Down in the mines under the land,

The miners were digging away.

They found out there a lump of coal,

And decided to store it away.

It was and and dark and unappealing,

Leaving stains just everywhere.

Its present character unyielding,

But beautiful in its own way.

They took the piece of coal to land,

In hope to start a fire.

But alas!! They forgot to bring the match,

To satiate such a desire.

For what they have out there is soot,

That stains all the shades of white.

It destroys any feelings to suit,

But it has within it a fight.

It was pushed and shoved from pillar to post,

For the the things it was good at.

It was used to write on the white floor,

Even spread across the mat.

For all they saw was this lowly character,

Full of hurt and pain.

But what really rose within the shell,

Would for many high respect gain.

For through the anthems of all its negativity,

Came this positive streak,

The strength of unrequited endurance,

The rapture of the weak.

All it took one day was the challenge of a miner,

He came to rediscover the piece of coal,

He asked and probed and introspected,

To release it from the decliner.

He slowly worked and chipped away,

All the blackened edges.

The past hurt and pain the damages,

The prevented the dreams to stay.

Fervently he worked through day and night,

To fashion that piece of coal,

Just when he thought he could work no more,

A crack began to unfold.

The crack was deep and endearing,

It caused and emotional tearing.

He felt something within him snap,

And something gentle stirring.

For he felt love for that piece of coal,

That he was fashioning with utmost care.

It still on him a blackened soot,

Which at times was beyond repair.

He cried and tarried at his loss,

But worked on fervently.

For he was trying to find some good out there,

That could satiate him eternally.

Coal being coal was blackened with soot,

It stained the things around.

It destroyed his hands, and jammed his foot,

With darkness to surround.

He tarried and he endured so much,

Till he could endure no more.

He got disheartened and hurt ,

By the constant blackened sore.

He finally decided to let go of the coal,

And throw it into the fire.

Hoping to assuage his pain,

With another desire.

Off he went and searched one out,

While this piece of coal burned.

He thought it would be the end of it,

When he to the furnace returned.

For all the chippings and shaping away,

Had given rise to hope.

He looked in the furnace to find soot and smoke,

But discovered a hopeful rope.

For the coal out there had burned no doubt,

But didnot remain coal.

It became a diamond that he pulled out,

Who loved him with heart mind and soul.

Stranger my dear you are the miner,

I am sorry I hurt you so.

It took me a while to throw off my soot,

For you to see me so.

I have today finally morphed,

Into the diamond you made me.

I am yours forever now,

Please pick and and take me.

The look of apprehension within him aroused,

He tried to look away.

He thought of all the pain it had caused,

And wanted to walk away.

But the constant pleas from within the furnace,

Caused him to turn around,

He reluctantly opened that door,

And to his surprise, a diamond he found.

The diamond is the symbol of eternal love,

It endures and never goes away.

I present this diamond solely to you,

Please let it with you forever stay.

He took the diamond in his palms,

And looked at it in the light.

He realised it was pure,

But had the regular flaws.

He walked with it and went away,

To journey through life by far,

For he had now become the star,

Who created diamond from coal by far.

Stranger, you did this for me and please don’t think this is pretension, this is absolutely real…

By Anisha Achankunju (C) 16th November 2010