Tag: philosophical

My city at night
Poem · Poetry

My city at night

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Have you ever
Heard your city at night?
She will talk to you
Of what she saw in the light.

Talk of the lovers who kissed
for the first time on the bridge and
the homeless man below it,
weakened more today,
closer to death a little bit.

Politicians talking of welfare
in front of a crowd,
and plotting warfare
as soon as the masks come down.

I see it all,
I hear it all
and I bear it all.

Still, if ever
you need a listening ear
and a friend near,
you will find me here.

Just come over
at night, when everyone sleeps.
Stand on a bridge
Feel the wind in your hair
Stare into the dark waters below.

Or go to a park
Feel the air in your lungs
Rest your hand on a tree
Dig your heels in the soil.

I am here, with you
Through it all
Tell me your story
And I will tell you mine.

You and I,
We shall be fine.

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feel good · Healing · love · Poem · Poetry · Spiritual

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I look for you when I am alone

The only one who felt like home

.

Frantically, my panic has grown

Then I realize –

In everything,

In my very being, 

you are shown

.

You are me and I am you

I am not alone

Peace
Death · life · Poem · Poetry · Spiritual

Peace

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Come lie next to me

And let me speak

Speak to your heart

what my heart feels.

.

It feels no pain

And no joy

No worry, excitement or fear

All that remains is peace

.

I am happy here

Finally my restless soul is at peace

God is the master artist
Poem · Poetry

God is the master artist

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You create

I can only imitate.

You are the only one

Creating a masterpiece 

every moment.

How is it possible

That your glory be denied?

How can someone

Be so far from the truth?

One sunset, one sunrise

Can change a life.

Here’s hoping

You continue being the artist

And I keep getting inspired

To imitate you.

After sunset glow in the sky
Full moon at Del Mar
Beautiful day at Lake Poway Park
When the mask slips…
Healing · life · music · Poem · Poetry · Spiritual

When the mask slips…

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For how long 

Do you plan to pretend?

For sooner or later

The mask always slips

The thousand masks

That you wear

Do not help hide

The ugliness from the Creator

For He always sees you

Completely naked

Like the day He created you

A perfect song to go with this poem (please turn on captions to understand the lyrics) :

Image source : https://discover.hubpages.com/health/Tactics-of-a-Narcissistic-Mother

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem
Poem · Poetry · Rumi

Rumi poem interpretation – Unnamed Poem

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s unnamed poem:

Which is worth more, a crowd of thousands,

or your own genuine solitude?

Freedom, or power over an entire nation?

A little while alone in your room

will prove to be more valuable than anything else

that could ever be given to you.

In this poem Rumi is trying to explain how important he thinks being alone with oneself is. It is only when we quiet the mouth as well as the mind’s chatter that revelations happen. These aha-moments which happen in a meditative state are priceless according to him.

He compares an extroverted leader who might have power – maybe over an entire nation to a mystic who has freedom and who is completely satisfied in his own solitude, and asks the reader which one they think is worth more? There is no right or wrong here, obviously. Leaders are just as important to the society as mystics. A person who is a good balance of extroversion and introversion, leadership and mysticism would indeed be like a dream come true.

Taken from The Essential Rumi

translated by Coleman Barks

Image credit : me

Ganapati Bappa Morya!
feel good · Ganesha · love · Poem · Spiritual

Ganapati Bappa Morya!

radhikab

My father chopped off my head

I died. He attached an Elephant head instead

And resurrected me – for he was the God Shiva.

I saw his regret and forgave him in a heartbeat

Adored, loved and respected him ever since.

This is how Lord Ganesha, came into being.

 

Do you think, you will be able to do that?

Forgive the one who chops off your head?

Can you forgive the car that cuts off in front of you in the city traffic?

The boss who makes you feel worthless?

The spouse who has no time to hear your heartfelt thoughts?

The parents who did not understand their sensitive child?

All those who make these tiny cuts in your soul – day in and day out?

Can you forgive them?

 

That is why Ganesha is God and we are mere mortals.

Let us pray, that God Shiva chop off our ego-heads

and replaces it with one full of wisdom and knowledge,

just like Ganesha’s and all our obstacles shall begone.

