Abhijit Naskar's Blog, page 84
October 12, 2021
Sonnet of Traditions
Society must shed its dead traditions,
Like one sheds dead skin.
Anything that lives must evolve,
For stagnation is death's twin.
The difference between life and death,
Lies in the desire for evolution.
Fancy rags on a prehistoric mind,
Makes way for a horrific extinction.
Other animals lack brain power,
To overcome shortcomings and be better.
But the jelly inside the human skull,
Can take us on an endless adventure.
All that is old is not necessarily gold.
Accepting yesterday’s good move ahead bold.
Like one sheds dead skin.
Anything that lives must evolve,
For stagnation is death's twin.
The difference between life and death,
Lies in the desire for evolution.
Fancy rags on a prehistoric mind,
Makes way for a horrific extinction.
Other animals lack brain power,
To overcome shortcomings and be better.
But the jelly inside the human skull,
Can take us on an endless adventure.
All that is old is not necessarily gold.
Accepting yesterday’s good move ahead bold.
October 8, 2021
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 46
Love is in everybody,
Not everybody is in love.
Power is in everybody,
Not everybody can power-up.
Everybody loves beautiful clothes,
Few care for heart's beauty.
Everybody is obsessed with liberty,
Few can bear the responsibility.
Everybody lives amidst the collective,
Only few practice collectivism.
Everybody talks about the world,
Not everybody has the world in them.
Poor is not the one whose pocket is empty,
But the one whose heart lacks comity.
Not everybody is in love.
Power is in everybody,
Not everybody can power-up.
Everybody loves beautiful clothes,
Few care for heart's beauty.
Everybody is obsessed with liberty,
Few can bear the responsibility.
Everybody lives amidst the collective,
Only few practice collectivism.
Everybody talks about the world,
Not everybody has the world in them.
Poor is not the one whose pocket is empty,
But the one whose heart lacks comity.
Environment and Development (The Sonnet)
Environment is not more important than development,
Development is not more important than environment.
Since we no longer live in the wilderness as animals,
We must make both work together in agreement.
Why do we need to wipe out forests and lakes,
To lay the foundation for growth and prosperity!
With our achievements in science and tech,
We can build modern cities nestled in greenery.
Unfortunately, once the green of dollar starts rolling in,
Green of nature goes out of the window.
The real problem is the mindset of profits over people,
It has nothing to do with our desire to grow.
Let us find harmony between concrete and nature.
Without harming earth, let us build green skyscrapers.
Development is not more important than environment.
Since we no longer live in the wilderness as animals,
We must make both work together in agreement.
Why do we need to wipe out forests and lakes,
To lay the foundation for growth and prosperity!
With our achievements in science and tech,
We can build modern cities nestled in greenery.
Unfortunately, once the green of dollar starts rolling in,
Green of nature goes out of the window.
The real problem is the mindset of profits over people,
It has nothing to do with our desire to grow.
Let us find harmony between concrete and nature.
Without harming earth, let us build green skyscrapers.
October 7, 2021
Sonnet of Heaven and Hell
There's a tale we hear of a heavenly kingdom,
Which is passed on through generations.
Because once you place salvation outside life,
Accountability vanishes from all prioritization.
Self-determination makes one unfit for slavery,
Reason makes one unfit for manipulation.
If you take charge of your life and community,
Institutions fail to dictate your ambition.
Heaven and hell exist here and now,
They are manifestations of human behavior.
Acts of oneness bring heaven in a moment,
Deeds of division breed hell from thin air.
The paradigm we have was made yesterday.
It is our world, let's build it our way.
Which is passed on through generations.
Because once you place salvation outside life,
Accountability vanishes from all prioritization.
Self-determination makes one unfit for slavery,
Reason makes one unfit for manipulation.
If you take charge of your life and community,
Institutions fail to dictate your ambition.
Heaven and hell exist here and now,
They are manifestations of human behavior.
Acts of oneness bring heaven in a moment,
Deeds of division breed hell from thin air.
