Compassion – Learned Living

Poem: Out of Sight

February 26, 2020 Arshan Dhillon

The flowers bloom out of sight,

the sun rises out of sight,

the sun sets out of sight,

the gathering clouds, the soft rain, the waving grass blades,

nature’s call,

out of sight, out of sight.

She sits by herself, her

shawl wrapped around her, comforting

cotton material, what

she needs is the comforting touch of her fellow being, but

pride is damming, also

the lack of awareness is prevalent, as

man goes about their day.

Men with diamonds around on their wrists,

women with diamonds around their necks,

her eyes avoiding her own reflection,

as people double click the pictures on injustice on their phones,

sipping on their drinks,

while she thirsts for aid.

Too many animals walking around, not

enough humans, too

many concerned about themselves, their

own looks, their own bank account, their own desires, not

enough who can empathize with the desperate others, even

though everyone knows the desperation, and

in their own time of desperation craved another’s compassion.

“How are you?”

“Are you okay?”

She talks to herself,

answering herself,

practicing a smile,

to match that of the surrounding people,

so she feels part of the crowd,

and not alone,

as she sits alone,

out of notice,

out of care,

out of sight,

wandering animals around her.

Poem: There was one

September 14, 2019 Arshan Dhillon

Each day you see them pass by,

the crowd, the people, the beings, the strangers,

not a single thought is spent on those you share the bus or train rides with, those who you see stuck in traffic with you, those you walk beside on the concrete sidewalks,

all just strangers, when you look from the outside,

thinking of how dull and uninteresting the fellow man is,

how common the common man is,

puppets, shells, heartless, soulless,

such judgments,

judging those who you don’t know.

Reality is far different,

the only reason you put such harsh judgment on others is so you can feel special,

so you can point the finger at them, the others, those who you believe to be dying slow deaths and breath a sigh of relief,

but that’s just a coping mechanism, coping with the disregard that life has as you come to terms that your no different from them, understanding that they all are battling something and not just you,

you think you’re the only one living? your the only one trying to fight? you’re the only one holding on for dear life? you’re the only one struggling? you’re the only one with hopes for a better future?

You’re easily fooled,

taken in by the pasted-on smiles,

the practiced eyes,

the calm breathing,

the pleasant speech,

manipulated,

you don’t hear the mute screams of desperation in your fellow man.

I do.

I knew one who gave up his love, moving to a strange land, yearning at night for what he left behind,

There was one who had no choice, ever, everything decided for them, shackled life, shackled existence, trying to smile,

There was one with three children, working all night, working, supporting, still making lunches, would you recognize her on the bus sitting beside you?

There was one who drank too much, trying to forget, trying to erase the pain, wearing brand new shoes, shaking your hand firmly,

There was one who worked all day, a demon in his mind, reminding him of his failures, telling him he isn’t worth it, grinding to quiet that voice down, headphone turned up, foot nervously tapping the dirty train floor, knowing that the second the music stops, that voice will begin,

There was one who stayed up all night thinking of the unborn child that was on the way, a child himself, wrestling with his fingers inside his pockets, you glance by him without notice,

There was one who found his path in life yet the poor habits are hard to break which makes him tragic for he knows his path and still is lost,

There was one who walked down a made path and is still sitting beside the lost one,

There was one who dreamed, dreamed, dreamed aging with time, that dream keeping the dwindling flame alive inside of him, one more day it echoes,

There was one who smiled at the strangers, wishing he could talk to his dad one last time,

There was one who had everything given to him and yet his heart was filled with resentment, his head filled with the voice of privilege, his actions stained with the label of ease,

There was one who was always moving, traveling, one place to the next, for now beside you, tomorrow on the other side of the world, seeking, seeking, seeking, himself,

There was one who worked to please his love,

There was one who wanted to repay his love,

There was one who wished to be loved,

There was one who was tired of love,

There was one trapped in love,

There was one on the verge of suicide, you see him?

