Thorns

July 8

Some thorns pierce the eyes,
While others wound the feet.
Each leaves a different mark
Upon the chambers of the heart.

A thorn within the eye
Steals away peaceful sleep;
Envy, bitterness, resentment, and spite
Only grow ever deeper.

Day after day it pricks the sight—
The hostile ways of others.
The heart sinks into despair,
The mind grows heavy with burden.

Even the apple of our eye,
At times, becomes a thorn.
The soul grows restless,
And our inner balance is shaken.

A thorn lodged in the foot
Brings unbearable pain.
It makes every step difficult
And leaves a wound that lingers.

The thorn in our own foot
Can often be removed by our own hands;
But the thorn in the eye
Is seldom under our control.

Perhaps by lessening envy
We can loosen its hold.
By ignoring another’s success,
We may quiet the fire of jealousy.

Those who scatter thorns
Along another’s path—
What joy do they truly find?
Perhaps they delight
In the intoxication of another’s pain.

Encircled by every kind of thorn,
Life continues its journey.
Filled with conflicting emotions,
The heart sighs on,
Living through silent anguish.

— Vidya

Translated by chat gpt