Let's Pledge To Save Our Environment

                             

The clouds, the blue sky and the mighty mountain,

The lakes, the rivulets and the roaring fountain,

The spring breeze, the rains and the summer loo,

The colours of flowers or the lovely rainbow view,

Dew drops on the grass, the snow over the land,

The tides in oceans and the shore with its sand,

The vast multitude of insects, animals and birds,

All are subsets of nature, saying a million words.

Right from the time we set foot on this Earth,

All of us realize what our environment's worth.

We get all the energy from our very surrounding,

The warmth, the breeze, the rains and the lighting.

But as we grow up, our concerns visibly diminish,

We contaminate our environment, we act foolish.

Our knowledge falls apart, we forget the love,

Our eyes no more see the contamination above.

Our acts cause a depletion of nature's beauty,

We kill the mother, oblivious of our real duty.

They say whatever dies eventually goes to nature,

Is this where we wish to go in the coming future?

It is our responsibility to protect and preserve,

The assets of our environment and its rich reserve,

So that one day we can stand up and say to the world,

'We did it. Do others still need to be taught and told?'

Come on, let's learn to reuse, recycle and reduce,

Come on, let's help a vital resource to reproduce.

Together we all can make a significant difference,

We can convey the message about nature's essence,

And each of us can take a step forward to building,

A better earth; a greener and safer place for living.

It's our responsibility towards our own Mother Earth,

Who has been taking care of us, ever since our birth.

[I had compiled this poem as part of World Environment Day celebrations in TCS, Synergy Park, Hyderabad; last month. It got me the first prize.]

I Wish To Die Another Day... Part II

Our man gradually started feeling like a God's child. Someone who had everything coming his way, without even moderate risks taken. Now he could contemplate the result of an undertaking before it even came to concept. He had now realized that whatever risks he would take, he would end up being right and exact. These things didn’t keep him happy. He had long forgotten the fragrance of success- the one that comes after a couple of failures. He would often demand answers from God in his prayers. "Oh Holy Sire, why have you given me more than what I had asked you? I just wanted to know the date of my death. Why have you made my life predictable in all ways? Though I have everything now, I am not fully happy because You have rendered my life bland."

Several more years passed. And now our man was quite old. He had become a very famous figure now. He had his own successful business and his brand had travelled far and wide in these years. This meant that he had some really wide fame and acclaim now. So our renowned man was selected for a prestigious world-wide award for his efforts that was to be conferred upon him in a very big gathering of international figures amidst huge pomp and show. The night before this very big day, for which he had flew three thousand miles from his country to another, he was all excited on the prospect of the felicitation. His efforts had finally been paid. All these years of his diligent hard work was now being showcased in front of the world. As he retired to his slumber that night, he had a very strange dream.

He was walking into thick white clouds. There was nothing around except this white mist. After walking, what seemed to be some hundred miles, he finally reached a big iron gate that was indeed the gate that led to heaven. He kept walking. No one stopped him; no one demanded to know why he was there. It seemed to him as if he was some kind of a special guest who had been given all privileges. Slowly he walked stopping every ten or fifteen yards to check if he had reached God’s abode. After another long walk, he finally made it to the place where mortals could hardly ever go. It was God’s residence- the dwelling of the Sculptor-of-all-that-has-ever-existed. He was escorted inside by a couple of beautiful angels. And as he entered the immaculate dwelling, he saw his very God in front of him. The man watched Him with awe-struck eyes. God- in His supreme being, stood in front of this mortal human who had made his way to this place the second time in his lifetime.

Without wasting any more time, God spoke in a voice that echoed to every nook and corner of the entire span of the universe. "Welcome to my abode son. It was upon my request that you have been disturbed in your slumber and brought all the way to Heaven. I had to stop the God of Dreams in his pursuit of showing you your own idea of the forthcoming event that you are so very eager to be a part of. You had already started seeing the same in your dreams but there is something more vital that explains this urgency". The man stood motionless. He didn’t know what to say to God- the One who had gifted him his voice. He had no remembrance absolutely of any previous rendezvous with the Master. Soon God spoke again. "Son, I have had rendered you oblivious of your last encounter with me in my abode that happened several Earth years ago. But there is one thing that you have always been cognizant of, which though you seem to have forgotten now as I speak. You had come to me once to know the date of your death and I had bestowed the knowledge upon you. Today I have summoned you to remind you that the day has finally arrived. You have lived your life. Now you must die. Your next role on Earth has already been finalized. You will be born as a different human in few days’ time. Meanwhile I, the Master of Earth; Hell and Heaven, have decided that you will spend the intermediate time here in Heaven, as a reward for all the good that you have done onto your family and to the world during this lifespan of yours. Son, I do hereby invite you to be my guest for some days before you embark again on your duty to serve Mother Earth".

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The man’s body froze. He couldn’t move now even if he wanted to. His eyes were wide open and he stared at God point blank. His face had lost its colour and he looked dead already. There was silence all around and each moment that passed seemed to have left an era behind. Finally God had to interrupt. "Speak your heart child. Go ahead. You are my special guest for today". And so slowly our man spoke. "Oh Almighty, oh Supreme Lord, I have indeed forgotten about the revelation that I had several years back. In the last twenty five years that have gone by, I have been very busy devoting my entire time to the success of mankind in all totality. I never had time to think about my own life, leave alone thinking about death. And after all these years of concentrated effort, I now stand at the juncture of getting a recognition for all that I have done- a true reward that will surpass all material rewards that I have so far received. And so I am shocked to learn that the day of my death has arrived and I have to surrender myself to you. Oh Master-of-all-that-seems-impossible, I don’t want to reside in Heaven after death. Could you instead grant me few more days of life in return? Then send me to Hell. I shall happily endure Hell thereafter. Please Father, grant me few more days of life so that I can actually taste the sweet fruit of success after all these years of up-and-coming".

Hearing the man’s request, God laughed. And as He laughed, loud thunders ripped the surrounding off its silence. Then he spoke in a stern voice, "Son, I have my own ways of governing over the life that I have created. To all that is living, I grant a fair share of happiness and an equivalent share of pain. I decide for each living being, the times of happiness and the occurrences of pain. I had, in my best of knowledge, done the same justice for you. But you weren’t satisfied with your lot. Your only understanding was that a person can be happy only after knowing their exact lifespan. So I had to listen to your prayers and then make amends in the life that I had planned for you. And now, when the time has arrived, you have no chance to ask me for more life. You had enough time to be happy and taste success but you never did. Now there is nothing that I can do for you. As is my understanding, you mortal humans ought to live each day of your life the way I open it for you. Sometimes happy, sometimes sad. I can’t go change my rules for every individual that seeks me in his prayers. Go back son; I haven’t made death painful for you- something that you may regard as another reward for your good deeds. You will die of a mild heart attack in some time from now. Go back to your world. Go take your last breaths. I shall meet you again soon."

The man had started crying by now. He cried like an infant. He got down on his knees and tore upon his hairs. He cried as he pleaded, "Please God... I wish to die another day"...

The next morning, everyone found him dead on his bed. No scars, no injuries. Just as the man had been assured of. He had died an easy death. Later that day, he was awarded posthumously for being the great man that he had been in his lifetime.

Death doesn't bargain.    -August Strindberg, The Dance of Death