Sorrow's Cry
A Collection Of Poems
A Collection Of Poems
By Moses Seenarine
(c) 1990 - 1994
CONTENTS
1. Mankind
2. Someone
3. Craving
4. Trapped
5. A Face
6. Two Worlds
7. The Letter
8. The Child
9. Sorrow's Cry
10. All Fool's Day - Jiddu Krishnamurti
11. Can One Be Love?
12. This New Day
13. The Ego Wants More
14. A Moment of Love
15. Deny
16. A Flock of Parrots Flew By
17. Friendship
18. Video Dreamer
19. The Difficulties
20. Ugliness
21. Caumsett
22. The Illusion of Reality
23. The Encounter
24. Importance
25. Blue Skies
26. The Night
27. Insects
28. Sanity
29. Poverty
30. Waves
31. Rocks in the Stream
32. Why do you cry?
-------------------------------------------------------
Mankind
Rich, poor
Young, old
Constantly thinking
Eternally worrying.
Smart, stupid
Handicapped, gifted
Lovingly maimed
Jealousy inflamed.
Doubtful, religious
Apathetic, ambitious
Culture concerting
Future uncertain.
Healthy, weak
Powerful, meek
Distressing envy
Searching endlessly.
Man, woman
Somebody, no one
Imparting violence
Longing silence.
-------------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------------
Someone
Someone remembered...
With whom another sense,
Whenever united,
However briefly excited,
Belongs to no one else.
Someone rewarded...
With another's abuses,
Routinely submissive,
To be possessive,
Of their assurances.
Someone complimented...
Yet, there's no doubt,
Begging the other to stay,
To forgive one everyday,
Someone can live without.
Someone realized...
Crying occasionally,
Of the abundance to share,
If only someone cared,
Without vanity.
Someone blinded...
To their own mind,
Too deeply engrossed,
In pleasure and remorse,
To see human kind.
-----------------------------------------------------
Craving
Light, cloudless evening,
A familiar voice screaming,
Pleading for intimacy,
Loneliness appealing.
Thought emerges in traction,
Fighting its own faction,
Violence in words and feelings,
Incurring mindless action.
Simmering moods of passion,
Subside in exhaustion,
Angry, confused shouting,
Soften in trembling emotion.
In darkness, shame arising,
Sharing the blame, realizing,
The agony of guilty pain,
Mutually uncompromising.
Self imprisoned psyche,
Craving another for security,
Seeking escape and comfort,
Briefly aware of actuality.
------------------------------------------
Trapped
Trapped within silly egos
In stylized masks
Living a death
In our own stupid past.
With paged words
And caged memories
Reality conforming
To personalized fantasies.
Untravelled paths
Of insightful observations
Languish amidst a myriad
Of mundane concentrations.
Simple truths lie ambushed
Helplessly, in silence
Conspired against
By a world of violence.
Honesty's useful reflection
Is quickly left unspoken
Fearing that self's importance
Might easily be broken.
Earthly responsibility await
Woefully unrecognized
While humanity race
To successfully economize.
With hardly a space
On thought's imaginary island
Compassion's an alien emotion
On some future plan.
Love, an exciting game
To be fought and won
Possession and dominance
Considered part of the fun.
Individualistic traits
With a survival force
Impair the intelligence
Of a cosmic source.
Forever preoccupied
From experiencing the present
Egos afraid to die
To live a free moment.
A Face
Staring intently
At a shapely face,
Radiance emanates
From the human race.
Filling one's mind
With cheerful laughter,
Delightful innocence
Not sought after.
Abruptly, a rage emerges
From deep within the heart
Cleverly contriving
To tear it apart.
With its vile hatred
And ugly violence
Reasons enough
For love's absence.
How quickly life can grow
Wretched and unbearable;
How hastily one becomes
Psychologically unstable.
Beauty flees
From whence it came.
Although, the lovely face
Remains the same.
