The inspiration to this poem is a discussion we had been having on 'Set Sail', chiefly between me and Partha on Authorship. :)

Along the dusty trails

At a forlorn crossing

Sat a water bearer plying his ware

Whence came a thirsty traveler

To quench, readily a bowl did he fare

And ‘ere as he gulped,

the traveler, the draughts

till quenched and satiated

Wiping the moisture from his beard

He verily declared,

‘Many a watering holes

Have I come across in my travels

But ne’er has the water tasted as sweet

nor as refreshing

Blessed be you

Dear water bearer

Not only am I quenched, I’m renewed

There must be some magic

With which you author your draught!'

‘Sire, it’s the heavens

Which bring the rains,

The stream which carries it herein

I merely carry this from the riverbed

What magic might I place therein?’

‘Ah foolish you, to not espy

The spice with which you lace

Your drink, tell me forsooth

When you do serve water, do you not

serve it with love and care?

‘Sire, your words fill me with warmth

Your truth I dare not decry

But pray tell me, if the heavens rained

Months before, foretelling your thirst to rivers

How can the author be me?’

‘There’s some wisdom

In what you say, my man

Water have I e'er before tasted

Yet in this quench special

Can you, your participation deny?’

‘Sire, the winds participated

in taking moisture from the sea,

the gravels of the river bed

lent murmur to the draught

True along with my goatskin, there also was I

But were it not for the Sun,

Your throat wouldn’t be parched,

Were it not for your dreams

You wouldn’t have travailed to travel

In this mystical cosmos

Wherein do we then draw the line?

And declare whether the author was YOU or I?

When the heaven decreed to rain with love

Let us all also go about our day with love

My dharma is to quench, yours is to travel

And perhaps the water

and thirst between them

for this moment's quench, had

Authoured YOU and me?

  • Abhi