Adhyapika

Stones speak

Beyond everything is sorrow

a huge wall of sorrow

that blankets life and living

enveloping it in a sheet of dust

breaking into dirt and throwing up every now and then

a scream is let out from the plants, nay, every grass

every tree weeps, every branch shakes

the birds have gone silent

leaving man to his means

that benefit none

not even him,

The earth shatters

convulsing within itself in painful spasms

crying out in whispers, in murmurs

‘a little love please

a little care please

I can give you more than you can hold’

‘but first’ cried the stone

relic of our past existences

son of mother earth

brother to man and life in spirit

‘learn to listen to the sky, the waters and the soil

learn to bow before you take

learn to know what to take and when

for all you, birds, animals and men

return to me’, the stone smiled gently

glimpses of life here and after played

songs rose from each sand

the trees nodded

the birds cooed

the sky roared.

Ps: when stones speak

adhyapika

2 responses to “Stones speak”

  1. A long long time ago, as a student in high school Latin class, I heard a poetic half-line that has stayed with me all these years: “Sunt lacrimae rerum” (There are tears in things) –from Virgil’s Aeneid. Even without the conrext, those three simple words still get to me. Your poem elaborates on that theme so beautifully, so memorably. I hope you read this one to your own students. It will change their world in ways you can’t imagine. The first line alone will stir lots of thoughts, and maybe discussions.

    In particular, I was changed by this line: “Learn to bow before you take”

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