The Phantasm Poem by chandra thiagarajan

The Phantasm
I observed people
on a sprawling tall tree
gladly perched and poised ecstatically
on the strong green branches
picking devouring and eating heartily
the ripe juicy fruits with glee.

I, down below looked up
longed to be above-to sup
with them in their band
and be aloft and grand
to stuff, gormandize and burp.

In time I took time
and with great difficulty
climbed the tree, them to mime
and for a short time
my craving was in satiety.

There, to my utter dismay
I was witness to their bickering
meanness, manipulations, tinkering
and the manner in which
each one trounced upon
the other to eliminate and lay
from their stature.
The vile nature
they adopted to protract their stay
onto the perches in the branches
was sickening and nauseating.

I had no mind to hold on clinging
and taste the juicy fruits
of their Robinhood cloaked loots
for they appeared sinister
and deleterious to minister
to an unalloyed clean soul.

Presently I slid down—
them to mock
and stood firm like a rock
down on the ground
wondering at the chasm
of the phantasm.


Chandra Thiagarajan