IMPERMANENCE

 

The peacock
For all its beauty
Was not happy
What it wanted was immortality

Its extravagant plumage
A sign of its masculinity
That was no comfort
In its search for fountain of youth

It was jealous of its celestial cousins
Who have no need for the elixir of life
Being the vehicle for Lord Kartikeya
And sometimes for Goddess Saraswathi

In its pride and vanity
It forgot that beauty was only skin deep
For all its bravado and audacity
It failed to see the reality of life

Life is impermanent
Everyone dies, and everything changes over time
Seeking the illusion of eternal youth
Is an exercise in futility

- S.T. Arasu