Monday, August 22, 2016

The Old Man

Going from one side of the road
On my scooter with my mom
Saw an old man, with half bent back
A stick in hand and childlike innocence
On his face
He asked for lift
Waving the stick in the air
We had no time
{Not for the poor old weak man}
And ignored him
Without reducing the scooter’s speed

After 5 minutes, I and mom
Both were guilty
Why we didn’t stop
How insensitive could we?
After dropping mom
I returned through the same way
But from the other side of the road
10 minutes passed
But he (old man) was standing on the same side
In the same position
In the need of help
This time I stopped
Crossed the road, and asked
What he needs?
He was going to see a doctor
With a little money in hand
Unable to walk
For about 2 miles
Neither any bus nor any person
Stopped for him

He was too weak
To sit on my scooter
But this time I was determined to help
I stood beside him
After another 15 minutes
A van stopped
(This time, thankfully)
The driver was ready to let him sit

While I was expecting people to stop
And help him
The old man’s eyes were shining
He needed help
Waited for a long time
On the roadside
But I didn’t find any sign of expectation
In his eyes

Freedom

On the morning
Heard one sentence
A friend told me
He will keep me safe

Safe while riding a bike
Safe while on a hilltop
Trying to explain me
that I need not worry

Dear friend, While I understand
What you are trying to tell
But along with your words
It needs a little explanation from my side too

You need not to tell me again and again
That you can keep me safe
This is neither what I expect, nor what I want

I as a person,
Want to feel safe, want to feel strong
But on the name of safety
I do not want a hedge around me
I want an environment
Where I can breathe the air of freedom

It is the law of nature
That each particle is struggling for freedom
And when my safety depends on actions by someone else
Then it is creating an obstacle, in the path
Path that aims to freedom

If my thoughts, and actions for freedom
Depends on someone else
Then it is a kind of confinement
and not freedom

In the path
Where we , as a part of whole
want freedom,
growth in that path weakens
when someone else
assures me, my safety

While the path is illuminated
When there is mutual respect and trust
That is enough for me
That is what I want
to feel the true freedom

to feel safe.