الجمل (The Camel)

I'm in fact a camel, lost in the desert of deep thoughts.

A calf  meanders away from its caravan,

Unaware of the consequence,

Unprepared for the pitfalls this vast sea of sand has to offer,

Complications that are beyond its cognizance. 

The calf  had been shielded by its masters' protection,

Blinded by his affection.

The desert had seemed like a friendly place,

For they had sailed through it's trails with effortless grace.

*     *    *

Cast adrift in the barren land,

It's hooves keep sinking deep into the sand,

Perhaps too weak for it to stand.

It takes time to discern the true state of things,

The dangers that the barren land  brings.

                                   

The progeniture had stepped out of its comfort zone,

Everything had been an illusion,

Navigating the trails proved to be an unexpected obtrusion.

 It's notion about the desert life had been nothing but a mirage,

 For if looked upon closely,

  'Tis as easy to sabotage.

       

    *   *

The camel yearns water,

Water that would keep it alive,

And some shelter,

Shelter that will help it survive.

Its cover has been blown,

The protective bubble has burst,

All its excitement turned to dust,

Now that it is on its own,

Now that it has stepped out of its comfort zone. 

                           

Author's Note

Childhood is said to be the best phase in a ones life when you do not have anything to worry about. You rest within a "protective bubble" created by your parents and well-wishers.You can't forever stay a child.There comes a time when this bubble pops and you are suddenly exposed to a world filled with pitfalls and traps. You have a whole new world in front of you, and you are as inexperienced as a calf in the sea of sand. You realize that the easy life as you thought of it, had been nothing but an illusion. You are on your own and you have to make a living for yourself in order to survive, just like the calf needs to gather water and shelter in the barren land. You might face failures and your feet might sink deep in the sand, but you will need to get back up and learn to walk like a normal man.

Reviews

[AaronFreitas]

An awesome story you shared Kshitij... you are absolutely right when in your notes you talk about that bubble popping and you are exposed to the real world. It's a tough world out there my friend and it helps to always have family to fall back to for guidance and help. Good write :)

[Kshitij Gupta]

Yes, thank you Aaron!! :))

[Willard Wells]

Interesting write of growing up and learning. The pitfalls of life are many and many are met when young. I like the perspective you used with this and I enjoyed the desert imagery.

[....................]

all is well when we are young for we have many things in place to protect us (many of us anyway) but the realities of adult hood are something else...

[Rindou]

This is a very descriptive writing and very reasonable to the explanation of a child's safe place, home. I love the descriptive words you use and the way you thought it out so thoroughly. reading this poem has waken me up to what it felt like when I felt safe somewhere. I really enjoyed it.

[Coyote Poetry]

I agree with the logic of the poem.
"Its cover has been blown,
"The protective bubble has burst,
All its excitement turned to dust,
Now that it is on its own,
Now that it has stepped out of its comfort zone. "
We must change places and directions. Life is a twisted path. Thank you for sharing the excellent poetry.
Coyote

[St.Quin]

Creative symbolizm and quite a fluent flow, pleasing to reaa. Good write.

[Kshitij Gupta]

Thank youu!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

much like people....we are so protected when we are young, but once we have to fend for ourselves, that survival is a whole different story.

[Kshitij Gupta]

Yes, that's exactly the message I'm looking to convey.

[wordman]

well you told a great story here.painted a great picture,great write

[Kshitij Gupta]

Thank you :)

[Perkele.7885]

This is the best piece of writing that I have seen with your name attached to it. I am impressed! This is an excellent read with an excellent message tied within. If this were entered in a contest of new authors, I would be hard pressed to ignore it!

[Kshitij Gupta]

Thank you, Raj!
Your reviews mean a lot.