Bloodthirsty Beasts

Earth lays a battle field
Clothed with blood and corpses 
Violence at our door step to avenge our foes
Humanity's fury against the creator
within a Godless and senseless ring.
Heart coved with animosity 
Bloodthirsty beasts on look out
they devour the innocent blood
as vampires sucking the prey
Rivers as though flowing red
Shooting bombing a routine affairs
Death toll just another record
counted and forgotten
Life formed in someone's mother's womb
put to rest by an unknown predator
predating as though we've lost humanity.
Who am I, to take someone's breath away
their eyes sheilded dim and pale 
with splashed blood of the innocent.
Godless brood of vultures
looking out to consume the innocent blood
Humanity's sad story prevails every day
"we are created in the image of God"has no meaning
Equality and Fraternity lost its grip
A senseless ultimate epidemic of violence is spreading
Spreading like a wildfire in the dry forest
A fear engulfs every humans 
A fear of being slit one's throat
A fear of being shot at
A fear of being tortured to death
A fear of being terminated for no fault of your's
How long will this rule us, Oh Lord.
Are you blind and ignoring evil?
You created the universe and it looked good
Don't you want it to look good every day ever age
How long do I have before someone takes my breath away
and sucks my innocent blood?

Poem inspired after the Violence in Syria
Photo: Children stand near a hole created by the heavy shell bombing in Syria (Arab Times).

Revolving Around Ocean

Waters vast and blue
like a pregnant woman's womb
Earth emerging from the ocean
as a child from mother's side.


Trees and foliage swinging with joy
as a child waving at its mother
Clothed with greenery show forth bloom
gratituding the ocean's goodness
goodness that nourishes its child


Birds tiny and large, creatures crawling and howling
chirping as though praise its creator
Colour and texture display hands of the creator
hands that made you and me
hands that praise worthy every second.


Sun's grandeur immersing at dusk in the ocean
Scooping it to give it a rest
as a mother cuddling the child in her bosom
Moon sent out to cast darkness away
Shines forth to tell the glory of the creator.


Shining stars proclaim the wonders of God's expertise
Glowing unabatingly with its lustrous light
Light that cast away darkness in our hearts
and show case mighty deeds of God the Creator.


Poem inspired at the sunset in Barbados
Photo: Same place.  

A world within World

A world within world, an Ocean

A true creation in motion

Waving her might on the shore

Showing creator's mighty deeds more.

Every rhythmic turn of the tide

Tis a creator's unprecedented guide

Every wave tells a story

A story resounding God's glory.

Once my heart settled pale

Ocean encircled my heart with gale

A beauty dark and blue

made my being lark and slew

Nature's nakedness on play

a wicked beauteous display

Every sparkle of water shine forth

my thirsty being well worth.

Fibre of my being prickled

Every emotions in me tickled

Me euphoric in the cloud with ecstasy 

Until I egressed from buoyant fantasy. 

Poem inspired looking at the Atlantic Ocean at Barbados

Photo: Same place 

Betrayal

Betrayal

If Judas had lived longer,

(and not simply hanged himself or

become an forlorn exile)

or if he had abandoned

his conscience forever, selling it with

those thirty shining pieces of silver—

he would have become, in all probability

a very successful politician.

He would have sold scores

of saviours, grew rich and

a millionaire. And contended, lived his life

enslaving men, abhorring slaves—

and Mr. Judas Iscariot, would have

become a kind of star celebrity,

forever remembered. A History.

And to this day,

treachery flourishes—

The fate of Jesus befalls

every other messiah.

In this world,

there is a single critical risk:

even the kisses betray.

Source: I came across somewhere.

Meaning in Life: Journey into Oneself

Journey into oneself is quite a challenging process but it can be very rewarding too. Buddhism is a religion which makes a human being journey into oneself. To attain the ultimate one should withdraw from this world of thoughts, ideas, noise, temptations and one's own freedom. We can find the supreme being or at least we can access the supreme being at one point of our life and this is called Enlightenment.

Human beings are complex and limited. Humanity has survived for several thousand years with all his complexity and limitedness. How is it possible? Why are human beings not extinct like dinosaurs or dodo? Why are other species on earth go extinct? I think we have answers to these questions based only on our limited perception of the reality. There is something we cannot grasp because we are limited. Humans can arrive at some consensus because our experience can be through our five (some say 6) senses which are equally deceptive or don't agree with others sensual perception. Each one can perceive his own way. Therefore there is a problem in our understanding of the reality. How do we solve this perpetual and inevitable problem (issue)? Philosophers have tried to distinguish the reality which we perceive and the reality which is beyond our perception.

As I was walking down in healthcare in Wandsworth Prison, I visited an inmate who was bedridden for a long time. He was an Anglican and admired Christianity as a whole. He had suffered a lot in his life but he did not find any meaning in life until at last when he was behind the bars in some country where the condition of the prison was not very appealing. He realized that he had found meaning of his life in his own self not outside. One needs to go to the depth of one's being layer after layer like onion which peeled layer after layer you find the real crust. That is how Mr. X (aforementioned prisoner) found his real meaning in life and now most happy person in life.

