There’s a crowd over there
“You’ll be safe”, I swear
But what if I’m not like them?
“They’ll mould you, the ones at the helm”
I had presumed we are all unique
So if there’s a debate, am I free to speak?
Do I let them know, how I feel?
Could I dissent to something that doesn’t appeal?
“I don’t give you an option, you see!
I am Society, I detest non – conformity”
Life, dear life, you fill me with awe
What could bind you, dare which law!
Zillion eyes have beheld you flow and stock-still
Millions and millions have bowed down to your will
Endowing seeds of new pursuits, as races fall
‘Granted take nought’ your eternal clarion call
In the midst of despair, all proclaimed you unfair
Mercy on us! Has anyone ever escaped death’s glare?
Ofttimes, baffled by inconclusive reasoning, in unison
Countless declared – you are an incomprehensible one
O Saviour! In a quest to decipher you every heart that prays
Wherefore, emanated enlightened souls to reveal your ways
That from Him to you, through you to merge in Him
That to fathom the nectar of life, would lead unto Him
Life dear life, are not you God’s Kaleidoscope?
Manifesting an infinite spectrum from darkness to hope…
Thou art ,O great bard
Etched deep, for ages to keep
Thy spirit, a literary archive
As celestial Sirius, to a poet naive
I hail, Thy empyrean luminosity
Bless this novice, O poet of humanity!!
Life knew naught about its trajectory
It waved past me, till far seemed linear
For long concealed, my being refined
Life carved troughs, I etched dreams
Oblivious to the course time would choose
Oh yes! I stumbled every now and then
Yet with eyes fixed onto that crest
The one I had sketched as a hopeful child
Redeeming myself from the deep abyss
Blazing forward and inching closer
I get a glimpse of life’s curve, blurred
Still, now as I rise, as I heal, I believe
Life took those avenues to subtly assure
That I could unravel the unique, the real me!
Life – a simple four letter word, but can you imagine how difficult it is to comprehend life?
You know I thought why not check how Wikipedia explains life. So, according to Wikipedia, ‘Life is characteristic distinguishing physical entities having biological processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased or, because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate.’
Isn’t it annoying? I mean ask anyone, we all have our own interpretations of life. Interpretations that have a huge diversity. Some would say, life is really tough, to which some would disagree, and declare with a beautiful smile, ‘Life is amazing’. Then again, there would be some realists who would opine, ‘Life is all about accumulation of wealth’ and there would be a series of such endless insights.
Well, when I tried to infer the essence of life from these insights of others and those of mine, the innermost aspect of these myriad replies would converge on one word which is, interactions.
Let’s not confuse the term interaction which I speak of, with the pedagogical meaning of interaction. When I say interaction, I mean those small fragments of impressions we carry unconsciously or consciously along with us, when we come in contact with everything around us ranging from people, flora and fauna and even inanimate objects.
Remember, how you reacted to that unexpected gift on your birthday? It might have been a small pendant, a watch or a brand new mobile and believe me, if that day somebody would have asked you, ‘What’s life? ‘ you would have said ‘life’s amazing’. And for those like us who usually have to satisfy ourselves with some delicious food, the reply would be ’Life’s so boring’.
Remember, that moment when you got an opportunity to click a selfie with your favourite personality? ‘Life’s cool would have been your momentary outburst. For those in whom the anxiety to crack an interview and land up with a job, looms large, life becomes a story filled with strife and struggle.
I imagine life as a beautiful necklace, who cares whether it’s diamond, platinum or pearl necklace. A necklace in which the beads symbolize our experiences woven by a delicate string of our interactions.
So how dare Wikipedia be so detached when defining life. Maybe, I thought that’s just another bead of the necklace – one which sees things as they are. Yes , life is a process, but one that is filled with emotions, experiences, thoughts all because of our interactions with everything around us.
Well, the quest to understand life is eternal, but I hope my interaction with you has added another bead to your comprehension of life.
