I climbed the mountains, shed rivers of sweat, strained muscles heavily, gasping for fresh breath every step, with the hope of kissing the snow while on the crown,
but then, the mountain was barren as the winter has long gone,
I have climbed at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose.

I walked into the woods, through thick bushes, daring prickly thorns, eyeing for the beautiful blossoms and trying to smell the sweet fragrance,
but then to my dismay, tall and giant, lanky and naked trees greeted me,
as the Autumn was at its best show,
I have certainly walked at the wrong time, for the wrong purpose.

I dove into the river, trusting the life beneath and above, looking for the whales and sharks, but they were never found at any depth,
perhaps, Sharks and Whales never lived in the rivers but in the sea and ocean,
I dove in the wrong place, for the wrong purpose.

I stared at the sky, squinting and straining my eyes, searching for stars and the moon,
but none was showing up,
I was completely blinded at the peak of a day,
yet, I kept searching for the stars and the moon not realizing the flaws in time and purpose.

If time, place, and purpose were perfectly aligned,
I would have kissed the snow on the mountains,
I would have caressed those beautiful blossoms,
I would have not missed those monstrous Sharks and Whales,
I would have stayed the whole night cheerful under the stars and moon,
unfortunately, nothing happened due to flaws in time and purpose.

~Yeshi Nidup

Phuentsholing, Bhutan