A Merry Afterlife

a poem by Sudarshan Madhav Karhale

A worthy promise made when still alive
for someone out there waiting to be revived
“I swear from deep within my heart,
before I die,
to make useful my every part.”

As I witness the bright sun
that arises each day,
I wish to donate these beady eyes
to the blind and enlighten their darkened way.

A pair of my spongy ‘pink-sacs’
residing in my hollow chest
shall pump for you
the vital essence of life forever,
if nothing I could do,
at the best.

I will not take a satisfying sip
from the fragrant bottle of old vine,
instead donate my healthy liver and pancreas
to offer another being several years to happily survive.

The ‘natural filters’ of my human form
must be handed over to the poor and needy,
as I keep reminding myself constantly
“Neither be selfish, nor be greedy.”