Joy ride

Gliding through the fields,

My fingers combing weeds,

Wind is my glider,

With clouds I shall float,

  Birds, my dear companions,

Travelers of the dusty roads,

The rainbow is my compass,

On its footsteps lies my abode.

An Ode to Colors

Ask me not my favorite color,
To my eyes they appear alike.

None can you remove from the spectrum's strip,
As none is still black and all put is white.

Red of the rose makes me joyous to the core,
Dripping from the veins makes my eyes go sore.

Yellow to the jaundiced eye, such a pain it would be!
Yet the bright yellow of the morning sun fills vitality in me.

Poverty's pitiable victims lying blue with cold,
In the deep blue oceans so many mysteries unfold.

Venomous green forever gave despicable plight,
On the natures lap there is no soother sight.

Black of the smoke I despise to the core,
Yet the black of the silent night I so much adore.

White pulled over face, Ah cruel fate!
Yet white is sobriety, it adds elegance to gait.

My life will always portray lots of colors new,
For on His palette there are many many hues.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!

Today I want to speak my mind, after a long time of silence, after a long time of listening to reasons that were so baseless that I wanted to remind the speaker, “Hey, at least till you possess a human body and a human conscience and a developed mind, USE THEM!!”. Today I want to ask you, O Great species, the one with a brain that is unparalleled on earth, the best of 8.7 million species, I want to ask you to justify not to me but to yourself the act of crime that you so consciously do that now you do not even think it qualifies as a crime anymore!

I speak to you directly; the connoisseurs of non-vegetarian food, the propagators and the torch bearers of this class who very wittingly give reasons and justifications that even the vegetarian “Birbal” of today might be sidelined in front of your confident explanations. I speak to the humans who taste it out of curiosity, I speak to those who belong to “tasted-did not like-developing taste now” category, I speak to those animal-loving, soft-hearted people who still could not live without non-vegetarian food, I speak to the educated who even studied Environmental education for years together and I speak to the race of Homo-sapiens at large.

I saw many instances with my own eyes from all above categories and I want to ask you simple questions.

First, I want to ask the ones who taste non-veg out of curiosity. Will you go and kill someone tomorrow out of curiosity? If a gun is handed to you, will you shoot it at the next person you see just to check the results? Will you tomorrow just pick up a rat kill and taste it because you have never tasted it before, because you were curious?

I ask the people who, guess what, did not like the taste but are now trying to develop it! Gracious Lord! Are you living in Siberia where the only vegetation if at all there is, is moss? Is this feat associated with a life-time achievement award? What kind of gory- prestige is associated with this conquest?

And then there are those animal loving soft hearted people whose vegetarian friends when try to show them horrifying videos about how the animals are mercilessly tortured to death using our high-fi technology so brutally put to use, the animal farms where animals are made to drip their bloods till they die just to make meat “tastier” on your platter while the other victims, drenched, standing in the pool of blood are waiting for their turns, where they are poked with injections just to make them puffier and what not tactics to get them to charge you and make you appreciate the Humans for their honest efforts! I do not need to tell you the horrifying stories, for in the age of internet and social media, if you do not still know, I pity you and can just pray that you survive!  The reason of people from this category is flawless!! Quoting them: "we know if we watch the video from PETA(People for the ethical treatment of animals), we would leave eating non-veg AND that is why we do not watch!" Hilarious isn’t it? It is like they are mocking the Gods of heaven for giving them the capability to think, to judge, to love! They are just stopping themselves with full energy so that somehow somewhere someone should not make them do the right thing!

And finally there are those intellectual non-vegetarians who proudly not only reason but also look down upon the vegetarians. These Pride of our species, these greatest minds of our era, are the biggest propagators of equality on earth. For according to them eating a plant and eating animals are equally punishable. Oh wait! Actually eating plant is a bigger crime as the vegetarians are the once responsible for all the pollution due to deforestation. Well, I imagine if they were to pet chickens what they will do? Grow them out of sunlight, as they are not consumers of plants. And ya! They would then eat them without any spices too, as they know spices too grow on plants. Just fire and raw chicken is all they need to survive. According to them they are doing animal control! Just imagine what impact so many many chickens will have on the delicate balance of our ecosystem if they were not there to consume them and maintain the balance of our ecosystem. God! Such ignorance is not something I expect of this race. Such lame excuse for such blasphemous act where there is so much suffering! Animals are captivated from birth, force fed, pushed in cages till space is practically  void, broken limbs and physical deformities, metal suffering, beheading, bleeding out, boiled alive, skinned alive, electrocuted, stunned with hammers, roasted alive AND THEN YOU GIVE THIS EXPLANATION! THIS WILL NOT DO!

