A POEM FOR TODAY

 

                A POEM FOR TODAY

            Today is a reality. It is on your hands. If you don’t grab it, it will pass away.  It will not come back, even if you call it  with all your might and main.

            Yesterday is history.  Whether it was good or bad, fruitful or futile, successful or failure, it is gone for ever. It is nothing more than a memory of  bygone day/days. . You can’t revive it. To brood over it is to waste your  precious time on hand.

            Tomorrow is a dream. It may not be realized. Its expectations are uncertain. It is undependable.  Any prediction about it is a fancy, not a solid possibility.

            Given below is a poem titled NOW. It was written by the English poet and philanthropist Miss Adelaide Anne Procter (1825-1864 ).

            It inspires the readers to act now without thinking what happened in the past or what may be done in the future. The former is dead beyond revival and the latter is uncertain and unreliable for the execution of any expected action.

Look at the full text of the poem:

“Rise ! for the day is passing,

And you lie dreaming on;

The others have buckled their armor,

And forth to the fight are gone:

A place in the ranks awaits you,

Each man has some part to play;

The Past and Future are nothing,

In the face of the stern To-day.

 

Rise from your dreams of the Future,

Of gaining some hard-fought field;

Of storming some airy fortress,

Or bidding some giant yield;

Your Future has deeds of glory,

Of honor (God grant it may!)

But your arm will never be stronger,

Or the need so great as To-day.

 

Rise! if the Past detains you,

Her sunshine and storms forget;

No chains so unworthy to hold you

As those of a vain regret:

Sad or bright, she is lifeless ever;

Cast her phantom arms away,

Nor look back, save to learn the lesson

Of a nobler strife To-day.

 

Rise! for the day is passing;

The sound that you scarcely hear

Is the enemy marching to battle: —

Arise! for the foe is here!

Stay not to sharpen your weapons,

Or the hour will strike at last,

When from dreams of a coming battle,

You may wake to find it past!

                                                ****

G.R.Kanwal

16 May 2026

SPEAK GENTLY

 

                SPEAK GENTLY     

            Words are good, soft, sweet, kind, gentle, affectionate, sympathetic, appreciative, winsome, beautiful, attractive, persuasive, soothing, pleasant, agreeable, delightful, nice, etc. These win hearts, attract people, please listeners, amuse strangers, gratify kith and kin, and deeply influence various kinds of people.

             On the other hand -- harsh, bitter, unfriendly, antagonistic, ridiculous, belligerent, bellicose, confrontational, hostile, aggressive,  unpleasant, inimical, satirical, and aggressive words offend the listeners whoever they may be.

             It is not only desirable but also sagacious  to speak gently on all sorts of occasions.

            Given below is a famous poem titled Speak Gently by an unknown poet.  

            “Speak gently; it is better far

            To rule by love than fear  ;

            Speak gently ; let no harsh word mar

            The good we may do here.

           

            Speak gently to the little child ;

            Its love be sure to gain;

            Teach it in accents soft and mild,

            It may not long remain.

 

            Speak gently to the aged one ;

            Grieve not the care-worn heart,

            Whose sands of life are nearly run ;

            Let such in peace depart.

 

            Speak gently; ‘tis a little thing

            Dropped in the heart’s deep well;

            The good, the joy that it may bring

            Eternity shall tell.

                                                            *********

G.R.Kanwal

15 May 2026

 

                          

LOVE FOR ANIMALS

 

LOVE FOR ANIMALS

            Human beings and animals are friends. They are good companions.  They love each other. They are unique natural antidotes to loneliness. Their faithfulness and self-sacrifice to their masters are  universally acknowledged. .

            The dog is eternally famous for its loyalty. His master is his hero, even his god. Dogs have no religion but they can have  one while being in your company. They have seen them joining in religious rituals according to their masters’ faiths.

            Not to love animals is to have incomplete love for God. In the end of his poem The Rime of Ancient Mariner,  the English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge  (1772-1834)  says:

             Farewell, farewell but this I tell

            To thee thou Wedding Guest !

