The Laughing Corns Poem by Alexander Raju

THE LAUGHING CORNS

In the infernal heat of the frying bowl,
The ruby-like corns laugh aloud and howl;
How could you dance and laugh, you hapless corns,
While burning to the core, and turn popcorns?

Perhaps, you're sufficed of this extant life,
Unlike man, bothered not of added life;
Found the present life worthy of living
And finished your mission before leaving!

How can you laugh when death certain you meet?
Are those bell-beats of the death-angel sweet?
Or are you laughing at man's fear of death
That grows in him from first cry at his birth?

I burned out whole my life, in vain, to comb
The secret of your laugh, but till my tomb,
I won't find it, for I'm fed up no more
With life, and loath to leave this beauteous shore.

If only I'm satisfied with this life,
And made it worthy of my earthly strife,
That I could die like you with a loud laugh
Keeping no vain hope for another life!

9th January,2017 (Gondar, Ethiopia)