It Is Death Life Is Life Poem by Aniruddha Pathak

If man were to rewrite life's mortal code,
Conquering age, banishing death for good,
If he bears bent-back life's back-breaking load,
Would life ever smile for such deathless hood?

Machines howso smart have not conscious been,
Myriads of mirrors in an infinite
Hall of heavens seeing each to each keen,
Radiating awareness? I doubt quite.

Any way, what dies is flesh, not the soul,
What gain garnishing a garment gone old?
What gain getting mileage from a tired mould?
Soul straddles lone remaining immortal.

And what use adding years to listless life?
If ye can't add life to years, add more cheers;
Ask Yayati of old that borrowed years,
Ashvatthama, whose life was long, not rife.

One can generations of lives foresee
Of old and weak pushing years, pleading death,
Praying for a new garment and fresh breath,
For euthanasia's last prick in mercy!

It's lust for life, living for a long length—
Should we add years to life or life to years?
The body dies not, age still appears,
Height, not heft where lies humanity's strength.

The Mother Earth, for long weakened in womb,
Bare can bear burden of a deathless strain,
And for all that won't die is there spare room?
Not death, let man master disease and pain.

And aught thou know O man: ‘tis Death life's sweet,
Death's friend, never in death is thine defeat!
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It is predicted that the advances in computer science, artificial intelligence (AI) , genetics, and biotechnology when put together may enable mankind in foreseeable future to banish death altogether making man immortal. More breakthroughs in science and technology are now made in one hour— what was possible in hundred years a century ago. Yet, where's the need? What do we achieve by becoming immortal? Death is a boon, no bane; it is death that life is so sweet.
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Happenings | 01.03.11 |