I Stand Alone Away From You Desanctified And Disfigured Poem by Bashyam Narayanan

It was a brightly lit afternoon
I saw a four legged machine
Descending on me slowly

I could understand that
It was an airborne vehicle
And it was effectively
Controlled and guided

So nice to see all its four legs
Touched my surface
The same time, making
The landing smooth and gentle

White fine dusts rose
From each point of contact
And I had to cough a bit
In a slight discomfort

From a window of the vehicle
Rolled down a ladder
And there peeped an image
Perhaps, a human being
Finding way through the window
And slowly climbed down
Carefully stepping upon me

“That's one small step for (a) man,
One giant leap for mankind'
I heard a male voice
Yelling his safe arrival here on me

He moved slowly
Jumping each step
Making good use
Of my gentle gravity
Generating a white cloud
Of dust at each step he made

Another similar image also
Came down on me
And both spent about 3 hours
Collecting the powdery white soil
And rocks on my surface

They planted a flag on me
And also a plaque with
Images of a man and woman
As if I did not know
From where they landed

They came from that half lit
Crescent seen on the horizon
Which just reflects sunlight
As I do on it

I know men and women on earth
For centuries now as
Many poets, mostly of Indian origin
Held me high and they gave me
A roll in their storyline

I would be witnessing
Lovers in their intimate togetherness
Or I would be asked to convey
Sweet messages between them
Many heroes and heroines
Shared with me their pains
Of separation from their sweethearts

Indian Astrology gave me
A place in the horoscope tables
developed by them for individuals
And made predictions
Based on the cell I am standing

Old system of medicine
Gauged unsound mental conditions
With my phases
Assurances were given for a cure
As I cross a particular phase

And now I wonder
Why at all these visiting earth folks
Left on my surface depicting
Their images, as if
I have no familiarity with them

This moon landing a giant leap
Of mankind, though
Spoilt my image in the hearts
Of those who made stories
Around me

Lovers no longer look at me
I too feel I have no influence
On the mental performance
Of people on earth
Astrological predictions
Made, based on my positions
In the horoscopes proved otherwise

I have lost my status
Because of that one small step

Just like a reflecting mirror of sunlight
I stand alone away from you
Desanctified and disfigured