The paradigm we have was made yesterday.
It is our world, let's build it our way.
October 6, 2021
On Space Tourism
Many people are mad at the escapades of billionaires in space, but the fact of the matter is, had they been invited to go with the billionaires themselves, most of them would be thrilled to their bones, for they are not really mad at the billionaires, they are mad because they can’t afford such fancy travel.
You see, they are the same people who save up their hard-earned money so they could have a relaxing or thrilling vacation somewhere, even though their version of vacation turns bleak in front of the glorious space vacations of the super-rich.
So to those who pompously ask the question, “should people travel to space for fun”, I ask, “should you have a vacation on an island for fun – should you have dinner at a fancy restaurant for fun – when countless souls are suffering from the lack of the very essentials of life?”
It’s all about status. A billionaire’s idea of vacation is in space, whereas a regular person’s idea of a vacation is on some island or in another continent. And if the billionaires are abusing resources for personal enjoyment, so are these regular people.
You have no right to demand moral accountability from billionaires, if you yourself don’t mind engaging in your everyday luxuries – for your luxuries may seem dim compared to those of the super-rich, but still the resources you spend on them could feed and clothe at least ten families in developing parts of the world for a year.
The very existence of billionaires is a sign of economic disparities, but they are not the sole cause of those disparities. Every individual engaging in luxury beyond necessity is as much responsible for the economic disparities in society as the super wealthy. So till you learn to distinguish between necessity and luxury and thereafter abolish all trace of luxury from your own life, you are the problem yourself, as much as the greedy capitalists and politicians.
(The above piece is an excerpt from Gente Mente Adelante: Prejudice Conquered is World Conquered, 2021)
You see, they are the same people who save up their hard-earned money so they could have a relaxing or thrilling vacation somewhere, even though their version of vacation turns bleak in front of the glorious space vacations of the super-rich.
So to those who pompously ask the question, “should people travel to space for fun”, I ask, “should you have a vacation on an island for fun – should you have dinner at a fancy restaurant for fun – when countless souls are suffering from the lack of the very essentials of life?”
It’s all about status. A billionaire’s idea of vacation is in space, whereas a regular person’s idea of a vacation is on some island or in another continent. And if the billionaires are abusing resources for personal enjoyment, so are these regular people.
You have no right to demand moral accountability from billionaires, if you yourself don’t mind engaging in your everyday luxuries – for your luxuries may seem dim compared to those of the super-rich, but still the resources you spend on them could feed and clothe at least ten families in developing parts of the world for a year.
The very existence of billionaires is a sign of economic disparities, but they are not the sole cause of those disparities. Every individual engaging in luxury beyond necessity is as much responsible for the economic disparities in society as the super wealthy. So till you learn to distinguish between necessity and luxury and thereafter abolish all trace of luxury from your own life, you are the problem yourself, as much as the greedy capitalists and politicians.
(The above piece is an excerpt from Gente Mente Adelante: Prejudice Conquered is World Conquered, 2021)
October 5, 2021
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 30
Earth and Mars, what is the difference,
Mars is barren, Earth isn't much behind!
Mars is barren for there's no advanced species,
Earth is made barren by its native intelligent kind.
We haven't yet learnt to take care of Earth,
Yet we are now headed for Mars as colonizer.
With the money it'll take to get to Mars,
We can literally end world hunger.
Mark you, I am not against space exploration,
But there's what I call existential priority.
I guess robots who vacation at high altitude,
Are least likely to fathom what’s humanity.
Advancement that ignores human suffering,
After a brief flight, eventually brings universal ruin.
Mars is barren, Earth isn't much behind!
Mars is barren for there's no advanced species,
Earth is made barren by its native intelligent kind.
We haven't yet learnt to take care of Earth,
Yet we are now headed for Mars as colonizer.
With the money it'll take to get to Mars,
We can literally end world hunger.
Mark you, I am not against space exploration,
But there's what I call existential priority.
I guess robots who vacation at high altitude,
Are least likely to fathom what’s humanity.