And all this for what!! “For taste, For taste!” I ask you, if tomorrow a criminal murders a kin of yours (God forbid) for his recreation, will it be justified just because it gave him the satisfaction? Will there be no punishment for that? Can your conscience pardon him for the reason that it was done for his liking and self-satisfaction?

There is this famous argument: “You kill plants, we kill animals”. Let me remind you, the more developed a species the more pain it suffers, the more complex its nervous-hormonal system, the more evolved it is and the more sophisticated and intelligent a being. That is why in all the religion consuming human flesh is the biggest taboo because Homo-sapiens are the most evolved species. I am not saying plants do not feel, that they are not alive and that we should live on stones alone. I am saying there is a scale of evolution that goes from stones to plants to animals and to humans. Evolution calls for survival and we can not only survive but thrive on vegetarian food in most parts of the world where majority of population lives. So why inflict so much pain unnecessarily?

Saint Kabir was a vegetarian and was a firm advocate of "ahimsa". His doctrine extends even to the non-destruction of flowers. “The life of the living you strike dead and you say your slaughter makes it dedicated. It is blood haunting you and those who taught you.” “They fast all day, and at night they slaughter the cow; here murder, there devotion; how can this please God? O’ Kazi, by whose order doth thou use thy knife.” “When you declare the sacrifice of an animal as your religion, what else is sin. If you regard yourself a saint, whom will you call a butcher ?” “The goat eats grass and is skinned, what will happen to those who eat (goat’s) meat? “Do not kill poor jiva, murder will not be forgiven even if you hear a million Puranas. Among the fifty commandments laid down for the followers of Kabir, vegetarianism is one of them. For Kabir, moral life involves adherence to ahimsa.

If you believe in science only, believe Sir Isaac Newton for what he said: “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.”

Majority of people cannot kill and eat meat themselves, they cannot see violence let alone do it. There are God fearing, “Karma believing” people! You think just because your hands were not responsible for killing the animals directly, you will not suffer the reaction? According to you are the master-mind of murders who are not snipers, free to go? What a joke this all is if you JUST THINK!

As it is, are the impact of our actions less damaging to other species that we need to travel an extra mile to prove our "superiority" over them? I would like to draw in the example of a small bird, sparrow (more commonly known as Gauraiya) with which I and my ancestors grew, the picture of which defined the term bird for many children across India because whenever it used to hop into our verandah the elders said: "Look, birdie!". And that bird is now endangered due to, I think mostly unintentional consequences from our mobile revolution. Quoting from a study: "The mobile towers emit a frequency of 900-1800MHz, continuous penetration of EMR(electromagnetic radiation) through the body of the bird would affect their nervous system and their navigational skills. They become incapable of navigating and foraging. These birds which nest near towers are found to leave the nest within one week." We nearly exterminated a whole species without prior knowledge just for our ease, our so called necessity. I do not think we need to force down our power on other organisms any more for believe me by now, "They know too".  

Our anatomy also does not support non-vegetarian food. We have long intestines unlike all the carnivores that have really short intestines. There are no known plant diseases that infect humans and there are many deadly diseases that humans suffer today, that came from animals. There are scores of articles that claim that humans are not carnivores.  

So I thrust you to think… Are humans today so weak that they cannot even control themselves from inflicting pain on other organisms that too when there is no dire need or necessity? The only species on the planet with a fully developed conscience, having the capability to distinguish between right and wrong, possessing the power of conscience that propelled our species to evolve, is that power so blind that in the face of greed it is not able to make the right decisions? Are we so degraded in our lust today that we cannot even forgo of our “taste satisfaction” that comes at a cost of so many innocent lives?

We decry the act of genocide, we decry the act of holocaust, we decry the acts of ethnic cleansing and yet we keep our eyes closed when there are scores and scores of species being tortured, murdered and made to serve not for our sustenance but for our pleasure and we so consciously evolved species take pride in that action? This kind of heinous act does not remotely attribute to Homo-sapiens! These actions are more degradable than that of animals who do not even possess the power of conscience. Having the capability and not using it or using it for negative purpose definitely is lowlier than not possessing the capability at all!

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Some interesting links and references:

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2011/02/the-worlds-greatest-geniuses-are-vegetarians/

http://farzana.wordpress.com/art-and-culture/anthology/mirabai-c-1498-c-1547ce/

http://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-vegetarians-in-India-dislike-non-vegetarian-food-without-even-tasting-it

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/77210/house-sparrow-listed-endangered-species.html

Here, there and everywhere...

There are times when your love, & your light has filled me,

Quenched my thirst &  rejuvenated me.

I will stand & adore you Lord, for you are mine and I am yours,

When your light touches my heart, it feels  like the flowers bloom all.

My happiness knows no bound, the seven skies all resound,

When your glory & your grace, fills nook  n corner & every place.

