Gems and germs
Bring scourges
To the doorstep of innocents
Breaking through sentinel eyes
Distracted by sandstorms
Failing to stop the march
Of microbial dread
An archaic witness to the rise of man
And stones on a river bed
Picked by hands
That can no longer
Wave goodbye
Thankfully now
A fading sight
With a rallying cry
From horror stricken faces
Vast expanses
Bridged by invisible germs
Not wearing masks
And unresponsive to names
Boxed in by crises
It’s time to unite
Not just with hands that hold gems
But embrace those who dig them out
A house with nine doors
Open to unwanted guests
Eroding happiness
Is our plight
Germs are not humane
Thoughts need not be so
By embracing enmity
They turn deadly foes
Eager to raise arms
In the name of what?
Who loses?
Not time
A great master
Neither loves nor hates past or future
Picks up and leaves
With present woes
While filaments from the past
Line up, waiting
To be tested
With present day wisdom
Sometimes lost
And sworn off
To the confines of darkness
That can never last, but a few hours
Mimicking one another’s
Walk and talk
Baby steps lead
To safety of welcoming arms
But not to be, fights erupt
On the lap of the mother
Swaying by the light
Of both sun and moon
Dutiful clouds hide a blue sky
While the sun waits
As patiently as a safe
Guarding a precious loot
Of gems and pearls
Hanging displays
On threads
Circling necks
Craning on behalf
Of a mind
Craving for attention
Grabbed by gems
Weary from a journey
From poor hands to rich wrists
Gems are safe
Thanks to their precious past
Hands infested with germs
More plentiful than we care to know
Hardworking flora
Maintain idols decorated with gems
Ignorant of a world at war
Only a microscope can see
But mimicked on battlefields
Near the Arabian sea
Whose depths matter little
Asymmetry is the norm
When invisible foes
Are inhaled by the lungs
Bringing fear to those around
Only matched
By pestilent thoughts
With one cure
Searching for a reflection
Detached from mores
Powerful enough
To stop an independent march
Towards an untainted well
That shows you as you are
Free from lure of gems and fear of germs
That keep even the mighty in check
- N. Seshadri
