Ghats of Varanasi
On the Ghats of Varanasi
The night is dark, but the roads are bright
With fire in hearts and lanterns in sight
Reflections of hope, lay floating on the river
And the stars have arrived down to Earth
On the Ghats of Varanasi
Saints and sages are draped in saffron
While men and women, devoid of passion
So they say, the water never blemishes
From the dips of these wandering souls
On the Ghats of Varanasi
An array of shaven heads bright minds, stand uptight
And the seekers, like moon borrowing sun's light
Capture a lesson, a memory, before they leave
While the hymns of life continue to echo
On the Ghats of Varanasi
A look to the right, a pyre flaming high
Wails of the dear, all trying to mollify
On the dead trees lay dead dreams
But the woods never stop burning
On the Ghats of Varanasi
But why did the man ever strive?
Was the ultimate goal only to survive?
Bundled in white, again the man sinks down
In the waters, never to rise again
On the Ghats of Varanasi
History of masked men, no one knows
There are no seeds to 'reap what one sows'
Likewise, no innocents to pray for a harvest
Just hollow actions basking in warm sunlight
On the Ghats of Varanasi
A day in the life, of a sage so wise
Roams he today, amidst the ashes and cries
Only he is aware that the World's building her pyre
From the actions of men, whom she had birthed
On the Ghats of Varanasi
The waves of Ganga once danced in the sky
But for his kin, a man refused to comply
He brought her down, from Himavan to Bengal
So all his dear dead could breathe again
On the Ghats of Varanasi
The shades of these waters aren't deep today
In an era of doom, who'll repent and repay?
The Ganges will continue to devour the sins
But the proud man refusing to enter still stands
On the Ghats of Varanasi
Inspired by William Dalrymple's The Age of Kali
Published on:
10 August 2020