So much was I

When I just thought about myself

And look,

How little was I reduced to

A handful of ashes!!!

Jernail S Aanand, a renowned poet, writer and philosopher of India, shares his poetry 

Dr. Jernail Singh Anand, President of the International Academy of Ethics, is author of 161 books in English poetry, fiction, non-fiction, philosophy and spirituality. He was awarded Charter of Morava, the great Award by Serbian Writers Association, Belgrade and his name was engraved on the Poets’ Rock in Serbia. The Academy of Arts and philosophical Sciences of Bari [Italy] honored him with the award of an Honorable Academic.  Recently, he was awarded Doctor of Philosophy [Honoris Causa] by the University of Engg and Management, Jaipur. Recently, he organized an International Conference on Contemporary Ethics at Chandigarh. His most phenomenal book is Lustus: The Prince of Darkness [first epic of the Mahkaal Trilogy]. Email: anandjs55@yahoo.com

Link Bibliography:

https://atunispoetry.com/2023/12/08/indian-author-dr-jernail-s-anand-honoured-at-the-60th-belgrade-international-meeting-of-writers/

https://sites.google.com/view/bibliography-dr-jernal-singh/home   

A HANDFUL OF ASHES

If think I am bad,

I won’t be able to sleep.

If I think I am good,

Only I know

It is an illusion

In my face,

They give me thumbs up

When as I turn my face

Thumb is down

The smile turns a frown.

I am like a ‘talisam’

At every step

Something new comes up

I know about myself

Only that has lapsed into past.

So much was I

When I just thought about myself

And look,

How little was I reduced to

A handful of ashes!!!

***

UNREFINED OIL

 When we mix different items,

And put them in the refined oil

And give them light fire

They lose their identity

And let it mix

Into a larger matrix

Their individual taste stays

But only to enhance

The total joy of a recipe.

That is our national identity

Hundreds of individual consciousness  

When put in the refined oil of love

For the nation

Shed their individual fixation

To take the shape of a nation.

A recipe with a flavour, a taste great.

The variety of the ingredients

Makes it a wonderful conglomerate

If we use unrefined oil

Which tells the ingredients

To stick to their identities,

And when forced under vagrant fire

To wage a war against the other

We can make out very easily

What the recipe will be like.

The talk of national identity will be empty

And national pride, a sham.

Let us use refined oil,

And heat it all slow

And ensure

No ingredients are challenged

For their racial profile

Rather the focus should be

On mutual love, and co-existence

So that we put up a joint front

And the world looks upon us

As a nation of undivided loyalty.

***

TAKING GODS FOR GRANTED

Gods had received gold-plated invitation letter.

A great businessman has organized

A big community lunch

Gods were eager to see how men went about

Religious activities.

They were pleased to see some stone images of gods and a great worship going on.

Gods received another call from another

Worshipper who had invited a few destitute children at his home.

The great bizman had invited some old people

Who looked like saints.

Gods saw that had political links

Because they had a huge security cover

It was fine, Gods gave him full credit

For his selfless activity

Feeding hundreds of people

Was a great act of charity and godliness!

Gods saw the other man who was

Feeding some poor kids at his home

His whole family involved soulfully

In this act of selfless love.

What is this?

Gods were shocked when they saw

Some men carrying cameras

Some channels covering the event

The saint was being interviewed

And the man was happy

His event was covered wonderfully

He posted some photos on his FB

Gods did see this proud gesture of the rich fellow.

The gods obliterated from their score board

All that the bizman had done

As pride, arrogance and insolence

And made for the gentle man

Who was feeding the kids at his home!

***

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

Policies were taken so seriously

That teachers were kept busy

In computing data

Submitting reports

And forcing students

To break records and win.

Those who lose in this competition

That education has become

Have no market

At the most

They can open cyber cafes

And cook some money like hot cakes.

So much is there in the market

Everything has to be

Flushed into

The minds of the students

So that they are always trembling

To look at the unaccomplished work

All teachers who talked of values

Of goodness were singled out

As rotten pages of academic fraternity

You know Ramayana,

But what use it is

Unless you have Scopus score.

Teachers, professors and professionals

Are in a race with each other

Just after skills

And how to make money,

And how to succeed in business.

If you are not a success,

Hang from your bath tops

Every student by the time he has gained MBA

Must have following qualifications

Otherwise no firm will hire them

Ruthless competition

Heartless success mongering

Even one feeling can infirm you

From appointment with a great firm.

Love, compassion, kindness, goodness

And family, 

All such colonial baggage are

To be ticked out or they can stand

Between you and your success.

Just focus on punctuality,

Growth and profits.

The Finished products of this University

Don’t fall to easy temptations

Like good.

Or even God.

It is an Evil world

Whose finished products

Can be seen in Universities and colleges.

Published unde International Cooperation with "Sindh Courier"