Several years have withered away
Yet, I recall that fateful day
When I wept, like never before
‘Cause mother, you were no more
your loss forced me a burden to bear
Of immense pain and deep despair
And for this I knew not, whom to blame
So I blamed god, with regret and shame
One night I dreamt, of your smiling face
As you said to me, you're in a better place
From where you have watched over us, long
Throughout, your faith in us, has grown strong
Thence I ceased my future to dread,
The tiresome ordeal, that lay ahead
For mother, you gave me the will to survive
Eternal hope, which keeps me alive
-Kartik Shastry
One quiet night, as a Hunter slept,
A dream of a wood, in his mind crept.
Wherein dwelled the king of the wild,
No, not a lion, but a wolf reviled.
Shivering in sleep as he writhed in its lair,
Himself shred, he watched in despair.
When he awoke the following morn,
Sweating all over, woebegone.
His damaged courage in order to mend,
He resolved to put the wolf to end.
His family he bid farewell, with sorrow,
And marched a forth with bow and arrow.
He walked along in sunshine and rain,
Seeking the wolf for scores in vain.
So far from home, journeyed had he,
He knew his family, he’ll never see.
And though the wolf was nowhere found,
By his resolve, the Hunter was bound.
And finally the Hunter could walk no more,
For he lay dying on the ocean’s shore.
As he acknowledged his final breath,
Welcoming the cold embrace of death.
He said to himself, with great disdain,
‘The wolf indeed, proved my bane’.
-Kartik Shastry
“Dig! Dig! Dig!” the master says,
“Dig! Dig! Dig!” while the world revels;
“Dig! Dig! Dig!” this grave right here,
“Dig! Dig! Dig!” ‘til the end’s near;
And all I do is follow orders,
All I do is dig, in fear;
For Digging all day long’s, my bane,
Digging, until I writhe in pain;
When the day dies and the night arrives,
A few hours, there is respite;
And then the morrow, again the sorrow,
“Dig! Dig! Dig!” my miserable heart cries;
Then I pause but a moment, wonder,
Do I pay for a forgotten blunder?
Yes or no, for certain,
I cannot tell;
But this much I know,
This grave I dig, there someday I shall eventually dwell;
-Kartik Shastry
Often, I dream a dream,
That somewhere in another world we’re together.
I awake, but the dream lingers,
Forcing me to hope against hope and wonder.
Aware that the human will,
Can make the most unbelievable dreams come true.
I tell myself,
We can be together forever, if we truly want to.
Humanity is a cynical race,
And, being far apart, I know that it’s harder done than to say.
But, in the end,
To defy the world, all we have to do is hold hands and fly away.
-Kartik Shastry
