Silent Diction - Poem .... A Call for Awakening to the Language of Silence ....

.... Seeing in, out and around, we discover, that in order to communicate, words, all can’t shower .... 

.... The best of joys and the worst of sorrows are often out of reach of words .... 

.... Life becomes more worthwhile if we learn the Language of Silence ....

Silent Diction

Can you see the joy that peeps out

Of the brightness of eyes, perceiving ecstasy all about?

For the best of joys is far too deep,

To come within shallow words’ grip.

Can you hear the echo of untold misery

That retreats from sad lips, shut despondently?

For, the great pain is too bitter,

For the subtle words to endure.

Seeing in, out and around, we discover

That in order to communicate, words, all can’t shower.

So, may we learn the Silent Diction, not aye relying on words, fragile,

To know, to understand more and to make life more worthwhile.

- Vanita Thakkar (22.12.1988)

© 1988 Vanita Thakkar

 

My Ego - A Poem with Reflections on Understanding Ego and Self-respect; Ego and Social Labels; Ego, Trust and Love ….

How much have you suffered because of your notions of my ego ? .... You find all reasons to cause troubles .... Still, do I not owe Thanks to you for being better than worse ??!!

My Ego

How much have you suffered

Because of your notions of my ego ?

You degraded and maligned yours !

You got justifications to trouble me.

You are successful indeed !

Your hostility does harm me,

But, it will bear bitter fruits for you.

I am glad to give you happiness

From my miseries.

Do I not owe Thanks to you

For being better than worse ?

- Vanita Thakkar (20.03.2009)

 

Reflections ....

It is important to understand the difference between ego and self-respect in life.

What is self-respect for one person may appear as ego to another person.

Struggles for self-respect raise questions on sensitive matters concerning individual and social well-being, including :

• traditions
• self-image
• identity .... and so on ....

Whether between / among individuals or small groups or large groups / communities, such mind games, in the name of perceptions, often involve use of various labels that usually carry importance on matters of collective interests, such as loyalty towards (many times, so-called)

• accepted practices (that may be urgently requiring changes for good),
• social concerns,
• religion,
• gender,
• region,
• languages,
• belief systems and so on ....

The use of "by hook or crook" ideology keeps delaying justice / possible reconciliations.

Sometimes I wonder, why do people say there are clashes in ideologies, when actually in most cases, there are clashes between self-respect and greed or between greed on both sides, that causes much harm to whatever is being fought for.

Self-respect and Greed

Sometimes I wonder, why do people say there are clashes in ideologies, when actually in most cases, there are clashes between self-respect and greed or between greed on both sides. Do you agree ?

• 90% Yes
• 0% No
• 10% Not sure

10 people have voted in this poll.

The willingness to accept responsibility for one’s own life is the source from which self-respect springs.

– Joan Didion

 

Ego, Trust and Love ....

The satisfaction of being trusted is a better compliment than the satisfaction of being loved. Do you agree ?

• 17% Yes
• 0% No
• 83% Love without trust is either blind due to possessiveness or lame due to helplessness.

12 people have voted in this poll.

© 2021 Vanita Thakkar (Published on HubPages on 27th July, 2021)

Mr. And Mrs. Mouse - A Poem

 

Mr. Mouse married Miss Mouse. He brought her to his house; to lead a “happy” life, with his beautiful wife .... Read how their marriage progresses ...

Mr. And Mrs. Mouse

Mr. Mouse married Miss Mouse.

He brought her to his house;

To lead a “happy” life

With his beautiful wife.

Mr. Mouse was rather lazy.

After marriage, he also became crazy.

First, Mrs. Mouse enjoyed the favour,

Then, she lost her temper.

One morning, she began to shout,

“Mend your ways or get out ….”

Poor, dear Mr. Mouse !

He had to leave his house.

Mr. Mouse began to earn for a living,

He, also, became hard-working.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Mouse was in trouble.

Life, to her, was a lonely struggle.

One day, when she slept quietly,

A cat crept in swiftly.

The watchman Dog came just then,

Seeing him, away the cat ran.

Mrs. Mouse felt sad and scared,

“Oh ! Can these miseries not be ended ?”

She dressed herself and went to Mr. Mouse

To bring him back to ‘his’ house.

She felt sorry for being impertinent,

And made up her mind to be loving and patient.

Mr. Mouse came back, gladly,

For, he had also suffered badly.

- Vanita Thakkar (written sometime in the first half of 1984)

Memories about this poem ....

My friend, Shipra Mathur and I, were classmates and bench-mates, studying in seventh standard (seventh grade) in the Central School (Kendriya Vidyalaya - 1 (K V - 1), Vadodara).

