What’s Light Without Darkness: A Poem by Amrita Mallik

“What’s light without darkness?” and the man chased the woman,
The desperate lady ran to save her life… her reputation,
Somewhere the dingy, dark alley appeared the darkest,
She received the glistening Khadga… she stopped,
Turning back, and slaying the demon, she said,
“You’re right… What’s darkness without light?”

The colorful teeny lights decked up the entire house,
Inside, the lights were turned off as usual,
And when the darkness appeared the ghastliest,
The woman received a jocund Trishul,
Wiping out her prosaic tears, she too smiled,
“You’re right… What’s darkness without light?”

You call it gory, but the winds of change demand it,
When the lights of development fail to coruscate,
When the bitter cold and dry winters knock on the doors,
But, sustaining life and existence never goes out of light,
Ruthlessness over tolerance becomes a mandate,
Gentleness gives way to thoughtful unpleasantness.

The festival called life must be celebrated every season,
Be it earthen lamps, or starry electronic lights,
Whether you put them on or not… whether you can,
The multi-handed nurturing figure always stays on guard,
Some become one with it… some feel its presence,
As the enveloping darkness sits harmoniously with the glaring light.