            He prayeth well, who loveth well

            Both man and bird and beast

           

            He prayeth best, who loveth best

            All things both great and small;

            For the dear God who loveth us,

            He made and loveth all.

     

            The American poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892) said the following  lines in a famous poem about himself:

             

            I think I could turn and live with animals, they are so placid and self-    contained;

            I stand and look at them long and long.

            They do not sweat and whine about their condition.

            They do not lie awake in the dark and weep for their sins,

            They do not make me sick discussing their duty to God.    

           

            Finally, the following relevant quotes:

            *Love for animals is a profound form of compassion and empathy, highlighting the deep bond between humans and creatures. It involves treating all beings with respect, caring for their well-being, and protecting their habitats.

            **According to the French poet and journalist Anatole France (1844-1924):

            “Untill one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened”.

***And Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948) said:

            “The geatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated”.

                                                            *****

G.R.Kanwal

14 May 2026

 

LORD BUDDHA SAID

 

                LORD BUDDHA SAID

            According to historical records  Siddhartha Gautama, the Lord Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the famous gardens of Lumbini located in the Terai plains of Southern Nepa. His is testified by the inscription on a pillar erected by the Mauryan Emperor Lord Asoka (c.304-232 BCE) who himself was one of the pilgrims.                          

            The word“Buddha” means “the enlightened one. It is a word derived from Sanskrit/Pali root Budh which means to wake, observe, become  aware.

            “Buddha”  is a title for “someone who has awakened from the slumber of ignorance, transcended desire and hatred, and achieved complete insight into reality and freedom from suffering.’

                        Buddhism sheds light on :  overcoming suffering and the cycle of rebirth to achieve nirvana i.e. enlightenment . The means to be employed are :   ethical living, meditation, and wisdom.  

                        Like many other saints Lord Buddha was  a poet. His collection of sayings in verse is printed in the book titled Dhammapada. It is a famous  scripture which is widely  read all over the world.

                        Here are a few citations from the English translation of Dhammapada  by Ven. Thanissoro, Bhikhukhu.

  *Phenomena are preceded by the heart, ruled by the heart, made of the heart. If you speak or act with a corrupted heart, then suffering follows you ---as the wheel of the cart, the track of the ox that pulls it.

**Phenomena are preceded by the heart, ruled by the heart, made of the heart. If you speak or act with a calm, bright heart, then happiness follows you, like a shadow that never leaves.

***He insulted me, hit me, beat me, robbed me’ for those who don’t brood on this,  hostility isn’t  stilled.

****He insulted me, hit me, beat me, robbed m’---for those who don’t brood on this, hostility is stilled.

*****Hostilities aren’t stilled through hostility, regardless. Hostilities are stilled through non-hostility: this, an unending truth.

            Unlike those who don’t realize that we’re here on the verge of perishing, those who do: their quarrels are stilled.

                                                                        *****

G.R.Kanwal

13 May 2026

 

 

 

ARROGANCE

 

ARROGANCE

            “Arrogance” is defined as the behavior of  persons when they feel that they are more important than other people, so they are rude to them. An arrogant person is proud, his behavior is unpleasant, and he shows little thought for other people.

            Some synonyms of the word arrogant are : haughty, conceited, egotistic, snobbish, overweening, overbearing, high-handed, disdainful, imperious, lordly, presumptuous, pretentious, swaggering, blustering, and insolent.

             It is one of the deadly sins, others being --- greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth.

            Arrogance is repulsive. It shatters relationships, inhibits personal growth, and creates poor performance in many circles.

            Arrogance is also dangerous because it contributes to loneliness, depression, lack of direction, and dearth of success.

            One of the relevant views about arrogance is that it impacts all facets of life. It is one of the serious problems in the business world where it can harm one’s  performance and further growth.

            The causes of arrogance may be many. One of the important ones is an inflated sense of superiority, often masked by insecurity or a lack of self-awareness.

              Lack of empathy is another cause. It means ignorance of one’s own weaknesses and a failure to see how their actions affect others.

            The Scottish philosopher, historian and essayist David Hume (1711-1776)  said: When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mistaken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities,

            According to the  English bishop Richard Cumberland (1631-1718) : Nothing is more hateful to a poor man than the purse-proud arrogance of the rich. But let the poor man become rich and he runs at once into the vice against which he so feelingly declaimed. There are strange contradictions in human character.

