24 Comments
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Hetish Umashankar's avatar

"Want is generated.

Death is industrialized.

Reason is invented.

Consent is manufactured.

Complicity is designed.

Truth is synthesized"

Hitting the nail on the head!

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thanks so much, Hetish. 🙏🙏

Ezra Godson's avatar

Great stuff! "Predator and prey in the delicate two-step of creation."

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thanks so much, Ezra.

PresentWordTravels-by Sammi 静辰's avatar

Such a powerful, deeply awakened poem — illuminated by the light of a winter sun.

I was especially moved by the ending lines:

If you listen hard, in the quiet shade

of a March afternoon,

a native bird in the Okavango Delta,

foraging for insects, will perhaps,

for a moment,

absent-mindedly

start humming their song.

They linger beautifully — tender, attentive, and full of quiet hope.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thank you 🙏 Am delighted that those lines spoke to you.

Daniel Hettenbach's avatar

Wow.

This is Epic!!!!! This is Powerful. Beautiful. Excellent work!!!!

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thank you, Daniel. Am glad this resonated.

Barb Huntington's avatar

Beautiful!

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thanks so much, Barb.

Rosemary Nissen-Wade's avatar

I like the way you are putting us in the context of larger Nature.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thank you, Rosemary. We seem to have adopted behaviour not for survival but extinction… sigh!!

Rosemary Nissen-Wade's avatar

Maybe it's a race. There are so many things being done for survival and redress, but they seem to be less newsworthy. Then again, maybe it's a matter of where the power lies.

Delaina & Kristin — CXD's avatar

Rosemary captured my feelings too. You drew me in allowed me to feel seen and then helped me see beyond myself. Brilliant poem.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thanks so much, Delaina 🙏🙏

School of Blue's avatar

Love this a lot, Rajani. When we get to the Okavango, I cycle aways from the news and know that after us the planet will continue to live and breathe without us. Each line is etched into a feeling.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thanks so much, Richard. I believe so too…mindless destruction is self-defeating.

Sherry Marr's avatar

After contemplating the human horror show, it was lovely to lift up into the sky and feel the freedom of those birds, making their way along their migratory routes. Sigh.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thank you, Sherry. Nature has so many lessons for us…if we are listening and watching!!!

Kerfe's avatar

"Reason is invented." All those lines drawn, undrawn, redrawn.

It gets harder and harder to comprehend.

But birds always lift the spirit.

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

True. Nature is designed for harmony and purpose and I wish we would just keep that balance. Thank you, K.

Sonia Dogra's avatar

The poem starts on a stark note, just like the year. No end to the news that seems to spill over from one year to another. But I love love love how this poem ends.

Catherine's avatar

Compelling truths, yet resilient & hopeful. Going on a tangent here: Bird song touches me deeply. Here's a song/video -- "Unseen Song" that I love by Samara Jade. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCU4y8tyoR0&t=1s

And then this featured interview and videos from Emergence Magazine with Sam Lee and the nightingales' songs: https://emergencemagazine.org/conversation/the-nightingales-song/

All best to you, Rajani, in this new year. ~ Catherine

Rajani Radhakrishnan's avatar

Thank you, Catherine. I’ve just listened to the song and read the interview - it is healing to see how art grounds itself in nature and kindness while the world seemingly implodes around us. There is a other beautiful way to live- we just have to keep reminding ourselves of it. Appreciate you sending them to me. Much love.