|
In Dream I Was and Not One
by Ashok ShardaIn dream I was and
not one
The 'IÂ’ was not
The ‘I’ who thought a thought
A moment ago
Was not the ‘I’ I think I am
I may have said "yes" then, though
"No" is what I now want to say
I am ‘A’ this moment
I may be ‘B’ the next
When in walks ‘C’ from nowhere thereafter,
While ‘D’ keeps peeping from the windowsills
I am just one among the multitude
Who come and go
Absent in their passive presence
Drawing energies from the associated sources
Occupying the spectatorÂ’s space
Independent of the whole
Many are clothed in a ‘yes’
Many with a ‘no’ at the core
Many wear a ‘nay’ with a sugar coat
Many boast stealth in art of concealment and
Diligently appear
On the eve of every Saturday
Many rage violently like bulls at the gate
Many behave as nincompoops
Ever ready to sermonize thoughtlessness
Many show strength and many remain weak
Controlled by accidental external stimuli
Fine weather energizes one,
Cold evokes another
But none of them assert enough
To become the master of the house
I remain just a body with a name,
A liking, a desire, a mood,
An aversion, a hurt, a thought,
Reflecting little ‘I’s, unconnected
In dream I am
And not one
The ‘I’ is not
07/07/2004 Author's Note: This piece is based on the ideas in an article I wrote called I Am Not ONE which elucidates the basic idea behind the poem
Incidentally, Rula Shin just posted a poem on the same theme called I Am Plural for those readers who may be interested.
For those interested in the subject I have a poem depicting the mechanism of self-creation and maintenance in my library called I, WE AND THE ROOM WHICH HAS NO BOUNDARIES
Posted on 07/06/2004
Copyright © 2024 Ashok Sharda
| Member Comments on this Poem |
| Posted by Alison McKenzie on 07/06/04 at 10:55 PM Without the lazy "I" the hardworking "I" would perhaps not understand the value of earning money. Without the selfish "I", the generous "I" would not know the pleasure of giving. Without the childless "I", the Parent "I" would not know the joy of guiding a life. And yes, all these factions make up the whole. I see us as diamonds, multi-faceted depending on the light. Able to slice, depending on the angle. Many reflections, some brilliant in beauty and some covered in dust. Are they not, each facet, aspects of the same stone? It is not so paradoxical to me, that opposite energies can be experienced within the same being, for that is the magic of being human. |
| Posted by Alison McKenzie on 07/06/04 at 11:02 PM It kind of goes along with the story I read once about the elder who was counseling the youth who was distress that he could be so angry and yet want so much to express love. The elder told the story about having two wolves living inside himself, one fiercely evil and dangerous and the other gentle and nurturing. The youth asked, "But, Grandfather, which wolf wins?" And the Elder replied, simply, "The one I feed." Isn't it the same with our "I"s, Ashok? If we want to experience the lazy "I", then that is the "I" we choose to BE, and so forth and so on. |
| Posted by Michelle Angelini on 07/08/04 at 06:59 AM Wow! I didn't read the original, but this version is outstanding! Totally pulls me into it, just like Rula's poem. Excellent work! |
| Posted by Michelle Angelini on 07/08/04 at 07:00 AM Wow! I didn't read the original, but this version is outstanding! Totally pulls me into it, just like Rula's poem. Excellent work! |
| Posted by Michele Schottelkorb on 07/08/04 at 12:07 PM in true form, you teach us another lesson about ourselves, whilst learning your own... we are of many folds... represented brilliantly here... i especially love the use of the word "nincompoops"!... very effective *grin*... blessings... |
| Posted by Laura Doom on 07/08/04 at 09:24 PM I enjoyed this collection of cameo roles. As one with a disintegrated external locus of control, this pulled me together nicely. Entertaining stuff. |
| Posted by Leslie Ann Eisenberg on 07/15/04 at 02:51 PM The ‘I’ who thought a thought
A moment ago
Was not the ‘I’ I think I am ......we put these labels on ourselves, but we cannot define ourselves so strictly. If life is ever changing, if god is ever evolving, if the earth moves and burns, then we are ever shifting....Many are clothed in a ‘yes’
Many with a ‘no’ at the core
Many wear a ‘nay’ with a sugar coat
Many boast stealth in art of concealment and
Diligently appear
On the eve of every Saturday ......such cunning observations, but spun so well..... remain just a body with a name,
A liking, a desire, a mood,
An aversion, a hurt, a thought,
Reflecting little ‘I’s, unconnected
In dream I am
And not one
The ‘I’ is not......,i am you and you are me and we are all together...I will be revisiting and contemplating this piece for some time to come. your work never fails to be thought provoking, I cherish your amazingly original voice. always a pleasure, ashok! |
|
