The Fate of Sarpedon

King Priam’s city towers tall

Surrounded by the windy plains

Where mortal men and ageless gods

Wage war as Agamemnon reigns

Man-killing Hector thunders forth

Breaker of horses, Achaean foe

Spurred on by Lord Apollo’s will

And fired by his kingdom’s woe

Much like a lion’s mighty roar

Does Are’s ringing war cry sound

As Danaan wolves and Trojan dogs

Wreak havoc as they hunt and hound

When horses break their chariot reigns

And wounded warriors cry in pain

The blood of beast and man does mix

And mingle in the dusty plain

Amidst the chaos and the din

Of battle born of lustful sin

The lord of thunder pensive sits

In meditation grave and grim

Just like an eagle perched for prey

Surveys the ground below his bower

So deathless Zeus sits and views

The battlefield and topless towers

And in his line of sight there stands

The shepherd of the Lycian sheep

The godlike Sarpedon who sends

To Argive ranks eternal sleep

Infusing strength into his men

The Lycian leader leads them on

Towards Scamander’s hollow ships

Towards a rosy-fingered dawn

The lord of lightning knows the fate

His brave and noble son must meet

He views afar the Myrmidons

Come charging in a frenzied heat

A brazen form with horsehair plume

The mighty son of Kronos sees

Who is this armoured demigod

The brave swift-footed Achilles?

The lord of heaven wrathful grows

Olympus trembles as he quakes

Patroclus clad in gold he sees

Whose hubris paves the path he takes

And yet the fearless Lycian King

Comrade of Glaucus, Sarpedon

Stands like an oak tempestuous bound

Bright shining like the rising sun

The earth stands still as silver bolts

Like tongues of serpents rip the sky

The world will churn and Troy will burn

The blazing sun will set and die

Then ox-eyed Hera wise and bold

Laments and curbs her husband’s pain

The bloody war must run its course

And Sarpedon too must be slain

She knows the spectacle of man

Is one where each does play his part

A poignant tale scripted by Fate

A woven tapestry of art

The tide of time will ebb and flow

Into a calm and placid sea

The swimmer casts a mournful eye

Towards this vast eternity

When Fortune, courtesan of life

Does prance in provocative glee

O, who can bend or try to mend

What harlot graces do decree?

No wounded horseman’s plaintive plea

No god bellowing from the sky

Can win over her wily whims

When Fate ordains that death is nigh

When citadels come crumbling down

And spectres break and arrows rust

Colossal towers crack and char

Civilizations turn to dust

And all bejeweled spoils of war

And all the glory lost and won

Are dog-eared pages fading slow

Into a vast oblivion

The lord of thunder shakes his head

He sees the slayer of his son

He sheds a tear for him so dear

The day is dim, the time has come

Patroclus wields his brazen sword

The furies rage, the sirens sing

As Zeus almighty takes an oath

To clip the boy’s Icarian wings

A thousand carmine raindrops pour

The mighty oak uprooted falls

Surrounded by the dance of death

Prefiguring the flaming walls

The death of dauntless Sarpedon

The lion-hearted Lycian king

Shall bring about the fall of Troy

As Deimos reigns and war cries ring

Kautilya's Prophecy

O Mother – grant your son to me,

The boy will rise to glorious heights,

Dispel the darkness of the lands,

Destroy the potent Nanda might.

O Son – your future awaits thee,

Tonight, to Taxila we’ll flee.

Shatkar shall aid, and I shall guide

And you shall form a dynasty.

O King – be wary of this child,

Your kingdom’s curse, your country's boon,

For he is fated to conquer

The rolling plains of Magadha soon.

O God Almighty – bless this seed

I’ll nourish to a sturdy tree.

Rakshasa shall fret, when I shall guide

And he shall reshape history.

Letting Go

Dear LSR,

You've been like a boyfriend to me. In these three years, I've changed around you. Grown into a fuller, better person, without realising how much you've shaped me. When I first saw you, I was told it would be magical. Every woman in this country wanted you, yet I was lucky enough to be that special one. And I experienced a great sense of smugness and pride, because I knew I had deserved you. To be a part of you, and to have you as a part of my life, was truly magical.

There were, however, times you let me down. When you led me to believe you had smooth-talked me into this; that it was all a facade you had created around yourself, to get women like me to fall for your superficial charm. Where was the space you had promised to provide me, which would allow me to explore myself and my potential? There were days when I felt smothered and suffocated by your overwhelming presence. Dictating the terms, circumscribing my efforts. I would tell my friends you're fucking me over, that I want out. That it was all a big mistake, choosing to be in this, when I had had no dearth of options.

But today, when I look back, I smile. I remember the winter strolls in the backlawns, the lazy summer afternoons, the macaroni and cheese at the cafeteria, the prom nights, the Nescafé dates, the class-bunks and the mass-bunks, the tea and cigarettes, and the songs I sang for you during Tarang. There were nights you kept me up, to finish off what we had started, and those nights were wonderful. Specially knowing I'd wake up in the morning to you.

Those nights may never return. Tomorrow morning, I may wake up somewhere else, to someone else. But today, when I look back, I wonder. You've been an inextricable part of my life, made me who I am today. Making me strive to excel, to live up to your expectations, teaching me, marking me, encouraging me, holding my hand. Lecturing me over marxist tenets and feminist ideals, you've influenced me considerably. In a small way, in a great way. Leaving you will be hard, and moving on, harder. Someone else will take my place, but remember me like I will always remember you.

I'm sorry for the times I've been harsh and overly critical of you. I'm sorry for the times I've asked for too much. But it’s never too late to put the pettiness behind and make up. Because I know that I may leave you, but you’ll stay with me, since I’ll carry a part of you when I go.

Yours forever

Your girlfriend

Bhavika