Are we on track or astray?
- by Julia X. Min ( on 22 July 2021, amid the 5th lockdown of Victoria, Australia)
Some say you may see the world in the sand.
Why do you have to travel far and wide?
Some say in a flower you can see Heaven,
Why conquer all the way to other lands?
Infinity is defined in the palm of our hand,
we can see the universe on our land.
If Eternity is in the moment,
a conscious breathing would feel decent.
Others see the world as a big Family,
Whether you see the shades of sun rays
or the billion ‘pop-ups’ from countries.
Why push up ‘walls’ in the wrong places?
If Earth is our home, our Mother Nature,
we’re surely killing Her with clever ventures.
If Heaven is home to Father, the Creator,
He’d lament our loss of holy textures.
Imagine a world without humans,
nor our scientific achievements;
No nuclear, no plastic, no chemicals,
every other life would survive to thrive.
Notes:
1. Reference is made to William Blake's " Auguries of Innocence" ” - To see a World in a Grain of Sand/And a Heaven in a Wild Flower /Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand /And Eternity in an hour… ...
2.‘pop-ups’, a word often used by the Indian mystic Sadhguru to describe us, humans, on the planet.
3. ‘walls’: trade walls started by Donald Trump, border walls built in America, and those in history, e.g. German walls, the Great Wall, …
4. 'shades of sun rays': J Min’s understanding of humans’ skin color is merely a result of sun rays. Tropical regions are home to darker skin while cold regions host fairer skin, so nothing to do with social values. Australia is meant for brown skin tribes which explains why so many Europeans suffer skin cancer in warmer areas.