The Sahara Quartets

The Sahara Quartets

My route of cycling by the Atlantic route of the Sahara

As I started to pedal my way across the Atlantic route of the Sahara, on the very first day a rhyming quartet came humming in my mind. It was inspired by a conversation at a shop where I stopped en route that day. I tweeted that when I reached Tan Tan, just for fun. When Agnidip Mukherjee, a friend, a poet, liked it and wrote words of encouragement; I decided to stay at it. Thus for over next 3 weeks, almost everyday, whether I rode or took rest; I wrote a quartet. Each was inspired either by the people I met or the elements of the desert itself. Just for fun. There were 34 such. 

Agnidip had called it the 'Sahara Quartet' and I liked the coinage. I have put them together here knowing fully well that I do not have what it takes to be a poet. But since they are harmless little quartets after all, there is no harm in sharing I guess. Read at your own risk.  

( Note: Photos and the text are mine. If anyone wishes to use any part or whole please contact me for permission. I am a very famous poet after all.) 

1

The wind is high

The desert is hot.

When they ask my religion

                                       Cool it is not. (28 February, Guelmim to Tan Tan)

2

Miles of nothingness

Canopy of blue

If you’re able to live this

                                             Blessed are you. (1 March, El Outia to Akhfenir)

3

What is your blessing?

Who’s your God?

Well, if I see him

                                           I’ll give you a nod. (2 March, Akhfenir to Tarfaya)

4

The ride to Tarfaya

They said its the best.

The wind thought otherwise

                                      And decided to take my test. (2 March, Akhfenir to Tarfaya)

5

Wind is not my ally

Sand is not my friend.

When I get to Laayoune

                                         Will this woe come to an end? (3 March, Tarfaya to Laayoune)

6

Today I reached Laayoune

Where the Saharwi live.

I earned a day of rest

                            Or so I would like to believe. (3 March, Laayoune)

7

I went to a cafe

The most popular in town.

People saw Syria bleed in tele

                              And drank coffee to wash it down. (3 March, Laayoune)

8

The galaxy isn’t counting on me

Neither with me is the force.

Yet I must finish what I began

                             As a matter of fact of course. (4 March, Laayoune)

9

If you see camels on the freeway

They could be anywhere, you see?

If you see a bicycle in a desert

                                            Could be a mirage, or may be its me. (5 March, Laayoune to Boujdour)

10

I am a slave of my dream

It takes me nowhere.

But I keep chasing it

                                              Like a meaningless game of dare. ( 5 March, Laayoune to Boujdour)

11

After each day of pause

My mind is put to a test

Can I do it? Can I go on?

                           Don’t know yet but will do my best. ( 6 March, Boujdour)

12

Distance is nothing

It is just part of the way.

Wind is everything

                                                 It can make or break my day. (7 March, Boujdour to Cafe Amghar)

13

East South East is manageable

South East is bad.

North wind is favourable

                                                             South wind is just sad. (8 March, Cafe Amghar to centre Bir Anzarane)

14

Meaningless or with less meaning

Put it however you may.

Adventure is a way of life

                                                    That’s all I would like to say. (8 March, Cafe Amghar to centre Bir Anzarane)

15

Everyday the road awaits me

By now it knows me well.

Everything is going to be fine

                                                 If not on past we dwell. (9 March, Bir Anzarane to Dakhla)

16

In the middle of the desert

I saw a city with no one.

It was built for some reason

                           Now it is ruined for none. (10 March, Dakhla)

17

Good things happen to good people

A good friend said this line.

I will let this linger in my head

                         Till its over and all is fine. (10 March, Dakhla)

18

I do not have this wish

To be a wise man

When all I can do is nothing

                          Almost nothing I can. (10 March, Dakhla)

19

Why are you crossing the desert?

It is giving you nothing but pain.

Well, I am searching for something

                                          And I hope it won’t go in vain. (12 March, Imlil to a shop in the middle of nowhere)

20

Well if you’re searching for something

Have you considered your soul?

It seems I am lost dear brother

Will you help me find my goal? (12 March)

21

A goal is a different thing

Everyone has his own.

Searching soul is another matter

          Not in every garden it is grown. (12 March)

22

It is blowing in the wind they said

I only found it rough.

Every time we spoke face to face

            My going became tough. (12 March)

23

If its not the wind that gives you clue

You better ask around.

Have you spoken to the sand? Or the thorn?

                               Did they say it can be found? (13 March, Bir Gandouz)

24

I have asked a few questions

If you want to hear.

Why can’t people live without fear?

Instead of peace why choose war?

25

What makes people smile or cry?

What makes people dear?

What makes people blind?

                                   And what makes them hear? (14 March, Guerguerate)

26

For all these questions all I got

Is a momentary stare.

Then came the wind like a grumpy host

                                                 Telling me why do I care? (15 March, Guerguerate to Bou Lanoar)

27

I care because of love and hope

I care because of you.

I care about this blessing of life

                                             And do believe that so do you. (16 March, Bou Lanouar to unnamed settlement)

28

I crossed a field of landmines

A vast piece of land.

Power and greed was at play here

              Now no nation wants its sand. (16 March)

29

I came across this village

Asked for shelter and for food

In the end i got this feeling

                                           I better leave for my own good. (17 March, Unnamed Settlement to Gare du Nord)

30

If I could choose the color of my skin

I would kill the devil within

Then it wouldn’t matter

                                If I am black, white or green. (18 March, Nouakchott)

31

When the fear is real

And the message is clear.

They think you are the devil

                                 You better get out of here. (19 March,  Nouakchott)

32

But the country I am from

Is not too far from shame.

It celebrates the same

                 Dogma and blind God game. (19 March)

33

Crossing this desert alone

Is more a mind game

Anyone with some courage and dream

                 Can do it all the same. (20 March, Nouakchott to Tiguent)

34

Between the things we get

And the things we celebrate

Flows a desert

                 Lest we forget. (22 March, St. Louis, Senegal) 

35

A random gift of goodness
Is what we have called life.
Let us live it, love it thoroughly
Without all meaningless strife. 

You can read about my journey in the following blog posts:

Inception and Execution

Route and Description