A knight approaches on his gallant steed,

Holding out a hand, I demand, “What business have you here, O knight?”

He halts by a tree and replies,

“I was sent on a journey to find the meaning of life.”

“Have you found the answer you have been seeking?”

“Nay, I have not found a man, who gave me an answer.”

“Sit down, brave knight and I will tell you,

The meaning of life, that you seek.”

A story that never ends, a chain that never stops

The chain of plagues, of death, of tranquility, of birth

The chain that constantly surprises us with its worst and its best

The chain that not only seeks to trip, to defeat, to choke to the death

But also seeks to bond, to inspire, to achieve

Made of wonder, made of fear

Made of laughter, made of tears

A blessing or a curse we know not

To live in the world that bore weight

To Hitler and Gandhi alike

Each bend of the chain holds a home

For cowards or heroes, we know not

We must choose the home we wish to occupy and

Refuse to be swept by the wind;

To be the playthings of enemies who,

Wish us to reside in the bend of their choosing

Falter not, brave knight! Falter not!

Do not be intimidated by the sleek bend of each chain

Nor the glint cast upon it by the horrendous deeds of your fathers!

Life is as beautiful as it is despicable; you must open your eyes to both aspects.

It does not do to see the aspect of our choosing,

We must learn to open our minds and see all;

Only then will we master the chain, and thus;

Live life as it should be lived.

We must hold on to the chain and never

Seek to cut the chain but rather,

Mold it with wit and hope

To shape a better life for future generations to come

Then I turned to the knight and said,

“Try as you might, you will not

Prove that what I say is true, using logic or science.

You must open your eyes and see,

The truth is all around us.”

– Ayah Gouda