What it Means to be Human


   Humans are walking storehouses of pain untold.
   The soul takes on many forms
   A posture of solemnity,
   A posture of brewing affection
   And happiness that's infectious,
   A posture of withheld laughter,
   Cold smiles and hidden sneers of injustice felt;
   Nevertheless, the form does not always reveal 
   The light of the soul or its darkness
   Its breathtaking integrity or weeping essence.

   Glitters do not always run deep
   For true charm lies beneath the postures that the soul wraps itself with
   Sometimes hiding the illuminating aura of the core.
   We sometimes stumble upon the fascinating tinge of the crust,
   The seemingly deep pores of unfilling light
   Which may not always be what they look like.

   There are folds in the human soul, just like clothes
   Folds that look like mistakes, but are
   Secret rooms of insult
   Corroding spaces of guilt
   And scarring huts of pain.
   Carrying the baggage till the end of their trail
   The human slithers on
   With the hope of what tomorrow has in store 
   With the reception of ambiguity that lies ahead,
   Welcoming the inevitable
   Sometimes dreading it 
   Come what may, the journey goes on.

   For life holds magic
   Just as memories hold pain
   There's no other route for this magic to be unlocked 
   But the route that is yours,
   The route of destiny of which you know nothing,
   Which reveals itself only with timely checks of 
   Tolerance for the ongoing storms of life 
   And patience enough to not bury your spirit in 
   The seemingly cold ashes of today
   The journey has to go on, nevertheless.

   The ship has to sail.
   Therein you may find sparkling pearls housed in shell crusts
   That are either applause or lessons.
   No journey is in vain
   No leap of faith is wasted 
   For it has in store bouts of spewing magic 
   Either gifts well deserved 
   Or hard hitting gems of wisdom, heart-crushing truths that make you wise 
   Ones that'll help you sail forth
   For, the journey has to go on.

   - Vinaya Mary 
   10.09.24

Comments

  1. Aneesh7 July 2025 at 13:40

    It reminds how much lies beneath the surface of every soul—hidden truths, quiet pain, and unspoken light. Truly thought-provoking.

    ReplyDelete

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