The Pencil

The pencil 

2B or not 2B

That is the question. 

Or maybe 2HB?

Difficult decision 

I was an Apsara 

Dancing on white sheets 

Sometimes a Nataraj 

In black and red beads 

Perhaps a Kohinoor 

Shining yellow hues 

Or Parimal Chetty 

In saffron and blues 

Sometimes I had an eraser 

Stuck to my back 

To rub out your mistakes 

Alas life doesn’t have that 

I used to draw your cartoons 

And do some homework too 

Used in battles as a weapon 

Or as something to chew 

I sent your little messages 

To the girl in the first row 

And played knots and crosses 

With your back bench bro 

But you fickle fellow 

You abandoned me 

Pen is your new favorite 

And I’m forgotten, see 

You only need me nowadays 

To draw your sweethearts face 

But what to do, I accept 

It’s the way of you human race