The Life Tree

The Life Tree by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Oh, my human race,

How, we were born,

In the Universe of near infinity,

Are we alone?

I was seeking answer for the great

Question of creation, weighing heavy

My mind as I am in seventieth orbit

Around sun, my little habitat, the star

Where my race living, lived billions of years

And will live billions of years, till the sun shines.

This is the millennium question of humanity,

And sought the help of our creator.

On the eventful day, I was flying

The earth below me, the human habitat

Vanished in the white river of cloud,

Silent, turbulent free everywhere the divine

Splendour reflecting.

On the above, the full moon with its magnificent might,

My heart melted, my friend co-passenger

Vidyasagar joined in the heavenly display.

The beauty entered into our soul

And blossomed happiness into our mind and body.

We the humanity bowed to the heavenly answer,

We are not alone, billion of billion lives

Of various forms spring in the planets of

Galaxy after galaxies.

Then the dawn of divine message.

There was the divine echo in the full moon night

From my creator.

Shaken, bewildered and wondered

The echo engulfed me and my race

"You, the human race is the best of my creation

You will live and live.

You give and give till you are united,

In human happiness and pain.

My bliss will be born in you

Love is the mission of humanity,

You will see every day in Life Tree

You learn and learn

My best of creations."

Beautiful morning it was,

Sun radiating, driving away the clouds

Parrots and Kokilas were at their musical flight

We the yellow heaven group entered

Flower garden of Asiad

Roses were in their splendour

Radiating beauty in White and Crimson

Bowing to the dawn of sun

We walked and walked, our feet on the green

Meadow giving velvet touch,

Children somewhere ringing in unison in their innocence

Peacocks in the background giving beautiful display.

There was a majestic scence of Life Tree

Cluster of tall and straight Nag Phali grove

Undaunted to the sun rays direction

Multi layered, each flower plant bubbling with life,

We approached very close to the happy plants

Astonished to see the nature?s wonder.

Bottom layers have shed the flower all around the sand

Whereas mid layer flower blossomed

In number to the magnificence

Perfume radiating, beauty all around

Honey bees filling the flower bed, mutual love flowing

Intoxicated with the scene, we looked at the top layer

Ring of the buds about to blossom

And new layers at their birth.

Again the great divine echo enters all around us

Flowers blossom, radiate beauty and spread perfume

And give honey. On the eve of life

Flowers silently fall to the earth, they belong.

Oh my creation this is mission of human life

You are born, live life of giving

And bond the human life

Your mission is the Life Tree.

My blessings to you my creation.

Oh my human race!

Let's sing the song of creation.

Me and my friend Prof. Vidyasagar travelled together by air between Hyderabad and Delhi. Our plane flew through the sky surrounded by milky white clouds. The grand scene moved our souls. Thereafter, when we were walking at the Asiad Village Complex, the layers of branches and flowers of Nagphali tree soaked our souls with a divine experience. I was provoked into writing 'Life Tree'.

-A.P.J. Abdul Kalam