There was one who you no longer saw,

There was one who walked through life wanted a purpose, watching the time go, thinking that he’s a failure, he stands up for the pregnant lady, what a gentleman, gently dying without anyone noticing,

There was one who was enamored by the new, hoping the new watch, new shoes, new glasses, new posture, a new smile would get complimented and for that moment he’d know he’s alive, he mattered, he’s real,

There was one filled with hate and negativity, disgusted by his circumstances, your fault, your fault, theres, others, the echoes sinking him deeper into his negative life, you brushed by him, did it get on you? That evil, that hate for man?

There was one who stared in the mirror each morning hating the reflection, poking at the flaws, wishing for change, checking the phone for what he should be,

There was one starving, hoping it’d be worth it,

There was one who read all day and didn’t live, experiencing nothing, even now the nose in the book while life goes by, are you much different?

There was one who had to force himself to be happy, to be uncomfortable, to grow, to get out and is filled with pride, can you spot him? But tomorrow he’ll have to fight again, that resistance never dies, he knows it, you can see it on his face, can you see him now?

There was one praying for it all to work out, telling himself it’ll be okay, one day, trying to control his breathing,

There was one who joked all day, his laughter rises above the crowd but his thoughts would make you cry,

There was one who hoped to be useful, to be acknowledged, to be considered good,

There was one stuck in a cycle, mistake after mistake,

There was one who was progressing slowly but didn’t know when it’ll be all worth it, the struggle, the grind, trying to stay composed, trying to remember the mantra to keep him grounded,

There was one who couldn’t do anything without first swallowing a handful of pills,

There was one who tried to forget the abuse but each sound, each movement, each touch reminded them of it,

There was one who thought of the good old days, stuck in the memories of happiness, can you blame them as you move your feet to let them walk by,

There was one who was hopeless, everything touched by them tuned to failure, yet, they smiled, one step, two-step, three-step, keep going, keep going,

There was one who lived for the two night of the week, the rest of their life wasn’t their own,

There was one who saw their passion all around them, heard the music, felt the art, craved the brush, the guitar string, the pen, and yet those fingers punched keys over and over and over just like the way you see them unconsciously moving with the rhythm of the tram,

There was one getting over heartbreak, holding the tears in,

There was one getting over a past humiliation, holding the tears in,

There was one getting over the disappointment of their life, no more tears left,

There was one breathing and living for their children the same ones who never called,

There was one breathing and living for their parents, waiting to call when they make it in life, when will that be? They think, the hourglass empties, how much longer before they can declare their appreciation?

There was one dreading the past,

There was one dreading the present,

There was one dreading the future,

There was one who didn’t know where the next meal will come from but looking at them you could never tell for the pride put on a face which yells that they are fine and happy,

There was one whose ego made them pass judgment one everyone they saw, deep down thinking what everyone said about them, not realizing that all these people are too busy trying to deal with their own selves, that one is you.

Everywhere are people like this,

battling internally,

quiet types, lonely types,

trying to stay afloat,

as the cesspool of life which is filled with disappointment, negativity, hate, pain, failures, crushed dreams, rises, not quick enough to kill right away, that’d be too easy, but rather, slowly, inch by inch, neck high, letting you know the inevitable and with this understanding, they carry on,

the common, the dull, the uninteresting, as you think them to be,

they carry on,

brothers and sisters,

mothers and fathers,

loyal friends who all share life,

at the heart, united,

at the soul, one,

with patience, tolerance, and love,

the neighbor must be approached,

for they are just like you,

trying to figure out this life which ends in an instance,

that one second we breath,

make it a good one,

ease the burden of another,

don’t add to it,

don’t be blind and deaf to it,

don’t be selfish,

don’t let the ego fool you,

you’re not special,

but you can still do special things for your fellow human being.

Reflections On Helping Eachother

August 11, 2019September 26, 2019 Arshan Dhillon

If you could say out loud what is troubling you and know that someone will come to your aid, would you not say it?

