Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Ambitions Unfulfilled…



Looking out of the window
I glimpsed it as it whizzed past,
A speck of light far away
Phantasmal, fading away fast!

Why did I, princess of serendipity
Behold it so briefly, why?
Through the shroud of darkness did it appear
To lure my fancy, to rouse my dreams to fly.

They-the poetess’ dreams-tried to wing their way
To the iota aglow, a universe of promises umpteen
Of beauty, of love, of a bonhomie easy
Alas! The darkness perplexed them back, to me they careened!

Or maybe, it was the train that competing
With the nocturnal hours had moved too quickly away
From the shimmer miles away, of some sylvan lamp
For me to seek its warmth, as I traveled from night to day….

How alike are my ambitions, from high up there
They challenge, they vex, they tempt
Me to run to them but I realize that
The path is too treacherous yet I-princess of serendipity-will attempt!

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Dostoevsky, God and confusion....


One of Fydor Dostoevsky's greatest discoveries was:

The nature of man is corelative to the nature of God! if there is no God, there is no man.

I donot know if he was the kind to yell "Eureka!" after this discovery but i uttered an involuntary "Shucks!" when i read this line, in the introduction to his most celebrated novel Brother Karamazov. What thought-provoking, disturbing and even distressing line to pen...i wondered over its meanings, both obvious and subtle!

does it mean that all those who believe in innate goodness of human nature, all the folks who would like to think of themselves as humanists also have to be believers?

or to put it in other words,

I cannot be a humanist if i am an atheist?

Because, he seemed to hold the view that the 'human' in man will be eradicated as 'shame and disgrace' if he does not inculcate faith in the Providence. What am i to conclude from such a view?

That perpetual confusion is my lot or that i was always right in believing that God exists, and exists in the Human Conscience...The moment i cease to feel the prick of conscience, God too ceases to be a meaningful word for me.

Mr. Dostoevsky, you have succeeded in perplexing me very well....