I walked along the known trail
Lazy steps and carefree soul
Watching the sun go red
As I took my evening stroll
.
I picked a leaf, off a giant tree
And off a tiny sapling too
Never giving it a second thought
What to them, it will do
.
Morning dawned, I walked again
The tree as it was the other day
But nothing of the sapling was
Where it once, shyly, lay
.
I asked the tree, what all this meant
And where the sapling had to go
The tree yawned, looked at me
And said, Do you really want to know?
.
“The first leaf was all it had,
The poor sapling, down below
It never will, come out again
To become a tree, or to grow”
.
“A leaf lost isn’t much to me,
Many more will take its place
By end of day, I will forget
The leaf’s fate, I will embrace”
.
“The sapling though, will not be
A sapling or tree anymore
By now, it will have gone back
To where it was before…………
Lata said,
March 25, 2009 at 5:25 am
Very nice, makes one think.
In my experience, I’ve seen kids stop pinching off the new leaves from a plant once you explain the plants’ food making process to them (of course according to the age level).
On another level, the same verses would make sense with “hope” also. If the hope is crushed, there isn’t much left.
Thanks for sharing.
laasya said,
March 25, 2009 at 11:12 am
I liked the thought VERY much! well done!
And a million possible interpretations , too 
..my english teacher would’ve had a ball with this 
)
Ananth said,
March 25, 2009 at 1:31 pm
I can understand what you told me much better with this. But really, this is a very beautiful way to explain.
DDey said,
March 25, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Beautiful! Ananth’s comment makes me even more curious!!!
Ananth said,
March 25, 2009 at 5:14 pm
A colourful flower,
A busy bee:
Both need each other,
Nature’s propriety.
The bee
Decides one day
He will be a flower
All bright and gay.
Will the flower
Be cheering?
And the other bees
Be encouraging?
Anyway, the bee
Stands still
And pretends to be
A flower until….
The other bees
Laugh at the poor thing
Egg it on to
Be entertaining.
The flower
Finds it amusing,
That the busy little bee
Is pretending.
Does the flower know
The busy little worker
Is trying all his heart
To be a flower?
bhavin said,
March 26, 2009 at 3:02 am
The sapling said..
I might look shy
and a little weak
but deep inside nature’s heartbeats
what you take from me is but a small piece
that which is gone i have no regret
something i would rather forget
i see the mighty tree beside
a desire deep grows inside
to reach for the blue fast and high
take what you want you silly girl
and when i am older
take a flower for those heady curls
Pritesh said,
March 26, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Oh My! Looks like I’ve brought out poets in people!
@ Lata: Thanks Lata. Indeed, the verse has many possible interpretations, depending on which way you wish to interpret it.
Ya, I wrote it in a very specific context but one’s free to interpret whichever way one likes
@ Laasya: Indeed, this poem would’ve given ME nightmares 15 years ago!
@ Ananth: Thanks, I am glad you could grasp what it meant!
@ DDey: Indeed DDey, this post has its roots in one of our end-of-the-day conversation day before….
@ Ananth: Ananth, I don’t know why you don’t write a blog yourself! You’re SO very good at it!!!!!
@ Bhavin: Thanks Bhavin, that is a beautiful new perspective. Poetic Bhavin?
bhavin said,
March 27, 2009 at 2:26 am
In a corner of the mind
not so easy to find
a poet in waiting does reside
from what you sense
he almost seems to hide
but a moment is all it takes
like a spark before the fire
he has been waiting for something that can inspire
Thank you too!!!
karthik said,
March 29, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Beautiful one Pritesh !! very sensitively written . very Nice thought..
Manjari said,
April 15, 2009 at 4:13 pm
nice read…