Two Worlds
Have you ever been
To a wildlife zoo?
Seen the animals
Pacing 'round you?
Unhappy feelings
On many faces
Eyes looking the same
In far off places
A mad sadness
From nothing to do
Nowhere else to go
Locked in a fixed view.
Have you ever been
To a city too?
Seen the people
Rushing 'round you?
Unhappy feelings?
On many faces
Eyes looking the same
In far off places
A sad madness
Of something to do
Somewhere else to go
Locked in a fixed view.
Two worlds divided
But not separate;
One's slowly dying,
The other with it.
-------------------------------------------
The Letter
Anxiously, one holds a letter
On a sad, confusing day
A warm, timely message
From someplace far away.
Like a precious jewel
One grasps it tightly
Anticipating it's words
Shining so brightly.
So delicately folded
Daintily into two halves
And handsomely written
On paper, between blue staves.
Expressing facts
Rarely ever said
Erasing one's burdens
As it's gratefully read.
Filling one's heart
With hope for better,
Affection and fondness
For the honesty of its writer.
Eagerly, one studies it,
Again and again
Learning anew each time,
Of one's sorrow and pain.
----------------------------------------------------
The Child
Frenzied mother begging,
On a dark, rainy day,
"Come on home babe,
The war will stay."
Jealous father screaming,
Frightening in a way,
"Fight the enemies child,
Make the bastards pay!"
Once a gentle infant,
A curiously growing seed,
Was constantly punished,
With words, looks and deeds.
Until, wanting so much to please,
Being dependent for it's needs,
Did anything it was asked,
Especially when everyone agreed.
Losing it's inquiring nature
To believe a popular stand,
Like protecting god and family,
Politics, and the homeland.
Accepting another's authority,
Never questioning to understand,
Causing the death of others,
Using its childlike hand.
So off to the war it went,
Becoming lost and confused,
Still the child kept on fighting,
So as not to lose.
But, when the carnage is over,
And the war is called bad news,
The leaders will change their plans,
Renewing doctrines and views.
Coming home finally,
Scared, broken minds,
Some will wake up at nights,
All alone, only to find,
A past everyone swore,
They have all left behind,
Yet preparing the children,
For the next front line.
Can hatred and violence,
Ever be justified?
As fear and greed,
Are aggressively denied?
Burying their heads in guilt,
The survivors silently cries,
Wishing they were the ones,
Who had so innocently died.
-------------------------------------------
Sorrow's Cry
Sorrow shrieks out aloud
Lamenting to humanity,
Desperately urging us
To regard seriously,
Our short, welcome stay
In glorious actuality.
Becoming strangely quiet
Some clearly recognize,
While listening for a moment,
Distress woeful voice,
Then, the chatter starts again -
Thinking there's no choice,
In self evading despair.
Conceding to self ruin.
With blocked ears,
To the painful din around,
The others have grown deaf,
To grief's ancient sound.
Hearing nothing, except
One's own thunderous tongue.
Never taking sadness's hint,
To explore one's unending strife,
Nor even appreciating
The immense tranquillity,
Of all existence in life;
Or giving one's attention,
To the absolute silence
Of thought's inevitable demise.
But, lurking quietly
Beneath the confident boom,
Suffering's rueful song
Whispering a forlorn tune,
Heartily thrives on.
Singing out it's gloom.
Lying patiently awaiting
A spark of insecurity,
To penetrate our false harmony.
Screaming out disturbance,
So cleverly forgotten
In clamorous avoidance.
Forcing one to listen
To one's own confusion.
Sadly, sorrow's urgent appeal
To one's misguided humanity,
Is wrongly perceived
As individual self pity,
Endured for an instant
Then hushed up quietly.
Drowned out by thought's chime
Sorrow continues undaunted,
A echo of mankind's folly,
Ignored and misinterpreted
Reminding us of the futility
Of hiding behind selfish lives
A feeling not to be avoided
In appreciating one's universality.
