Anodyne

Yes, it is true. I have decided to be lazier than I usually am. To that end, I am posting some old stuff that I wrote.

But first, the prologue (you know my stories are never short).

Many many years ago, when I was a lowly grad student at a small desk in a sad windowless office ( as opposed to a lowly developer at a smaller desk in a smaller/sadder windowless cube), I received an email from a friend with this poem in it.

Despair

What have you seen today
and what are you thinking?
Did you learn anything new?
Or is it the same old you?

Failing, falling, always wrong
Will you ever learn to be strong ?
Grab the reins of your sick, low life
and see if you can hold?
Or let your fate drag you to death
Afraid to be bold?

Staring at defeat, right in the face,
Can you rise above, and scream in glory?
Well that would be a new story
if you won, but can you?
You won’t try to fly if the ground is giving way.
I know you would sleep and let the pain stay.

So rest, close your eyes and dream
Of everything beautiful and rosy
Don’t wake up and fight, no, this is easy
Courage is for the dumb
You are comfortably numb.


~ end ~

And given a choice between doing cutting edge research (My topic was "The changing sounds of movie songs in regional languages in India) and responding to the mail, I chose the latter. I pondered for a while. I liked the writing ( this guy is a very good writer, in general) and I liked the wording and imagery of his poem but disagreed with the theme. I was foolishly optimistic in those days (Yes, in spite of a windowless office desk). So I decided work around the general framework of his poem, change things around and give him my take on it.
What resulted was this.

An Answer to Despair


What have you seen today and
What have you not ?
Did you learn anything new
Or is it the same old you?

Failing, complaining, always regretting,
Will you ever learn to be strong?
Open your mind and heart
to the wonder of the life you own,
Or let your own spirits
chain your soul ?

Surrounded by petty thoughts,
Can you look through the darkness
and be happy to find yourself
with a piece of land below
and a patch of sky above ?

You can fly high over the horizon,
if your thoughts can take the reins.
Tomorrow is another day
and I know you’ll find your way.

So don’t let these troubles control you,
Wake up and look up at the sky.
So that you can face yourself again
and find a solace you never could.
Courage is not in extraordinary deeds or wonderful men.
It is in you and me who face life and smile.

finis

And that, me hearties, is the story. Hope you don't mind that I posted your poem here, SK.

And so to bed.