Nothing is Pure
Nothing is pure.
Not the food on your plate.
Not the apple—
bright and beautiful,
yet touched by chemicals
before it reached your hands.
Not the vegetables.
Not the green leaves.
They grew in soil
that remembers
what we poured into it.
Not the spices
in your kitchen.
Not the paneer.
Not the milk.
Not the ghee.
The milk came
from a mother cow
whose calf
was taken away.
Not the curd
from famous brands.
Not the ice cream
that melts on your tongue.
Not even the temple prasad
Not the medicines
that save our lives.
Made in laboratories,
tested,
packed,
priced,
and sold.
And water...
How could I forget water?
Not the rain.
It carries smoke
from fires
we created.
Not the rivers.
They carry plastic,
waste,
and the memories
of what we threw away.
Not the bottle
that says "Pure."
Even it carries
what our eyes cannot see.
Not the holy water.
Not the water
from a temple,
a mosque,
or a church.
Not even the water
inside me.
The same water
that dinosaurs drank,
that kings bathed in,
that clouds carried,
that rivers returned,
again
and again.
Nothing is pure.
But before we blame
the world,
let us ask—
Who made it this way?
Who poisoned the rivers?
Who filled the air
with smoke?
Who covered the earth
with plastic?
Who sprayed poison
on the apple?
Who separated
the calf
from its mother?
Who chose convenience
over conscience?
Who wanted everything
faster,
bigger,
cheaper—
and forgot to ask,
At what cost?
The answer
is uncomfortable.
It is us.
Not nature.
Not the river.
Not the rain.
Not the apple.
Us.
And if we are the reason,
can we not
be the remedy?
If we stop throwing garbage
into rivers,
the rivers
will breathe again.
If we plant more trees,
the air
will remember
how to heal.
If we walk,
cycle,
and choose cleaner energy,
the sky
may become blue again.
If we consume less
and care more,
perhaps
our children
will inherit
a cleaner world.
Purity
is not something
we find.
It is something
we protect.
One choice.
One tree.
One river.
One honest act
at a time.
So the next time
you say,
"Nothing is pure,"
don't stop there.
Ask instead—
What have I done
to keep it pure?
Because the world
has always mirrored
the hands
that hold it.
When we change,
our rivers will change.
Our air will change.
Our soil will change.
And perhaps,
one day,
someone will bite into an apple,
drink from a river,
or breathe the morning air,
without asking,
"Is it pure?"
That future
is in our hands.
Copyright © Lokendra Singh | Year Posted 2026
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