Advancement that ignores human suffering,
After a brief flight, eventually brings universal ruin.
September 25, 2021
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 49
Vegetables have destiny,
Humans have responsibility.
Vermin have luxury,
Humans have simplicity.
Nightcrawlers have insecurity,
Humans have dignity.
Bedbugs have stability,
Humans have community.
Donkeys have self-love,
Humans have self-annihilation.
Horses have competition,
Humans have revolution.
Fancy castles of glass belong in fairy-story.
No time to rest, we have too much duty.
Humans have responsibility.
Vermin have luxury,
Humans have simplicity.
Nightcrawlers have insecurity,
Humans have dignity.
Bedbugs have stability,
Humans have community.
Donkeys have self-love,
Humans have self-annihilation.
Horses have competition,
Humans have revolution.
Fancy castles of glass belong in fairy-story.
No time to rest, we have too much duty.
September 23, 2021
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 75
Nonduality comes from wholeness,
Wholeness rises when sectarianism is slashed.
Sectarianism fails when we fall in love,
Not with one person but the whole world.
When the stranger becomes family,
Politicians will lose their job.
When love overwhelms all rigidity,
Arms dealers will mourn and sob.
When diplomacy keeps the world divided,
Reliance on institutions goes through the roof.
The best way to sustain profits of war,
Is to keep people infected with the nationalist flu.
Enough with this barbarianism of sovereignty!
Step up and shout, the whole world is my family!
Wholeness rises when sectarianism is slashed.
Sectarianism fails when we fall in love,
Not with one person but the whole world.
When the stranger becomes family,
Politicians will lose their job.
When love overwhelms all rigidity,
Arms dealers will mourn and sob.
When diplomacy keeps the world divided,
Reliance on institutions goes through the roof.
The best way to sustain profits of war,
Is to keep people infected with the nationalist flu.
Enough with this barbarianism of sovereignty!
Step up and shout, the whole world is my family!
September 20, 2021
Giants in Jeans Sonnet 24
Who is to build the world?
Who is to raise the society?
Who is to water the plants?
Who is to stand up for sanity?
Who is to bear agony for community?
Who is to go hungry feeding another?
Who is to heal the sick while bleeding?
Who is to lift the lowly trotting fire?
Who is to burn alive to bring light?
Who is to walk on thorns to build the bridge?
Who is to be deceived yet stay humble?
Who is to lay down so others can climb the ridge?
It is you, o misfit, o explorer of impossibility,
Even if no one joins us, our world is our responsibility!
Who is to raise the society?
Who is to water the plants?
Who is to stand up for sanity?
Who is to bear agony for community?
Who is to go hungry feeding another?
Who is to heal the sick while bleeding?
Who is to lift the lowly trotting fire?
Who is to burn alive to bring light?
Who is to walk on thorns to build the bridge?
Who is to be deceived yet stay humble?
Who is to lay down so others can climb the ridge?
It is you, o misfit, o explorer of impossibility,
Even if no one joins us, our world is our responsibility!
September 18, 2021
Sonnet of Blood and Water
Blood may be thicker than water,
But water is far greater than blood.
Blood may discriminate between people,
Water saves all without a single word.
Even while helping the wounded,
Blood discriminates both in mind and medicine.
But to put out the fire of someone's thirst,
Water doesn't care about a single thing.
Now tell me which one deserves all the glory,
Tell me which one is greater,
Is it blood that's prejudiced all the time,
Or is it the life-giving water?
All care for blood and family first,
Few can make a family out of the world.
But water is far greater than blood.
Blood may discriminate between people,
Water saves all without a single word.
Even while helping the wounded,
Blood discriminates both in mind and medicine.
But to put out the fire of someone's thirst,
Water doesn't care about a single thing.
Now tell me which one deserves all the glory,
Tell me which one is greater,
Is it blood that's prejudiced all the time,
Or is it the life-giving water?
All care for blood and family first,
Few can make a family out of the world.