All Fool's Day - Jiddu Krishnamurti
He was born
In eighteen ninety five
In a poor
And depraved state
Until one day
Naked, on a beach
He was chosen
To be god.
A god
Who was alive
Who taught the world
Not to hate
And not to have faith
This was no ordinary god.
For he choose
To dissipate
His organization
His kingdom
He questioned everything
Knowledge, thought
And wisdom.
Nineteen eighty six
Was the year he died
But he never lied
Seldom cried
Sought truth
And spoke of a mystery
Beyond the capacities
Of the mind.
Never gave easy answers
Just suggestions
And guidelines
His life was never
Illusionary
Constant watchfulness
Of reality
Made him ever aware
Of what is.
Observing himself
In the mirror
Of relationship
Teaching, that each of us
Is the world
The observer,
Is the observed.
---------------------------------------------------------
Can One Be Love?
Standing
In the corner of a room
Thinking
Of something to say
Imagining
The two of you
Lying
In the same old way.
Is it not true
How pleasure's never enough?
Never far away,
Can one be love?
Sometimes, one dreams
Of the other
Lying
With another
For an eternity
One would be tormented
Fearing images
Invented by jealousy.
Whenever alone
Wanting the two of you
Feeling bored
Learning nothing new
It's the same
Being together
Wanting a change
That will last forever.
If we're not happy
Then, are we blue?
Must we make an effort
To be true?
It's so hard
To stop trying
Nothing is easier
Than just lying.
Alone and blinded
That's you and me
As self centered eyes
Cannot see
Can our relationship
Act as a mirror
To see our own lives
A little clearer?
Realizing
In the absence of self
There's the other
Is it not true
How pain follows pleasure?
Never far away,
Can one be love?
This New Day
How do we feel
On this new day?
Are we real
Or are we fakes?
Is our lives
A big mistake?
Can we see
Our ego is untrue?
The world's not turning
Solely for me or you.
How can we continue
In false pretense,
Whilst knowing
Our lives makes no sense?
Are we aware
Of life passing by,
Mocking our fears
Laughing our cries?
Are we honestly interested
In ending this constant strain?
Feeling it's affliction
Never once again.
Is it possible
To be completely free?
The answer lies in ourselves
For each of us to see.
To find out what it means
To be confused,
What happens when living
Becomes an old excuse,
To sail our minds
On a stormy sea,
Caught in the shores
Of our own misery.
---------------------------------------------
The Ego Wants More
What are we afraid of?
There is no use in hiding,
We are all frightened
Of our ego's dying.
Too fearful indeed
To glimpse our denying.
Is it so forbidding
The fact of the ego not being?
Looking at it for an instant
The ego in us is disagreeing.
Still, the ego wants more,
It doesn't care for learning
And that makes it a bore.
Beyond all the memories
Of our continuous thinking,
Life's exquisite joy
Cannot be experienced.
For the ego is inventing
Itself as an experiencer,
Who's busily experiencing.
Thinking, but not seeing.
Remaining in our past
The ego feeds its self obsession,
Ignoring that it's opinions
And treasured conclusions,
Are quite unnecessary
Except from earning a living.
Yet, our ego wants more
It doesn't bother with dying
And, that is living's door.
-------------------------------------------------
A Moment Of Love
Full moon shining,
Starry eyed crying,
For a moment of love.
Naked branches swaying,
Gentle winds caressing,
With a moment of love.
Silent night whispering,
Sounds of life sharing,
A moment of love.
Oh sweet terrestrial child
Let's dance together for awhile
Let's burn brightly for love
Burn, burn as we die.
Dead thoughts wandering,
Living humans dying,
For a moment of love.
Inattention reveals nothing,
Attention means learning,
Of a moment of love.
------------------------------------------------
Deny
Confused
Reeling from strain
Feeling like we all do
When depression is with us again.
With a passionate indulgence
In a rage of our dreams
We're like intimate strangers
Clinging to perceived space.
