A Different Tongue…

If words could speak…
Would they speak our language?
Would they be like people – good and bad?
Would they be happy and sad?
Would they love and hate?
Would they be young and old?

If words could speak…
Would elation bring more joy or happiness?
Would grief be sadder or sorrow heavier?
Would success be more fulfilling or sound sleep?
Would solitariness be lonelier than desolation?

If words could speak…
Would Man listen to Desire or Satiation?
Would he be tempted by Love over Lust?
Would he give in to Wrath or embrace Calmness?
Would he choose Narcissa or Altrusia?

Even if words could speak...
Death would still be absolute—
The ever powerful leveller.
Bereavement would still bring tears.
Darkness would still hound the Blind.
Estrangement would still bitter relationships.
Yet, a new-born would still smile,
Unaware of their existence.

But, wouldn’t it still cry when coaxed by hunger...?
Words speak; they speak a different tongue...

The Sun in my Rearview Mirror

A tiny glimpse into the world that was
A nanosecond ago,
A tiny glimpse into what might come to pass
A nanosecond later.
The spent life and the one to come,
Broken into thin slices of time,
Speed past by me in rapid succession
As I live my world through my rearview mirror.

In an unswerving line, I drive on
Into the distant horizon, into infinity—
The world is laid out bare in front of me.
A demon fills my rearview mirror and then passes by;
In its wake, is left for my scrutiny
A giant orange orb of fire,
Diminished in size… encaged!
Still, its radiance tinges the glass flirtatiously.

The world captured at the peak of its brilliance,
Like opportunities caught right within your fist;
Some lost while on the road stare back,
Reminding you of possibilities left behind,
Positioned to be relived in the virtual world;
Another chance to weigh your options
And a lesson to stop and ponder,
To smoothen out what might be amiss.

The road bends in many twists and turns,
The breeze’s whistle rings in my ears,
The trees flanking my path cross their thresholds,
Providing me shelter from the dusky sky.
The stars up in heaven, still invisible to the naked eye,
Do shine, but to little effect, as twilight draws near…
But lo! There stuck in my rearview mirror
Is still the diminished giant orange orb of fire!