THE RAVEN

I was pacing by the seashore,
Blissfully oblivious to the roar
Of waves and of the wind
Because the things foremost in my mind
Was the urge to take a mode
Of transport to my humble abode.
While I was engrossed in my muses,
I was startled by a 'caw!'
Woken up,I looked behind and saw-
A raven,slender and tall,
Was sitting on the edge of a wall,
All the time looking furtively here and there,
Ready,if provoked,to fly away somewhere.
Sleek and black,she was a symbol of grace,
And looked as if escaped from divine embrace,
For though black,she was a true beauty,
And her simple ways simply enchanted me.
Her bubbly play helped me forget my sorrow,
And forget the trials and travails of the morrow.
Suddenly,as if by instinct,she flew away
And then,I realised to my dismay,
That it was almost an eternity
Since I enjoyed a bird's beauty
Or appreciated nature's magnanimity.
Only then was I aware of the waves roaring,
Of the breeze gushing and the birds soaring.
Ironically,instead of starting to wonder
At this sight,my heart began to ponder
"The waves are no longer a mascot of nature divine
Whose magnificience has withstood the test of time,
They are,instead for me,only an equation of strength,
Consisting of frequency,waveheight and wavelength.
These beaches,for you maybe,are a gem of nature,
For me,these are only a geological feature.
These sands,for you,depict nature's divine state,
For me ,these are only flecks of silicate.
The grace of those birds flying yonder
No longer fills me with childlike wonder
Because for me they are only equations
Of aerodynamics and aerofoil motions.
This blue sky,touching at the horizon,
Radiant and golden by the setting sun,
Remind me of the purehearted kid I was once,
And mock at the ruthless adult I have become since.
Who am I?What is happening to me?
Why was I destined to end where I never wanted to be?
What is it in me that's amiss
That I cannot drown myself in this bliss?
I have become a machine-
A mean-minded,hard-hearted machine-
Sans any emotion,sans any passion,
Sans any joys,sorrows or compassion.
I have got sucked into this world of materialism
Where money,success,knowledge and power
Rule under the garb of professionalism
Hand in glove with ruthless capitalism-
A world where,to win,you have to fight,
A world where you have lost the right
To love or be loved,to laugh or to cry,
Where you are denied the unbridled bounds of joy-
Joy at the simple sweet things of life,
Wonder at the ethereal greatness of the nature,
But crushed under the burden of internal strife,
And the responsibilities,from which you cannot hide,
You are forced not to break your stride,
Till,exhausted,you collapse by the wayside.
How I wish I were in a trance,
Surrounded by the whorls of mystic exuberance,
The waves of the beauty of the nature,
Will once again waft by and enrapture,
My heart,and rereveal the stature
Of my Father,cleansing my soul
And reminding me as a whole
Of those days of childlike innocence.

How I wish I were a child again!"