Like one who digs for lotus-stems

[busker]

Like one who digs for lotus-stems

Who am I? 
The hrishi said: 
Ego, the lie 
of existence
by a vanished river.

[brynmawr1]

Like one who digs for lotus-stems

Who am I? 
The hrishi said: 
Ego, the lie 
of existence
by a vanished river.

Hi Busker,

I am afraid I don't have anything particularly insightful to suggest for improving this piece.  I do like how the opening question reads like a standard riddle that then morphs more into that age old, existential question- No, who am I?  I also like how the end reads like a turn in a haiku.  I looked up hrishi for better context but just got contemporary indian pop music.  My frustration, then, is that without broader context it is harder for me to fully enjoy it.
Take care,
Bryn

[busker]

Like one who digs for lotus-stems

Who am I? 
The hrishi said: 
Ego, the lie 
of existence
by a vanished river.

Hi Busker,

I am afraid I don't have anything particularly insightful to suggest for improving this piece.  I do like how the opening question reads like a standard riddle that then morphs more into that age old, existential question- No, who am I?  I also like how the end reads like a turn in a haiku.  I looked up hrishi for better context but just got contemporary indian pop music.  My frustration, then, is that without broader context it is harder for me to fully enjoy it.
Take care,
Bryn

Thanks, Bryn
I admit it might be a bit obscure, more so because Google searches have become pretty useless over time 

The one who digs for lotus stems is the Sarasvati river, personified in the Rig Vedic hymn: https://archive.sacred-texts.com/hin/rig...v06061.htm

The identity of the river remains a mystery. The understanding for a while was that it dried up between 1500 BC and 600 BC, but it may be just the memory of a different river by a migrating people.

The hrishi, his insight, the hymn writer, and the hymn subject have all gone into the void. That the river too disappeared is a bit ironic…or maybe not

I don’t think I’ve “explained” any od my pomes barring footnotes, but this one probably needed elaboration