Sometimes, tiring of escapes
Realizing, they are all the same
Leaving one dissatisfied
Still bored and unchanged.
Thought after thought
Leaving us praying for sleep
The brain never at rest
Our hearts never in peace.
Let's deny our ambitions
And our search for pleasure
For we're like a database
Looking for prestige.
Let's renounce our fears
And also our greed
Let's deny all that's false
Then maybe we'll be freed.
---------------------------------------------------
A Flock Of Parrots Flew By
The sun's rays
Ignites the clouds instantly
A marriage of white vapors
In glowing cliffs of rivers
Flowingly
Over a tropical palm
Tall spike poised majestically
Long rustling branches
Swaying in the cool breeze
Playfully
As a dead limb hangs
Brown and unsightly
Alone in the shadows
Leafless and tired
Motionlessly
Not unlike you and me
Attached devotedly
Relating to images of each other
Dead memories holding on
Precariously
A flock of parrots flew by
Unperturbed by society
Social and secure
Gliding through the clouds
Cheerfully
In nature's paradise
Giving itself excitedly
Fragile in it's welcome
Sharing beauty, fresh and complete
Freely
Friendship
You ate together and drank
From the same cup
Reveled and talked frank
Until morning's light up
Never addressing the question
"What's the point?"
You fantasized and pretended
Infantile desires
Condemned and criticized
People lower and higher
Never understanding the habit
"Where's the joint?"
You tried to banish truth
From your daily lives
Running forever from boredom
In your own selves
Never observing the obsession
"Which memory to anoint?"
---------------------------------------------------------
Video Dreamer
Sitting up, stimulated
Watching videos in bed,
Deeply yearning inside
One's body and head.
Staying up fervently
And playing all night,
Make believing video dates
Are feeling so right.
Abusing one's mind
With wanton desires,
Flashing, colorful images
Stroking one's fires.
Until, one could not feel
Any more impassioned,
Having seen so much
Of the tube's attraction.
Even after the excitement
Is over and spent,
Continuing on looking
Being pleasure bent.
Employing the television
With it's sensual song
Watching electronic images
For far too long.
Trying harder
To get nearer this far
Having magnetic affairs
With celebrated stars
Carrying on and on
Without a moment's pause
Entertainment becoming
One's life long cause.
The Difficulties
Let us inquire
Into the difficulties
Of living one's life in sorrow.
Let us question
The difficulties
Of already knowing tomorrow.
Let's not worry
As to who so ever cares,
It is really our problem
If we're concerned about theirs.
Let's not be bothered
By anyone who sneers,
For that's also a problem
Of our desires and fears.
Let's observe our minds
And not waste its energy,
For ours is a difficult task
To face an inner adversary -
An ego that is it's own ally
Frightened and very lonely.
Yet, in awareness of this ego
We can be free of it's difficulty.
---------------------------------------------
Ugliness
So hideously ugly
When we are emotional,
It is more accepting
Shared with friends,
Euphoric almost
With god or country.
Fear, anxiety
Hatred and violence.
Prejudice, bigotry
Pride and avarice.
Like human tidal waves
On the open sea,
Mankind, in stormy chaos
Crashes into each other.
Indifferent to stop
Shared destruction,
Regardless of the outcome,
Reasserting superiority.
Grotesquely increasing
Our pointless existence
Caumsett
High on a steep ridge
alone in the woods
tall trees beckon upwards
silent limbs extending gracefully
A flutter of dead leaves
wave in the cold winter air
birds call out in alarm
warning of the intruder
In perfect formation
a flock of geese signaled
timeless change and movement
inter-connecting the land
Amid the majestic trees
I stood frozen in chaos
lost in direction, endlessly
searching for where I was headed
The geese flew on knowingly
leaving me to ponder
the relevance of existence
the meaning of destiny
Looking on jealously,
I paused in awareness
of an external reality
in a setting of uncertainty
Discovering a thrill for living
in acceptance of the unknown
standing on the tree lined path
my spirit flew higher and higher
Now the geese' flight was closer
to my own inward migration
revealing hidden connections
between myself and the land.
