Vow Of Silence Poem by Raj Arumugam

Kron joins the monastery;
he must stay in isolation
and is allowed to say 2 words
every three years

3 years pass
and Kron is brought before
the Elders
and he is allowed his 2 words
“Cold room, ” he says

3 years later
again Kron is brought before
the Elders
and he is allowed his 2 words
“Bad food, ” he says


3 years later
again Kron is brought before
the Elders
and he is allowed his 2 words
“I quit, ” he says

“Not surprising, ” say the Elders
“All you have done since you came here is to complain”