Abiding Change Poem by Ananta Madhavan

Things go wrong? They will. A military man once remarked
When troops were in retreat, “Stuff happens”.
Things do go wrong. Stuff does happen. History is not bunk.
What does it matter in the short run or the long run?
Might as well reconcile ourselves to
Enduring our life-world as it happens.

Spring turns to summer, climates are bound to change,
Glaciers melt; the Congo, Ganga and Kaveri may freeze
Into highways fit for skating to the ocean.

Treading on fallen leaves and flowers
From the yellow treetops we admired last week,
We await the hum of dusk and night. The noisy nuisance
Of revved up motorbikes and klaxons meld with
Over-loud revels from the valley. There may be some
Prayerful at Sandhya, Vespers and shrines, or truly devout,
Wordlessly calling on humankind
For a climactic change of heart.

- - - - - - - - - - - 21 March,2015. Mysuru, India

I shall not blame Destiny or History or Evolution
For the ills we know we must endure to survive, even if
we cannot overcome them.