The Candle Light

 The outcome of any action often depends on multiple factors, some of which we might have no control over. — Amma

 

 

 

 

 

In the formless ocean

 

of Love,

 

I lost my self and ceased to think

 

And then like one-

 

Intoxicated with nector,

 

I wafted like a wayward  breeze.

 

And laughing in madness

 

I blew out a candle light

(For there was light all around) 

 

The funny thing is I was the candle light 

 

Earth's child

A flower that was never plucked,

And never was offered at the alter;

Neither did it ever adorn a damsel's hair;

And never was showered on celebration of glory;

Neither did it rest in the peaceful tombs.

It lived all spring and faded in autumn.

Though lesser men might not think much of it-

 

Or might not think at all,

It had lived a life of fulfillness.

It spread its beauty amongst thousand eyes.

And its fragrance allured many bees.

Though it never found the pride of a lovely bride,

The Angels say it was Earth's child.

Why the Dervish prayed for 2 hearts!

" Children ,  even  when  the  lamps  are  two,  the  light  is  one."

                                                                               -Amma

Why  the  Dervish   prayed  for  two  hearts!

"Lord  , bestow  on  me  two  hearts;"

Cried  the  Dervish,

"One  to  love  the  Muslims  &  the  other  the  Hindus.

For  they  allow  me  not  to  love  both;

With  same  heart  and  same  eye.

And  though  I  have  two  eyes   for  two  peoples;

Pity  my  single  heart,  that  trembles  when  asked  to  choose."

What Lira Wrote...

Where  can  I  go?  Save my honour

For  I  have  dedicated  myself  to  you
And  now  there is  no  one  else  for  me.      

                                                           -Mira bai

I  wrote  this  poem  some  4  years earlier. Both  Mother  Teresa  and  Helen  Keller  and  countless  other angels  of  humanity  knew  that  the  thing  that  makes  us  human   is  our  capacity  to  Love  ,to  show  compassion  to others. They  knew  that  the  poor  are  hungry  more  for  love  than   food. But  today  if  we  see  someone  lying  hungry on the streets  or   helpless  in  some  terrible  condition - what do we do; we just pass on , shutting  them  away  from  our world.  I   heard  a  quote  long  ago . I  don't   recollect  it  exactly .  But  it  said  something  on  the  lines  of ;- "What  have  I  gained,  if  I  have  won  the  whole  world,  but   lost  my   own   heart."

 

   What Lira Wrote...

The  man  sleeps  on  the  rocky  bed;
And  above  him  lies  nothing  but  sky.

While  Lira  sleeps  on  soft  cotton  instead,

Dreaming  of  woods  and  dragons  that  fly.

The  man  has  over  him  meagre  clothes,  ragged  and  torn.
While  Lira  was  adorned  in  muslin  &  chiffon,  since  she  was  born.

The  man  is  hungry,  and  food  in  his  dreams,
Is  the  only  place  where  it  gleams.

Lira  knows  all  this,  but  she  wonders,  why
She  would  rather  let  him  die?

Lira  is  not  a  kid,  she's  12  years  old.
She  does  everything  that  she  is  told.

If  lira  gives  him -
food,  clothing ,  shelter,
medicine,  schooling  and  love,
mankind  would  be  much  better.

But  something's  missing.  Lira  does'nt  know -  what  or  why,
And  she  like  you,  turns  around  him  a  blind  eye.

And  1000  days  from  then,  when  Lira  fell,
From  a  bicycle  and  fractured  her  legs,

And  none  came  to  help  her;  she  could  now  tell  what  was  wrong.
And  she  wrote  in  her  diary;

"Humans  have  forgotten  that,  they  cannot  live  in  perfect  happiness

While  one  of  them  is  in  distress.

Each  of  them  thinks  -  He'll  reach  the  heights,  and  enjoy  the  sight;

And  when  some  poor  approaches  him,

He  says  ,'It's  his  battle.  Let  him  fight.

Anyway  the  world  isn't  fair

Then  why  should  I  alone  care

And  when  he  reaches  the  top  and  sets  his  sight.

And  what  a  sight  it  was!  Thousands  dead  of  hunger,  heat  &  cold

and  diseased  lepers  creeping.

All  because  he  had  turned  a  blind  eye."

This  is  what  Lira  wrote.

And   as  to  what  happened  to  that   man.
Anyone  can  complete  this  poem,  if  only  they  will.................

A to U

 " She  who  offers  herself  completely  asks  only  this  :

   That  her  Lord  love  Mira   as  fully   as  he   is   loved."

                                                           Mira bai 






   The  inspiration  for  the  following  song  was  an  very  young  girl  selling   flowers,  sitting  near  the footpath.  she  had  arranged  the  enticingly  fragrant  'mogras'  (Jasmines)  in  neat  bundles  on  a  make shift  table.  She  had  a  notebook  (a small sized one)  with  her  and  a  pen (or pencil ?)  and  though  my memory  doesn't  fully  cooperate  now  when  I  am  writing  this  (almost  three  years  have  passed) perhaps  she  was  practicing  alphabets .

   And   suddenly,  the  thoughts  along  with  the  sentences  and  the  words  came  to  me.  Not  in  one instant  though.  I  was  on  my  way  to  classes. By  the  time  I  left  the  classes,  two  hours  later,  most  of the  poem  had  assembled   itself  in  my  mind.(Note:  I   like  the  hindi  word  Mann  better.  It  means  so  much  more  than  just  an  organ).  On  my  way  back,  I  went  to  the  temple  of  the  Goddess  and  it  was  here  that  I  wrote  the  first  fair  copy  of  this  poem.
 

A  to  U

She  writes  from  A  to  U

And  then  she  stops

For  she  sells  flowers  too.

She  is  a  flower-girl

Sitting  by  the  crossroads

Loving  each   flrond   and  whorl. 

She  has  to  sell  the  flowers

She  has  to  write  till  Z

Before  she  can  go  to  bed.