As the meandering river of fate cascades through
The unyielding terrain of the universal void,
Liquid life glistening on the astral orbs;
There stands Conscience,
At a point of divergence,
Watching intently the
Numerous offshoots branching from the
Starry stream of a galaxy, flowing as
Far as its metaphysical vision could comprehend;
Thinking to Itself,
“Which, oh, to which stream’s current shall
I cede my skeletal canoe?
Which path, which choice,
Should my weary mortal frame tread –
A cruel road to riches and ever-lasting want,
Or a righteous trail to contentment and unfulfilled need?
A gnarly ascent to fame and a loss of privacy,
Or an idyllic, smooth descent to peaceful oblivion?
A thoroughfare to acclamation built on lies,
Or one toward social exile built on brutal honesty?
O Heavenly Parent, guide your child toward the light.”
At long last, after brooding over the quandary
Till the sun’s eyelids droop;
Though the dread of failure hangs
In the otherwise tranquil yet unsettling silence;
Conscience rolls the dice and chances upon
A stream, a path, an option;
And nudges itself toward it.
Now a fait accompli, the journey
Seemed less unnerving, but
Just as arduous.
After having travelled a distance that determined
The chosen path a permanent decision,
Conscience camps for the night.
Though its vehicle of flesh goes
Out like a light,
Its mind races to somehow
Convince itself that
It has chosen the path
Accurate for its ambition.
It couldn’t help but wonder
Whether it would regret its pick.
Many a morrow later, when Conscience experienced
The motley mixture of euphoria, contentment and pride
Which comes with the accomplishment of
A life’s purpose in the world,
And a remembrance of the sheer
Determination and effort applied toward
Bringing about change
In a personality, a character, a device of fleeting thought, a soul;
A tiny sliver of thought still voiced its question,
Its topic of rumination:
“What would my fortune have been had I
surrendered to a different current?”
Our choices shape the mind;
Our risks shape character;
But our incorporation of change
Into every aspect of our persona,
Fueled by our mind, character, instinct and conscience:
That shapes our legacy.
Sushman C. Satsangi is a high-school senior, amateur poet and aspiring philosopher with a passion for exploring the intersections of art, thought and the human experience. His works, which extensively employ lyricism and free verse, reflect deep philosophical inquiry into deceptively simple moral quandaries and subtly profound experiences. He currently resides in Hyderabad, Telangana.
