Thursday, March 23rd, 2023
University Avenue, Toronto
RAM
Ram possesses all the qualities of a superhero
Royal traits of ultimate prince, monarch, or pharaoh
Reverent to all, eager to help and listen
With a service attitude acting on what's given
His build is admirable, countenance grave
Tasks he tackles meant only for the brave
He never moves suddenly at a reckless whim
No wonder his father, the emperor, adores him
Ram is the heartthrob for many a woman
He also has a striking brother, his name, Lakshman
Of all ladies, lovely Sita won Ram in a tournament
These three leave an indelible mark–a footprint
Literally so, on a forest floor at Chitrakoot
In a fateful exile they meet an ogress–not cute
Smitten with desire the ogress solicits Ram
He declares loyalty, not yielding to this love bomb
This invokes a fury in the lustful jungle lady
Who attacks Sita, for all she does is shady
Lakshman draws his dagger making a clean cut
Off comes nose and ears disfiguring her somewhat
The wounded ogress flees to gain retaliation
Fourteen thousand aggressive ogres assail, adding aggravation
Ram single-handedly put their lives to completion
The ogress reaches her cannibal king, Ravan, to petition
In revenge, this ten-headed villain uses trickery and hoax
A mystic becomes a golden deer who goes to coax
Fair Sita away from the guard of her husband
Ravan's plot triumphs, stealing Sita, Ram's diamond
To Isle Lanka he flies with captive Sita by his side
Devastated is Ram with his love companion denied
A vulture, a bear, a monkey offer solace
As allies they pledge to regain the goddess
Battles are conflicts to avoid if possible
When negotiations fail with bridges not crossable
Speaking of bridges, monkey Hanuman cleared the ocean
With one leap to Lanka on the strength of devotion
Crossing a new causeway, now the means to go
Is a simian army wielding weapons, for Ram it's a bow
A clash between mean man and monkey is a fierce fight
Casualties are plenty as all exhibit such might
The turning point–a fatal arrow hits Ravan's navel
The only bodily location Ram finds unstable
The ten-headed fiend's legion is completely defeated
But what now of Sita, has her life been depleted?
All this while it appears Sita's in captivity
In a grove of ashoka trees devoid of festivity
Surprisingly the goddess in despair is a mere phantom
Putting a twist to a story interesting to fathom
When Sita was abducted she prayed to the fire god
He gave her protection, for this we must applaud
Then an illusory Sita was suddenly manifest
The joke was on Ravan who thought he had the best
But then we wonder, did Ram too get tricked?
The drama plays out so emotions can be gripped
Ram, Sita, Lakshman end a fourteen-year ordeal
Hanuman joins, they return home to Ayodhya to reveal
More divine and sweet pastimes of a mystical kind
Tales of Ram are for a happy heart and happy mind
–By Bhaktimarga Swami
MAY THE SOURCE BE WITH YOU!
6 km
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