Song of Stone - I

Jagged pieces of broken glass

Strewn all over the tar road

Brown stains matting the shine

Muted reflections of the light around.

Cars crisscross over in daily commotion

Screeching to a halt when the light turns red

A beggar steps over in unmindful passage

In search of food among the roadside garbage.

Innocent eyes form a silent plea

As realities of life start crowding me

To the rushing ‘Goliaths’ without control

Another life gets snuffed on the highway of Hell.

The world starts revolving around me

Pictures whiz past out of reach

I stretch out my hand as far as I can

And my fingers barely caress it.

Down and down further I slip

Deep in a cavern where lights don’t reach

My solitary tear turns to stone

Cracking to dust on the marble floor.

I pick up a broken glass

Dark blotches stain the pristine floor

The beggar’s head hangs in shame

Choking on his breath again and again.

I see the world go by

Trickles of sand through my fingers

I have tried but failed

To hold onto them a little longer.

The window opens to reveal the sky

With the sun in its glory, scorching bright

Covering the surrounding in painful glow

Getting reflected on the marble below.

My face cringes away from the light

And my fingers make a futile try

To block the pain out of sight

Away from my wings of flight.

As if the sun dazzling above

Scorches the feathers of the flying dove

Which never before had flown so high

But today it did to caress the sky.

Staggering ahead I start to grope

My hands feel numb, without feelings

Like a car with a broken steering

Where the hell am I going?

I search for hope

With despair filling up my soul

Something feels stuck within

Cutting deeper more and more.

Reaching far, deep inside

I grab the wheel

Jabbing my fingers within the gears

Trying to bring a semblance of control.

My dream floats away

I wish for a slow motion replay

To get a chance again

To catch the morning sun’s ray.

To look at things I wished to see

The way it didn’t turn out to be

But a second chance never comes

In this sad world of broken glass.

Copyright© Anirban Sarkar, 26^th October 1998