Why Take All This Pain?

One doesn’t really need a place –

Calm, quiet and nice.

To contemplate

(And think over the meaninglessness of everything around.)

Even a metropolis city-bus-stop –

Would – in fact – for that purpose suffice.

In the hustle and bustle of the crowd.

Everybody is running around.

Where to, why and for whom –

Aren’t such questions left better untried? 

For isn’t life ultimately an exercise futile?

A journey that starts from shunya.

And –

Must one day end up in the same!

Why then keep on going in circles all along?

If there is nothing really beyond;

Why after-all take all this pain?

What after-all,

O fool!

You are looking for in this gutter?

Being restless –

By its impermanent, materialistic

And hollow glitter.

Let us suppose –

The day comes when you –

Back into the elements get disintegrate.

As it happen must!

Either go up in smoke.

Or –

Just get swallowed by the soil –

And get reduced to dust.

Let there be no illusion,

O dear!

For even then –

Nothing will really change

Over here. 

As it does today –

The world will still be running along.

May be a few days of ‘invented formalities’,

And then even from the memories –

You will be gone.

Weird indeed are the ways of this place.

For in the memory of the selfish race –

One does not really ultimately matter.

Whether he be you, me –

Or for that case,

Even giants like

Gandhi and Hitler.