Why does the Sky burn?
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Category Archives: Nature
What do we live for?
Succulent’s Bloom
Think for yourself
A Covid Winter
We crossed the solemn count of over half a million dead, this winter, of COVID-19, in the U S Alone. More dead than we lost in all our foreign wars, since our founding. There is no way to describe the devastation of our losses, against this virus. So many loved ones, who died alone; in beds cared by front line responders; sickened to their death. As the President reminded us, of that empty chair; on the dining table, in a family meal. He reminded us on how it hollows us inside, in pain and grief. Yes, in all this cold and inhospitable world, we must rise again and live. We must look up to the heavens and our sun for life, once Summer rolls around.
Our Covid winter has passed, with the largest inoculation plan; being executed, across our world. Millions have already received their vaccines. There is talk of billions, by the end of the year; as more manufacturers, get their trials approved. It will take time for life to return to normal, as Spring will turn into Summer. There is talk of July 4th as a renewed Independence Day, for us all. We must remember we are only human, and a very small and insignificant part, of the Universe. Amongst the billions of suns just in our own Milky way, we are children on only one. There are billions of more galaxies, expanding beyond our Milky Way stretching for billions of light years. We should be thankful and grateful for our lives on this Earth. We must strive to live in mindfulness, and with compassion for all fellow creatures.
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent upon it, can still ripen a bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do. -Galileo Galilei, physicist and astronomer (15 Feb 1564-1642
Hope rises for 2021
Happy new year and health and happiness to you and your family!
Crack in the cliff face
Fall arrives in silence and there were no storms from the North East, to proclaim its bustling arrival, this year. The red berries announced the change in the seasons, by blooming in the green bushes annually. We are tied to our homes, on account of the Pandemic; and spend our time, on social media. The TV has become too political, as if no new babies are being born, or weddings being held. To differentiate themselves, our candidates are instead, distancing us from each other.
Divide and rule, oh how people has suffered, under its yoke; over the centuries, of human history. Race, religion, caste, color, sex can each be used, to divide us, from each other. ‘Oh a woman can’t do that’ is not something a civilized society proclaims for most civic duties, as humanity is equal. In some places of course we have matriarchal families, or in others the Mother is a Goddess. Civilizations have truly prospered in Egypt, Greece, Rome when the people were united. Prosperous and ordered cities and empires lasted for millennia. In India we have centuries of foreign rule, and now again, a free nation rises.
China has been the great success story of the past few decades. They have educated, housed, and fed a billion people successfully, and continue to grow into an urban society. Great strides have been made by the politburo in engineering marvel’s build outs, of infrastructure in high speed rails and highways. Top class new cities have sprung up, and the facilities available, in their national institutions have become world class. China has some of the best Universities, largest banks, and manufacturing capabilities. Under Xi, the dragon is on the rise everywhere, as its belt and road initiative flounders, but is not lost. Great influence comes with major projects for the Chinese companies, who are often the best in their class now.
Coming back to the crack in the cliff face, as I take my evening walk. The red berries caught my eye first, and then I followed them to the deep crack, that ran up the cliff face. Nature is so strange in so many myriad ways. The green is so deep of the evergreens, and the red is so bright of the berries, against the brown cliff face. Autumn creeps in, and the season of our winter, will arrive soon as the leaves change. Then the icy winds will blow, and the pandemic will claim, more victims, as humanity seeks shelter indoors. The virus will spread, like the the crack in the cliff face, and death will be amongst us.
Carrying the water
The exercise of free will, is a common human desire,
Without discipline though, it is often only a satire.
Come join the seekers and planters, of the spiritual seeds,
Ensure we are carrying the water, for our daily needs.
The path is tortuous for some, who expect toil and trouble,
Endless days that stretch out, in purgatory’s bubble.
We fear for the worst, and lose sight of what is best,
The only way is to adopt stillness, to allow free thinking,
Dwell inwards, and walk the lonely path, of eternal seeking.
We constantly strive, for external happiness and joy,
Ignoring that happiness is internal, for each girl and boy.
We must go and find, the fuel for our fire,
It is this fuel of our thoughts, which raises our desire.
Still this mind, as with our breath, we must control,
Daily attempt to be here and now, avoid the endless troll,
We do not rise in anger, to defeat desire,
Instead desire dies, when we lower the fire.
Remember in the end, this is just our daily grind,
It is up to us to be happy, to stop and hear the wind.
The path is still there for us to follow,
Change our thoughts and become shallow.
The Oceans will churn, and the storms will rise,
We are the drop, which will become the surprise.
Madonna and child
Mother and child bonding have been depicted in stories, sculpture, art, and this special bond is studied and even glorified. While the father remains an elusive figure, as protector and provider, it is the mother who signifies, eternal love and compassion. Human children are dependent on their mother for survival, for far longer, than other species. This bond is eternal as without it, we would not survive, in this universe. Please treasure your mother above all else, as she is the one who made you, in more ways than you can imagine. History speaks of great male leaders and their magnificent achievements. Our ambitions and conquests are nothing, when compared to the sacrifices of our mothers, who helped us survive all the bloodshed and ruin. Our hearts should be ever grateful and not try to understand, the reason for our mother’s love. It’s depth is unknowable, and it is the single most powerful reason, that we are alive today.
Old memories from FB:
The heart has its reasons that reason knows nothing of. -Blaise Pascal, philosopher and mathematician (1623-1662) Each mother and daughter has a relationship that reason does not define, only the heart knows; when skin touches skin that a special bond exists. The eyes communicate fathoms of depth and just an inflection in the voice strikes a cord, that no one else can play. Madonna and the child are age old ties, that define our very existence and defy the age of reason… Form Aug 2 2012 posting.
Cave of my heart
When I was young, I remember my mother playing,
A game of fun and companionship, for my entertaining.
If we learnt all the rules, and played by the book,
We would have thrills and delights and may even find a crook.
On such occasions I would rejoice, and join her,
With her delight would arise my own, and we would be together.
Then one day an old bearded man came, and we all went to hear him,
She listened and something changed, as she abandoned our plaything.
Mother said that the man spoke about, opening the cave in our hearts,
Me I also tried at a tender age, to find this cave inside me and all its parts.
The times passed and I moved on with my life, and grew distant, from my mother,
My wife and children took up my time, and I worked for my living, for another.
Life had its sweet moments and its sorrows, and we would visit on celebrations,
My father passed away and my mother was aging, and we talked of separations.
One day she reminded me of the old man, and how she had filled the cave in her heart,
She felt she had done all her life needed, and the time was coming soon for us to part.
Now when I walk in the woods, and come upon a cave,
Oftentimes I feel my mother’s heart beating there, bidding me to be brave.
Rajiv July 2020