Let me Paint a Picture Today...

Let me paint a picture for you,

Paint it real and paint it true.

Sketch it out from flesh and blood

Draw on the canvas- red soaked mud.

The tale of follies of the mankind

Of Good and Evil- all rewind.

Of War, politics and state affair,

Of men and women in despair.

Let me color it red, black and white

Color the gloom, terror and frightful sights.

O Look how the ink fades,

For it fears its own shades.

I paint a lady who desired throne for her womb

For which a warrior cast his own doom.

I color him black- the blind man born

His shades the kingdom mourned.

I color him pale- the desired king

Cursed to be deprived of love’s swing.

Among them I paint a princess-stolen, forsaken

Swore to take revenge;

Stood in a battle against the laws,

A fragile Eunuch became a death’s cause.

Another Princess- I paint red,

For she encountered five wedding beds.

Staked, shared, won and lost,

Honor disrobed- her anguish tossed.

I paint a mother- silent and blind,

Love for hundreds absorbed her mind.

 A stroke of white and pastel hues,

For a woman who feared the land’s abuse;

Restrained- Regretted- abandoned a son,

Did she fail or she won?

Painting this my fingers sore,

Still the canvas wishes for more

It sings to me- ‘You missed a slash,

A figure with flute-dark as ash’,

I paint him blue-gold and all colors bright

The only savior- the only light.

The player who conspired- won and lost,

On the dead canvas a divine crimson glossed.

The tale is one of sorrows and twist,

Of puppets locked on Fate’s wrist.

Many lives killed- many foul plays,

Men played war at blood-stained ways.

- A Guest Post By Apoorva Haritwal