ROSE AND SPIKE : Akram Sidiqui

ROSE AND SPIKE 

Akram Sidiqui 

The parsimonious thorn,

verdant with envy,

inclined toward the resplendent rose

cradled at its flank, and murmured,

“You parade in the pageantry of beauty,

ensnaring every vagrant gaze,

yet you are brittle as a breath upon glass,

a heartbeat away from withering.

Why do hearts still choose you,

when my sinew outlasts seasons,

when my vigil never sleeps?”

The rose, in a hush of silk-laden petals,

unfurled her smile.

“I know the frailty in my veins,

I know my bloom is but a sigh

spilled into the palm of time,

yet even if my days are few,

I shall gladden a lone heart,

rekindle the ember in a weary soul,

and lay cool dew upon a parched face.

And in that singular moment,

I shall have garnered enough eternity

to outlive you all.”

(Akram Sidiqui is a well-known writer, poet, and columnist from Khrew Pampore, JK.)