HOLD FAST YOUR DREAMS

 

HOLD FAST YOUR DREAMS

 

            ‘Hold Fast Your Dreams” is an inspirational poem by the American poetess Louise Driscoll (1875-1957). By dreams she means our aims, goals,   hopes, plans, designs, wishes,  desires, yearnings,  aspirations, ambitions, etc.

               The key idea of the poem is that we should create a sacred place in our hearts where dreams can  grow undisturbed and we can endeavour to change them into realities despite all difficulties and hardships.

 

            Even when dreams are likely to remain untrue , we should let them grow and flourish.

 

            To put it briefly, he poem is a call to action to nurture one’s inner world of aspirations, as a source of strength and the ability to bounce back from difficult situations.

             In short, it is necessary to maintain a positive attitude  in life even when we are surrounded by adversities.

                     

            Here is the full text of the poem:

 

                              Hold fast your dreams!

Within your heart

Keep one still, secret spot

Where dreams may go,

And, sheltered so,

May thrive and grow

Where doubt and fear are not.

 

O keep a place apart,

Within your heart,

For little dreams to go.

Think still of lovely things that are not true.

Let wish and magic work at will in you.

Be sometimes blind to sorrow.  Make believe.

 

Forget the calm that lies

In disillusioned eyes.

Though we all know that we must die,

Yet you and I

May walk like gods and be

Even now at home in immortality.

 

We see so many ugly things-

Deceits and wrongs and quarrellings;

We know, alas we know

How quickly fade

The color in the west,

The bloom upon the flower,

The bloom upon the breast

And youth's blind hour.

 

Yet keep within your heart

A place apart

Where little dreams may go,

May thrive and grow.

Hold fast-hold fast your dreams!

                                                                        *******

 

G. R. Kanwal

15 July 2025

 

 

WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

 

                WHY SHOULD WE PRAY?

          We should pray to survive both physically and spiritually. Our life is a gift of God. It is his creation. He has fixed its functions. It is he who  has decided its survival span. From the time we are born to the time we cease to be , we are dependent on His will. He is our Master. We are his subordinates.  Our duties have been chalked out by him. We have to perform them efficiently and faithfully. On His part, God provides us with all the requisite means. When these means cease or decline, we approach Him through prayers. We present to Him the list of our necessities with the request to fulfil them so that we may continue to perform our duties without any hindrance. He does not ignore our request for making us re-equipped with essential facilities for the performance our specific duties. This situation makes us happy and also inspires us to offer our  gratitude to God. Consequently, we have a healthy body, a calm mind and a blissful soul. In the light of these facts, prayer becomes our moral duty to perform. In fact, it is beneficial to be grateful to God every moment of our life. Such an approach is like prevention is better than cure.

            Here are some great thoughts about prayer:

*Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God.

 

*Certain thoughts are prayers, full of gratitude to benevolent God.

 

* Prayers are mostly our wishes, desires and supplications turned God-ward.

 

* The 16^th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) said : “ I have been driven many times to my knees by the overwhelming   conviction  that I had nowhere else to go,    My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for the day.

 

* God dwells far off from us, but prayer brings him down to our earth, and links his power with our efforts. ----French author Madam Gasparin  (1813-94).

 

*It is as natural and reasonable for a dependent creature to apply to its Creator for what it needs, as for a child to solicit the aid of a parent who is believed to have the disposition and ability to bestow what it needs. ---American clergy Alexander Archibald (1772-1851).   

 

            Finally, this famous quote: Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life.

                                                                        *******

G.R.Kanwal

14 July 2025

A GOOD MAN

 

 

                                                A GOOD MAN

            Will Allen Dromgoole (1880-1934) was an American author and poet. She was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It is said that she wrote over 7,501 poems; 5,000 essays, and published thirteen books. One of her poems “The Bridge Builder” has found place in the inspirational section of the popular anthology known as “ Best Loved Poems”.  

          The full text of the above-mentioned poem is given below with the title “A Good Man”. Readers will hopefully consider it an appropriate title according to the theme of the poem.

