Sunday, April 06, 2008

We the living

Elevating the stature of the sidewalk,
For it is our palace and the citadel.
Bestowing pride to the ruined walls,
For it is our wardrobe and the closet.
Adding value to abandoned plastics,
For it is our warehouse, though empty.

The sun lights our day;
The moon cools our nights;
It rains to cleanse our house;
It breezes to fan out heat;
The smoky exhaust we breath;
The muddy water we bathe in;

Privacy is not our concern,
For innocence, our only strength.
Nothing to deprive our pleasures,
For ignorance, our only knowledge.

Past and future, not for us;
Living is here and now;
We, the true sons and daughters
Of life and nature,
Living here and now!

Photograph Courtesy: The snap was taken by Sujathaa, my wife while we were waiting in a traffic signal near Central station in Chennai.

15 comments:

Vishesh said...

what ever i say i will be tempted to put myself down by the knowledge that i was never in that position...

M said...

i was moved !
it was just amazing . the picture and the words go in so well .... i have no words to say .
Yes , they live now and they live there..... how much ahead we need to move to grow better na ?

Jeevan said...

We the living and be we are the giving. Worth words in your verse buddy, very nice!

Jeeves said...

In the world of plenty, they also live or rather exist..

jyotsana said...

touching words......living in the here and now...i doubt.

Dawn said...

WOW! you touched the soul man!!!!
I dont have words as how to praise your writing :)
If one can feel it its a great thing but you have gone beyond and expressed it for common man to read :)
Awesome expression dear
Keep writing
Cheers

Dawn said...

Hello...anybody home????

Kavi said...

Well written..i have post on this on my mind for sometime..you have galvanised my thoughts on this...

Well, your lines..matchless !

Anonymous said...

Wassup??? Not updated long time:)

M said...

hello ! u there ..
anyways i just wanted to tell you that you were 100% right in telling i ll like “A thousand splendid suns “.I had read the kite runner and I know he is really an amazing writer ... more from the soul …. So this thousand splendid suns really was amazing.. It was just superb... I cried in one point.. I mean not that weep or sob kind I could feel that pain in heart.. :)Hats off to Khaled for such a book ….:) and yes good that you thought I ll love to read… take care

M said...

hello
any one there????
btw i have tagged u.. do take taht ":) take care
hope everything is fine at ur end!

Dawn said...

Happy Father's Day
Cheers

Kavi said...

Hello..!?! long time shiva All ok ?

Dawn said...

C'mon where are you post somethng ;)
Hope you are doing well
Cheers n Thanks a ton

Diana Sahu said...

Hii....reached ur blog through Aizwaikcha's webpage......loved these lines regarding roadside dwellers in Chennai.
I had stayed in Chennai for 2 years during my journalism course at Asian College of Journalism.
The moment I arrived there, the first thing I noticed was hordes of people staying on footpaths. I wondered hw they spent their entire life just living on roads.
Every line that u hav written is what I had thought/felt about them.......
At evening near Poonamalee High Road, I would find small kids sleeping on the roadsides...amazing life. Interestingly, u would find the entire family sitting down and having their dinner together(on the footpath)....
We perhaps live our lives in future tense(working for a better future) and hence do not find time for each other.
But these people enjoy their life everyday.


Nice post...
Nice pic....


Good Work.....