Tuesday, 14 April 2015
Sometimes It's Time
A serious moment for the ant is*
When it finds a morsel of food
And charges towards it
To store it for future use
Unlike the foolish grasshopper
Who becomes a lifeless stick
In the European winter
A serious moment for the cuckoo is
To lay eggs in the crow’s nest
And be relieved of the responsibility
To rear up the fledglings
Unlike the foolish crow
Who takes all the trouble from nesting
To bringing up to unhappiness
A serious moment for the mosquito is
To suck blood without getting killed
A serious moment for the chair is
To take a sitter on its lap
A serious moment for a river is
To meet another at a confluence
And be one and flow
What is serious for man is
To take time for a new beginning
To follow a dream
Even risk taking a less trodden path
To listen to time’s call
And respond seriously
To make a man of man
This poem is written in the vein of Kenneth
Koch’s The Boiling Water that begins like this:
“A serious moment for the water is
When it boils….”
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A serious moment is visiting your blog and revel in your thoughts and verse :)
ReplyDeleteOh thank you Deepakji :)
DeleteThis is very wonderful, Sumana, and I like the voice you use in it.
ReplyDeleteI like the comparisons you made, Sumana. Interesting to contemplate what is serious for 'man' as well as 'beast.' I like the idea of taking time for a new beginning.. We all need to do that in life periodically, I think.
ReplyDeleteWhat is serious for man is
ReplyDeleteTo take time for a new beginning
To follow a dream
Even risk taking a less trodden path
These were my favorite lines :D One should always take a risk if it means their dreams can come true! Loved your poem :D
xoxo
The pattern is an interesting one!
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, Sumana. The comparisons are exemplary!
ReplyDeleteWe all need to follow the dream, lovely words.
ReplyDeleteSumana,
ReplyDeleteBeing brave and stepping out into a new pathway...New beginnings..Thank you Sumana for your prompts and interaction with me at PJ.
Eileen
Sumana, I really enjoyed this. Very imaginative take on the prompt!
ReplyDeleteI really like this poem
ReplyDeletevery interesting take on responses to timing, the ant, the grasshopper, the cuckoo all shows us responses and consequences, humanity has the edge on being the risk taker, not conditioned like the ant or the grasshopper; luv how you show it
ReplyDeleteand my favourite are your ending lines
"To listen to time’s call
And respond seriously
To make a man of man"
happy you dropped in to read mine
much love...
There are indeed those "serious moments" in life. Very nicely expressed Sumana.
ReplyDeleteSo often we tend to think of time within a man-made construct and I like the way you've shaken those parameters up a bit. For time waits for no man - nor does it wait for any living thing.
ReplyDeleteEvery line you have peened down has a wonderful meaning :) Great thoughts. I loved the last lines the most :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, Sumana, one of your best I think!
ReplyDelete