The Last Wish

The biggest unraveling of a cosmic truth

His end was near

His vision was clear

 

The man said, ‘Please don’t burn my body,’

To everyone’s shock and dismay,

He continued, ‘bury it in our backyard.'

 

‘But, baby that is against our tradition,’ mother said

‘I know it is, which is why my special request

Else I would have let things be.'

 

‘But, baby my parents will never agree to it,’ the wife said

‘They never agreed to our courtship or our marriage.'

Life has always been and always will be flowing smoothly,’ he said

 

‘You don’t have a single child to carry your name forward,’ his brother said

‘Nothing was mine the day I opened my eyes,

I intend to leave no footprints, the day I close it too,’ he said

 

The family had to oblige to his final request

He was their most educated, traveled& enlightened

He deserves his wish fulfilled before he goes to rest

 

On the day his eyes finally closed,

His family gathered around with tears

His eyes seem to be in peace, no more fears

Under a white sheet, he lay dozed

 

‘How can you not let his body burn?

His soul was about to reach heaven, and you let it rot in the ground?

In-laws and neighbours started to hound

Do you think what you’re doing is right?’

Arguments escalated, lucky that nothing turned to a fight

 

Weeks turned to months

The family comes to peace, with its member at rest

All those objects the man claimed to be his,

Was seen orphaned with his other belongings

 

It was those objects that brought him and his memories

Back to their minds again, he must be beyond the stars and seas

His brother imagined,

He has a place up there now, he will not come back, but will he? 

 

For his mother, however, the longing turned to paranoia

In her dreams, He came, and he questioned

‘I am rotting in hell, decomposed and worm-infested

Save me, burn me; let the smoke of my remainders

Rise to heaven and be forsaken.'

 

Mother woke up middle of the night

And decided that she is going to fight

Her son will not rot in the ground anymore

He will be exhumed and then cremated as per norm

 

The next full moon night, the family gathered in the backyard,

Brothers called two friends, and the exhumation started

A few bits of grass, weed, and a small sapling uprooted

 

One by one, the family started to find the bones,

There was little flesh left beneath the stones

They gathered whatever remains they could find

Whatever of the bones and tissue left behind?

Among the bones they found a note, sealed

Inside a plastic cover, the letter revealed

 

"You are reading this letter because I already knew

That I would be excavated because norms die slowly

I want you all to know, that this was the way I wanted to go

I am raised by the food grown in this backyard

Raised by the same eternal consciousness of earth

Who grew the food for me since birth,

Turning the dirt and t**d, to carrots and mustard

 

 

Throughout my life, my journeys I realized

That the only way to achieve immortality

Is to return to the earth and melt into its eternity

 

I am still here, there and everywhere       

I was there in the plants and shrubs you cut to get here

I was there in every inch of mud you dug out

And I will be there in every plant and tree that sprouts

 

Had I been burned, then I would have been a vapour

I will still come down as rain before the first monsoon supper

I might be a part of every breath you take because I am now everywhere

 

So even you will join me in this eternity,

This is neither heaven nor hell in its actuality

 We will just keep changing form; it is just so much fun,

 We will all be together, as matter, we are one"

Author's Note

One of the longest poems I've written... The thought is related to the idea of ever dissolving property of nature, how one form of matter changes to another in a cycle.

Inspired from a speech on the consciousness of nature by Dr. N. Gopalakrishnan.
Renowned scientist and former director of IISH (Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage)
(Look him up on YouTube)

Please share your thoughts below.

Reviews

[D Connolly]

This idea is so beautiful. The story was getting gruesome, but he already knew what his family would do after he was gone (because he loved them so well in life, he knew before they did). I love how he understands our cyclic nature as spiritual beings; whether it is from the ground or the sky, "we will all be together, as matter, we are one"

[Ashwin Shanker]

That was the message that I intended through this write. glad to know that you liked it

[richieb]

Ashan,
Very interesting subject matter for your poem. I understand what you were saying through your writing. Life is a cycle and the physical properties of human life naturally return to the earth. In the U.S.A. we are shifting to cremation over burial. I enjoyed your poem and the thought process it took to write it. Looking forward to reading more of your work.
Richie b.

[Ashwin Shanker]

Hey Richie. I am very happy that you have enjoyed the poem. Well, It is not completely about whether to choose cremation over burial but about how none of it does matter anyway :P.
MAny cheers :)

[Ruth]

This is amazing Ashan, a very, very deep and meaningful poem...I understand the tradition of burning the dead and have to say you took it to a new level, cleverly done. It must be hard to not follow tradition but I also understand the needs of the person's wishes...I have always said I am being cremated...you made me think and even though I still will choose that way, you set a good point in the eternity of being buried...back to Mother Earth, whence we came and part of the all...excellent poetry - really thought provoking :)

[Ashwin Shanker]

Happy to know that you have enjoyed the work Poppy. :) Actually in the end, we are all matter. Just moving from one form to the other

[Schatzi]

Hello Ashan Shanker,

Wow . . . that was an amazing poem! You captured the topic of life's cycles in a beautiful way. Nicely done!

Thanks for sharing!

Kind regards,

Schatzi

[Ashwin Shanker]

Thank you Schatzi for your continued support :)

[Riddhi]

Wow !!! What a wonderful poem .....Actually i thought this poem had the ability to catch the reader in such a way that even i was not able to know when i read so many paragraphs of your poem....When i read this poem i remembered the poems of great poets because it has the same flow of words and you carved your thoughts in an extremely beautiful way in this brilliant poem.....
eager to read your next writing....
keep on writing and thanks for sharing..
take care
Riddhi

[Ashwin Shanker]

Wow! huh,.,.. Glad you loved it riddhi. Sure is happy to know that friends feel such a way about our writing,

[The Girl on Fire]

I couldn't help but just admire your poem full of awe.
I'd read your stories & poems, and though they are very gripping and interesting, this one has surpassed them too.
It was a beautiful poem based on a very truthful and good theme!

[Ashwin Shanker]

Thanks Yashita. :)

[MightyMouse]

This poem is very well written. I've never been a huge fan of poetry, but I actually liked this one. The story behind it holds a lot of meaning. I think you do a very good job.

[William A. Wilson]

Nicely done. Even though Im a beginner on here but a decent writer, I'm not a fan of long poems, however, I did like this poem a fair bit. I found that him knowing exactly what they would end up doing and writing a note for them to read to explain his reason was in a slight way... humorous. I know it was not the point of the poem, but it was my first... Well second reaction while reading. I do understand the point of the poem and how that even in a strong tradition, that it can change with just one person, even if its just for a moment. 100 from me

[Girija Virkar]

The balance is perfect. The sadness of him dying and.. the peace his family gets from the way he decides to go .. and the letter sums it all up! Bloody good effort. keep writing keep posting!!