Forests flaming, rivers drying
Global fever towering high
Unabashed, we watch in silence
While the time goes flying by

Able, adept, yet hardly willing
Blinded by our own vanity
On we march with pomp and glare
Casting aside our humanity

But the pillars poised on patience
One day shall buckle and fail
And we may not live to curtail
The loss of that monstrous scale

With icecaps speedily shrinking
And the islands close to sinking
Heed we better, to the evident truth
Lest the bells of doom start ringing

Arise we must from apathy, now
Arise we must to a solemn…

For once, in your fleeting existence
Do this for you and me
Heed not what comes through
From the endless outlying space
Every sight that tempts a glance
Every sound that stirs the aural sense
Every word that lifts you higher
Every thought that kindles a fire
Let them all stay distant today
Void of impact and void of sway

Give your self to the latent silence
Feel it permeate your bodily frame
Let it soak the fabric of your being
May no traces of dissonance remain
No beliefs to oppose or embrace
No deluded dreams to chase
No memories to bury or bring to light
No…

O rivers of eternal Truth,
May you carve a blessed canyon
Boldly scouring and thinning
The age-old boulders of fallacy

O storms of eternal Wisdom,
May you rage, loud and dauntless
Rousing the fallen masses
From a deep slumber of apathy

O waves of eternal Love,
May you soar, high and vigorous
Flooding past the imperial gate
That so proudly harbored hate

O clouds of eternal Goodwill,
May you pour out wide and deep
Corroding the footholds of malice
Drowning the chateaus of greed

O winds of eternal Jubilance,
May you drift and sway, and roll
Over the reeking swamps of sorrow
With…

The battle is on, the weapons are drawn
Both sides stand eager to strike
Throbbing pulse, unyielding gaze
And a thirst for victory, alike

Barely can they hold their horses
Though not their maiden fight
Born and raised in parlance of war
Ever desirous to prove their might

The time of reckoning is closing in
Mere moments until it all begins
And soon, a clear and cloudless sky
Echoes with a thunderous war cry

Serpentine swords, monstrous mallets
Pounding pitiless at the shields
Scathing arrows and cannonballs
Fly far and wide across the field

The earth pummeled by thumping feet
Lays…

Don’t raise a castle of dreams
There upon the fleeting sands
Nor let slide the golden days
So swiftly off your hands

Don’t shy away from diversity
Nor lose yourself in the blend
Don’t hang around in the fringes
Nor adhere to a mindless trend

Don’t shake your head in denial
Of the cold hard truth in sight
Nor bow down to hopelessness
Be it the darkest of nights

Don’t keep your doubts and fears
From seeing the light of day
Nor ever surrender in haste
To them or their devious ways
Like many things in your journey
They truly aren’t here to stay
Like many…

As a spark, I have awakened
Not of hatred, not of envy
Nor attrition over trivialities
That plague the lesser minds

I am conceived of a resolve
Ambitious, but profound
To ignite a flame of faith
Unwavering that may stand
As does a mighty mountain
Before the formidable winds

I burn of sheer compassion
To give those, who lay benumbed
By the coldness of their hearts,
The warmth I hold within
And rescue them poor slaves
Of the stubborn pride therein

Fueled by a deep reverence
I emulate the divine light
One that dwells in tiny fireflies
And those faraway stars alike
For I…

Are we our framed degrees,
Our sparkling medallions,
The titles beside our names?
Are we just a mounting pile
Of our transient accolades,
Or seekers of a deeper truth?

Are we our lavish hairstyles,
Our branded apparels,
Our unblemished facades?
Are we showcase mannequins,
Or people yet to discover
The beauty hidden within?

Are we our volatile cravings,
Our doomscrolling thumbs,
Our impulse-driven purchases?
Are we dopamine-addled robots,
Or self-sufficient creatures
Capable of nurturing happiness?

Are we our rehearsed candids,
Our mundane Laugh-Out-Louds,
Our ‘heartfelt’ forwarded wishes? …

Let loose the pain of yesterday
Let all your worries wither away
Spare no room for doubt or dismay
As you prepare to greet this day

Neither strain, nor slack
Neither rush, nor drag
To this needless struggle, bid adieu
And go where the music takes you!

The soothing stills, the soaring highs
The resonant rumblings in the skies
Feel every pulse that crosses your path
With open arms and open palms

Neither strain, nor slack
Neither rush, nor drag
Affix to none that passes by you
And go where the music wants you to...

Glossary

wither: fade
dismay: discouragement
strain: to exert too much
slack: to become slow
adieu: farewell
rumbling: a low, deep, continuous sound
affix: attach to