One hundred men, all brave at heart
United by an adventurous past
Biding their time in a corner of the world
A land insulated by desolation and ice
These men of valor, seen from time to time
Every generation has offered a guard of honor
A friendly chat will not reveal a past that’s dark
Kings of deception, they appear at night
An ancient age, a time of sin and pain
Memories are faint as a fragmented scroll
Love and betrayal, a hinge for a life of gain
These hundred men would join their hands in glee
A windswept isle, where there’s struggle for life
Vantage point for a view of the northern stars
A blade of grass clings to its seedy past
Rocks abound, but hope isn’t lost
A home it becomes, for a man in denial
Escape for one means escape for all
A hoary notion, lost in time
A grandmother’s yarn, the narrative goes on
Another age, times have changed
A golden era full of laughter and joy
Seeds of virtue sprout in welcoming soil
A harvest of peace all year round
When the tide is high
The captain’s boat leaves the port
In the gentle swell of joy
Progress runs with rapid strides
In times so good, five kings rule
A union is born without a seam or stitch
Coins are given, without a promise in mind
Any gift that is taken cannot be carried by hand
When it is a destination for all,
Why begin any journey at all?
World’s apart, are these one hundred and five
The world within is a melting pot
An inheritance which breaks the plane of life
Every head must balance a pot that’s full
When an empty vessel provides it all
Why stir in emotions that promote much greed?
Vehicles carry men who are good and bad
When one wheel turns, the others follow
A mind will turn with the wheels of thought
The cycle of life moves just the same
A limitless ocean, must be crossed in limited time
The five kings bide time with a unity that’s rare
As one hundred men crowd in with their burly frames
A ticket to a passage is shared by them
Gracious as hosts, the kings welcome their guests
The hidden throne masks their royal rank
As one hundred men stir the pot
A feast celebrates this gathering of contrary sorts
The past is forgotten, but forgiven not
Ideas form as ideals change
Their hearts melt in this common pot
No longer strange bedfellows, with the burning of time
While a king incognito may learn a lot
The royal escorts assume control in time
His own palace becomes a distant dream
Life as a king, one has to watch his back
Living in a bubble, time is never an ally
In such a mind, who’s good or bad
Seasons predict whether it is green or white
It is man indeed who determines right from wrong
Harmony prevails with room to grow
A mind in growth balances evil and virtue
An eternal battle witnessed by the starry light
Names change, but the garb does not
With sheer numbers, scales may tilt
The evil there is, may overflow
A speck of virtue will soften the heart
The pillow of earth will survive it all
A line in the sand cannot divide a desert in half
But in a dying mind, everything dissolves into one
A good meal may be tainted by a bad spice
A bad cook can hide behind a tasty herb
The essence of life separates the two
Lost in existential angst is the goal of life
When the good kings forget their role
A defining moment wakes them up
Not ones to fight with arms and feet
These five kings employ a wisdom seed
A tree with roots would not journey well
But a seed may be planted in a hundred heads
The war of words can be won without pain
All it takes is a mind that’s brave
Lining up for the great debate
The kings sharpen their tongues with gumption
Once at home, why would they easily go
A destination they see is a land of their own
The kings would argue,
Land is one, does not belong to any
The future’s ours
Chorus the hundred mouths
Staking a claim on a future to come
The kings see this as a foolish ploy
When the past is gone and with a destiny to come
Where might they spend their remaining days?
A present that is ignored
Cannot be opened or enjoyed
What is the gain with a hateful mind?
The loss is real, and spills into the world
A mind of calm has peace and joy
The kings’ message spreads through the land
The hundred men hatched a plot
Could bags of gold win the kings’ heart?
A ploy that cost everything they had
But the kings chose to walk a destitute path
A heritage that’s real without money or gain
A plan shunned by an affluent world
The currency of mind may be fleeting thoughts
The good cannot be sold even for an infinite sum
Oh! the work we do with our sinewy arms
Keeping this house shiny and rich
A gift that’s plucked the day we part
A gift that’s plucked the day we part
Is how the kings drove home their point
The love of the world when showered in full
Creates within a pleasurable pull
The ransom we pay cannot be earned in a day
Without which the cycle repeats
When kings sought the counsel of time
The hundred men doubled their spite
Patience is a cure that is sure to work
In a sash of humility, it multiplies its worth
Once gracious hosts rendered unwelcome guests
The kings prepared to clear their nest
The hundred men turned tables on them
In the battle of wits, the truce was botched
A shadowy figure of Solomon’s girth
Entrusted to keep ignorance at bay
A timely arrival before the ocean had salted
A land that’s fallow will be divided at last
The hundred men chose the choicest part
A blinded sight, perceiving a mighty gain
When their visions of gold turned to worthless stone
Their stony hearts reflected their woes
The land that remained became the kings’ domain
Like oyster shells of ebony and blue
Their place was open to all that’s good
Pearls of wisdom offering a sanctuary of hope
When the kings opened their palms to see
The pearl within was lustrous and white
They chose to spread their wealth afar
To every heart, which is a clam shell of sorts
One remained as others said goodbye
Four of them spread far apart
Finding a corner in a circle is hard
They scoured the world cornering heart after weary heart
- N Seshadri
