7 | "Difficult maps for living" [doha sestina]

Brief is the span of living
broad is the brush of dying
great is the joy of giving
deep is the raag of sighing
wide is the hope of having
narrow's the lane of crying

Clouds may incline to crying
bugs are absorbed in living
humans are mad for having
everyone's soaked in dying
breezes are softly sighing
nature is always giving

What would the heart be giving?
why would the eye be crying?
when is the time for sighing?
what is the aim of living?
where is the point of dying?
what is the thing worth having?

Anyone could be having
troubles preventing giving
often we're busy dying
now and then briefly crying
rough is the road of living
autumn is often sighing

Kettles of tea are sighing
tables and chairs are having
parties that play at living
borrowing spending giving
chuckling shouting crying
coupling sprouting dying

There will be time for dying
let us be done with sighing
gone are the days of crying
why am I always having
crises? the sky is giving
difficult maps for living

Crying is part of living
sighing may lead to giving
what are the dying having?


========

This poem is the 2nd sestina in this cycle that employs a doha cadence (the first having been sestina #3).

raag (or raaga): a mode and lattice (and norm for composition or improvisation) having specific qualities, traits and associations, in Indian classical music. (The notion of a "raag of sighing" of course exemplifies poetic license.)