            Finally, the following quote by another English Bishop Jeremy Collier (1650=1726):

            The arrogant man does but blast the blessings of life and swagger away his own enjoyments. To say nothing of the folly and injustice of such behaviour, it is always the sign of a little and un-benevolent temper, having no more greatness in it than the swelling of the dropsy.

                                                            *******

G. R. Kanwal

12 May 2026.          

 

 

SOME USEFUL THOUGHTS

 

SOME USEFUL THOUGHTS    

1.     What is this life if full of care,

      We have no time to stand and Stare. --Welsh poet W.H.Davies(1871-             1940) .

2.     He prayeth well, who loveth well

Both man and bird and beast.

He prayeth best, who loveth best

All things great and small,

For the dear God who loveth us,

He made and loveth all. ---The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834).

 

3.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.---The English poet James

       Kirkup (1918-2009).                                    

      

4.     Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime,

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sands of time;-

Footprints, that perhaps another,

Sailing, o’er life’s solemn main,

Seeing, shall take heart again.-----The American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882).

 

5.     Not gold, but only men can make

A people great and strong---

Men who, for truth and honour’s sake,

Stand fast and suffer long.                                                  

Brave men who work while others sleep,

Who dare while others fly---

They build a nation’s pillars deep,

And lift them to the sky.----The American poet Ralph waldo  Emerson (1803-1882).

 

6.     Just to be tender, just to be true ;

Just to be glad the whole day through;

Just to be merciful, just to be mild;

Just to be trustful as a child;

Just to be gentle and kind and sweet;

Just to be helpful with willing feet;

Just to be cheery when things go wrong;

Just to drive sadness away with a song;

Whether the hour is dark or bright,

Just to be loyal to God and right! ------Anonymous.

                                        *******

G. R. Kanwal

11 May 2026              

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

THE QUALITIES OF A MOTHER

 

THE QUALITIES OF A MOTHER

            The qualities of a mother are uncountable. They are as many as of Almighty God. According to a Jewish saying :God could not be everywhere, and therefore he made mothers.

            The German religious reformer Martin Luther (1483-1546) said: When Eve was brought unto Adam, he became filled with the Holy Spirit, and gave her the most sanctified, the most glorious of appellations. He called her Eva, that is to say, the Mother of All. He did not style her wife, but simply mother, mother of all living creatures. In this consists the glory and the most precious ornament of woman.

            A mother’s love is unconditional; her self-sacrifice is unlimited; she is exceedingly patient and tolerant; her degree of forgiveness is immeasurable ; she stands by her children through every thick and thin; when nobody is there to look after them and help them in a crisis, she is generously there with all her stamina and resources; she never becomes  outdated ; she is always young for her children  and they  are always  children  for their old mother even when they  have become  a father or a mother in their own separate home and are no longer small children.

            Here are two famous quotes about mothers.

1.     English critic and historian Thomas Babington Macaulay (1800-1859):

“Children, look in those eyes, listen to that dear voice, notice the feeling of even a single touch that is bestowed upon you by that gentle hand! Make much of it while yet you have that most precious of all gifts, a loving mother. Read the unfathomable love of those eyes ; the kind anxiety of that tone and look, however slight your pain. In after life you may have friends, fond, dear friends, but never will you have again the inexpressible love and gentleness lavished upon you, which none but a mother bestows.”

2.     American short-story writer, essayist, biographer, historian and diplomat Irving Washington (1783-1859):

“A father may turn his back on his child; brothers and sisters may become inveterate enemies; husbands may desert their wives, and wives their husbands. But a mother’s love endures through all; in good repute, in bad repute, in the face of the world’s condemnation, a mother still loves on, and still hopes that her child may turn from his evil ways, and repent; still she remembers the infant smiles that once filled her bosom with rapture, the merry laugh, the joyful shout of his childhood, the opening promise of his youth; and she can never be brought to think him all unworthy/”

                                                            *******

G.R.Kanwal

10 May 2026