 

Ganapati Bappa Morya! Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

Image credit : me 🙂

 

 

 

 

Marathi poem with translation – मनाचा आरसा (Mind’s mirror)
Marathi · Poem · Poetry · Spiritual

Marathi poem with translation – मनाचा आरसा (Mind’s mirror)

radhikab

मनाचा आरसा

आपल्या सर्वांमधे असतो एक आरसा
हा कधी दिसत नाही
पण आपल्या असण्याची
जाणीव नेहमी करून देतो

ज्या भावना आपण स्वतःशी लपवतो
त्यांचं प्रतिबिंब हा दाखवतो
कधी स्वप्नांमधे,
कधी ह्या जीवनाच्या स्वप्नात

हा सगळं शोधून काढतो
आणि मग ह्या मोह-माये मधे
त्या भावनांना व्यक्त करतो
चांगल्या-वाईट परिस्थितीनमध्ये झोकतो

हे सगळं हा आपल्यासाठीच करतो
आपण आपल्या भावनांचे मान करावे
त्यांना शुद्रांसारखे दूर न ढकलता
त्यांच्यामधे पूर्णपणे एकरूप होऊन
त्यानां आपलाच भाग बनवावे
हीच या आरश्याची इच्छा

आरसा म्हणतो,
आरे माणसा, ज्या दिवशी
माझ्यामध्ये मला काहीच दिसणार नाही
त्या दिवशी मी फुटणार आणि
माझ्यासोबत तू ही मुक्त

राधिका

Here is a rough translation of the poem in English :
Inside all of us, there is a mirror – mind’s mirror
We cannot see it, but it makes it’s presence felt.
Whichever feelings we suppress,
This mirror shows us it’s reflection
Either in dreams or in this illusionary world that we live in.
The mirror pushes us into worldly situations
Where we are made to feel these suppressed emotions again
It does this so that we see this feeling, acknowledge it and make it a part of our own being instead of disowning it.
The mirror tells us ‘Human, the day I see no reflection in myself – I will get destroyed and along with me, you will be free from this cycle of Samsara (life, death and rebirth)’
Image credit : https://teejaw.com/self-reflection-can-be-good-for-you/
Life breaks us all
feel good · Poem · Poetry

Life breaks us all

radhikab

Life breaks us all

In a million different ways

We all walk around

With holes in our soul

 

Try to look at others

Through these holes

In some you will find

Disease, decay and death

Some will have a light so pure

Like one you have never seen before

 

Image credit : http://www.soultraveller.net/authors/book-reviews/every-day-lightworker/

Rumi poem interpretation – Love is reckless
feel good · love · Poem · Rumi · Spiritual

Rumi poem interpretation – Love is reckless

radhikab

Here is my interpretation of Rumi’s poem ‘Love is reckless’

Love is reckless; not reason.

Reason seeks a profit.

Love comes on strong,

consuming herself, unabashed.

Here the author is comparing logic and love. Love cannot be made to happen by a logical reasoning or conclusion. Love just happens – it is reckless. It can happen to anyone at any time – it does not see if this is in the person’s profit or not. When it happens it consumes the person – body, mind and soul. It is an all consuming feeling.

Yet, in the midst of suffering,

Love proceeds like a millstone,

hard surfaced and straightforward.

Love is also a very strong feeling – no matter how much suffering surrounds it – it keeps carrying on like a strong millstone.

Having died of self-interest,

she risks everything and asks for nothing.

Love gambles away every gift God bestows.

Once a person is in true love, the idea of selfishness does not occur to the person – for they start living only for the benefit of their beloved. In this love frenzy they don’t mind giving up anything valuable that God has bestowed upon them.

Without cause God gave us Being;

without cause, give it back again. 

The author says that God has given us this life and the many experiences it provides in a completely selfless manner – in true love for us. In exactly that manner, we can use our being to serve everyone with love and ultimately give our being back to God. It is not necessary to always do things with a profit in mind. This is akin to the idea – ‘Let all you do, be done in love’ 1 Corinthians 16:14

Masnavi: Teachings of Rumi

by Jelaluddin Rumi (Author), E. H. Whinfield (Editor, Translator)

Image Credit : https://hdwallpaperfx.com/lovers-in-nature/