A Pessimist’s Song

a poem by Ramakrishnan R

What breathes fire but flaunts breeze,
What savours evil but is gloried o’er,
What powers and muscles beneath silky softness,
What strikes and kicks with smiling feet,
What glisters and shines but hides the blisters,
What shades and darkens and avoids the light,
What is robed in luxury looking all disrobed,
What laughs and beams with sneering jaws,
What leaps and bounds in airless chaos,
What fills allone’s lust and levity,
What leads one down all hell and pleasure,
What clouds judgment and stupors the mind,

What abhors true love and gloats on passion,
What sates full with ugly flatteries.
What negates peace that mind’s soul craves,
What declines health, when lusted most,
And hungered, readily discarding possessions
What bewitches and lures but is ne’er accessed,
What tempts and taunts and dulls the brain,
What labours you thro’ congested vacuum,
What leads you down the garden path,
What sedates, stills you in seeming sleep,
What helps forget in layers of memory,
What releases you into a cell for life;

What host of events authored by Money
What sugared poison coated in honey
Money, a many-spangled octopus,
Coils round in fisted grip and
Saps your spirit to the last lees