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The Highway to Heaven
I was sitting with bags seven
Waiting for the bus on the highway to heaven
Soon the bus stopped right in front of me
But the attendant on seeing the heavy baggage blocked my entry
I got very annoyed, and as I was about to start a fight
He told me that he would permit me only if I travel light
I promised that I would throw a bag at each resting stop
So he allowed me inside and I boarded the bus with a hop
At the first stop, I threw my bag carrying ‘Comparisons’
And the bus started again, leaving that station
On the next stop, I chose to throw the bag containing ‘Expectations’
And thereafter I found myself breathing more freely as one does in the moment of liberation
On the next stop, I was blinded by the light of the burning holy fire
In it, I threw three bags more carrying my ‘Desires’
On the next stop, I threw the remaining bags of ‘Vanity and Ego’
I felt that I had bartered the baggage for bliss in one go
My journey became so wonderful without all that baggage
I had collected so much trash in the name of required luggage
As I started freely enjoying my journey, the bus again came to a halt
I saw that it stopped in front of a refreshment stall
With great honour, I was made to sit on a chair
I saw that the holy water of wisdom was being served there
The owner offered the holy water so that I could feel rejuvenated and refreshed
And I started my journey again liberated and afresh
On the last stop, I thought I had reached heaven
But I found myself on the same stop from where I had started with the bags seven
The driver told me that heaven is not located in a distant place
Heaven is your home on earth without the unneeded baggage.
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Published by Harinder Cheema
Harinder Cheema is a renowned Indian poetess and an internationally published author. Her published novel entitled 'The Temple Stop' is the recipient of 'The Best Book of the Year Award 2020' by Aghaaz, Author In You. Her articles have been published in various international magazines, and she has also received many a prestigious award including 'The Author of the Year 2019' and 'The Voice of Indian Literature' by Ne8x, 'The India Inspirational Women Awards 2020' and 'The Women Excellence Award 2020'. Her name finds a mention in '101 Influential Women of India'. Her story has been covered and published by 'The Crazy Tales', and she has been felicitated with 'The Prolific Writer Award' at the Constitution Club of India. Besides, she is a member of AIPC, the only global platform for elite women, and a member of the Screenwriters Association of India. Ms Cheema has received various other prestigious honours and certificates in the field of literature, and she happens to be a member of various global literary platforms. Being the wife of an Air Force officer, Ms Cheema has taken the cause of the soldier in her debut novel, a work of fiction inspired by the Kargil War fought between India and Pakistan. She has also been positively impacting society through her poetry videos on heart touching subjects like women empowerment, prevalent social evils, videos highlighting crimes against women, and educating women about their rights. She has had an illustrious academic career, and her fondness for literature has been instrumental in her having done her Master's degree in English Literature. Since her childhood, she has been into creative writing, dramatics, and public speaking. As a professional, she has been an educationist, worked as a principal of a school, scripted and anchored Air Force events and has been reciting poetry at various forums across the country for the last two decades. She has had the rare privilege of being invited by the Sahitya Academy to recite poetry in their literary forums. Furthermore, she also graced the Jammu Literary Festival once as an esteemed guest. Her life story has been published in the prestigious Hindustan Times and the well-known media platform The Rakshak News. Her poetry has also been translated into Albanian. There was a time when the glamour world beckoned her, and she had offers from the fashion world, including Bollywood; but she had only one dream and that was to become a writer. She patiently and passionately pursued her dream and made it a reality. In her free time, she loves to swim, travel, and explore new places. She's an optimist and believes in the motto, 'Life is beautiful'.
View all posts by Harinder Cheema
What an amazing poem!