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….”

 

 

Posted for Mary’s prompt Sometimes It’s Times @ Poetry Jam

16 comments:

  1. A serious moment is visiting your blog and revel in your thoughts and verse :)

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  2. This is very wonderful, Sumana, and I like the voice you use in it.

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  3. I 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.

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  4. What is serious for man is
    To 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

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  5. The pattern is an interesting one!

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  6. Wonderful poem, Sumana. The comparisons are exemplary!

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  7. We all need to follow the dream, lovely words.

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  8. Sumana,

    Being brave and stepping out into a new pathway...New beginnings..Thank you Sumana for your prompts and interaction with me at PJ.
    Eileen

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  9. Sumana, I really enjoyed this. Very imaginative take on the prompt!

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  10. very 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
    and 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...

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  11. There are indeed those "serious moments" in life. Very nicely expressed Sumana.

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  12. So 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.

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  13. Every line you have peened down has a wonderful meaning :) Great thoughts. I loved the last lines the most :)

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  14. Wonderful poem, Sumana, one of your best I think!

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