The Wheel

The clock rolled on, inexorably,

And inevitably,

As all things that mark mortal time

Must do.

The time at last came when I found myself

Walking that deserted dusty stony path

That was the stuff of my nightmares.

My meagre belongings, such as they were,

The remnants of a hedonist life,

Were slung on a stick upon my back,

And a staff to help lug my sorry ass along.

The path was dry and the dust clogged my nose,

So I was glad to see a tree in the distance,

Which might provide some shade and rest.

As I came closer, I saw a figure

Lying supine under that tree;

It was an old man and he looked close to death.

I raised an arm under his head and asked if he was okay;

He opened an eye … it was startingly blue,

Not a colour you’d see much

In this land of brown people.

He didn’t speak, just looked at me

With those eyes;

I chafed, because I had a road to travel.

Tell me, old father, do you need some water, some food?

What are you doing here anyway, in this waterless wilderness?

He still spoke nothing, just looked,

So I broke part of the last of my rotis

And soaked them in part of the last of my water

And fed him.

I looked into his eyes and fell back, startled,

For, those piercing blue eyes were mocking me.

I did not expect thanks, for I was leaving him,

Thanks but no thanks was always the way of the world,

But this cold silent laughter was more than I could fathom.

I must go now, old father, I told him,

I have a road to travel.

Suddenly, he spoke, and said,

Where do you think you are going?

Down this road, I said,

And what do you hope to find, he said;

I don’t know, I said, but it was written,

Rubbish, he said, there is nothing,

I have been there and here I am now.

Well, old father, if you found nothing at the end

Of this road,

Why retrace your tired steps back to this place

You started from?

If there is nothing there, I will rest there

For the rest of time

And never come back.

And there it was again,

That cold silent mockery,

He said, Oh, you’ll be back

To where you last left off,

Until you are released

From the wheel of time.