Giving up.

Give up,

I told myself.

Let it go.

You can't do this forever.

This is pointless !

The earth is but a speck,

And you, a speck on a speck.

A cog in the wheel.

Are you even needed ?

The moment you fall,

You will be replaced,

And no one will be the wiser.

I am, what I am !

Retort I.

I do what I do,

Emboldened I reply.

Do something,

Must not I ?

To register my presence,

In the universe.

To leave my footprints,

In the sands of time.

Fall I may,

But someone will rise,

To take my place.

My presence shall testify,

That it has been done,

And can be done again.

My footprints shall whisper,

Someone walked here.

You can too !

And leave yours,

For the someone,

Who will come after you.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

P.S. - This essentially wrote itself on the 29th of October, 2023, when I met my friend tenzin tsundue on the 28th of October, 2023. After a long gap of almost 18 years.

If anything, this is an ode to his courage and never-say-die attitude.

His works are vastly superior to mine. You can access some of his finest works at: https://www.tenzintsundue.com/poems/betrayal/ .

Anant Kumar Asthana Vivek Anand