Don’t shed tears, when I die,
Because nothing has happened,
I have quietly moved into a different space.
Don’t shed tears and sigh,
When you witness my coffin being taken away.
Don’t shed tears and cry,
When you lock me up in the grave,
Death does not count and grave only a barrier between you and me.
Don’t shed tears and lament,
When you feel everything is falling apart,
When you feel it’s ripping heart.
Then Come Dear and Sit by the side of my grave.
Call me by my name, exactly as it was I and You;
Talk of the life that we lived together … memorable… gracious… unchanged.;
Laugh as you always laughed with a dimple on your chin
Don’t shed tears;
Longing in my coffin’s embrace, For the timeless garment’s grace,
Wrapped within, my soul finds solace, in this world and the next, a sacred place
Now I shed tears while expressing,
I am sorry yet again for causing you pain;
Though that is the last thing I ever wanted to do,
Don’t shed tears!
(Author teaches English at Kashmir Harvard Educational Institute, Habak, Nasim Bagh, Srinagar)
