Fleeting Thoughts Poem by Vinaya Joseph

I am just
A caretaker,
I don't own,
This beautiful earth
Nor its inhabitants

Everything is ephemeral,
Nothing lasts...
Both
Pain and pleasure,
Are transient

Even the firefly,
That burns bright,
In the night
Has to one day
Give away,
It's light

Nevertheless,
I do owe,
This beautiful earth,
To my future
Generations

After me,
These stars, sky and seas
Hills, valleys and springs,
This paradise
Are all theirs
To inherit

Nothing belongs to me,
I am here, today
I will be gone, tomorrow

Alas!
Some days I wonder,
Aren't we fools?
We toil our lives,
To make mighty mansion,
And finally hit our graves,
In the ground

Each one here,
I see is in a race,
Carving their own path,
Creating their own niche,
Trying to attain fame, name and glory
Even those who achieve this,
Eventually,
Are reduced to frames,
Hanging on the walls,
Becoming part of history...