Give my eyes vision to see you, give me words that I may praise you,

The surging seas, the whistling winds, All tell me that they know You

A Reflection

How I long those memories, Alas!
When we shared those moments past,
Individual experiences of delight and fame,
and of sorrow companionless nights, a bane!
Those loud laughters and soft murmurs,
Knitted with those memories so perfectly blended,
That when I again scratch them to life,
More than those stories those patches become alive.
Passing by looks all so baffled
to find the right line of sight ,
So wander past me, that no less invisible could I have been!
Some thoughts I knit up, some things to tell,
Yet so silent are words, those thoughtful dreams like always so dumb.
Shut are my doors, Ego's latch,
hurt they were for the things that were.
Long and deep trenches were dug,
Filled with joyous water of love.
So many times I reflected- can these scars on water ever last,
in such deep running stream how will this pebble gather much moss?
A tear was all it took to give the reply,
For never could I forgive, if those small clouds could get from me,
such force to shroud those sunny memories from me!
To all alike this message will be, but someone will obscurely find it sweet,
For true are the words and true will they be,
what it means to the rest, I leave it to thee!!

Time to get going, Time to move on!

Sitting there one fine day,
I saw the world through rosy eyes
And there was Time standing still
When all was well and all was fine.

Then slowly I saw the sun go down
And the moon was up and the stars came along
And still the lights felt cozy bright
For I was seeing it through starry eyes

Then sweet slumber swept over me
And I saw my kins all in the dream
And so close were they that it felt like bliss
And I wished the world would remain stand still.

But when did the river follow its course
And the wind not change its way
Forever it has been the nature’s will
And the turn of tide plays its game.

For when I woke up on the morrow
The world seemed different with hint of sorrow
And it felt like Change’s wings soared in the air
For the clock had started ticking and ships had set sail.

In that moment I felt much smaller
Rest of the world kept growing larger
It was strange how fast it grew
And left many gaps deep and huge.

The world so changed
Everything so new
Scared to step out
Yet I had to do.

With new hope, all set to explore
To tread new waters , To find new lands
All along with the heart-beat I sang,
Time to get going, Time to move on.

One last glimpse at the canyons deep
I saw one rainbow setting up a link
Then I knew all our paths would cross,
For the world was after all, one big ball!

Unsaid tale

There are so many words unsaid,
Yet thousand times they must have been said,
In our hearts they ache a lot,
For not bringing them to our mouth.

There are so many words that were said,
That a billion times we regretted were said,
And our heart so aches to erase,
These memories from the hearts, all the same.

Occasions were rare, yet opportunities missed,
Wonder we will, why so hard was it,
To put in simple words those feelings of love,
To tell them aloud, to the winds, to the clouds.

Those memories were such,
That unforgettable will they be with time,
We will cherish them,
No matter the doings of the tide.

Obscurely we will keep them,
To the end of the days,
Meet if we again,
the eyes will tell the tale.

For words won't conjure up enough faith,
To retell the tales of the past, all the same,
But twinkling eyes and throbbing hearts will throw such light,
that no tale will be left  unsaid, unseen, unsensed !

The Battle

Mind just wants to let it go,
But this heart wants to linger on.
In this battle between the two,
Let the judgement soon be done.
To Him I call to help me find a way,
To drag me out of this moory place.
To give me solace, to give me strength,
To do the right and walk his guided way.
Stuck I am, I don't know how to get out,
Calling on and on but still no reply has come.
Saying many things in my heart,
Can't make it be heard to him.
Standing there, eyes straying, trying to catch,
Yet turning away not able to match.
What an irony life has brought,
Where neither mind nor heart are ready to budge.
But I know I will walk along His guided way,
For He will hold on to me whatever is the day.
That is my only refuge in this solitude.
Your grace do maintain, howsoever I will go astray,
For come to your path, I will some day,
For that is my only ultimate destined way.

The Life's Show

The Life ‘s Show

                                                                                               

Life is like a lone dream, in the winter cold,

When the storm is coming, it won’t let it go.

It wishes for the shelter in the hard hailstone

In the soft spring breeze it won’t let it undertone.

When it saw it growing, it wished for a bud,

In the clear sky it yearned for a stroke of mud.

In the ticking dew drops, in the vapours of the sky,

It longed for the clouds to cradle them as they passed by.

Time saw it starting, time will see it end

For everyone else, it’s too wavy round the bend.

Giving it a swish it gave the clay a mould

What was made out of it was nothing less than gold.

Its poise was too still for Silence was its mate,

That when the Dawn spread, it was seen on golden grave

That breeze brought a gentle flicker on its petals pale pink

That stir broke the Silence’s reign with deep sharp ping.

