I tried to move my ravaged limbs
when I heard arms and legs
thrashing around
in the next ward.
I rasped, trying to breathe
as incoherent screams
from the neighborhood
gave voice to my pain.
Silence found me, at last,
and I was wrapped, but
my soul wandered,
half-desolate and half-ecstatic.
Then I opened
my new eyes
to see a vague form
as motherly cooing
caressed my ears.
I walk close to the tangled barks
and buzzing noise
where creatures of the dark
watch me unseen.
Fear battling with persistence,
I tread into the darkness.
Branches block my vision
and stones prick my feet.
I stumble,
but walk on
when a gust of breeze
sweeps over me.
I look up to see a paradise
of flowers. The buzzing noises are
that of Red Admirals,
hovering around undiscovered flowers.
The tangled barks spread to huge branches
that offer shelter to millions
of tiny creatures, crawling and flying.
Did I fear the darkness?
Doesn’t the dark ultimately
make way for light?
The light of never-ending life,
promise and vigor.
I stare at the ceiling, wondering if it is 1 or 2 PM. At the corner of the table is a kerosene lantern, not used for many years. I light it and walk into the night. The creatures of the night hush at the sound of footsteps, but the persistent buzz of a bee holds my attention. The bee hovers around a wild plant; an orange bud. The bud sleeps on, unheeding the bee’s buzz and noise. But, the bee does not give up. It sits on the leaves and bends towards the bud, shaking it. Suddenly, there is a loud hiss. It is not the bee, but the flower. It opens up to reveal a yellow inner part, further illuminated by the lamp. The bee moves home and rekindles in my heart the hope to live.
Dawn
orange bud blooms
baby’s first word
Heavy lid struggles
against hope, desire and guilt
threatening to surface
(Just an opinion against war)
Do not ever thirst for war, friends
Do not seek the ‘reversal’ of world maps
Substitute distaste for tolerance
and replace loathing with empathy
Spare a thought about the land destroyed by war
The heavenly landscape turned into a desert
Look at how the defeated are treated,
Women dishonoured and children slighted
The vanquished will tell you
that they do not seek glory anymore,
their half-dead spirits
only want to be left in peace
Your eyes that closed in a prayer for your country’s victory
would then brim with tears for your enemy
and you will become one of them
All of the civilised humanity united
against the enemy called war
A prayer for joy,
sunshine and happiness in lives
constructive thoughts making progress
and defeating negativity
A prayer for the beauty of nature
to stay intact and teach the value of life
not lashing out of control
with their boundless energy
and washing away the world
in their angry sojourn
A prayer for peace
and warmth around
In all your seeming shallowness
I see depth
In all your callousness
I perceive sensitivity,
a forgiving nature,
kindness beyond words
and unconstrained generosity
Emotional display scares you
You don’t want to seem weak
for the fear of being scorned at
Pretend all that you want to
for I have already seen through
Just like the eagle
scouting and brooding
near the sea
for an easy prey,
the powerful
look for ways
to demean the powerless
You may see them
in your tormenting boss
in the tyrant of your class
Hunters pursuing animals
Clients taking turns to shout at you
The politician targeting enemies
Or even governments grabbing lands
I am a light butterfly of yellow
and my flight takes me
to the colours I fancy
I perch on a sunflower
of my color
and the next moment
roll over the roses for nectar
I spring joyfully
to the overtly ripe fruit
and shuttle around
the night’s dim lights
I circle the warm fire,
which is brighter than any color
The heat warns me,
but I fail to notice
and in my excited state
jump straight into the hungry flames
