a young man
from
a neighboring village
came
to ask
bapa dola
how it was
that strangers
to his village
could see
the solution
to problems
that had
confronted the elders
for years
surely
the young man
said
the visitors
must be
wise men
full
of knowledge
bapa dola
said
perhaps
it is not
knowledge
but
the willingness
to
see what is really there
and
to not deny the truth
for
often we hear
but
do not listen
see
but
do not
perceive
rise
reach up
and grasp
what has been denied
listen no longer
to the voices
and
words
of those
who would
mire you
in the soft mud
of tradition
tradition
that always dries
into the concrete
of human bondage
binding your feet
and soul
into a harsh world
that should have died
long ago
but has endured
because of ignorance
and
brutality
rise now
reach up
and grasp
the knowledge
long denied
and defy
the carnage
of men
and hold tight
to the hand
of
saraswati
copyright cwmartin 2011
hold fast
if you wish
to the rusted chains
that anchor you
to your haven
of self-certainty
and denial
for outside
the sacred stones
that line the walls
forming the port
is a sea of knowledge
it may be best
that you stay
and
not sail these waters
for this sea
has been known
to swallow
a mind
like yours
whole
which color
of the rainbow
should i ignore
if i am to see beauty
which prophet
of the word
should i ignore
if i am to seek wisdom
which child
of the world
should i ignore
if i am to serve humanity
all knowledge
begins with perception
to limit perception
is to limit knowledge
Point-Counter Point Challenge: For those of you have been following the challenges between Jade and I, you are aware that several challenges have taken place over the course of the last few months. This time, the challenge was to be initiated by me and I decided to change the rules a little…well a lot. Here’s how it works this time. Each poet provides the other poet with five quotations that must be addressed from the opposite point of view as the original quote. Here is the third quote that Jade provided to me: “The art of knowing is knowing what to ignore.” – Rumi
and they began to build
they made bricks with fire
and the bricks were formed
from the human clay of children
and the children’s parents
so too did they use
any defender of a child
or savior in sacred text
cementing them together
with crushed bone mortar
which came from greed and lies
mixed with innocent blood
thick and dark as asphalt
to fuse the bonds of hate
that held each brick in place
for centuries
built by masons of war
who knew the secrets
of their trade
placing each brick
in a kiln of lies
then cured by human ignorance
so that each brick would withstand
the blows of truth
and couldn’t be chipped
by the sharp edge of knowledge
and the wall
still stands
Read Between the Minds 