Those Nocturnal Ones
Those nocturnal ones
Of dark chambers
And the dazzling world of sleaze
Of unimaginable comfort
Ease and plenty,
Where the sun never shines
But it matters little,
For there are neon lights
That never fade
Lighting the lives
Of those nocturnal ones.
And these creatures of the dark
Emerge not at sunrise
But after the sun has set
And the moon has come out
In the night sky above,
Illumining their way
Through the forest of desire
Into the cave of sensual pleasures
With the promise of worldly treasures
And honours bestowed
For delighting starved souls
Dwelling in the cold desert of ignorance
And selfish desire.
These nocturnal ones
Called by numberless names
Disrespectful and dirty,
Yearn for that which eludes them most
The garb of respectability
That they may don with a flourish
And which they shall always cherish.
And they care not
About the happenings
In the dark caves of sensual pleasures
Far away from human gaze
Where they are used, misused and abused,
Evan as they never fail
To kindle pleasures
And satiate base desires
Of their lords and masters
Those depraved souls
Dwelling in the cold desert of ignorance
And selfish desire.
And the tragedy of it all
Is the secrecy
To which they are confined
In their dark, sunless world,
While those depraved souls
Their appetites whetted and satiated
Emerge into the clearing
Under the Sun
That those nocturnals long to see
But are denied,
For sadly
And quite unjustly,
There lies drawn
That fine line of demarcation
That keeps apart
The two worlds
Of the user and the used.
Kadambari Kaul is a poet and author of three books on Indian philosophy: Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad, Verses from the Dhammapada and Gautama Buddha - A Noble Life. Her books have received positive reviews in the National Press and have been well distributed in libraries in India and abroad.
Writing poetry is a sort of meditative exercise and an integral part of Kadambari's spiritual journey. Her poems have also been featured in various anthologies and journals such as "Ocean Waves" published by Red Penguin Books, "New York" and "Freedom" published in the Anthology Freedom Raga and republished in the literary magazine Reader's Choice, India. Kadambari recommends Conc ' rn: Care of Needy Children Rightfully Nurtured.