Most often we tend to think the real life is outside us; others and other things give me joy and fulfilment in life. This is true to some extent. What if I have all the pomps of life and still I find emptiness within me like Mr. John Pridmore, about who I have posted earlier. I think we are the master of ourselves. No one can steer us but we need to be firm and steer ourselves. It is easier to steer others life, but harder when it come to ourselves. Real meaning of life in ourselves, we just need to peel each layer with utmost care and reach the crust or core of life and there we will find the ultimate meaning in life. 


Photo: Jerri Dias SJ, taken in Barbados

I am Sorry! beyond mere expression

I was attending mass at St Francis of Assisi Church in Barbados this morning to witness a couple clutched each others arms during the penitential service. It was a wonderful real imagery of a reconciliation between husband and wife. This couple, I think, was trying to tell each other "I am so sorry for hurting you directly or indirectly or in small or big way". Reconciliation is just that, reassuring each other that we care and love each other. In the case of this couple it was obvious that they wanted to assure and encourage their relationship whatever be their mistakes or misunderstanding till that moment. 

Now, how many of us try and do it during the penitential service of the mass? Is penitential service just another routine and boring part of the celebration? Most often we take for granted the wonderful and lovely gift of forgiveness that God has bestowed upon humanity. We have the ability to either forgive or vengeance. We have the ability to tell each other that we are sorry. But how many of us do it? Handful of us. Sometimes, we do it for the sake of doing it.

One example to illustrate aforementioned point that forgiveness is just on our mouth and not in our hearts: London is a city of politeness and sensitivity. The hight of politeness is so great that even touching a person accidentally can get a "sorry" and a smile. This is a wonderful thing to do, but I have realised over the years that this is just a routine and a cliche like expressions that we hear every time on trains, bus stands, etc. Do they really mean it when they say sorry? I have my doubts on this. Their sorry does not mean anything, its just being polite and showcase their sensitivity. I am not saying this is rubbish, but I am trying to say, a sorry should come from one's heart and not intellect. 

Same way our penitential service at the eucharist can produce no results or it will just remain a way of passing on to another bit of the mass, unless and until we really mean when we say, 'Lord, have mercy.' Thus we have the penitential service at the beginning of the Eucharist, so we are sorry and forgiven by God and each other after which we are ready to share the Eucharistic meals with each other. I have a suggestion which might sound hilarious; can we hold each others hands during the penitential rite and really feel that God is present in each other. 

Why am I a Priest? These quotes of John Paul inspire me to be a priest

"I am often asked, especially by young people, why I became a priest.  Maybe some of you would like to ask the same question.  Let me try briefly to reply.  I must begin by saying that it is impossible to explain entirely.  For it remains a mystery, even to myself.  How does one explain the ways of God?  Yet, I know that, at a certain point in my life, I became convinced that Christ was saying to me what he had said to thousands before me: 'Come, follow me!'  There was a clear sense that what I heard in my heart was no human voice, nor was it just an idea of my own.  Christ was calling me to serve him as a priest. And you can probably tell that I am deeply grateful to God for my vocation to the priesthood.  Nothing means more to me or gives me greater joy that to celebrate Mass each day and to serve God's people in the Church.  That has been true ever since the day of my ordination as a priest.  Nothing has ever changed this, not even becoming Pope." (Los Angeles, USA, September 14, 1987) "The priestly vocation is essentially a call to sanctity, in the form that derives from the Sacrament of Holy Orders.  Sanctity is intimacy with God; it is the imitation of Christ, poor, chaste and humble; it is unreserved love for souls and self-giving to their true good; it is love for the church which is holy and wants us to be holy, because such is the mission that Christ has entrusted to it.  Each one of you must be holy also in order to help your brothers pursue their vocation to sanctity." (Rome, Italy, October 9, 1984) "Your wish to become a priest, or at least your wish to discover if you are being called to be one.  And so the question is a serious one, because you have to prepare thoroughly, with clear intentions and an austere formation." (Rome, Italy, October 13, 1979) "His calling is a declaration of love."  Your response is commitment, friendship, and love manifested in the gift of your own life as a definitive following and as a permanent sharing in his mission and in his consecrations.  To make up your mind is to love him with all of your soul and all of your heart in such a way that this love becomes the standard and motive of all your actions.  From this moment on, live the Eucharist fully; be persons for whom the Holy Mass, Communion, and Eucharistic adoration are the center and summit of their whole life.  Offer Christ your heart in meditation and personal prayer which is the foundation of the spiritual life." (Valencia, Spain, November 8, 1982) "The world looks to the priest, because it looks to Jesus!  No one can see Christ; but everyone sees the priest, and through him they wish to catch a glimpse of the Lord!  Immense is the grandeur of the Lord! Immense is the grandeur and dignity of the priest!" (Rome, Italy, October 13, 1979) "Called, consecrated, sent.  This triple dimension explains and determines your conduct and your lifestyle.  You are 'set apart;' 'segregated,' but not 'separated.'  What would separate you, would be to forget or to overlook the meaning of the consecration that characterizes your priesthood.  To be but one more in your profession, in your lifestyle, in your way of living, in your political obligations, would not help you to fully carry out your mission.  You would betray your own faithful who want you to be priests through and through." (Valencia, Spain, November 8, 1982)

Source: http://thinkingofpriesthood.org/experience/thoughts-from-pope-jp-ii