By Indrani Chowdhury
My Quest for the Elixir of Life.
Many a time the recalcitrant tides of life had derailed my steps,
I, who stood then at many dead ends,
Beaten, battered, tethered, and at my wit's end.
The nectar called the elixir of life seemed to be hidden somewhere in between,
But it remained elusive to me, and I couldn't put my fingers on it.
As I embarked on a journey in its quest,
The rabbit hole lengthened leading to more dead ends.
And the catastrophes, the pain, the drudgeries,
Caused more heartaches and miseries.
By then, I was running helter-skelter, blind, and burdened,
Like a headless chicken.
As I could no longer hold back my fears,
I bared my soul to him, her, and to anyone who seemed to care.
Little did I know that I would receive more flak from fate,
Which always prefers to hit below the belt,
Adhering to no rules of the game.
But amongst those sea of troubles,
The elixir bubbled as a ray of hope,
And its pursuit kept me going to the end of the road.
As I had dived deeper singing the do or die hymns,
It was only then that the scenario seemed less intimidating.
In the process, I regained my chutzpah to initiate a new beginning,
By joining the missing links.
This new me gave myself a chance,
To strive, to seek, to find braving the inner doldrums.
So, this time when I was tossed again,
Into the heavy sea of adversities,
I navigated brandishing my new-found strength,
Vanquished the menacing waves,
Thus, ending up tasting the elixir.
Author’s Note:
My poem titled ‘My Quest for the Elixir’ portrays my long arduous journey through known and unknown landscapes of life to know myself and to discover the true purpose of my life.