The more you prune the Vine you own
The more you add to your crops of grape,
The tithe you distribute from the lot
Lowers the barriers, helps you escape,
From the burdens we all carry
Of self- inflicted wounds and tape,
A strange amalgam aren’t we all
Of broom in hand, and the golden cape.

Rule the world and in penury go
With nothing brought nor taken away,
Mortal beings that meld with dust
Immortality, not part of that play,
To each day that we bid goodbye,
Hope in heart for another day,
Who knows, ask the Stars above
Speak your mind, have your say,
Little left to cover now, says Old Man Time
Tape in hand, as it measures the covered way

But, the tape you must breast alone
As you hurtle down in your lane,
Looking sideways, right and left
Over those you wish to gain,
Wishing as the numb heart falters
The 100 yards to attain,
Ahead of all in Life’s race
Ecstasy bagged as also some pain
Alone, from the grange will you depart
Not a speck of dust, nor bits of grain.

From the finger tip to the wrist
Do the lines in your palm,
Measure the distance that you will cover
As you stretch both body and arm,
Gasping, panting , down life’s track
To touch that tape without much harm,
For that one fleeting moment
Is all there is, to that final balm.

The wave of hand, the farewell to all
Who falls short, who stands tall,
The deafening silence that pervades
As you tumble and almost fall,
Waiting by the sidelines now
For the bugle, the Final Call.

There is no tally at the end
Of how you ran around the bend,
Did you cross the lines somewhere
And, did you then, slyly, pretend,
You had your eyes to the skies
And at those with whom you did contend,
Ways and Means, that foggy bit
That presage and portend,
Little, of what lies ahead
And, how you will meet the end

So, run your race, set your pace
It’s all yours, choose the style,
It’s empty- handed when you leave
Dust is all, no golden pile,
Run a 100 or a Mile,
Your place lies at your feet
Raindrops yours, as is the heat,
Living life well, fair and square
That is Happiness, that is the Feat.

(The author is a prolific poet who has over 30 poetry books to his credit. He can be reached at ashoksawhny06@gmail.com/ www.ashoksawhny.com)