The Drama of Life

Life, they say, is a drama stage
You play your part without a wage
Equanimity, say the men who were wise
Will fetch you the everlasting prize

Trust not the nature of happiness or sorrow
Each, the other, will always follow
Beyond these there exists a state
We reach there if patiently we wait

Beyond good, beyond bad
Neither happy nor sad
The stage is set for us to act
Accepting all as a matter of fact

Life is not serious; it’s just a play
Act well; we’re not here to stay
Through mistakes nothing we lose
Another day, another stage, the drama continues

The act played to the very best
Will put all illusions to rest
Act well, expect no encore
Act well in order to act no more

Life indeed is very strange
Different acts as our roles change
Life is a gift; it demands no toll
Till we realize this the curtains will not fall

Pepal Tree
20th Nov 2009

A Drama Played As Designed

Ingrained in me these few happy memories
With us when you were around
The rest were cause for many worries
As father and daughter we were bound

I wonder how you are coping there
Since you are no longer in the physical dimension
Everyday when I say my prayer
You are the first one I mention

I shall not rake up the past
Let bygones be bygones
The lesson learnt; let that last
Lest fresh karma spawns

I have known this to be true
The peace which forgiveness begets
Whatever unpleasantness we went through
For that I have no regrets

In the silent darkness of midnight
On my bedroom wall shadows cast
The night games played by trees and the streetlight
In fear my heart beat very fast

I heard a stray dog howl and a yelping pup
Petrified I lay still with no other choice
With all the courage I could muster up
I called out to you in a feeble voice

You came running to the side of my bed
It was only a shadow; to my senses you made clear
With a gentle smile you lovingly stroked my head
I slept peacefully with no more fear

Decades have passed and I have wondered
Where your heart lost its tenderness
If only you had sat and pondered
On fleeting illusion and your own blessedness

With no judgment I do however opine
You did what you thought was right
A drama we played perfect to the design
With your memories I no longer fight

Pepal Tree
May 2009