            Good men wherever they are have many admirable qualities. Two of them are endless industriousness and unselfishness. Even when they become old, they continue to use their talents constructively for the benefit of others including those who are young today but will one day become old like them in future.

            Here is the poem with the original title “The Bridge Builder”.

An old man, going a lone highway,

Came at the evening, cold and grey,

To a chasm, vast and deep and wide,

Through which was flowing a sullen tide.

The old man crossed in the twilight dim—

That sullen stream had no fears for him;

But he turned, when he reached the other side,

And built a bridge to span the tide.

 

“Old man,” said a fellow pilgrim near,

“You are wasting strength in building here.

Your journey will end with the ending day;

You never again must pass this way.

You have crossed the chasm, deep and wide,

Why build you the bridge at the eventide?”

 

 

 

The builder lifted his old grey head.

“Good friend, in the path I have come,: he said,

“There followed after me today

A youth whose feet must pass this way.

This chasm that has been naught to me

To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be.

He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;

Good friend, I am building the bridge for him.

 

                                    ********

G.R.Kanwal

13 July 2025

  

 

THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD PERSON

 

THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD PERSON

            A good person has a number of admirable qualities. He is virtuous, righteous, honest, noble, upright, industrious, high-minded, kind-hearted, friendly, affectionate, helpful, sympathetic, charitable, gracious, generous, benevolent, altruistic, unselfish, patriotic, grateful and God-fearing, etc.   

            Such good persons, however,  are few and far between. That is why there are numerous sinners, criminals, thieves, cheats, dacoits, smugglers, scoundrels, brutes, miscreants, libertines, goons, rogues, crooks, hooligans, delinquents, ruffians and malefactors.

              Governments  deal with such persons through police forces, courts, prisons, etc.

            To maintain law and order, protect life and property, prevent crime and disorder, and punish the criminals, are the main duties of police.

             Educational and religious institutions play a prominent role in promoting the qualities which make good persons.

            In his book “Sceptical Essays” first published in 1939 , the British philosopher and logician  Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) said: We all know what we mean by a “good” man. The ideally good man does not drink or smoke, avoids bad language, converses in the presence of men only exactly as he would if there were ladies present, attends church regularly, and holds the correct opinions on all subjects. He has a wholesome horror of wrong-doing, and realizes that it is our painful duty to castigate sin. He has a still greater horror of wrong thinking, and considers it the business of the authorities to safeguard the young against those who question the wisdom of the views generally accepted by middle-aged successful citizens. Apart from his professional duties, at which he is assiduous, he spends much time in good works  : he may encourage patriotism; and may promote industry, sobriety, and virtue among wage-earners and their children……Above all, of course, his “morals,” in the narrow sense, must be irreproachable.

            To conclude, here are a few famous quotes :

1.Forget injuries; never forget kindness.

2. Practice kindness all day to everybody.

3. A truly good person will speak truth, act with truth, and stand for truth.

4. Love and kindness are never wasted.

5. A nice person is someone who is pleasant to be around, has good manners,

and cheerful. A good person on the other hand, is someone who is honest,

helpful, and morally good.

                                                            ******

G.R.Kanwal

11 July 2025

FORGET THE PAST

 

                FORGET THE PAST 

          The English poet Adelaide Proctor (1825-1864) says  in her poem “NOW” :

Rise ! if the Past detains you,

Her sunshine and storms forget;

No chains as 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 Today.

 

          It is unfortunate that a large number of people cling to the past. They go on brooding over it. There is hardly a day when they do not find an opportunity to quote some past ugly or handsome event for some selfish or public benefit.  

 

            It can be appropriate to quote some event of recent past, but to quote ugly events of remote past for some personal benefit is totally undesirable. Their reference to such events is selfishly incomplete  whereas every event deserves to be related  both  with its cause and effect.

 

            According to a famous quote:

 

            The past is a closed door, the present is an open one, and the future is an approaching one.  Don’t mourn over the past; it has no pity for you. Don’t cry over the present; it has no sympathy for you, and don’t weep over the future; it has no mercy on you.

