It lay there motionless
As if it were already dead
That great bird of many thousand years,
Brought to our eyes endless streams of tears
In remorse, we all covered our faces
For it was the finest ever bred.

The sun in cooperation rained down its rays
Then ignited flames about her to incinerate
Thus honoring a lifetime of endless frays
And leaving us mortal men to contemplate
Away went her life as if out of a lash
And all that was left, was a pile of ash.

But what we saw next amazed us;
A strange wind moving the ash
A clatter, then a cacophony
An eternal cry of seeming agony
The old passing on the spirit to the new
An eternal phoenix rising anew!

It was better while we sought
Now the thing is not compelling anymore
Even our hearts are now sore,
For sadness, this gain has brought.

It was better while we fought
While the sound of our voices rose,
As we argued endlessly about our woes
But now, each one suffers (silently) with their lot.

It was better while we sobbed
Those tears revealed our compassion
But now, we have all become cold,
And treat each other with derision!

She listens closely for those soundless whispers
She even hovers about at vespers
She sees what no one sees
And shakes her head at the ******!

She’s always prying, never satisfied
She doesn’t care about the ‘classified’
When discovered, she says, ‘enough’
But then, she’s only started to bluff

‘I free you from *******’, saith she
Then I thought I was truly free
She lurked around though I couldn’t see
And surely, soon again, she was after me!

Each pair of feet sauntered peacefully along the street,
So did the streams of sweat that coursed down their faces as homage to the heat.
But all their faces were stained with a blank stare,
And their demeanor showed all the signs of despair,
The joy-sorrow balance seemed to be even;
But the wrenching agony inside them could never be hidden.

Their silences were so deep for no words were spoken.
And each heart beat as if it was already broken.
But no one was hurt – at least exteriorly,
Yet their individual anger inside churned fiercely.
That anger I tell you was every man’s only defense;
For how else would you live in such a world of indifference!

Only if you knew what it was,
You'd understand why I couldn't explain.
But, I'll patiently bear these woes.
And cherish every night of pain

Their slogans and clatter mingled with untold fury,
As they charged towards him like a fierce gale,
His eyes widened, his joints collapsed, his face was pale,
But they just didn't care; he had to be dealt with duly.

The shy moon gave his face a sinister veneer
And made all his homely features quickly disappear,
So all they could see was a man afraid -
Afraid because of the guilt his heart bred.

With broken bones and bleeding flesh he lay half dead.
The last piece of life wrestled within him.
Only then was a voice from the crowd heard that said;
"Oh no! It was not him!"

Those lovely days; I remember
And the joy of every encounter,
And the dialogues that robbed us of sleep.

Is that all lost, I wonder!
I am shaken to the marrow and under
But I am hopeful still; for the friendship was too deep.