Hide and Seek - part 5 - Rhyming & Non Rhyming Poems by Nikhil Parekh - HTML preview

9. THE GREATEST OFFERING

If I used acerbic tree twigs instead of the corrugated comb to part my hair,

The outcome would be ludicrously funny; with several strands of follicle settling wildly on my scalp.

If I used steaming acid instead of water to clean my persona in the morning,

Blissful patches of my radiant skin would transit to a ghastly brown; as an aftermath of the acrimonious effluent.

If I used pure nectar instead of soap to wash my face,

There would be a battalion of red ant crawling all over; injecting small vials of sting in my blood.

If I used a quilt embossed with thorns to sleep; instead of one with furry cotton,

A myriad of spots in my body would bleed; rendering me tossing and turning all throughout the chilly night.

If I used raw coal tar instead of sandalwood mascara to embellish my eyes,

They would incessantly water; with a host of foreign bodies invading their dainty ambience.

If I used water logged cloth instead of Sun dried sticks to light a fire,

The conflagration would fail to incinerate; with paltry draughts of smoke produced as a ramification.

If I used a flat plate of porcelain instead of a mug to consume a barrel of fresh milk,

The liquid would clumsily spill; with frugal droplets of the concoction being able to enter my mouth.

If I used my hands to walk instead of my sturdy feet,

I would inevitably lose balance; toppling on the ground; appearing to be one from the acrobatic circus.

If I used red chili in food; instead of Commensurate amounts of salt,

The taste buds in my tongue would irredeemably burn; with my bowels relinquishing taste forever.

If I used all my love for a girl with overwhelming affluence; instead of the one who desired me truly from the heart,

She would feed me with sumptuous food no doubt; while keeping me tied in chains of rebuke and insult till the time I live.

And If I used infinite hours in the day worshipping God instead of doing something for those afflicted with distress,

The Creator himself would admonish me to perform benevolent deeds;

Assisting people camouflaged in cloud covers of anguish and sorrow,

Which would be the greatest prayer I could dream of offering to him.