Daily Prompts: Finite Creatures

At what age did you realize you were not immortal? How did you react to that discovery?

I have learned man is ephemeral at the tender age of twelve. I watched my father take his last breath. I came to the sad conclusion I’d never see him again.

Bit by bit I grew up knowing , every living thing comes to this world for a certain number of days, months or years that it varies from plants, to humans, to animals and so on. It was a constant worry for me that my mom like my dad will leave us some day, when it happened I was far away from home, no one saw my tears and did not understand how painful it was for me to lose my mom too.

This I told myself is the cycle of life : we are born, grow up slowly, reach adulthood, get old our organs go through the process of deterioration, the clock of life tells us the journey is over and we must leave. The cycle is complete.

I always knew legendary status is not for me. I will never be remembered like Hitler, thank God for that. He was so brutal,who would like to be remembered as he is reminisced about  today.

But Tagore is a legend who has claimed the status of immortality by his life’s work. He was the youngest of his siblings but his name so far has not disappeared from our hearts, as long as we “The Bengalis” are alive Tagore’s name will be alive.

William Wordsworth’s poetry will always warm our hearts and we will say how great he was.

Who can forget Longfellow’s poem : “Tell me not in mournful numbers , life is but an empty dream.”

Yet another poet and Philosopher is worthy of mention in the long line of legends is Iqbal: The following is one of his many poems we love and repeat:

Two planets meeting face to face ,

One to the other cried ‘How sweet

If endlessly we might embrace,

And here forever stay! how sweet

If Heaven a little might relent,

And leave our light in one light blent!’

 

But through that longing to dissolve

In one,the parting summons sounded.

Immutably the stars revolve,

By changeless orbits each is bounded;

Eternal union is a dream,

And severance the world’s law supreme.

I’ve always known I am not immortal. It wasn’t a surprise for me. I did not have any reaction!

……………………………………….. 🙂

Writing Prompt: Freaky Friday

If you could be someone else for a day,who would you be,and why? If that seems too easy,try this one: who would you like to have spend a day as you and what do you hope they’d learn from the experience?

 

If I could be someone else for a day I’d like to be Philosopher,poet and thinker Iqbal. Since this is make-believe I’m imagining him alive.

He has written volumes on very important things that affects all of us.I’d like to learn his way of thinking,whether he read a lot and some of his brilliant ideas were from that. I’m assuming he read a lot, if not was he  in a position to know the situation in those times just by observing or in meetings with like-minded philosophers or from reading the Qur’an.

I’d like to learn about his philosophy and what does he think of our generation, are we on the right track or are we too materialistic.

One day is not long enough to study a mind as rich as Iqbal’s. 

 

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/writing-prompt-freaky-friday/

https://sabethville.wordpress.com/2014/04/19/365-days-april19-freaky friday/

 

 

DP Daily Prompt: Intense! Post by Ranu

Sir Muhammad Iqbal (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I registered to do an online course on Iqbal the poet,philosopher.Little did I know other participants had studied about Iqbal when they merely learned to talk and walk of course.

I told myself how difficult can it be,he is another poet  and philosopher.The last word woke me up.he is a philosopher too,what do these guys do they, excuse me for writing this,” They only philosophize about everything, speculate,theorize. The last words in the previous sentence,started unraveling my brain.

I began talking to myself,now ‘Ranu’ ,my dear you needed to think before you registered yourself to rub shoulders with these knowledgeable participants.Things were getting quite intense. I couldn’t take myself out of this mess,especially when my fees was paid by the kind facilitator.It was something very unexpected. This kindness made me sweat some more. “I am trapped someone please help me”,I felt like the lion chained,was it a lion or elephant? whatever,one of those big shots,who was released by a lowly mouse.

Hey, I’ll be the mouse in this story,I thought I will gnaw anyone who threatens me. But my teeth are not sharp enough,perhaps in this case my words can be used as a substitute.

Whenever I think of the word “SUBSTITUTE’,all I can think of are the teachers who had to replace me and face my naughty kids in school for only a day.

What I have signed up for is going to last a year maybe two or even three. I shall not play the counting game it’s already making me dizzy.

I sat in front of my daughter’s computer and started typing my answer for the first lesson. I was up till midnight,my daughter was worried ‘Mom’,she called,’Are you all right’? I couldn’t say,’I am having a nightmare’!

So ended  my first assignment,it was intense,but I made it through!

DP Daily Prompt: Everything Changes Post by Ranu

Dr. Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938), a notable Muslim philosopher, poet and scholar from India (then British India) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Waheed Murad in the 1966 classic movie Armaan (1966 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I read the daily prompt,I wasn’t sure this was something I experienced,and can write about. On second thoughts I realized,I did encounter something which can be compared.

I was watching a Bengali movie,suddenly I saw an ad of a Pakistani movie.At that point I decided I will not watch it.I thought they are not so good. I am a very curious person,I had to check it. It was a trailer of a movie. The actor was Waheed Murad. I had no idea how good he was. I watched the movie. It was a pleasant surprise. I googled his name to know more about him. The information I got was encouraging. I started looking for his movies.I watched a number of them. Suddenly I was his number one fan.

While surfing the internet, I saw a piece written by someone.This was about Waheed Murad. I wondered if he was a fan of the actor too. I began reading all his articles, he was a writer and had written about a lot of famous people. Number one on his list was Allama Iqbal.I loved reading Iqbal’s poetry. I had no knowledge of him. Fortunately I found out,this person was giving on-line courses on Iqbal. I was ecstatic and inquired if I could join the course. I got a positive answer.I enrolled in the course. I have done a few and am more than satisfied. I learned about Iqbal. I feel I have accomplished something  because of my curious nature.

I am a regular participant of the on-line course. While I was reading about the courses I bumped into the world of blogging. I signed in to be a blogger .

My life has changed drastically. My curiosity introduced me to Waheed Murad. I am learning about Iqbal the famous Philosopher. I am blogging and learning more than I thought was possible. Such is life,one never knows what the future holds!