Haal bura hai aye shayar,
Apne khoye andaaz ki talaash hai
Dil mein zara na-umeedi hai
Par labon pe aaj bhi ‘kaash’ hai
Tumhara pata dhundte hai aksar,
Meri diary ke khaali safhe (pages)
Tumhe mehsus kiye arsaa hua
Berukhi hai shayad, ho ab khamosh rehte
Ehsaaso ko khabar nahi hai iski,
Kayi martaba lafzon ko taraste hai aajkal
Khud ko jataane ki khwahish liye,
Alfazon ki talab hai ab har pal
Hum gamon ke saaye mein nahi jeetey,
Josh zara jad-o-jehad karta hai jab,
Raasta farebi ka chunkar
Ghalibo ki shayari padh lete hai tab
Bas ek ehsaas ne bagavat kar diya,
Usey udhaar ki shayari manzoor nahi,
Kehta hai, ” main kaaynaat mein sabse khubsurat hoon”
Bemisaal hoon main, yunhi mashoor nahi
Kayi zindagiyon ki surat badli hai,
Haan, kayion ko tabaah bhi kiya hai,
Par kasoor mera zara bhi nahi
Har insaan ne mujhe naya matlab diya hai
Mujhe rooh mein sambhaale rakhte ho,
Kabhi mere wajood ko bayaan karke dekho,
Apne shayar ko wapas paoge
Main ishq hoon, mujhe azaad karke dekho
Hosla afzaayi kuch aisi huyi,
Nikal parrey diary ke panney sajaane,
Kaafi mashakkat ki zaroor hai
Apne shayar ko fir se paane ke bahaane
Yeh lafz bikhre hi kyun na ho,
Inme dhaar zara kam hi kyun na ho,
Muddaton baad iss qalam ko manzil mili hai,
Iska iss dil ko gumaa fir kyun na ho
On March 11, 2011, a 9.03 magnitude earthquake shook north – eastern Japan, unleashing a savage tsunami. Undoubtedly, the catastrophe destroyed the physical structure of the coastal community, but failed to break down Japan’s societal morals.
At stores across the affected cities, straight lines of Japanese tsunami victims waited for rations. No one was directing those lines, they were organised by the people themselves. At the front, which took hours to get in to in some cases, shoppers were limited to ten food or beverage items. No complaints, no cheating. The fabric of social cohesion keeps this country together till today.
Had it been India, the scenario would have been radically different. Why? The question ensues. ‘The paramount reason being that the Japanese from a young age are socialised to put group interest ahead of individual interest’ quotes Jeffrey Kingston, a scholar in Temple University, Japan.
Let me present a different picture altogether now. I presume some of us feed birds and animals as we all believe in peaceful coexistence. Now, there’s a trend I’ve observed and here’s drawing attention to that trend. As the number of days increase, the number of pigeons who come for their feed also increases. The pigeons definitely do not have a news channel to broadcast their new found feed. It indicates that the phenomenon is innate by nature, atleast that was what I could elicit from my observation. May I pose a question here? Would the situation be similar with human beings? I doubt. Sharing is a value often preached but seldom practised.
Let me articulate that these innate attributes transcend any kind of training and learning experience. Some of us, like the Japanese, possess the exceptional quality to treasure innate attributes which have a positive and powerful impact on a civilisation. As Yogi Berra observes, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”
So let us kindle the innate tendency of ours to be inquisitive, observant and keep on garnering cues advanced by nature for our holistic and harmonious development. In this tireless crusade of life, this might help us comprehend our cosmic significance in His eternal design.
Well, we may not create a ‘Theory of everything’ like Stephen Hawking but we can always strive to create a theory of something which shall enrich our lives and of those connected with us.
A poem begins as a lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesickness, a love sickness.
– Robert Frost
I believe every writer, author or poet constantly yearns for this moment. A redefining moment when their work finds place amongst the huge array of readers. Probably I have reached that point in my life where the yearning, the quest overpowers my inhibitions towards my work. I hope you, who have reached my website, relish a few moments of inner calmness and joy in my naive attempt at putting forward my work.
MIRA.AM Poetry by Madhusmita Patnaik 