This is a poem spread across multiple pages. Please read in order. Please click on links below to read the earlier passages from the poem.
The Fool - I.
The Fool - II.
The Fool - III.
The Fool - IV.
The Fool - V.
The Fool - VI.
The Fool - VII.
The Fool - VIII.
The Fool - IX.
The Fool - X.
The Fool - XI.
The Fool-XII.
The Magician-I.
Don’t tell us like the Fool, the Magician can fall,
if they all keep failing, who will answer the call,
the hero’s call of adventure, and unrelenting fun
more light-hearted perhaps they can easily run
the grim distance to be covered, for the quest to end
but how to cover it alone - everyone is at wits end!
How about a relay of sorts, let the baton be passed,
Let the Magician take over, from when the Fool passed.
Let the Fool rest for a while, let the Magician hog the light,
Anyway magicians are a better bet, few fools are ever right.
The Fool has completed his job, that of initiating the quest
The Magician is more than capable of finishing the rest.
Or is he as strong as he appears- is it not all but a grand projection?
isn’t it his tricks that make it seem- that the roots didn't lay in rejection.
Scorned by love, and dismissed by life
not measuring in his own eyes, belittled by wife
The Magician lived a dual life - one in which he ruled
and in the other felt powerless, helpless and doomed
While to the world he could lift mountains, or make them disappear
his inner world consisted, of constant anxiety and fear,
Fear of being discovered, fear of being a fraud,
of not getting standing ovations, of not getting applaud
this was his chance to shine - or so we would like to convince him
but remember he’s no fool, its not easy for us to con him
Only if there is genuinely something in it, for the magician’s pride
can we hope to enlist him - and take him for a ride.
For this will be a ride to remember, revealing to Magician his fate
whether he’s a common trickster or a man with extraordinary sleight!
For sleight of hand is not enough, in what he needs to do
He needs to put together the Fool again, reignite his bravado
Once shaken and stirred, its not easy to gain composure,
But isn't this the Magician’s forte, isn't it as per his stature!
He’s renowned for calm under duress, and for rejoining in flash
the people that have been disembodied, broken in spirit and flesh
broken to the point, where the quest seems meaningless,
will he rekindle their fires - let’s hope- God bless
the Magician for agreeing, to heal the Fool,
he’s really in charge here, the Mr Cool,
he can heal whats broken, or so he thinks,
hasn't healed himself in years, God he stinks!
Let the healing begin from self, Magician heal thyself
Let the journey start afresh, let the past be damned!
The burden of past, the shame of withdrawing from it all,
hiding behind a facade, appearing majestic and tall
The Magician is in a quandary- whom he attend at first,
The Fool and his broken arm, or look inward in disgust
and come up to terms with what he couldn't achieve earlier,
but given this second chance, can redeem and overcome fear
of being who he is- a common and ordinarily resilient man
no magician or superhero- nor Robin nor Batman!
Who’s apprentice and who’s master only time will tell
for now let the Magician tend to Fool, who so recklessly fell
and broke his arm, but more his drive to succeed,
now if he can get out of bed, that is miracle indeed
Each morning the pain of not getting up charged
drys up his resolve- leaves him parched.
If the Fool has called it quits, the Magician is resolved
he wants to heal the fool, make him anew in his mould
make him strong to last the path, that is bound to be rough
make him tall and majestic, and like the Magician tough.
If deception is what makes you win, so be it
if trickery does the trick, lets use it!
Lets trick the Fool - he’s still strong and intact.
Lets trick the Magician - he’s doing some act
that is noble and redeeming, that can overcome his sins-
by fooling the duo, we, the people, wins.
and let the Magician trick the Fool, as to his capabilities and charm
as long as everything moves the quest, theres no harm
before the fool can be deceived as to the Magician’s craft
the Magician needs to be comfortable with his art!
For only by deceiving oneself, can one hope to convince
and make the Fool ready for quest, no qualms, without wince
the Magician needs to create, a story about his self worth
that being a magician and healing- is by itself worth
healing the people who are broken from the ordinariness of life
and broken from the extraordinary stressors, the traumas, the strife
for everyone, the Magician, has something in his magic box,
delighting everyone with their favourites- oh the cunning fox
he knows what smells you like, what perfumes you spray,
he can make you believe as if he is the hopeful ray
who can see through your facades and still not use it against you
but entertain and heal, and create a fantasy world new
where you forget your pain, for a moment or two
and get drawn in his world, like a glue.