Would life not be easier if you could lean on your neighbors and have them help you with your burden as you help them with theirs?

One of the primary reasons Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) works is because there is solidarity in that group, a level of companionship where someone is standing by waiting to assist you when times get hard or is there to keep you accountable on a daily or weekly basis. Just how the notion of solidarity can produce results in AA, in life, we too need one another because how many among us are in control of our own fate? How many times things haven’t gone our way? We all know what it feels like to be lost and helpless, just like an addict is, yet we keep our feelings to ourselves, not showing our emotions slowly suffocating underneath the pressure of life. That pressure can be released by a helping hand but we refuse to allow others to help us because we rarely vocalize our problems.

If not ask for help, we can at least offer it to others. That action seems to be easier, people rather help others than be helped themselves. But often that helping hand comes with some kind of price rather than genuine care for the fellow man. It’s almost calculated. What can I get out of this transaction? For this reason, many go on silently suffering for we only have love and appreciation to offer but such things don’t hold much value in our society. Rather have notoriety, fame, public appreciation, monetary reward, etc than a genuine thank you from another person.

What good is that going to do me? It’s not going to pay my bills.

While others find it hard to help their neighbors because they’re simply trying to wade through the water of life while trying to stay afloat themselves, it is difficult then to keep another from drowning when you’re at the brink of sinking yourself.

There also some who just don’t care. Dog eat dog world, such a phrase is common knowledge. Better you than me, is another one.

We slowly cannibalize ourselves because the man outwardly suffering is you and the man inwardly crying is also you.

What can we do when everyone needs help and yet only a few are ready to aid out of the goodness of their hearts? When most people are simply busy with their own lives and are unable to come together.

The answer perhaps lies in a spiritual transformation. Understand yourself and you’ll understand all of man. Then when you help another person you are helping yourself as well. It’s a nice notion and a notion that probably works because it’s been around since the ancient times. Much of Eastern philosophy and Buddhism backs this idea. However, this utopian world is unlikely to come about. There really isn’t a practical way to show people such a thing. One must discover it for themselves. But most people don’t care about such things like I said before, they are either busy trying to survive or they are busy trying to push past others towards some mountain top which they believe will alleviate their suffering.

Perhaps it’s a cynical view. But Christ preached solidarity and companionship hundreds of years ago and yet nothing really changed. The people who followed him only formed their own group and directed hate towards those who think differently. The same goes for other religions, most of which, at the core speak of solidarity and companionship as well.

Then, in a world that is more capitalistic and materialistic than it’s ever been, how can such a world be taught to turn the eye inwards and listen to their own consciousness which will allow them to listen to their neighbors? In a world where every day it seems like something new is invented to distract us and to occupy our minds, how can we learn to be quiet for an hour, turn everything off, meditate on our own true desires and needs, meditate on our neighbours’ desires and needs and see what’s worth suffering for?

It all seems hopeless.

Reference: Stand Still Like the Hummingbird by Henry Miller

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Poem: The Symptoms Of The Blind & Deaf

August 3, 2019 Arshan Dhillon

Deaf and blind

the world can seem

who are all these strangers?

when will someone ask you how you feel?

misery etched into each second of silence, so

the need to distract oneself is prevalent

pushing back the actual need

which is simple compassion from another being.

Does that thing have a soul?

somewhere inside that shell of yours?

the tender-hearted, filled with pain but also sympathy

if only it didn’t have an ego, pride, selfishness

(the symptoms of the blind and deaf).

You suffer in silence

and so should others

that’s what you believe

disconnected, detached and disengaged

the mass of men and women walk by one another

each yearning for the same thing

each self-conscious

each with misery.

What is it mean to be human?

to listen, to see, to feel, to touch

you take my burden

I take yours

you hold my hand

I hold yours

together, as one, sharing in the misery,

together, as one, alleviating each others,

suffering.