Introspection Poem by Venkateswaran Krishnan Sreenivasan

In sobriety and peace, search your mind
For startling truths in a nook, you will find
Concealed from other people’s gaze;
To you, a mute guiding blaze.

Hostility is a burdensome load,
A spark that burns itself and its abode;
Abhor the vicious act and not the actor
Hate the noxious smoke and not the smoker.

The less I knew, the more proud I was;
A little knowledge built up my brass;
Vanity and ignorance nurtured this vice
That vanished as I became worldly wise.

Envy and jealousy show an immature trait
That makes for your enemies easy bait;
Envy erodes excellence like moth on a garment
And turns talent into a torment.

Anger opens the mouth and dulls the brain
To spit out scornful words sans reason;
Its fury drowns itself in the strain
Of folly, repentance and treason.

Greed has selfishness as its mother
To covet the wealth and possessions of another
To crave for too much food and not bother
And waste our goodness like a desert flower

Sloth is the very antithesis of life,
As tragic as an infant death;
Our organs are attuned to work and strife
And not to be content with just the breath.

Lust degrades man to the level of the beast
Shorn of human dignity, to say the least;
Lecherous men are prone to crime
Against the moral values of our time.



The loving heart is a gift from Heaven
Human nature in perfection,
Raining selfless and benevolent affections
On those who seek redemption.

Forsake these seven sins for ever,
Listen to your inner counsel and be wiser;
Examine your motives on every hand
And write your worries on the sand.