(After Yeats)
An evocative poem by Muddasir
"He must grow a legendary man,”
His chosen teachers thought at school.
He spent his life according to a youthful plan.
‘What then?’ sang Nietzsche’s spirit.
‘What then?’
Everything he wrote was widely read.
He won all – money and fame.
‘What then?’
He’s considered among the greatest writers of his time.
He played a vital role in liberating his land;
All his good dreams come true.
‘What then?’ repeated Nietzsche’s spirit.
‘What then?’
He’s a revered Spiritual too;
He has, in his hands, both the worlds.
“He surely has a place among the top layers of Heaven”,
Thought all his comrades
‘What then?’ repeated Nietzsche’s spirit.
And after his death:
All his labours came to dust.
“Let the fools rage, I rose in nothing – had I not intended fame,
I would’ve been in Heaven!”But louder sang the spirit,
‘What then?’
Picture design Anumita Roy
Muddasir Ramzan regularly writes blogs for the Muslim Institute, London. He studied English Literature at the Central University of Kashmir. His writings have appeared in different national and international journals in India, Pakistan, and the UK. He lives and writes in Kashmir, India.
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