I am appalled by maxims
Followed blindly by foolish folks
These termites, this root rot of all that was
Bring about the end of civilizations
But then again, one questions:
Must all that rises fall for newer ideas to sprout?
So I am caught in conflict, in bouts of revulsion,
Caring neither for decay nor representation
Those demanding reforms, denouncing xenophobia,
Have never returned to natives what was theirs
They mount their platforms, push populist agendas
For shallow admiration, as hollow as themselves
Let this world burn, let fire take it all
For there is nothing left to hope, I believe
Yet when I see ginger sprout in my small clay pots
I wish the world continues, a little longer
Because, Ginger.
Ginger tea feels nice
Certain Indian, Indian certainly
Me, and those who join for a cup know.
-----
Explanation by claude below:
**"I am appalled by maxims / Followed blindly by foolish folks"**
Opens with intellectual disgust at unthinking adherence to sayings or principles. "Appalled" is strong - not just disagreement but moral revulsion. The speaker positions themselves as someone who thinks critically while others follow "blindly."
**"These termites, this root rot of all that was / Bring about the end of civilizations"**
Escalates with disease/decay metaphors. "Termites" and "root rot" suggest hidden, systemic destruction. The speaker sees blind following of maxims as literally civilizational collapse - a grandiose claim that reveals the depth of their frustration.
**"But then again, one questions: / Must all that rises fall for newer ideas to sprout?"**
Sharp pivot into self-doubt. The speaker catches themselves in potential hypocrisy - they're critiquing maxims while possibly following the maxim that civilizations must fall and rise. The questioning tone shows intellectual honesty.
**"So I am caught in conflict, in bouts of revulsion, / Caring neither for decay nor representation"**
Admits paralysis. The speaker is stuck between rejecting both the old (decay) and the new (representation/reform). "Bouts of revulsion" suggests waves of disgust rather than steady anger.
**"Those demanding reforms, denouncing xenophobia, / Have never returned to natives what was theirs"**
Attacks reformers' hypocrisy. The speaker sees progressive rhetoric as hollow because these same people benefit from colonialism/displacement. It's a critique of performative activism from those who won't give up their own advantages.
**"They mount their platforms, push populist agendas / For shallow admiration, as hollow as themselves"**
Continues the attack on reformers as self-serving. "Mount their platforms" has both literal (political) and metaphorical (ego) meanings. "Shallow admiration" and "hollow" emphasize emptiness and vanity rather than genuine care.
**"Let this world burn, let fire take it all / For there is nothing left to hope, I believe"**
Peak nihilism. The speaker moves from criticism to complete despair, wanting destruction because they see no authentic goodness anywhere. "I believe" is almost tentative - like they're trying to convince themselves of their own hopelessness.
**"Yet when I see ginger sprout in my small clay pots / I wish the world continues, a little longer"**
The turning point. After all that cosmic rage, one tiny detail - ginger sprouting - creates a crack in the nihilism. "Small clay pots" emphasizes the intimate scale versus the grand civilizational scope above. "A little longer" is beautifully modest.
**"Because, Ginger."**
Single-word line that stops the poem's momentum. The period makes it definitive. After all the complex philosophical wrestling, the answer is this simple thing. The isolation of the word gives it weight.
**"Ginger tea feels nice / Certain Indian, Indian certainly"**
Moves from the plant to the experience of drinking it. The fragmented "Certain Indian, Indian certainly" feels like someone finding their way to an identity or certainty through this small ritual. The repetition has an almost meditative quality.
**"Me, and those who join for a cup know."**
Ends with quiet community. After rejecting both traditionalists and reformers, the speaker finds connection with "those who join for a cup" - people united not by ideology but by sharing something simple and good. "Know" suggests this understanding can't be explained, only experienced.
The poem's arc moves from universal condemnation to particular grace, from abstract philosophy to embodied experience, from isolation to intimate community. The line breaks often emphasize the most important words - "Ginger," "Indian," "know."
