearns for a glimpse of innocence

The candles flicker in the evening breeze
Rose petals wait eagerly lest they wither if they give up hope
Photograph by Braja Mandala
The curls of incense smoke play with themselves
I sit here adorned with my jewels,
sandalwood and henna on my hands,
heart open, ready
body and spirit anticipating  -- 
your arrival, your acceptance, your love

A culmination, an end to an eternal quest
Lift the veil on my intellect
submerge me in love
Whisper in my ears of divine love, its ecstasy

This red and gold saree will not matter
as will not the gold or the tinkle of my ankle bells
My eyes are hungry, thirsty, eager to devour you in one soul gaze

Struggles, obstacles - a mere dance as I make my way to you
The one that sees me - royal, regal, with exquisite beauty and grace
This body, this mind will die one day
This heart beats its beat to the cosmic rhythm of love
It reverberates with every sound of the universe - each whisper, each song, each word is love from you.
Wedding photography by House of Talent

Aparna Khanolkar was a chef and culinary consultant for the Chopra Center for Wellbeing where she taught people about the value of food, health and Ayurvedic lifestyle. She’s authored and published four books (A Mother's Blessing,Purify and Heal, Happy Belly Happy Soul, and Spice). Aparna teaches workshops and facilitates retreats for women using this ancient knowledge from her native India. She co-founded Grace, Power and Beauty: “To Inspire women be spirited and soft, feel beautiful, soulful and wise. I show women how to be in charge of your own destiny - for health, happiness and peace. What I teach you is easy and juicy: how to journey from Karma to Dharma. All it requires is that you show up.” You may visit her website here, find her on facebook here, or write to her at aparna@themistressofspice.com


~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~ 

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