Planet

   

Planet

  

Upon this planet with its blues and greens,

Its many shades of browns and other hues,

And all the other sights that daylight brings—

That ever changing light, from dawn to dusk,

With shadows stark on golden afternoons,

With clouds and peaks of white against the blues—

  

Yes, all of this and all the night’s delight,

With planets, moon, and stars and galaxy

Revealed for those afar from urban glare—

Upon this planet I have lived and seen

These wonders—glowing, timeless and serene—

Or so it seemed, amidst the constant flux

That marks our lives upon this spinning Earth. 

 

I’m grateful, yes, for all these sights I’ve seen—

For all the solace from the blues and greens

And other visions that remain with me

Of this, our planet, till I cease to be.

  

Amidst the madness, these have kept me sane.

Amidst the heartless, these have nourished me—

As have the actions and the care of those

Who see beyond the self and see within. 

  

These give me light and hope, amidst the sin

And all the darkness of the world we’re in.

These give me faith—and give me courage still. 

   

2026 January 19th, Mon.

Berkeley, California  

 

 

 

Paradise

 
Paradise
 
How precious are the tranquil times that come
And bring relief from all the stress and rush.
How rare these have become, for most of us,
As lethal madnesses pervade our worlds.
 
But still, outsides the war-zones, there's the dawn
With softest light, the morning bold and bright,
And then the noon and afternoon, and dusk
That calls to rest—and brings the stars to night.
 
For some at least, there still are meets at times
With friends and kin that bring back memories,
For others, only what remains in mind,
Reminding them of hell and paradise.
 
I still retain my faith that’s shorn of creeds—
The faith primeval in the truth and right—
That hears, amidst the cruelties, the voice
That calls to those who heal and those who fight.
 
2025 August 31, Sun.
Berkeley, California
 

Darkness—and Light

 
Darkness—and Light

We need to see and so to understand

How pettiness and peeve can overwhelm
Our better instincts, blur and blind our sight,
And bend our reason towards disastrous ends.
So conscience dies and truth is buried deep,
As endless lies and endless wars extend
Disaster zones in which the children wail
As parents weep or turn to remnant faith.

The gods and goddesses of ancient yore
Took part, we’re told, in all our grievous sins
Of lying, cheating, loot and murder—yes,
And even now we bow to Mammon’s will
And execute his lethal schemes and  worse—
As both the godless and the theists claim
Their rights to slaughters that will never end.

In all this darkness, growing deeper, might
There still be light that waits for more at dawn?
There surely is, as mind and heart can see
If only turned and opened towards this light—
That strives at every time and every place
To heal, console, and give us more of strength
That still sustains the soul in all that lives.

Behold the darkness, viewing it in full.
Observe the remnant light and cherish it.
The cynics and the ones defeated spurn
The hope that’s offered and the needed fight,
And in so doing aid the dark’s advance.
So recognize this trait, within yourself
As well as others. Understand the plight

Of those who’re wounded, yet sustain the light.

2025 July 5th, Sat. 
Berkeley, California

Faith

Faith

When bribes and threats combine with endless lies,

And death and dread destroy our bodies, minds, 

What then sustains the life, the will to fight,

The strength to bear the blows—and all the pain?

What could it be, except conviction, faith—

The love that still sustains and still reminds

Our wretched souls that there can still be light

And all our endless work was not in vain?

******

So even if we do not live to see

The darkness yield as dawn ascends the east,

We still can strive so that that hour can be

That lights the eyes of those considered least.

So some deride the faith that gives us strength,

And others say it hardly will suffice

Against the foe of overwhelming might. 

And yet we turn to virtue, turn from vice.

****** 

So faith informs our hearts and minds and deeds.

Despite our errors, frailties, and needs,

We turn from hatred, turn from hardened hearts—

To practice courage—and the caring arts.

The outcome often can’t be known—and yet 

Our faith sustains us. Though we can’t forget

The pain inflicted by the heartless foe,

Our faith does not allow the hate to grow.

2025, February 21st, Fri.

