Rukmani
Deepavali
Outside, the world is alight with fire
Joyous people do what their hearts desire.
My children and husband, smiling and gay,
Perhaps tonight I can throw my inhibitions away.
The village shouts away in the night;
The sounds seem to scare doom into submission.
Drums, flutes and singing musicians
Children laughing, their faces aglow
The candles shivering at the winds warm blow
But my fears never leave, they lurk in the shadows
Every heartbeat is a step to the gallows
But what can I do?
I must stay strong,
The burden is heavy and the journey is long.
And when my thoughts come back to the light,
The brightness of candles sharpening my sight,
My heart heaves and sighs a sigh.
And heavy as it was, it fills with hope
For what good could it do to sit and mope?
So I filled my soul with gladness,
Forgot about the bad luck ahead.
But even when a candle burns brightly,
The wick will always burn with it.
The candles shivering at the wind's warm blow
The wick will always burn down to the end.
By: Karen