 |
| courtesy : google images |
Tuesday, 17 February 2015
Waiting
Gautam Buddha asked the bereaved mother
To bring Him a handful of mustard seeds
From a household where Death had not entered
Poor mother had gone a begging from door to
door
But returned crest fallen and realized the
truth
We can’t do away with Death
It has been like this from time immemorial…..
For
our time here, like the twilight
Is
precious and fading
And
while there’s certainty nothing new under the sun-
Under
the moon, there is waiting
For Grace’s prompt @ dVerse Poetics : A poem from the future
The last stanza in italics is from Ben Burke’s
poem.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
A few of the poems for this prompt have been along the lines of 'nothing new under the sun' - and it's this sense of repetition of mistakes which is galling. But you have twisted this around in a very Buddhist way: grief and death are as much part of life as beauty and joy, intrinsic and perhaps necessary.
ReplyDeleteA heartbreaking truth.. death has entered every house.. and I think no matter what the future might behold there are things the future cannot change. Love the wisdom that you shared.
ReplyDeletewhat a sad tale... poor mama must accept death. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child
ReplyDeleteOh! This was one of my favourite tales as a kid. How wonderfully you have used to for this prompt.
ReplyDelete~Prajakta
This breaks my heart you know ~ Sadly death is still a constant in our life ~ Would we ever do away & overcome death in the future ? I think not, that is why life is very precious ~
ReplyDeleteI hope you are well Sumana ~
that handful of mustard seeds will never be found...as sad as it is that we are all touched by death and mourning, there should also be great comfort in the fact that we can (or should at least) share in each others pain and lend comfort to each other.
ReplyDeletedeath is unavoidable...a hard truth...it finds us all at different times...and different places, different phases of life...the last two lines in italics really put a point on this as well...
ReplyDeleteThis is the sad truth we all must live with. Death finds every household....and I don't think any of us are ever ready. I like the line "Under the moon, there is meaning." Perhaps the moon can also give a bit of solace in time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very poignant tale, Sumana. Sadly death is something we can count on in the future, as now.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful Sumana. It's wisdom is irrefutable, definitely death is part of life. Lovely writing.
ReplyDeletethere is waiting under the moon...and who knows what those seeds finally grow into...
ReplyDeleteI know I left a comment about waiting under the moon for the only way forward. If you find it, please erase this one. I am moved by the experiential learning that the mother must do which put her in touch with so many along the old ways. Wisdom, again, about what is so precious and always fading.
ReplyDelete..under the moon there is waiting....and hoping...lovely poem
ReplyDeleteAnd so true.. it is only likely the human animal that sits and worries and even meditates about death....
ReplyDeleteWhen most all the other animals simply live in existence now forever.. never ever seeing death...
Amazing we will be afraid of something.. we will never see..
And the only animals sing a brave tune of free.. never afraid of a dark they cannot see..:)
Ah. the imagination of humans what dreams and nightmares it brings to the illusion of past and future and even the present of now.. in dreams of illusion...come reality for not even now....
Very thoughtful.....and yes an all time truth.....
ReplyDeleteI like how timeless this poem reads.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful . . . lovely comforting words.
ReplyDelete