ALL HINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

 

                ALL HINGS BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL

            In the beginning of his mythological poem Endymion, the English poet

John Keats (1795--1821)  says;

 

             “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever,

            Its loveliness increases; it will never

            Pass into nothingness; but still will keep

            A bower quiet for us, and a sleep

            Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

           

            In her-above-mentioned poem the Anglo-Irish poetess and hymnwriter Cecil Frances Alexander (1818-1895) says:

 

            All things bright and beautiful,

             All creatures great and small,

             All things wise and beautiful,

             The Lord God made them all.

 

            She is right the whole creation consists of big and small beautiful things. We  have the sun and the moon, as also glowworms and sparks of fire. If there

 are huge elephants and camels, lions and tigers, there  are also tiny sparrows and ants.

 

            If a tree is fruitfully beautiful, a rose is wonderfully small and colourfull.

 

            What about a dewdrop, a small petal of any lovely flower, a  big star in rhe sky and a small lamp in a cottage on earth.

 

            Cecil  Francis Alexander says:

           

            The cold wind in the winter,

            The pleasant summer sun,

            The ripe fruits in the garden,

            He made them every one.

This whole poem is like a hymn. It praises God for creating all bright and beautiful things for mankind.

            The poem ends with the following most appropriate stanza:

                        He gave us eyes to see them,

                        And lips that we might tell

                        How great is God Almighty.

                        Who has made all things well,

 

                                                ****

G.R.Kanwal

3^rd June 2026   

 

 

DISCOMFORTS OF CITY LIFE

 

 

                                DISCOMFORTS OF CITY LIFE

            Cities are full of several kinds of facilities which are aspired by all and sundry. But they are only one side of the coin which is better than the other side which is full of stress and strain, sickness and stress, noise and clamour, , pollution and breathlessness, loneliness and isolation, costliness and financial strain.

            Whenever I ask a citizen who has migrated from the healthy environment of rural life, are you happy here, his invariable  answer is ‘no’.

            The American writer Nixon Waterman (1859-1944) says in the  last stanza of his poem Far From The Madding Crowd :

            Sometimes it seems to me I must

            Just quit the city’s din and dust

            For fields of green and skies of blue;

            And, say! how does it seem to you?    

 

            In two other stanzas of the same poem, he says:

 

            Not real still stillness ----just the trees’

            Low whisperings or the croon of bees;

            The drowsy tinkling of the rill,

            Or twilight song of whippoorwill.

           

            ‘T would be a joy could I behold

            The dappled fields of green and gold.

            Or in the cool, sweet clover lie

            And watch the cloud-ships drifting by.

 

            In his poem titled The Task written in 1785, the English poet William Cowper (1731-1800) said:

 

            God made the country and man made the town.

            This poem highlights the beauty of the countryside and the ugliness of the city life.

            It also points out “the inherent superiority of the natural world over the artificial constructs of human civilization,”

 

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

2^nd June 2026           

             

 

               

 

 

THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM

 

          THE TWENTY-THIRD PSALM

            A psalm is a song, a poem or prayer that praises God, especially one in the Bible.

            The 23^rd psalm is the most beloved of the 150 psalms, and as a commentator believes, it is the best known passage in the entire Bible.

            According to Kyle Yates, the  American pickleball player, “More griefs have been put to rest by the sweet assurance of this psalm. . “ He further says: More sadness has been driven away and more confidence has been instilled than tongue can tell or pen can record. This psalm, says he, pictures God in love with His people, with rest in His bosom, with grace for all of their needs.

            The 23d Psalm , which Kyle Yates liked a lot, was written by David, who was a shepherd boy and who became the King of Israel

            Most of the 150 psalms are written by the Shepherd boy mentioned above, God had anointed him king, because he was a man after his own heart.

            The full text of the psalm which follows shows the singer’s unwavering trust in God’s provision and protection. God is regarded here as a devoted shepherd guiding his flock. On the whole the psalm conveys God’s unending comfort in dark times.

 

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul:

He leadth me in the paths of righteousness

            for his name’s sake.

Yes, though I walk through the valley of the

            shadow of death, I will fear no evil:

For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff

            they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence

             of mine enemies: :

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup

            runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all

            the days of my life:

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

            for ever.”

                                                *******

G.R.Kanwal

1^st June2026           

HATE NONE IN THE WORLD

 

HATE NONE IN THE WORLD

          We are not born as devils, villains, enemies, fighters, haters, criminals, strangers, adversaries, opponents, antagonists, and  combatants.

            The English poet James Kirkup (1918-2009) writes:

Remember, no men are strange, no countries foreign,

Beneath all uniforms, a single body breathes

Like ours; the land our brothers walk upon

Is earth like this, in which we all shall lie.  

 

            If it is so, then why should we hate anybody in the world?

           

            Complexions differ, dresses differ, languages differ, faiths differ, religions differ, beliefs differ, foods differ, but not our relationship with God the creator of the world.

 

            The God who sent us into this world gave us similar bodies.

 

            When we were just babies our smiles were angelic; our eyes were full of love; our hands were tender; and we  were non-violent in every respect.

