One Mortal Man To Another Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

One mortal man to another,
What I oft wonder can offer,
Whatever man deserves to get,
God, God alone may one day let.

If searching art thou for a spring
Season in scorching heat of June,
Or for a fresh cool stream flowing,
Repent shall thou by turning noon.

Look unto thine life weary man,
Look, Lady Hope's face truly wry,
Come close, take a keen look as can,
She has made bravest of men cry.

If ye think life is but a song,
Think of a monsoon melody,
Elegy ‘tis and lament long,
Or is a mournful tragedy!

The theme of life, emotion lent,
Awashed with tears of weariness,
Seen thru soiled lens of sentiment,
How can lasting happiness bless?

And life is like walking on grass—
Tentative steps of rabbit feet,
Veering walk on to path concrete,
In care of green grass ye must pass.

Beware, life's beauty lies in mind,
Forget fancy's painted portrait,
Grey bodies on graves as are lined,
Life cometh with best-before date!

And man's cruellest culprit— his mind,
Who, could have been his bosom friend,
When turns into foe, worst of kind,
Ye can't trust, fair justice to hand.

Ask me not of its friendship's fate,
Ask me not of the story's end,
I have few fair words to relate,
Soul alone stands as man's sole friend.

Beaten by life's venomous snake,
Lost in love, fight-less, life at stake,
What can a man to man offer?
What boons a be-cursed can proffer?
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Musings | 03.09.08 |