 

            Some psychologists consider past events as mental junk. They advise us to clean our minds every day and throw out whatever rubbish of old memories is there.

 

            Finally, this quote by the  U.S. 1st President  George Washington (1732-99): We ought not to look back unless it is to derive useful lessons from past errors, and for the purpose of profiting by dear bought experience.

                                                *********

G.R.Kanwal

10 July 2025

SOME THOUHTS ABOUT THE WORLD

 

                SOME THOUHTS ABOUT THE WORLD     

          Dictionaries define the world as the earth, with all its countries, peoples and natural features. Some synonyms of this word are: earth, globe, cosmos, planet and sphere; and its antonyms : heaven, otherworldly realm, hell, and  paradise.

          Many people think that the  world we live in is ---  a puzzle, a mystery, a riddle, an enigma, a dream,  a conundrum, etc.

          Poets, saints, sages, and seers compare the world to an inn, a temporary residence, a short-term  domicile,  abode,  stage,  platform,  etc,

           Here are some everlasting and profoundly meaningful quotes about the world.

*This world is a dream within a dream; and as we grow older, each step is an awakening. The youth awakes, as he thinks, from childhood; the full-grown man describes the pursuits of youth as visionary; and the old man looks on manhood as a feverish dream. Death -  the last sleep? No ! It is the last and final awakening!. -----The Scottish novelist and poet Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).

*The world is God’s epistle to mankind ---His thoughts are flashing upon us from every direction, ----Greek philosopher Plato (428/427 BCE---348/347 BCE).

*Hell is God’s justice; heaven is his love; earth his long-suffering. We may despise the world, but we cannot do without it.---Austrian diplomat and statesman Baron Wessenberg (1773-1858).

*To understand the world is better than to condemn it To study the world is better than to shun it. To use the world is nobler than to abuse it, To make the world better, lovelier, and happier, is the noblest work of man or woman. He who imagines he can do without the world deceives himself much; but he who fancies the world cannot do without him is still more mistaken. ---French author Francois de La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680).

*A good man and a wise man may at times be angry with the world, at times grieved for it; but be sure no man was ever discontented with the world who did his duty in it. ----English poet laureate Robert Southey (1774-1843).

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G.R.Kanwal

9^th July 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

       

WHAT I LIVE FOR

 

                                WHAT I LIVE FOR             

            “What I live For” is an inspirational poem written by George Linnaeus Banks (1821-1881). He was a British journalist, editor, playwright, amateur actor, and orator.  Surprisingly enough, there is no mention about him in the popular histories of English literature. However, his above-mentioned poem is  included in all the anthologies of best loved poems.    

           

            It is really worthwhile to read his poem and get inspired by its contents.  The question “What I Live For” is relevant for all of us. We must know what we are supposed to do in this world. There is no book in the whole world which expresses the purpose of our life as conceived by God Almighty. George Linnaeus Banks enlightens us about that purpose.

 

            Given below are George’s brief answers to the questions “What I Live For :

 

*I live for those that love me, for those I know are true, for heaven that smiles above me, and waits my spirit , too.

 

*I live to learn their story who have suffered for my sake, to emulate their glory, and follow in their wake; bards, patriots, martyrs, sages, the noble of all ages, whose deeds crown history’s pages, and Time’s great volume make.

 

*I live to hold communion with all that is divine, to feel there is a union betwixt nature’s heart and mine.

 

*I live to hold that season by gifted minds foretold, when men shall rule by reason, and not alone by gold; when man to man united, and every wrong thing righted ,the whole world shall be lighted as Eden was of old.

 

*I live for those who love me, whose hearts are kind and true, for heaven that smiles above me, and waits my spirit too; for the cause that lacks assistance, for the wrong that needs resistance, for the future in the distance, and the good that I can do.

            To  sum up , the purpose of everybody’s life should be to do the good that he can do and make this world strive towards a future where reason and compassion will prevail.   

 

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G.R.Kanwal

8^th July 2025