Wednesday 3 September 2008

Monday, August 25th, 2008

Mon Aug 25th 2008 - Toronto. Ontario

The following is a written offering which I had composed and had the honour to read out to express my gratitude to our guru, Srila Prabhupada on his birth anniversary called Vyasa Puja.

The flower child's protest -
Out with the establishment!
Out with the church!
On with a mission - a search!

How radical we were,
And you before us,
So daring and bold
To hit New York's cold.


The time was just right -
Ears were open,
Minds mature,
Innocent hearts moving for the peace.

The park was the place -
People beat drums,
Bell-bottoms were swaying
While you were there praying.

The chant was so novel.
How eager we were, yet
Commitments were fragile.
A few stayed the while.

Our nature was such
That these were flames within -
A finer desire,
A fire that goes high, higher.

You convinced us then
To shed our burden.
To follow some code
And reject the overlord.

Some of us changed while
The world's burning persists
Like a powerful horse
Modes are in a great force.

Are we upholding
Those great expectations
You had for us all
In preventing others from further fall?



Have we abandoned courage
For comfort and ease?
And put compassion to the side
While taking an easy side?

We are all gauged
Our success is measured
By how much we have tossed
Illusion 'til she's lost.

Please, your Divine Grace,
Hold this lost child in place.
Mold me as you will.
Where vacant, please fill!

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Please accept my fallen obeisances!

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

The poem was beautiful. Thank you so very much for sharing it with all of us.

Your fallen servant,

Atmarama dasa