More than a manor, this monument is
A pilgrim’s dream, an eternal bliss.
It reigns o’er the land, all around,
From the Catskills to Shawangunks, and beyond.
Proudly does it stand,
With pillars of purity and wisdom grand,
Expressing dignity. This was the place
Where the “Cyclonic Monk” had showered his grace
On the Leggetts, MacLeod, Bull and Stumm;
And on others at Stone Ridge who happened to come.
Memories of those days
Are firmly embedded in the walls of this place.
Every brick had heard the gospel of love.
Every inmate had been blessed from the heaven above.
From a seedling to a tree, the Prophet’s Pine
Had symbolized the teachings of the sage divine.
Every pebble on the drive, every blade of grass
Feels grateful for his footsteps; but, alas!
I fail, even when with them I compete
To be a speck of dust at the Prophet’s feet.
Take notice, oh Ridgely! Thou surely art
A temple of boon, and a pilgrimage of the heart!
by Asim Chaudhuri
“Ridgely” was written after visiting Ridgely Manor and estate in 1995 as part of a personal project, begun by the author in 1993 to photograph all existing buildings and places associated with Swamiji during his two visits to the West. This pilgrimage led to the publication of Swami Vivekananda in America, New Findings The poem, originally published anonymously in Sri Sarada Society Notes, appears on page 304 of the book.
