FROM THE HERMENUTIC VIEW

In the land of the Indigo children,
I see all that can be seen,
Come, lets see the sacred 150 year old Banyan tree,
Standing resolute, deep rooted and mighty.

For the monkeys, the branches are a playful exercise,
For the bees, an ideal spot for their next hive,
For the homeless, it is a place to rest one’s weary eyes,
For the Lord Buddha, it is a place of awakening and coming alive.

In front of it is an idol of Lord Ganesh with a freshly lit Agarbatti,
Behind it here comes a man to pee,
Beetles run hastily all over it, probably in search of a gastronomical delight,
While the Fireflies emit small amounts of radiant light.

This tree is so like the Earth,
Full of life yet silent and still,
Under its thick canopy echo sounds of Gilli Danda and mirth,
Look! Look! Running off are two squirrels with zeal.

Just one day of observation and I learn so much,
And too think I was knowledgeable,
The eye’s lesson is over, and what of the ear, nose, taste or touch?
How right was Socrates fable*.
(* - Socrates once narrated a piece whose moral stated by him was – ‘All I know is that I know nothing’)

I learn my own lesson from all this too,
There are multiple ways of looking at anything,
Work can be fun, girls can be just friends, not every ghost has to scare you,
The greatest powers of destruction can be vested in a small stone Shiv ling.

It all boils down to the way we look at it,.
It’s we, not the world, who decides good or bad,
So the next time something’s upsetting you,
Change your outlook, your attitude,

Who knows? It might just be you who’s making you feel sad.
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Completed on 1/6/2010
By Anirudh Vasdev

NATURE !

How beautiful is this Night!
What a sight to see,
The cool winds, the cloudy sky,
The shinning white moon as bright as it can be.

The people turn off their televisions and take a walk seduced and enchanted,
The birds glide, the crickets bounce with glee,
Mother Nature has come alive,
Feel the bliss engulf you in a slice of divinity.

The spirit comes alive,
The trees sway and dance to the rhythmic beat,
The beetles buzz, the flowers smile,
O Nature! What a feat!

The aroma is exotic,
Hiding in the sky god himself envies man today,
Heaven and Earth are at present united,
Enjoy the magnificent silence, no word need be say.

Like the sound of the ripples of the waves,
It is soothing and rejuvenating,
Like the touch of early morning dew,
It is fresh and invigorating,
The poor man out on the street enjoys it first,
The V.I.P. remains oblivious in his luxury,
The stray dogs jump around playfully,
While the ones inside the house long to be set free.

This is Nature's glory!
Unbiased, unrestrained, all for one and one for all to witness thee!
Look Man! Look at it closely.
Feel your puniness in the face of this grand entity.
Worship it! Be one with it!
Don't abuse it for your own selfish needs.

Its grace is unbound,
It redefines royalty,
No armor, no sword, no pistol to carry,
Yet it extends itself, allowing us to bask in its glory.

So peaceful, so silent,
Yet so full of vibrant energy,
Your expanse is unfathomable,
No sight so mystical has ever before been seen.

Give my kind wisdom O High and Mighty!
Fools we are in front of thee!
Dare to defy you with our childish bigotry,
Spare us our fate for we are your children,
Guide us to your solemn company.

So blinded have we become,
So arrogant and stupid,
We see not the demons we construct,
We ignore the 'us' and privilege the 'me'.

This night is so beautiful,
Do we deserve to experience it? Are we worthy?
Nature's kindness go unacknowledged for,
Gratitude and compassion are qualities of the few rather than the many.

How long will it take for you to see the truth?
Till when will you persist with your stubborn foolery?
Look in the mirror and ask your conscience,
'Have I really accomplished what i set out to achieve?'

This night is just a glimpse,
The oceans, the mountains, the grasslands, the deserts,
At every sunrise, at every sunset,
We are pleasantly surprised.
Hers is the only canvass that is destroyed as soon as it is created,
Yet how many times does she take your breath away.

A thousand Michealangelos cannot compete with your one moment,
What chance do we lay-men have?
We can only admire you,
And be taught a lesson of humility.
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By Anirudh Vasdev,
27th April, 2013.