The Silent Gong - by Vaibhav Mohan


A while ago, but not so long

There lived a beautiful shiny gong

Its beauty was famous far and wide

And caused it a lot of arrogance and pride

Alas! There was but one concern

The gong was mute, to hear its sound all did yearn

To the gong, life felt purposeless and unfair

Always silent, in the throes of despair

Others would try to give comfort and advice

Even a broken clock is right twice -

And other such platitudes came for free

With each one of them the gong would disagree

A swarm of questions plagued its mind

Answers to which it hoped to find

Why can’t I be like my friends, the boisterous drum?

Or the happy guitar being strum?

Is the bronze on my back broken?

Is that the reason I haven’t yet spoken?

It traveled to lands far and near

With this cross that was hard to bear

One fine day on its quest

It met an old sitar that wouldn’t rest

Can you help me oh wise one!

My voice has come undone

One look and the sitar could see

Why the gong couldn’t fulfill its destiny

Your pride has made you blind

Which is why this axe you grind

All your life you have been solo

Which is why your soul is hollow

Why don’t you look around 

A companion you need to create a sound

The guitar has a pick 

And the drum a stick

Now the truth on the gong had dawned

A poor and humble friend it had shunned

It went back home to seek it out

Its mind no longer in doubt

A mallet is all I had needed all along

Without which I am so not strong

Once united, we shall sing a song

And the world will hear the sound of a gong

 

Comments

  1. AtulDecember 1, 2023 at 10:26 AM

    Just fantastic Vaibhav. Just beautifully original and superbly executed. Very fun, enjoyable and impressive.

    ReplyDelete

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