My Two Worlds
Now that I am old and have time,
I take stock of my life.
I crisscross as far back as my memory goes,
Along my chequered memory lane.
As I remember,
I have always been happy even without toys.
Happiness was my twin but, sadly,
Not without its dark shadow.
I would be saddened to see the suffering among the living –
The animals, insects, men and even plants.
I cried during my lonely hours;
I gave away my precious possessions; and
I even became one with them, sharing their pain.
And then I begged God again and again
For His mercy, but nothing changed.
All through my life
My happiness was burdened with sorrow.
It was like an ever-vigilant shadow of the light;
It was like a deep, dark abyss of the height.
All through my life
I remained a prisoner in my own solitary, dark cell.
Now, before I die, I want to break free from the chains.
I searched for so long, so deep in my soul,
Only to hear a whisper again and again:
'Thou shall know Truth and
Truth shall let you know that you are chained.'
Maybe I live in two worlds –
One of darkness and the other of light.
I am chained in one but free in the other;
I suffer in one but celebrate the other.
And when I die, I will be reborn in the other,
Without sorrow.
Tohon has been a regular contributor for the Star Literature page. Life's Invisible Battles is his recently published memoir.
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