Berkeley, California 

Truth and Justice

  
Truth and Justice
 
In each of us there is a sense, innate,
Of fairness, just as each of us can sense
Another’s feelings—almost like our own.
And some of us, at least, have always sought
The truth, discarding comfort based on lies.
 
So empathy and truth and justice—each 
Have always been of worth to humankind—
And every script revered appeals to these,
With words like these in treasured texts inscribed.
And yet, injustice reigns—along with lies.
 
****** 
 
And why is this? Some say the cause is greed 
For wealth and power, each supporting each.
And surely these are drives with low regard
For kindness, truth or justice, but there are
Some other causes too, including these—
 
Our ignorance, our fear, our apathy,
And all our history of lords and kings—
The weeding out of those who dared to speak
Or act against the rule of clubs and swords, 
And now the jails of jobs—and rains of bombs.
 
****** 
 
What gain is there in life for those who seek
For truth, for those who see another’s pain,
And those who strive for equity for all?
The gain is more of persecution, pain—
And yet they try, and fail, and try again.
 
Observe the ones who speak against the lie.
Behold the ones resisting, those who die—
Behold their courage and observe their faith.
One might believe in justice after death,
Another not—yet both believe in right.
 
2024, May 14th, Tue.
Berkeley, California
 

G1z1

 
G1z1
 
G1z1, G1z1, burning bright!
Thunder roaring through the night!
Which the mind that held this dream
Of hearing huddled thousands scream?
 
In what dark imagination
Rose this scheme to end a nation?
Of what matter
To whom will emptied parents cry?
 
Hear, beneath the weight of rubble,
Those who’ll soon be out of trouble—
Some within an hour or four,
Some within a week or more.
 

Hear the endless lie that spouts

From the shameless, lying mouths. 

See the faces, on the screen,

Perched on suits and ties obscene.

 
******

Draped in darkness lay the city,

Hoping for a trace of pity,

Praying for an end to lying,

Till the time arrived for dying.

Set alight, the parents burn.

To whom will muted orphans turn?

Stripped of skin, the children die.

To whom will emptied parents cry?

Hear, beneath the weight of rubble,

Those who’ll soon be out of trouble—

Some within an hour or four,

Some within a week or more.

Fifty days of searing pain.

See! It’s starting once again!

Fifty nights of burning flesh.

Hear! The torture starts afresh.

****** 

 
Believers raise their hands and eyes,
Beseeching still the G1z1n skies.
Firm remains their ancient faith,
Accepting will, divine, as fate.
 
For those like me, who don’t believe,
What still remains that might relieve
This pain that’s just an echo, yet
Is something we will not forget?

There’s nothing, naught, except to strive
To end this curse while still alive—
To try, by every means, to bend
Our species towards this horror’s end.
 
Could those of us, who pay our taxes,
Refuse to pay these, till the axis
Joining this to endless pain
Can never, ever work again?
 
2023 December 1^st, Fri.
Berkeley, California

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

With many bows to William Blake:

The Tyger

Ta ki bhola jae-তা কি ভোলা যায়

তা কি ভোলা যায়?

সবই যখন ধ্বংস, ক্ষয়—
তাও কি বেঁচে থাকতে হয়? 
ঠেকায় তখন এই পারে কি 
কেবল মরণ-ব্যথার ভয়?

জীবন যখন ধূসর, তখন 
রঙের স্মৃতি রয় কি মনে? 
গালির ঠোকায় কালা হয়েও, 
কান কি তবু সুরটা শোনে?

ভোরে যতই সন্ধ্যে আসে, 
যতই গেছে চুকে—
দায়িত্ব কি ছাড়া চলে, 
যতই ব্যাথা বুকে?

যতই জুতো, যতই লাথি—
যতই ঘোর নিরাশা—
রইবে তবু শুদ্ধি, বিবেক, 
রইবে ভালোবাসা।

প্রেমের কথা বলছি না, ভাই। 
প্রেম তো আসে, যায়। 
কৃতজ্ঞতা, দয়া-মায়া,
তা কি ভোলা যায়? 

