Poems by
Sundarrajan V S

Decadence

a poem by Sundarrajan V S

For us, it was roses, roses all the way,
Right! Roses blossom and wither away:
Fragrance in full bloom is short-lived,
Fading colour-changes show signs of decadence.

Once it was monarchy, supreme, all-powerful,
Divine Right theory followed thence and now forgotten;
Vox Populi, Voice of God, Peoples’ voice once adored, now rotten,
Decadence in ethical standards, private life and public life.

Decadent teeth removed, decadent eyes cured, laser surgery,
Decadent heart replaced by artificial ones, limbs replaced:
Alas, decadent politics and decadent politicians are not replaced,
Too many cooks spoil the broth, so too, too many parties.

Decadent empires perished in the past, history repeats itself,
The rise and fall of Greek, Roman, Mauryan, Kushan, Moghul,
Many empires so to speak gone with the wind, ruined in the past,
Decadence is a way of life in Democracy to Mobocracy.

Mob rule is a sign of anarchy and downfall and ruination,
Adversity to prosperity and prosperity to adversity is history;
Perishables decay, Flowers wither away, unperishables deteriorate,
Tower-Clock principles and Weather-Cock policies can seldom serve.

Decadence in family life, decadence in plant life, is subject to change,
Can anyone find any solution to the decadent social fabric?
Muscle power gave place to money power and money power rules now,
Five decades ago, muscle power was supreme, now Mammon Worship is supreme.