Ecological Meditations
A Collection of Poems
by
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Downstream From You
If the Lord offered me a choice
With an ever thundering voice
I would live downstream from you;
You would wash your feet gently
With your toes making ripples endlessly
I would live downstream from you;
And if you were to say a word
That was not carried by a bird
I would live downstream from you;
And as the morning daylight shimmers
From your eyes the water glimmers
I would live downstream from you;
And if by noon a pitcher you rested
And a grain basket nested
Would their husk and vibration
Not stir the soul of every nation
I would live downstream from you;
And if by evening in the shadows
Were you invisible in the meadows—
Where my work and my duty
Could not glance at your beauty
I would live downstream from you;
As the waters of every river
Are renewed by every giver
Let their offerings be so pure
And their fragrance for miles endure
So that the ones who live downstream
Be carried gently, as in a dream.
For This, I Pray
I pray that there be rain on parched soil
Birds find the fruit they dreamed of
At the outset of their long journeys;
I pray that humans become caretakers of Nature
Instead of plunderers; that each finds work
To express their uniqueness;
I pray that people and governments
Earn mutual respect and make clear
Their legitimate expectations, and fulfill
Their promises to each other;
I pray that every poor man
Be given the opportunity to see and act
Outside of his condition; that every rich man be
Sensitized to the needs of his brethren;
I pray that joy and laughter
Become the birthright of all, and
Those who have forgotten it at once
Regain their capacity to mirth;
That sorrow be shared momentarily and
Happiness blossom throughout the year;
I pray that those who promulgate religious concepts
Strive to understand other faiths;
That those who do not believe
Have doubts of the absence of divinity;
I pray that men and women
Love each other not just for the fruits of their labor
But for their intrinsic caring and
Desire to develop each other;
I pray that success come to those who have
Planted and cared for saplings, and
That those who have succeeded at the expense of the Earth
Lose their credibility;
I pray that the wisest ones be heard and followed
And those who have coerced others into falsehood
Be driven to transformation.
Seven Before The Hour
Neither you nor I, can ascertain why
Things that flicker sometimes do not
Reasoning is good, but reason flawed
Seven before the hour is here
When will we melt away our fear?
Healer of Wounds
Many years ago, in the early spring
Of the life of his beloved,
He ventured forth to serve
His moral obligations;
“Many people are waiting for
My truth to be revealed—
For their wounds to be healed….”
“Justice must be done,” he said,
And thus he did abandon;
Through the fires he walked bravely
In the winter hid his hunger
’Neath the hollow of his chest;
“Work I must incessantly,” said he—
“This is no time for rest….”
Came the time for healing, many did he serve
Cherished in their hearts his memory;
Awakened in their minds, they recalled his every word
Came the time for glory, no one did recognize—
That minstrel at the doorway, was Jesus in disguise.
Diwali
Ram avatar had come home
After a glorious victory
We joined in the celebration
Of our great religious history;
With lights and sounds of music
We danced all through the night
We prayed for our well-being
Until the morning light;
Thousands of years have passed
And things are not the same
We kill our innocent brothers
In this religious game;
With fire and bombardment,
We light the evening sky
We play with human blood
Rejoice in the war cry;
We toast the celebration
With food, festivity and wines
And think not of the thousands,
Who stumble upon mines….
On this auspicious occasion
O venerable mother Kali
I pray for all my kin to you
A very happy Diwali
Law-Makers
When the law makers
Are the law breakers
There are no takers
For democracy and justice;
No sense in making an appeal
No pride in being a citizen….
But when the light of reason is shone
Many will rise before the dawn
To bring a vision unto the land
And greater pride to work of the hand;
And as the strands of ethics and law
Are wound into a stronger rope
The people who will rise to fame
Will bring new hope to the political game.
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About the Book
“Ecological Meditations— A Collection of Poems” is a unique book of poetry that reveals layer upon layer of insight into the human condition. Each poem is focused upon the heart of a particular thought, emotion, experience, or subject of study. The poems unfold sometimes logically, and sometimes with an element of surprise or wonder, transporting the reader into a realm that can be touched by a consciousness of all the sense faculties. The poems address universal principles and are close to Nature— both human and ecological. The insights revealed are based upon deep reflection and meditation upon the primary thought or feeling behind the poem. Ecological meditations is about an extended ecology— one that begins with the individual gaining a consciousness of self in relation to nature, moving forth into relationships both intimate and casual, extending further into personal growth that understands and equally questions received societal wisdom. Religion is addressed with regard to spiritual development and due respect is paid to luminaries from the Hindu and Christian faiths, although concepts such as "ethical conduct," typical of various cultural traditions are also evident. In reading the poems, at times one gets the feeling that beyond religion there exists a universal ethic of “respect for life” that is informed by good science, love, and the desire to be joyful and positive in all manner of being. The audience of this book can be the teenager who is looking to find meaning, or even the career person who is fully engaged, and surprisingly, also the elderly person whose nest is now empty. The lover and the seeker, both will find something of lasting value within these pages. Ecological Meditations is a book of poems with appeal for almost everyone who has the inclination for self reflection."
About the Author
My professional interests are ocular diagnostics and visual neurosciences for which I am qualified and experienced. My first poem was composed on a train journey from New York Penn Station to Chicago by Amtrak; and is NOT documented.
Three poems that most influenced my psychic developmental process in pre-teenage years are: The Beggar Maid, The Road Less Traveled, and Ozymandias. Three popular books that most influenced me prior to age fifteen are: Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Atlas Shrugged. Three painters that cast an early impression on me are: Michelangelo, Dali, and Vermeer. Three musicians that I most admired as a teenager are: Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and Paul McCartney. Three favored pastimes of childhood were: feeding sparrows on the roof, cycling on suburban backstreets, and star constellation gazing at Orion and the Big Dipper.
A note of gratitude is needed here. My father was born into an educated family of modest means, with Grandpa training in Europe and qualifying as member of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Any and all persons that knew my father at any stage of his life are acknowledged here.
Financing for my early developmental years came to father from companies such as Westinghouse Electric and Friedrich Air Conditioning, for which I have a natural gratitude. A Midwestern ethic coming from Grandpa’s collaborating with Dr. Grossman, filtering down to Dad is partly my own. Access to the World Book Encyclopedia and the National Geographic Magazine and the Time Life Scientific volumes and the Funk and Wagnall Dictionary were instrumental. Finally, access to the volumes of Will and Ariel Durant, would prove necessary for history of civilization.
Any and all persons that knew my mother and that knew stepmother are given my vote of thanks. Any persons connected by blood relation are precious to me.
The traditional profession practiced by the name Aggarwal would perhaps be considered bartering of food grains, oilseeds, spices, and textile manufacturing. Colonel Grandpa added the letter A at the end for better publishing visibility somewhere between completion of training in Europe {1924} and date of inclusion into the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons {on file}.
Karan’s parents lived in Columbus Ohio and San Antonio Texas and father almost always drove station wagons. Karan’s earliest memories of childhood are looking through the rear window of a Ford Motorcar Falcon model of the early 1970’s. Karan is an only child of his mother born in Texas, now residing In Virginia. Father had a previous wife born in India. Father ancestry has historic roots of Azerbaijan going back to a kingdom that ended around 750 BC.
Karan’s school education took place on both sides of the Atlantic waters. Although never attending Ivy League colleges, Dr Aggarwala was always directly involved with such high level research, teaching and scholarship: proof of such worthiness being employment offered by the US FDA, and qualifying for the National Research Service Award.