My passion for reading and writing was known. Shipra wanted to see me write a poem. I agreed. We sat down and I started writing.

During those days, in our English lessons, we were studying the nonsense poem - The Owl and the Pussy Cat, by Edward Lear.

So, I thought of writing a nonsense poem. And this poem - Mr. and Mrs. Mouse - is what came up. We laughed and laughed as I wrote the poem.

Shipra loved the poem. She took it home and made her little brother memorize it. He recited it at an upcoming poetry recitation competition at his school and won the first prize.

That was great joy for all of us !!

 

© 2021 Vanita Thakkar

The Sculptor - A Poem

 

 

The Sculptor

A sigh of grief slipped out

As he got the blow;

The Sculptor too was moved

And tears began to flow.

But, tenderness was to be checked

For, the piece He was to create

Would otherwise remain incomplete;

So, he went on, contained and sedate.

Don’t you lament, oh statue !

For, the hard blows you are getting

Are to teach you to endure

And to carve your being.

Pleasing hue to be loved by all

Is the gift of these hardships.

So, try to bear the woe

With a smile on your lips.

- Vanita Thakkar (23.07.1988)

This is one of my old poems, written in school days. I had written this poem when my English class was going on. My friend sitting next to me was anxious that I would get caught. Fortunately, I wrote it without getting caught and both - my friend and I, were happy.

 

© 1988Vanita Thakkar

THE QUEST : Some Thoughtlets, Thought Waves ....

Perceptions Steer Relationships - In Professional As Well As Personal Life .... Clarity; Focus On Merits, Principles And Objectives Of Common, Higher Interests Is Essential ....

The Quest ....

Whatever I see of you in you

Is but an image of myself,

Because even though my eyes look outwards,

I am continuously searching myself all round.

Short-comings of the other person

As seen by me –

They may be my beliefs

Or may be a proof of my short-sightedness.

How to know that

Someone is proud, jealous .... ?

It may be our doubt.

What is the need of judging others ?

Why bother about others’ short-comings ?

From all that I have seen of myself and others,

Judgments have more to do with the person who judges

Than with the person who is being judged.

Sometimes, the shortcomings or drawbacks

Which we think others have

Are the reflections of

Our own drawbacks in them.

So, whenever, one feels that

The other person lacks so and so,

Instead of worrying about that person,

One should check one’s own self first.

- Vanita Thakkar (04-06-1991 - from my old diary)

 

Superimposition of one's own fault on someone else to justify one's possessiveness to one's preferences, is an example of one of the "Klesha"s (afflictions) described in the Patanjal Yoga Sutra (classical text on Yoga by Sage Patanjali), which creates havoc in administrative systems as well as relationships ....

In administrative systems, focus on Merits and Principles is essential and in relationships, Love is the essence.

- Vanita Thakkar (21-08-2017)

Life begins as a quest of the child for the man, and ends as a journey by the man to rediscover the child.

- Sam Ewing.

The real reason for a quest is always self-knowledge.

- Thomas C. Foster

From HubPages .... Published on 29th July, 2020.

The Mirror - A Parable On Human Ignorance ....

 

Life is a continuous process of regaining lost faith and maintaining it ....

THE MIRROR ....

Once, along with many other gifts,

Life placed a lovely mirror in my hands.

It was beautiful and reflective.

I held it before myself

And gazed at the reflection in it.

I liked it so much

That I started examining minutely

Every curve of the beautiful image it reflected.

While doing so,

I came across an ugly, undesirable curve.

There were some more such curves.

There was also

A thin layer of dust on the mirror.

I did not like their presence

And in order to remove them,

I scratched the mirror’s surface.

One scratch, two scratches ....

The curves did not vanish,

Nor was I able to

Wipe out the layer of dust completely,

But my dear mirror’s beauty,

Its reflectiveness was marred.

And suddenly,

I realized how delicate it was !

“Oh my dear mirror !

My dearest, delicate mirror !

I don’t want to loose you !”

My heart gave an anxious cry.

I clasped it – my dearest, delicate mirror !

I held it tight against myself.

CRASH !!

Alas !

My grip broke my mirror !

Tearfully, I saw its broken pieces

Lying on the floor

In a pool of my heart’s blood.

- Vanita Thakkar (from my old diary - written some time in 1992)

Life is a continuous process of regaining lost faith and maintaining it ....

- Vanita Thakkar

“A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.”

– Elizabeth Gilbert

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.”

– Sydney J. Harris

From HubPages .... Published on 27th July, 2020