Nagamani Poem by Ravinder Kumar Soni

A strange sound this, the low hiss of a cobra,
The poisonous unblinking slithering creature
With a forked tongue,
That by living beyond a hundred years
In its mouth carries the perfectly round
Blue-tinted light-giving powerful Pearl.
Wherefrom can I get the pleasant sounds
For my ‘Been' to charm this snake
And hold that Pearl in my hands
And use its powers.
I have not used my ‘Been' even once,
And I am to ask the snake to give up its Pearl to me.
‘I will die', said the snake on reading my thoughts
Why should it die, even I thought.
What would I gain by wielding the powers of the Pearl,
By becoming invisible,
By becoming ultra-light and
By teleporting myself to strange places?
I do not need these powers:
I need to be invisible only if I have something to hide,
Becoming ultra-light means I will float,
And not have my feet grounded.
I shall not seek the Nagamani ever.