By Manini Priyan

Hero

Misinformation and lies spreads around us
Villains keep controlling us
We descend into fear and hate
The wheel keeps turning
With no end in sight

Stories are told of heroes who spread light
And how they vanquished the darkness
We focus on their victory in the end
Instead of focusing on how they got there
They struggled and suffered
Just like you and me
The only difference
They were never broken

They say diamonds are made in high pressure
And gold is made in extreme heat
So when we go through crisis and distress
Let’s remember that is how heroes are born

Because we keep waiting for these heroes to show up and rescue us.
How about we stop waiting

And we look in the mirror to find the hero

###

Karma

They say that it always knows
Is this “it” an object
Or a conscious being just like you and me?

Humanity has been searching for a definition throughout history
Some call it God
Others call it Karma
I call this a law
A law that was created by a living and breathing being
An incontrovertible law
That vindicates the innocent
And punishes the wicked

You can choose not to believe in this law
That everything that has happened
Is because of the random nature of the universe

But then think for one minute
And ask yourself
Is there anything random
About an invisible particle that can invade your lungs
And make you struggle to take breaths of air
Perhaps this is why they say
Karma is a bitch

And we are just starting to realize this

###

Patience

This is a lesson
Learnt painstakingly
Because this is easier said than done

Difficult to be patient when you are reeling in pain
But the doctor tells you to wait for the medicine to take over
Difficult to be patient when you realise
That the much awaited promotion is handed to someone else
Owing to his gender
Difficult to be patient when your loved one is stuck in another country
And you cannot jump on a plane and be with them.
Easier said done
When they say
But the best things comes to those who wait

Because the medicine does take effect
A better opportunity waits for you
Where your merit is rewarded
And your gender is a just a fact
And staying away from your loved one
Is the only way to keep them safe
Because patience is a matter of perspective
The only perspective that can help you
Ride out any storm
Hoping that
This too shall pass.

###

Tomorrow

Fear surrounds me from all sides
I look to the left
People are suffering
I look to the right
People have lost their livelihoods

Money
House
Car

Thoughts swirl around my head
But I think deeper and I realise
That they instead, should be
Health
Family
Friends

Because tomorrow might look terrifying
But all we can do is focus
On the here and now

Not easy
But possible
Through deep breaths
And coming back to the present
And remembering
What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger
And for now
Forget about tomorrow
And breathe in the present

###

We

Collective consciousness
Difficult concept to understand
Especially when we are focused on the you and me
As black, white, Arab, brown, Latino, Asian
Migrant worker or privileged to work from home
Hindu or non Hindu

Rather than we

Now we find ourselves locked in
All the same with no difference between us
Invisible particles has become our leveller
It does not distinguish between us
Like the way we do

Is this because our collective consciousness
Stooped so low
That we were bound to attract this nightmare

Maybe now we will realise
That our common bonds
Are greater than our differences

Maybe this realisation will raise our consciousness
Then just maybe the universe will notice

And let us out for fresh air.

###

Zeal

Wake up
No time for breakfast
Rush out the door
For another meeting
With endless posturing
And no action

Email after email
Big egos hurled around
For adults that are supposed to be mature

All stuck on the wheel of life
Trying to buy
The bigger house,
Bigger car
And flash those diamonds around
But with all the measures of supposed success
Something missing in everyone’s lives
Passion and zeal

The first casualty
When one steps into the real world

And then slowly but surely
More things are lost along the way

Meaning
Joy
Fulfillment

Lucky are those ones in the race
Who realize the loss of these precious things
For it is not too late to change

Because the world
Doesnt need one more drone
But a thriving human being
With that joy and zeal
The way

God intended for us to be all along