In Search of Paradise

When I was young I had set out

With a bagful of education and fistful of dreams; 

My heart was filled with hope and desire

And my stride with the spring of confidence!

A map in my hand and the compass of love

Began my journey in search of paradise.

I stopped by to listen to the strains of the flute,

Played by a blind man who was destitute

He soothed my soul at the end of a hard day

After which tired on my bed I would lay

And trace my journey thus far;

Paradise still seemed a distance away.

I earned some money along the way

Stole a heart or two and gave mine away

I reached out to people who needed help

Wiped a tear, shared a laughter, sometimes a meal

Through the sunshine and the storms

Paradise was still a distance away!

The internet brought the world closer

And widened my own horizons.

Friends online became important

Their opinions mattered and so did their ‘likes’!

I knew more people than ever before

But paradise was still a distance away.

I met a young girl who was special

She didn’t have a mind, her mother said!

She pranced along though not aimless

And laughed her heart out even in distress.

I watched her tears turn into a smile

Was this paradise, I asked myself.

A home, a car, and some world travels,

Creature comforts and entertainment.

Pleased, I put my feet up on a stool,

Stretched my arms and felt beautiful!

‘This must be paradise’, I heard a voice say

But the road to paradise just curved ahead.

I see the world around me now

A mute spectator to all the despair.

Of people leaving their homes for peace

Losing some loved ones in the process

I clasp my fist tight to hold on to my dreams

In search of paradise my journey continues…