In search of a middling peace
Prologue
Show me a man with a mansion, content
And I will show you a middling peace
I
We toil the years, in pursuit of castles
We save, we spend, we build our nest egg
And yet, the castles recede further away
Like Tantalus punished, we desire in vain
We arrive content in our middle years
A life of principles — honesty and hard work
And they laugh at our faces, “Poor Man!!”
They call us, those few wiser richer men
Oh, my teachers, why did you forsake me?
I did everything you taught me to do
I listened and learned and built a good life
Why didn’t you tell me, it was not enough!
II
Our need is a greed, insatiable
The castles have not receded
My arms have grown too long
My visions soar over the clouds
And I have been remiss, uneducated
Hoarding wealth in bank mattresses
That festered, shackled and bound
While the universe of needs inflated
“Don’t just work for your money,
Make your money work for you.”
Oh cruel truth! Now I understand
Watching my dreams, from afar
III
Yet even as I look away, into the twilight
I see two people, ageing in peace
Of wants and needs, no sorrow, nor grief
Stepping into the dusk, they ruminate
On days gone by, and vicarious lives
Of children and children beyond
A simple, beautiful rhythm of life
Revved down to a quiet gentle hum
Yes, there is regret, of an eager mind
But there is also acceptance, willing
For the life well spent, unselfish and full
And a fearful welcoming, of the quietness
Epilogue
Between the impatience of dawn
And the mellow content of dusk
Is the transient discontent of day
Unni Nambiar (Feb 18th 2012)