সোমবার, ২৩ মে, ২০২২ খ্রি, 
ব্রুক্লিন, নিউ ইয়র্ক

Faith-II

Faith-II

A face of beauty, like a flower’s bloom,
is but a passing thing that brings us joy
and then remains awhile in memory.
A heart of beauty—that of selfless love—
is what endures and gives to life its grace.

And though we each are like a blowing cloud
that rises and dissolves, we still can live
our lives in love—and so in partial peace,
however much the winds of hatred howl,
as tortured lives cry out for their release.

Let’s light our lamps, as sunset turns to dusk,
and through the darkness, as the planets wheel,
then guard those flickers, till it’s time to sleep.
And if we’ve tried to cleanse ourselves of sins,
our slumber might be restful, long and deep.

And when we wake, it’s then another day,
with trials old and new—and yet with hope.
Amidst despair, we still can try to be
aware of all the wonder of this world—
where cruelty and kindness coexist.

2017 July 2nd, Sun.
Brooklyn, New York
------------------------------------------------------

Related:  Faith ( http://thedailypoet.blogspot.com/2017/07/faith_30.html )

  

We'll Walk Together

  
We'll Walk Together
  

Rising moon above Lac-Temiscouata,  Quebec, Canada -- Dave Brosha
Source: http://davebrosha.tumblr.com/page/2

  





















       
    
  
    
We walked again together, you and I,
While looking at the darkening evening sky –
And when the moon was slowly rising, then
I kissed you, on your cheek, a soft goodbye.
  
And then the parting, with the wistful smile –
And then, the distance – mile on speeding mile,
And then – the calls, the letters and the hope
That I’d return, in just a little while...
 
How often was the tape rewound, replayed –
How often was the heart, by time, dismayed –
As weeks were turned to months and then to years –
As backs were bowed and heads and hopes were grayed...
 
And yet, the love, the faith, the trust remained –
The embers glowing as the darkness reigned.
We walked, apart, the paths that duties drew,
While yet as one, as Luna waxed and waned.

And so, despite the years we spent apart,
We stayed together, heart to beating heart.
‘Twas no romance, no ups and downs, surprises...
The paths we took were plain, unspoiled by art.
 
But even when I finally did return,
We found that hell in which the workers burn.
As veterans find, who’re traumatized by wars,
Our lives are ashes in the urban urn...
 
But seeing that the years have grown in pain,
I look to those that still perhaps remain,
And with the remnants of my will I say,
Our friendship lasts – and so, we’ll smile again.
 
We’ll walk again together, you and I,
While looking at the brightening eastern sky.
And as the sun is slowly rising, then
I’ll hold you close and hear you softly sigh...
 
2015 January 31st, Sat., 8:15 pm
(3rd-to-last & 2nd-to-last stanzas
added February 14th, Sat.)
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, New York
 

Fiber Left

Fiber Left

In extremis, racked or crushed, when death
Appears to be the only portal left,
We still might find, within, that strong resolve
That will not yield as long as life remains.

And so the body may be failing, weak
And hope for self and all that once was dear
Expressed like juice from sugar cane--and yet
The pulp, discarded, still has fiber left.

2014 February 22nd, Sat.
Bensonhurst, Brooklyn
   

Faith

Faith

Is there an isle, in an ocean blue,

Where decency remains,

Where men walk nude and women too,

And no one sane complains?

Is there a village, perching high

Above the clouds that rain,

Whose village elders rarely lie

Or deal for worldly gain?

Oh, there are islands plentiful

And villages sans measure,

Where decency is still the rule

And honesty's a treasure!

The ones, who still are decent, they,

In humble actions, trust.

And those, who still are honest, speak

But are unheard by us. 

"Should we have faith or should we seek

For evidence?" you ask.

"It's faith that gives us eyes to seek

And patience for the task."

Babui / Arjun

2011 June 4th, Sat.

Brooklyn
----------------------------------------------------------
  
Related: Faith-II
( http://thedailypoet.blogspot.com/2017/07/faith.html )