The Illusion of Reality
Step into the room smiling
As if happy to be there
"Hello", "How are you?"
You're accepted here
Step into bed lying
Speaking as one to a friend
Listening to the other
How closely? It depends
Step into society agreeing
Sharing the fantasy of beliefs
Helping each other to uncover
Meaning for our time left
Step into yourself accepting
One's true being of nothing
Aware of the ego's illusion
One's assumption of something
--------------------------------------------
The Encounter
Springing out
from yellowed grass
dark, slender, striking
a dramatic feature
enveloped in mist
Silent
poised in repose
fully aware of the other
slipping into nothingness
into creation
Oh, beloved
your universal presence
gives comfort
as the light fades
when darkness comes
we'll be lost
yet, embraced in resistance
in our non-existence
Importance
What is this strange being
a giant trunk with no limbs?
Tell me ancient friend
what is this curiosity?
Why does it not grow
is it so beleaguered?
The poor being is dead,
I warn you young friend,
because of its attachments;
Its numerous connections
form a suffocating grip,
draining off all energy.
Its importance is deceptive
for its life is a horror,
be wary of the attraction
or the same fate you'll suffer.
---------------------------------------------------------
blue skies
blue skies reach infinitely
across expanse of human endeavor
beneath the thick asphalt
of polluted man-made cities
fragile life bravely emerges
testament of nature's energy
bi-pedal creatures scamper about
aglow in fleeting conquest
too busy to notice life
timeless origin at their feet
pre-occupied in surviving
a self-created madness.
above the human squalor
lofty grandeur drift aimlessly
saturated by evening colors
beauty unseen by humanity
--------------------------------------------------------
The Night
Tap-tap went the rain
as the struggle progressed.
Blood dripped as they screamed;
Lovers embraced in agony
bleeding for each other, from each other...
A flash of lighting interrupted the night
racing hearts in fright, wonder...
"Where is the answer,
the one that eludes me?
How many chances are there?
I'm running out of time!"
"I will walk the miles
travel through the storms,
crawl even when weak and tired."
Slowly, hearts embraced the night,
enraptured in its comfort
at peace with the stormy mind.
Lighting flashes in the window
thunder beats at the door
of the walls of selfishness.
Suddenly, aware of the moment
thoughts paused for awhile,
listening carefully to the night
holding hands with a smile.
The storm would soon end
for its flame had lit a path
in the fog of self-centered egos.
Insects
should I crush this insect
buzzing in my ear?
a disease carrier
or victim of irrational fear?
who's life is more precious
if killing makes living worthless?
--------------------------------------------------
Sanity
evening time in the park
the sun shading us from darkness
in a ragged line they walked
causalities of imagination
mental dregs of socialization
innocent minds in seclusion
----------------------------------------------------------
Poverty
lying on well-paved streets
discarded carpet of civilization
reminder of a primitive past
existing still in modern hearts
Waves
turbulent tides of desire
creating whirlpools of emotions
in an endless sea of pleasure
pride, greed and jealously
wave after wave of wants
surges through the helpless mind
fueling egotistical drive
isolating serenity
oh, will it ever subside
else, when will it explode?
--------------------------------------------------------
Rocks in the Stream
narrow thoughts
pointlessly flowing
gaining momentum
in a stream of consciousness
drowning life's silence
in memory's raging tides
rocks in the stream
affirming individuality
illusions of a thinker
molded by humanity's past
is it the rocks that make waves
or the stream of thinking?
-------------------------------------------------------
Why do you cry?
darling,
why do you cry?
do you cry for love?
do you cry for freedom?
do you cry for the one
who cries for you?
prisoners
in our own lives
hiding
in another's disguise
dying
in our daily compromise
darling,
why do you cry?
