PHILOSOPHICAL: "THE METAMORPHOSIS OF FREEDOM" BY SOMDATTA MITRA

I closed my eyes to sense a freedom unknown,

A beautiful, unique creature with golden spots in its ears trotted by.

It seemed like a different feeling of being independent,

Into a land of fresh breath, where love is a gentle caress

through an unknown realisation.

I see a deep forest, thick and dense,

where I run and run to chase the unknown path.

I am not conscious of what I'm doing;

I'm in an oblivion,

a very indefinite maturation leading to sagacity.

I fell upon a branch of a tree that had fallen to the ground,

and was pushed through the weeds into the water of a pond.

I don't know how to swim, 

and I was struggling to come up.

There was so much peace in that crystal water;

a mirror-like vision amazed me.

I reckon that my heart is a wayfarer,

wandering towards an unnamed awakening.

I'm in deep introspection of the peace that binds me to an epiphany,

in such a vicissitude, I'm a witness to my reconstitution.

The animal with golden spots hops and hops in my imaginary path,

untrammelled in its own timeless continuum.

In liminal emancipation from the vulnerability,

the apprehension of what I cannot be,

I am rejuvenated over this transformation,

as if a fountain sprinkling the elixir of metamorphosis.

I'm a new person,

devoid of any fear,

any worries or anxiety.

As if I'm cleansed of all the spots of self-doubt upon my skin,

it is a profound transmutation of the self,

where vulnerability dissolves into newfound

emancipation.

As if I'm cleansed of all the spots of self-doubt upon my skin,

and the waters of uncertainty become the elixir of awakening.

© Somdatta Mitra

-India

13.08.2026.

“The Metamorphosis of Freedom” by Somdatta Mitra is a lyrical and philosophical poem that explores the speaker’s journey from fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt to freedom, self-discovery, and inner transformation. The poem presents freedom not merely as physical independence but as a profound psychological and emotional awakening.

The poem begins with the speaker closing their eyes and experiencing an unfamiliar sense of freedom, symbolised by a beautiful creature with golden spots. The speaker enters an imaginary forest and runs along an unknown path without fully understanding the direction of the journey. This uncertainty represents the speaker’s gradual movement towards maturity, wisdom, and self-awareness.

The journey becomes more significant when the speaker falls from a branch into a pond. Although unable to swim and initially struggling, the speaker discovers a strange sense of peace in the clear water. The pond becomes a symbol of introspection, allowing the speaker to examine the self and experience an awakening. Through this experience, the speaker recognises the heart as a wayfarer searching for an unnamed form of enlightenment.

The golden-spotted animal continues to appear as a symbol of freedom and an unrestrained existence. As the speaker confronts vulnerability and the fear of what they cannot become, they gradually experience rejuvenation and transformation. The metaphor of an “elixir of metamorphosis” emphasises the powerful effect of this inner change.

Towards the end, the speaker emerges as a new person, free from fear, anxiety, worry, and self-doubt. The imagery of being cleansed of the “spots of self-doubt” suggests that the speaker has overcome the limitations that previously affected their sense of self. The poem therefore presents freedom as an internal transformation in which uncertainty gives way to confidence and vulnerability gives way to emancipation.

In essence, “The Metamorphosis of Freedom” portrays the journey of an individual who discovers that true freedom begins within. Through introspection, uncertainty, and self-realisation, the speaker undergoes a profound transformation and emerges with renewed confidence, peace, wisdom, and a stronger sense of self.