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| "He had become a purveyor of peace..." Photo by Manuel Lao - 500px.com |
Life became the burden that he carried,
over rocky terrain, through the rainstorms,
that ravaged his land. He had been married
until they had buried his true love; in his soul
she lives still, and he has kept her so.
Ravi’s business suffered through his absence;
his existence hardly felt and it served to deal
a blow to his ambition. His heart laden with
more baggage now, ached – not just emotionally.
His children did not understand how a man
could be so devoted to others. For in his mind,
they were sisters and brothers upon his journey.
Life had sharpened its edge on the flinty surface
of Ravi’s despair, until Ravi walked away. And it was
there that he found what men through the ages
have failed to achieve. Peace. True inner peace.
When all else crumbled around him,
he became the foundation; the pillar upon which
to secure everything he had built. He held no anger,
harbored no guilt. He had been possessed by calmness
the likes of which he had never seen outside of himself.
There was no selfishness in his discovery. He had become
a purveyor of peace; an agent to foster togetherness.
And he found it alone in a happy heart.
© JPW - 2013
Margo Roby's Poem Tryouts: Photos as Metaphors
"Life had sharpened its edge on the flinty surface of Ravi's despair" - that line alone makes me want to reshape every poem I've ever written! You've captured the journey from despair to peace beautifully in this poem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above comment about that line. It is a beauty. The photograph is one of my favourites in that lot and the fact you can pull a story from it like you have, speaks to the man being photographed and the photographer. I agree with the poem's premise. It's a good message to heed.
ReplyDeleteGreat story to go with the picture. I, too, love the line about life - it is wonderful but I also like this: "He held no anger, harbored no guilt. He had been possessed by calmness..."
ReplyDeleteThat in itself is what we all need, to let go of anger and unnecessary guilt.
*sigh* Exactly right...this is such a complete peace/piece very satisfying read. Thank you.
ReplyDelete