Path-breaker
by Ananya Sarkar
(Kolkata, India)

And the hoary heads combine
To shake their hands in censure
The lips part
And the river of words flow
Implicating, ceaselessly…
Their eyes wells of wisdom
Their fingers pointing darts
Fixing you with hate.

And yet you move with long, bold steps
Some newfound land to discover
With eyes that dare
To stop and stare
At all that makes you wonder.
The hand that rises to bid farewell
Is a burning torch aflame
The words that come, being spit forth
Plunk like pebbles in the stream---
Creating ripples.

Tradition and custom tugging at your feet
Your neck craned by duty,
And yet, break out of the mould you must
Labour through the protective strictures
Hammer at the anvil of destiny
Swim through the string of nos
To make that one Yes possible.

And though the darkness settles like dust
And the clouds begin to gather
In the midst of the thunder
That threatens to tear asunder
The tenets of reason
Pull along you must
Through the storm and the dust
To make the Light visible.