Enlightenment Never Comes Poem by Somanathan Iyer

Passing through the busy market road
With plans in mind for weekend purchase
Turned me on the sight of a walking angel
A stunning beauty feasted my eyes

Thanking God for that heavenly bliss
Moved further to find a toddler with no legs
Looking for alms from those pass him by
A feel of heaviness filled my heart

Walking further on my way to store
Found a woman with her ailing husband
Praying for help in getting him treated
A sense of guilt gutted my spirits

Way back home after finishing shopping
Witness I was to the sudden collapse
Of an old man who was walking before
A sense of fear saddened my soul

A mixed bag indeed the creation of God
Not a Buddha I am to renounce this world
Prone to times in gores and gaiety
Enlightened I am only to live this life!