"What if those thought to be inanimate..."- the brainchild

The Brainchild: Story behind the poem

While cycling to and from my routine, I tended to look up from the path that lies defined ahead, the "destined" path. Looking down meant restricting my view, and thus, my world. I looked up, to see something different, something new, something I felt a part of- a "happy place". I looked up and saw beauty.

Utterly unimaginable, unexplainable, unbridled, unadulterated, probably underrated. The bright light blue sky, meeting the sober dark green trees somewhere near the horizon, the white clouds in all the right shapes and sizes, the pink and white flowers, high up or down below, adorning both the highs and the lows, all so perfectly created and arranged.

The awe of it all made me smile. It's better to look up and believe in temporarily immortal truths, than in eternally mortal lies. Truths that are grounded in reality, and principles- like nature and its offsprings; lies that just pass you by in a blink of an eye- like passers-by, cycles, buildings (which, in my opinion shouldn't be there in the scenery in the first place), concrete roads- the entire artificiality and facade.

(Take a little time to gently swim back up from the depths of your thoughts; it's obviously essential to remember not to drown in the ocean you create!)

That is when the thought "What if...?" filled my mind like a warm light of inspiration for the poem, which was initially written for a competition while tackling a deadline, but now has morphed, rather metamorphosed into really something more... something, deeper.

(Deep dive again)

But obviously, since nothing is all sunshine-and-rainbows, there were days when I looked up and saw nothing, because I was in a hurry to reach wherever I was "scheduled" to be, or wasn't in the best of spirits. And had to look harder for tender moments, if at all like, every human does when troubled.

Sometimes, that brightness of sight and thought that had been harnessed eluded me. There were times when I didn't enjoy nature's splendour the same way I did before, sometimes hating even thinking about feeling positive and this unsettled and frustrated me. It made me question the permanence of any good feelings or things in general. Was a thing and perspective that felt as permanent as this, actually inherently impermanent?

(Note that it is natural to question your beliefs and thoughts; it is helpful and healthy to address and/or accept such perception shifts and changes. Something like, "Question, but don't doubt yourself.")

Now, you can stay awake overthinking this for as many nights and days you like. But according to me, whatever be the question, if the answer is moot (like questions on the meaning of life, or existentialism), we are better off finding:

what "works" for us, or what we can work (and live) with,

is permissible and acceptable (firstly to you and your conscience) keeping all facets of "rightness" in mind,

and what "goes" with our value system in a way that helps us become better humans and together, better humanity.

And so I keep cycling and just look up and smile, I am happy- probably for a reason, or none at all, and the best thing is to not know the difference!