The Witness Poem by Ruta Mohapatra

Tell me O Time…

How was the great pyramid built?
Who lifted the stones and fixed them so close
To tower above the desert sands?
Tell me about Imhotep
For you are the only witness left

Tell me about the Atlantis
How did the great island sink?
How big the sound, how big the quake?
How high the waves rose that day?
For you are the only witness left

Tell me about the fair Helen
How fair her skin, how rosy her lips?
What magic was there in her eyes and gait
That launched the thousand mythical ships?
For you are the only witness left

Oh tell me about my hoary past
How did the first human look?
How tall, how short, how straight the gait?
How big the brain, how intelligent?
For you are the only witness left

Solve O Time the thousand mysteries
Hidden inside your opaque cloak
Before you wrap me up in its fold
And carry along to eternity
Leaving another mystery for posterity