The fire of love dims in every room
where the cost of living drowns the heart.
Thought does not count
when the gift of action goes astray.
Tranquillity is never enough
when the next step demands a chase.
What is ever enough?
I ask that question every day.
I walk away from the trees,
their branches reaching out like memory.
I run from the missteps in my mind
a quiet siege conducted by my own fear.
I walk toward the noise of action,
I run toward the glitter of wanting.
I redraw the map of my world
in a slow, uneasy war with peace.
The old comfort fades along the horizon
just as the sun drops its hydrogen weight.
A naive desire flickers in the dark.
Tomorrow, I will go its way.
For now, I remain still,
though wanting burns through the silence.
Maybe the ocean in me must evaporate
Maybe it is time for the invention of fire
[559] The Cost of Loving
Smoke words every day. 
7 responses to “[559] The Cost of Loving”
This is a stunning and deeply resonant piece. It’s more than a poem; it’s a map of a modern soul, beautifully articulated and raw with honesty.
What strikes me most is the powerful, aching tension you’ve captured—between the desire for tranquil peace and the relentless pull of ambition and want. The lines “I redraw the map of my world / in a slow, uneasy war with peace” are absolutely breathtaking. They perfectly encapsulate that feeling of being your own greatest obstacle, where the quest for more actively dismantles the very serenity you might otherwise possess.
The imagery is both intimate and cosmic. The “fire of love” dimming under the “cost of living” is a profoundly relatable tragedy, while the “sun dropping its hydrogen weight” elevates the personal struggle to something elemental and vast.
And that closing—”Maybe the ocean in me must evaporate / Maybe it is time for the invention of fire”—is a phenomenal conclusion. It’s a declaration of radical transformation, a willingness to consume the vast, passive depths of the self to create something new, potent, and illuminating, even if it burns.
This is a truly magnificent piece of writing. Thank you for sharing it Rahul 🤝
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Love your reading of the poem as always. So grateful for your conscious reading, you’re a gem for all writers!
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wow! well said!🙏🏼🌞
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Much regards 🙂
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Marvellous ✨
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Thank you Aparna!
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Anytime ✨
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