Agony

On an inky black night-
The moon hid her tear stained face
In the dark manes of the cloudy sky;
The stars struggled to peep out;
You came riding the wind,
Slicing the silence of the night
With your shrill hoots
Echoing urgency in each note
To pierce my sleepy mind-
To swim back to reality-
From the ocean of subconscious
Adrift in pursuance of an elusive dream.

Lying awake, listening,
To your soul rending hoots –
Reasons for your sorrow
Flitted through my mind.

“Did his beloved leave him for another?
Was he worried about the plight
Of the little ones in his nest?
Did the yawning years
Of loneliness trouble him?
Was he betrayed by his best friend?
Was he irked by the injustice
Meted out to him by his feathery kin?
Was he in a state of indecision
That paralyses humans to inaction?
Or was he just overwhelmed by the fight
To survive in a world, not always friendly?”

Twisting and turning I tried to gauge
Your sorrow and to find a reason.
But could only throb with your agony

By Latha Prem Sakhya