             

            As adults some of us do become combative and violent. They turn wicked, disdainful, aggressive, destructive and what not as vicious. Hatred and repulsion take the place of love and affection. It is because of such persons that  the world becomes ugly and hellish.

 

            Look at the following poem titled ABOU BEN ADHEM written by the English poet, critic and essayist Leigh Hunt (1784 - 1859) to know how much important it is in the eyes of God to be a person who loves his fellowmen.

 

                        Here is the full poem:

 

“Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)

Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,

And saw, within the moonlight in his room,

Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,

An angel writing in a book of gold:—

Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,

And to the presence in the room he said,

"What writest thou?"—The vision raised its head,

And with a look made of all sweet accord,

Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord."

"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so,"

Replied the angel. Abou spoke more low,

But cheerly still; and said, "I pray thee, then,

Write me as one that loves his fellow men."

 

The angel wrote, and vanished. The next night

It came again with a great wakening light,

And showed the names whom love of God had blest,

And lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest.”

 

                                                *******

G.R.Kanwal

31 May 2026

 

 

AN ANONYMOUS POEM ON SUCCESS

 

AN ANONYMOUS POEM ON SUCCESS

          Success which is defined as the achievement of a desired outcome, goal, or purpose is not a providential gift but the well-deserved fruit of one’s perfect knowledge, skill, hard work, application of effective methods, selecting the most productive time, committing no glaring errors, and sticking to the fruitful efforts till the intended result is achieved.

            To put it simply, a person succeeds when he accomplishes what he attempts, or attains a desired object or result; and an enterprise or undertaking succeeds that has a prosperous result.

            Some synonyms of success are: achievement, accomplishment, victory, triumph, attainment, and acquirement.

            Before you read the anonymous poem which will follow, look at these quotes:

*He who would succeed must arm himself with three vital and most necessary weapons, First, he must have ceaseless industry; second, he must have limitless ambition of purpose: third he must possess unquenchable enthusiasm, coupled with a determination to succeed. ---American Illustrator and painter  Howard Pyle (1853-1911).

  **If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counsellor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.-----British writer and politician Joseph Addison (1672-1719).  

                        Here is the Anonymous Poem mentioned above:                                                               

 

                                                WHAT IS SUCCESS?

Success is speaking words of praise,

In cheering other people's ways.

In doing just the best you can,

With every task and every plan.

 

 

It's silence when your speech would hurt,

Politeness when your neighbor's curt.

It's deafness when the scandal flows,

And sympathy with others' woes.

 

It's loyalty when duty calls,

It's courage when disaster falls.

It's patience when the hours are long,

It's found in laughter and in song.

 

It's in the silent time of prayer,

In happiness and in despair.

In all of life and nothing less,

We find the thing we call success.

 

                                                            ********

G.R.Kanwal

30 May 2026

 

 

           

An ANONYMOUS POEM

 

 An ANONYMOUS POEM

            The theme of the poem is laughter which is defined as “ an involuntary, rhythmic contraction of the respiratory system ---such as the diaphragm ---typically serving as an outward auditory expression of positive emotions like joy, amusement, mirth or relief.”

             Before you read the poem look at the following famous quotes:  

            (a). The young  man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who will not laugh is a fool.

            b). The reason man is the only animal that laughs and weeps is that he is immediately struck with the difference between what things are and what they ought to be.

            (c). A good laugh heals a lot of hurts.

            (d). Laughter is the best medicine.

            (e). A day without laughter is a day wasted.

 

            Here is the poem:

A laugh is just like sunshine,

It freshens all the day.

It fills the peak of life with light

And drives the clouds away:      

The soul grows glad that hears it

And feels its courage strong;

A laugh is just like sunshine,

For cheering folks along.

A laugh is just like music,

It lingers in the heart,

And where its melody is heard,

The ills of life depart;

And happy thoughts come crowding

Its joyful notes to greet;

A laugh is just like music

For making living sweet.

G.R. Kanwal

29 May 2026

 

SHAKEAPEARE’S THREE QUOTES ON LIFE

 

 SHAKEAPEARE’S THREE QUOTES ON LIFE

            The three quotes on life which are given below are taken from the plays of the English poet-dramatist William Shakespeare (23 April 1564---23 April 1616).

            All of them are extraordinary in world literature and are therefore usefully memorable.

            To define life is not easy. It requires God Himself to sum it up in a few words.

            Every person’s life is a unique tale.  It is a meaningful biography which deals with some personalized events.

*Look at the first quote.  It is a most famous soliloquy from the play Macbeth spoken by Macbeth the hero of the play upon learning of his wife’s death. 

            As a critic says: it reflects Macbeth’s profound nihilism,  conveying the realization that life is entirely meaningless and ultimately devoid of purpose.

            Here is the first full quote:

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps on this petty pace from day to day

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.

 

** The second quote which follows is taken from the play All’s Well That Ends Well.

            The web of our life is full of a mingled yarn, good and ill together: our virtues would be proud if our faults whipped them not; and our crimes would despair if they were not cherished by our virtues

***The third quote which follows is from the play King John.

 

There’s nothing in this world can make me joy:

Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale

Vexing the dull ear of a drowsy man;

And bitter shame hath spoil’d  the sweet world’s taste,

That it yields nought but shame and bitterness.

                                                *****

G.R.Kanwal

28 May 2026