Aniruddha Pathak | + Follow Poet |
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An Ode To Life, Part I

To die an old man, tasks left on slow burn, 
And as fake coins do, get reborn ‘pon earth; 
Work harder still, more mileage points to earn, 
Which, heaven calls goodly deeds well their worth, 
To repeat none of careless omissions, 
Careful avoiding sinful commissions, 
Grow up again and relearn things ere learnt, 
Suffer old age again, same helplessness, 
Begin and end with diapers no less, 
Same hassles of life, oh what a huge stunt! 

And yet, there are welcome blessings to fore: 
Mother's love— not else in life be so good, 
Worth returning to earth often and more, 
Another, innocence of the childhood, 
And its older version— second childhood, 
For small joys, pleasures, life's trinkets so rife, 
And that hard lesson learnt in adulthood 
That true joys come from trivial things of life.  

For sure, this journey of life has odd rules, 
Where humans are handed worse punishment—
Being treated no better than draught mules 
That must learn things learnt ere— in chastisement, 
The karmic fate— there's no meaner kill-joy, 
But is not life God's play-act to enjoy? 

And still I'd feel, life comes with mixed blessings, 
Like coins it comes with two sides: joy and strife, 
One may call it tyranny of this life, 
Of destiny that in a dual voice sings. 

And poor man, whether he likes it or not,
Must empty ere refill his karmic pot!

And still, I love you O life, fall or spring, 
I like this journey, pray keep me calling. …… 
____________________________________________   
Musings | 03.07.16 | Ode 
Poet’s note:  This first part of the Ode starts with ten lines in the first stanza. Every stanza progressively loses two lines, ending with a pair of couplets. For, each lifespan is supposed to reduce the journey of evolution that ends with Liberation. But as this poem seems in love with life, it continues and carries on.

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