Impressions

Brick by Brick Shall we Rise

MOHAMMAD ALI SATTAR

A new journey has begun. We are well into the second month of the New Year. I preferred to wait till the celebration hullabaloo is over and it becomes business as usual. We all tend to think (not necessarily act though) on the same line about the New Year (2011). We sketch the best picture for our own selves and religiously like to plan a rather successful calendar in all spheres. Each year we look back to the days that went by and vow not to commit the errors in the new times that we so much like to illuminate with sincerity and fondness. In fact, we discover ourselves in the new realm; we are born anew. The dreams take a different hue and new words are thoughtfully coined to compose a poem that suits us best on the occasion and also for the rest of the days of the year. Not one soul wears a wet blanket! Even a fading man breathes in hope and paints a picture of serenity in the unseen horizon lying in the womb of future!

Photo: Zahedul I Khan

Very few would ignore the promises and hopes that might be in store for them, they would easily distance themselves from the times of yore, which is always painful (because it's past!!), they would try to free themselves from the fetters of those events which raced into oblivion in no time, they would rather wait for the unknown in the woods of ambiguity. They would feel secure tying knot with the unknown than hang on to something which is not there any more, which may have caused them to shed tears for the loss of the beloved or experience untold sufferings for many reasons or made them smile and jump in ecstasy or packed their coffers with benign gifts! -- The gorgeous maiden of love and joy or pain and grief shall never be back.

Once again we shall build the castle of hope with all finesse available in our imperfect selves. We care less if the castle vanishes in the foams of sea waves or blown away by a torrid gale. Brick by brick shall we rise from the beginning. We'll urge upon the mentors who matter in our lives to open the doors of their mind so we can tread in the land of learning, and try to conquer the unknown and achieve the impossible, we'll call upon the leaders to lead us in peace and not in war, we'll try to mend our way that does not have anything to offer but greed and lust, we shall try to feed those whose hunger is gone in want of food for ages!

Let’s all seek forgiveness from our parents and repent for our sins, let's all teach the children the lessons of love and charity, let’s all help the flowers to bloom and let's all remember with gratitude and joy that this world, an abode for us, with all its natural bounties and wonders, is a divine gift from the Almighty. We should be ashamed many a time before we desecrate any part of it or degrade any being, we ought to be the ideal creature of the Lord; the way He wanted us to be!

As our journey begins for the year, let us pray, O Lord! make our wants smaller and hearts larger; make us give and not take…

The writer is Assistant Editor of The Daily Star

Copyright (R) thedailystar.net 2010