The fall

The fall

Divinity attributed
Glorious character assigned
Halo seen all around
Shine of charisma abound.

Idols on the palanquin paraded.
An impressive procession followed.
A Billion people gathered and cheered
In shrill voice, while many others silently prayed.

The procession went on for years
Testing the strength of the palanquin bearers
At a simple bend alas,
The balance is lost on to the grass.

Came crashing down the idols in a thud
Their costly embellishments vanished
With the fall they cracked and chipped
After all, in stone they were crafted!

Divinity disappeared
And mortality gained;
Chinks seen
In the images of stone.

An Idol is just a stone;
The glossy sheen, the glowing halo
Only a mirage in the desert -
Of unfulfilled human expectation.


Subrahmanyam
24th March 2007
(refers to the fall of Indian cricket)