“It’s Not A Good Day To Die”

By Chirag Ajmera

“I’m covered in blood, there’s ash on the ground,

It feels me so cold, there’s no life around;

It looks like hell, with dead bodies umpteen,

What is this place, I have never before seen;”

“This place is called morgue, and I am its keeper,

I service to Death; my name is Reaper;

Sent by my Lord, I give you an offer,

Kneel before Death, to end what you suffer;”

“It pains me a lot, I cannot withstand,

I’m waiting for the day, it’ll come to an end;

But I am not ready, to give up so soon,

Have a promise to keep, under the full moon;”

“It seems like your life has strung you to a tree,

I’ll come again tomorrow, to break you free;

Make no mistake, He’s the final choice,

There’s so little time for you to rejoice;”

“Do come tomorrow, at your own free will,

I am at your service, with a pigeon’s quill;

For just a day more, I keep the spirits high

Go tell your Lord, it’s not a good day to die;”

“I’ll wait for the day, you succumb to my accord;”

With that the reaper went back to his Lord.

I turned to my Life, all covered in blood stain,

“Tell me my Lord: Is Death, the final pain?”

“The scares on my soul are making me bleed,

To defeat the Death, I do have your need;

My body and mind have no energy

With everything bleeding, there’s no synergy;”

“I don’t know the answer, but if you must know,

You don’t have my need to keep him down low;

I gave you the strength and the desire to choose,

For me to make meaning, this battle you can’t lose;”

“It’s not just a battle of your body and mind,

To win this you must, have your shackles unbind;

Know this very well, when the Death is near,

It is in my meaning; his greatest fear;”

“But what should I do when he comes again,

How should I free from his endless chain;

Every day he stands to make me kneel,

How do I make him understand my will?”

“It’s not just the reaper, you have to fight,

Death himself will one day, test your’ might;

And that is the time you mustn’t quit,

Remember your promise and the full moonlit;”

And so, did I wait, for the reaper to come,

I knew what to say, and how not to succumb;

I desire to live, for I have a reason,

I kneel to Death, I’ll be committing a treason;

And did come the reaper again and again,

Every time I said NO, I was covered in bloodstain;

It took a thousand days, but the reaper understood,

With no intention to kneel, I am firm and resolute;

“What’s left in your life to serve you a purpose?

Why don’t you kneel, to an offer so generous?”

They give up so soon, so easy and sound,

It’ll end all the pain, just take a look around;”

“I say this no more, go say this to your Lord,

I’m not interested in his generous accord;

I say this O! Reaper, there’s something to know,

I’ll take the same stand, for each time you show;”

And this time the reaper knew it so well,

He failed in his service to the master of Hell;

“Forgive me master, I do fail you,

I’m sorry to say this, but he doesn’t fear you;”

“Oh! I am Death, his final destination,

To make him kneel, I’ll give an aspiration;

I do have a trick up on my sleeve,

If played it well, his world he’ll leave;”

He stood in front of me, with a merciful frail,

His outlook was dark, and exceedingly pale;

With tricks up his sleeve, he wished me to surrender,

Little did he knew, the promise I’d remember;

“I ask you no more, you don’t have to kneel,

You can choose my side at your own free will;

It’s high time for you to take some rest,

You successfully passed the entrance test;

You have my word, now no more pain,

Stay by my side to see her again;

So eager to meet you, she can’t stop crying,

With you by her side, I see you both smiling;”

“I know you are lying, my heart feels the queer,

With a beautiful soul, she can’t be in here;

I am sorry Oh! Death, your tricks won’t work,

From the moment you are here, I see you smirk;”

“What’s there in your life, so keen to pursuit,

What more can I do, to break this resolute?

And if I were to leave, this offer doesn’t stand,

You won’t get to see her, why don’t you understand?”

“There’s always a time, we must say goodbye,

As humans this rule, we have to comply;

But the meaning of life is not to give up,

I do have a promise, I must keep up;

And death turned about, feeling utterly despair,

With no other choice, he went back to his chair;

And so did I wake up, from the dark night’s dream,

Thus began my day, with the loudest scream;

The dreams are a ritual, they pain every night,

The Reaper and the Death, always test my might;

For the rest of my life, I keep the spirits high,

Will wait for Death to say, “It’s not a good day to die”.

By Chirag Ajmera