Man of  Compassion – ‘Karunasri’ Jandhyala Papaya Sastry

In this   deep  mysterious midnight

What’s this sound of opening the  door bolt?

Who’s opened the doors now

 Of  these inner chambers?

Who’s this   handsomest  form of compassion

Going  out drawing the curtain aside?   

Why doesn’t the  full moon of radiating beauty   

Lose  its  color today?

  

Did he betray

The  pure friendship of his sweetheart 

Who used to  sleep on his bosom? 

 Or- Why is his  face lusterless?

Are they attempts to tear asunder

The eternal  bonds of  love

Who trusted and gave her all-   

Why are his legs faltering at the threshold?

Rolling at  the end of eyes

Pearly smiles of baby on the bed

Lost in sleep deep

And smiling in lands   fantastic?

 Why  this hesitation?

   Unable to leave house    

  or   friendship of his  spouse

  Or affection firm   for baby?

Why doesn’t he rearrange

The scarf following  him on the floor?

Is it due to his inability

To snap the bond of his  love’s hand?

Stands still on seeing a thousand

Imaginary reflections of his love

Who embraced his feet at every step

With hands stretched and eyes teary.

Fall the feet of the lord

Forward and backward on stairs

Like the couple of royal swans

Swimming against  the currents.

Would descending these palaces

Lead to ascending high places?

Would giving up forest expeditions

Lead to create new explorations?

Have the eyes meant for  merry dances  of damsels

 Seen the dance of truth?

Have the ears  tuned  to  sounds of  anklets of tender feet

Listened to the voice inner?

 Has  the flickering lamp in a hut

    sent a message  from the wretched?

Disillusioned about palaces gold

 Treaded the path of huts ruined?

Stifling  the heart irrepressible

Going away the lord from the world mundane

What does the “great exit” mean?

Without wealth, wife and baby?

Merging the man of compassion

Into the darkness thick  from light

To emerge as the  leader of the fallen

Into light out of darkness thick.