The Hemlock Instructor Poem by Showkat Ahmad Wani

I am no teacher, for I do not teach,
But an instructor, set to teach what's wrought,
Without the blessing of my inmost bird,
These woven words on pages void of wings,
Proclaim the hollow dreams of hollow souls,
Not one pure drop to them can I bestow,
From out the boundless ocean of my good,
For I teach not, but only give command,
I am to teach the hemlock, ripe and dark,
Plucked from the tree of chaos, twig by twig,
And kills each nerve of sense, each breath of feel,
I see the Sahara in their vacant eyes,
A goal enshrouded deep in mystery,
The lost birds wander, heedless of their loss,
But I shall not lead them to their path,
For I teach not, but only give command.
(March,2025)