Measure Of A Man

An experimental poem in which a single thread branches off into two contrarian and divergent viewpoints.

Life's Measuring Tape(Part 1 of 2)

Is life a cosmic joke

Or a kafkaesque play in eternity

Of men as pawns

In the endless labyrinth of love

Longing & despair or a requiem

For redemption in the quest

For meaning in the mundane and

The boring and the temptation

To yield to the senses and

Wallow in the drivel swallowing

One's wishes and desires and

Play the role assigned by them

While negating one's own self-will

And the desire to create something new

But instead inspiring repeatability and mediocrity

And indulging in self-effacement

And soul-flagellation to purify

Oneself of one's sins

But knowing in the end nothing matters

Because in the cosmic infinity

Individualism is a speck of dust

Smothered by the sands of time

Leaving nothing to cherish,

Remember or argue about

The Pole Star(Part 2 of 2)

On a wintry evening

Walking on a moonlit path

My eyes darted upwards

And I saw the pole star

Cut off from the rest

Like a stranger in the midst

Of relations and acquaintances

Professing to know each

And admiring each others' tastes

But in reality as different

As chalk and cheese

Or a tramp and a nun

The pole star lies there proudly

As a testament to individualism

And the independence of thought

Which is free from the prejudice

And desire to be popular and pleasing

And in the bargain losing one's own

Imagination and flights of fancy

For what is he if not a parasite

One who lives on the beliefs

And dictates of society

Deriving vacuous and vicarious satisfaction

From the thoughts and opinions of others

For isn't life lived once

And deserves to be lived till the end

With one's head held high

Reviews

[.]

. before i say anything else ... i must applaud you, my new friend, on your remarkable gift for poetry ... your language is exquisite ... your vocabulary is awesome ... and you're a true thinker who is capable of viewing things from different perspectives ... and, for these reasons alone, it is a treat to read your words ... having said that ... this is just a minor expression of my minor thoughts ... i have a thing for music and musicians and sports and athletes ... and of course for poets and poetry ... and the pursuit of excellence ... inspires me so much ... that when i think of a r rahman or valentino rossi or sir ed hart ... i just know ... deep down inside ... that individuals do make a difference ... and the way they inspire me is proof enough for me ... and so the last line of your spectacular poem is especially spectacular and moving and inspiring for a reader like me ...

[Tomás Ó C..]

I like the poem... nice imagery...

[msharma]

Godly gifted poet you seem to me. The thoughts portrayed bears an astounding image of the real phase of one's life.Well done!

[An owl on the moon]

I loved the experimental nature of your work... one piece which had a deep sense of the philosophical and the other which seemed to balance a powerful feeling of humanity and experience. So stunning!

[Nothing Personal]

Your best work undoubtedly from what I've read so far. Deep, prosaic, lavish language and novel ideas..

[Christie Moses]

Amazing write, filled with emotion and such vivid descriptions.