To that dew-smitten blossom it hummed a melodious tune

Melting in the ears like snowflake on a hot sand dune

 Those whispers were so musical inducing high dreams

That they touched it so deeply that it fell in deep sleep.

It hummed through the night to bid it adieu,

In the morning light though, it was but a déjà vu.

For the open eyelids, it’s just a glance at you

For the shut lids though, it’s a tiny touch or two.

It was but that small pat that had changed the world for me,

It was but that avowed smile that bought many million moons for me.

They say-For the hearts, it was a small joke though,

I say-For me it was my whole life‘s show.....

                                                                                                                                                                               

                                               

                                        

Hail Heaven

HAIL HEAVEN

Open up your windows,peep out into the lawn,

The banner unfurls,here comes the dawn.

The gates have opened ,invitations sent out,

Jump out of bed ,lets go out.

The reins have passed on ,no kingdom of gloom,

The smiles have spread, let the hearts all bloom.

The victorious light has spread its wings,

Clear your throats , lets all sing.

The river of happiness in no more dry,

Scintillating hope is bubbling by,

The puddle of tears is on the brink,

Sweat nectar is flowing,lets all drink.

The channel of hope is on the way,

The former world has passed away,

The shackles have shattered no heart knows how,

The true kings have descended, lets all bow.....

To Blissful happiness

To Blissful Happiness

I woke up early morning, in a castle far away,

Glistening through its window, were shimmering suspensions in the air.

I closed up to the window and peeped out through them,

I curled up my palm to wrap them,

It was like a golden mist that was scattered through the land

And the touch was so blissful, it was but a wonderland.

Deep down on the land the blossoms were in bloom

Their freshness was so wondrous that they won't ever droop.

Cutting through the clusters was a path so soft and smooth,

That the eyes could also feel it and no words could tell them true.

Something lit a flame within me and I knew it was the happiness in the breeze.

I ran down the stairs that led to the path,
But before I could step out, I saw a veil deep black!

Its hollowness pained me like tongue on chilled ice,

Its bitterness was so mocking, on my longing to step outside.

No matter what I did, how harshly I did tug, it seemed so strongly stuck.

Straining past my cloudy eyes, I saw a bird soaring up,

To meet someone, I thought, who must have  just showed up.

Inquisitively, I leaned forward to press my eyes to the veil,

To see who was the One who had just crossed that way?

But lo and behold! It was the little bird, now circling around a light,

That was so ecstatic, pure, serene and bright!

I jerked the veil to let me out, but it stood there in staunch delight.

Lost I closed my eyes and saw the veil, hanging and fluttering within me somewhere!

I shot back my eyelids, my pupil wide awake, for I knew that the veil was stuck in there!

I battered down my eyelids, to remove it from my sight, to slide it away.

Hapless, I asked the light far away to help me get to it, may be some day.

It led me down a path at whose end was a jail and inside it were all those whom I just can’t give bail!

It left me there all by myself, yet I could feel that intense gaze.

I knew now how I could break past the veil, by simply letting these imprisoned memories go their destined way.

It was but so difficult to let them free, that I thought so many times if it was worth it!

I knew what the truth was, I also knew the end, so I let go of all the memories trapped down the den.

And LO! I was there with the light by my side, No, no, but there is something wrong with “side”, it was just that there was no nearness alike!!

Was it Real

WAS IT REAL?

I came to your door that was locked and closed,

I looked down the alley shadowed unglowed.

Waiting for your presence I stood by the wall,

When suddenly from somewhere I heard a deep call.

Too short was the alarm, no time to see from where,

The directions were all alike, was it here or from there?

Uncanny was the atmosphere unerringly eerie,

The setting sun giving my fear, a spirit fiery.

Undaunted I stood on, my path determined and set,

Return I will not today, howsoever uncertain might be the end.

I sat down on the creepers, with a creepy feeling inside,

My mind became so dull, no hope seemed there outside.

‘Linger on! Linger on', I called myself once more,

Unending the wait maybe, only hope can be a cure.

In the distance the rustling of the leaves had increased,

Shut my eyes were, only dream it is- I premised.

But there was no stop to the sound, a low gurgling it had became now,

My ears shot up, now on the foot I was, till I heard the same bow wow!

It sniffed and barked at my face, till it lolled to the ground,

I took the messenger in my arms, cuddling deeply my arms around.

The shadows were growing darker, my imagination though it maybe,

So dark it was you see, mere shadows they cannot be!

Like a tar on the floor it was floating towards me,

Coming at such a speed, Ah me! Ah me!

Wobbling my knees were, my eyes could see no more,

Just the soft fur and the silence told, my life was still some more!

I did not want to wake up again, so much so that I stood there,

Long enough it was I know though, for I rolled over and was on the floor.

                                                                Suchi Nandini

                                                                 2.3.2011