Reflections on Being Human: Poems

By Nirander M. Safaya, PhD

In this new collection of poetry, written after retirement from his scientific career, author Nirander M. Safaya portrays the thrills and challenges of life in general and of love in particular.

Reflections on Being Human shows how our ordinary needs and experiences lead us to the light of self-knowledge. Divided into three thematic sectionsLife, Love, and Lightthese verses provide a thought-provoking panoramic view of the pragmatic, romantic, and spiritual aspirations that lie at the core of human nature. In parts I and II, Safaya seeks to capture the feelings, moods, and perplexing questions invoked by the fundamental conditions of our being. In part III, he reflects on the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of human nature and experience, necessary aspects of the search for true peace and happiness.

Appealing and uplifting, this collection presents 152 poems reminiscent of classical poetry and expressing the joys and sorrows of life and love and the saving grace of light.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Feb 5, 2016
• ISBN: 9781491784204

Nirander M. Safaya, PhD

Nirander M. Safaya, PhD, taught and conducted research in physiology at various universities in India and the United States. He then served as the environmental sciences administrator for land reclamation in North Dakota until his retirement. He has authored many scientific papers and received awards for professional excellence. He lives in Austin, Texas.

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Copyright © 2016 Dr. Nirander M. Safaya.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-8419-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8421-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8420-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016900787

iUniverse rev. date: 02/03/2016

Contents

PART I REFLECTIONS FROM LIFE

1.   Life

2.   The Journey

3.   The Enchanted Hill

4.   Signs of Life

5.   A Measure of Life

6.   Horizon

7.   A Measure of Time

8.   now

9.   Here and Now

10.   Morning Beauty

11.   Sun and Rain

12.   Kindred Spirits

13.   Swallows

14.   Winter Fairy

15.   Wind Storm

16.   On Freedom

17.   Thanks-Giving

18.   American Dream Life

19.   Queen Moon

20.   To Sorrow

21.   Insensitivity

22.   Orphaned Child

23.   A Live Shadow

24.   A Cry for Acceptance

25.   Mourning

26.   The Fruit of Sin

27.   Affliction

28.   Contradiction

29.   Indifference

30.   Equus, My Equus

31.   Dear Partner

32.   Daughter

33.   Gia

34.   To My Children

35.   On My Son’s Wedding

36.   Dear Son

37.   Ashley

38.   To Stephen D. Merrill

39.   Pearls of Friendship

40.   Reminiscent

41.   Out of Memory

42.   Silent Treatment

43.   Mirage

44.   Magic Chef

45.   Elements

46.   Spring Eternal

47.   Promised Summer

48.   Snow Geese

49.   Go South

50.   Learn from Regret

PART II REFLECTIONS FROM LOVE

51.   Love’s Abode

52.   My Love

53.   I Love You

54.   The Seasons of Love

55.   The Soul Mate

56.   Beholden

57.   Your Smile

58.   Dreamed Ecstasy

59.   Your Love Dance

60.   Passion

61.   A Tribute to You

62.   Where Your Beauty Lies

63.   Love and Freedom

64.   Pursuit

65.   Hope

66.   Cheer Up

67.   Moon’s Sister

68.   Bulbul

69.   Le Mina Bird

70.   Heather’s Hat

71.   Seeking Atonement

72.   Your Sorrow

73.   Desperation

74.   My Dear

75.   Desire

76.   Make a Choice

77.   Don’t Deny the Truth

78.   Tears

79.   Deception

80.   Contention

81.   Metamorphosis

82.   Love’s Refrain

83.   Love’s Demise

84.   Bitten by Light

85.   Differences

86.   Let Her Go

87.   Goodbye

88.   Search Your Heart

89.   Poor Return

90.   Undoing

91.   I Remember

92.   Star Light

93.   Express Letter

94.   Dreams

95.   Peace Comes Gently

96.   The Passion to Keep

97.   Do the Dead Talk?

98.   A Vision

99.   Love beyond Death

100.   Your Silence

101.   Love’s Labor Lost

102.   Shadow of Memories

PART III REFLECTIONS FROM LIGHT

103.   The Path

104.   Light in Sorrow

105.   Chaos and Order

106.   Time

107.   Somber Thoughts

108.   Human Folly

109.   Thickets and Pickets

110.   Heart and Soul

111.   Ode to the Heart

112.   Waiting

113.   Joe’s Faith

114.   Healing

115.   Truth Heals

116.   Pleasure and Pain

117.   Choices

118.   Innocence

119.   The Double

120.   I Beseech You

121.   Power of Emotions

122.   Drawing a Line

123.   Second Chances

124.   Responsibility

125.   Promenade

126.   The Rain

127.   The Weeping Willow

128.   Our Hope

129.   Our Occupation

130.   What Is Better?

131.   Be a Victor

132.   Selflessness

133.   Faith

134.   Split Images

135.   What I Fear

136.   The Truth

137.   What I Want

138.   Being and Becoming

139.   The Two Paths

140.   Longing

141.   Whence I Come

142.   Belonging

143.   My Divine Friend

144.   You and Me

145.   Light Supreme

146.   Grace and Karma

147.   Brahman

148.   Atman

149.   Star of Bethlehem

150.   Thank You

151.   At the End of the Day

152.   My Prayer

To my children: Pushkin, Seema, and Rubin,

for teaching me unceasingly;

and

To my grandchildren: Alex, Ashley, Hunter, and Gia,

for watching the world innocently;

and

To my divine Muse,

for graciously inspiring me.

Preface

Many people think that science and religion are incompatible and never the twain shall meet. This feeling persists despite the fact that both of these domains endeavor to find truth. Both place full faith in their own methods and findings, whether they are based on a mathematical equation, scientific experimentation, intuition, spiritual revelation, or hymns that touch the soul. In the same vein, poetry offers a unique medium to explore and express the truth and beauty of human nature and our aspirations for aesthetic and spiritual fulfillment.

Any attempt to bridge the gulf between the scientific and spiritual visions of humankind is useful. It leads us to discover and accept truth without compromising our faith in ourselves, our heritage, and the spirit and purpose that underlie our existence. Poets and philosophers have played a significant role in this process for centuries. Because of the inherent aesthetics and figurative power in poetry, its thought content is generally easier to digest than that of science or philosophy.

Having worked as a scientist for forty years, with an abiding interest in world literature, philosophy, and religions, I was tempted to paint some of the realities of life with the evocative brush of poetry. So, after my retirement, I began to write poems about life, love, and light to illustrate how our ordinary experiences lead to self-knowledge and some understanding of human and divine nature. I chose poetry because of its precision, as science has, and its appeal to feelings, as religion has. Besides, poetry leans on philosophy for its ethics and aesthetics.

In this collection of my poems, Reflections on Being Human, I have tried to catch some glimpses of the joys and sorrows of life and love, and the saving grace of light—all of which contribute to human experience and existence. I hope my readers will take some comfort in thinking that hard facts and soft feelings can coexist, and that our scientific and spiritual paths for discovering truth will eventually get closer. In the meantime we must continue enjoying life in all its multiple forms of art that deeply touch our hearts.

Nirander M. Safaya

Austin, Texas

November 16, 2015

Acknowledgments

I am greatly indebted to my brother, Dataji, for encouraging me to get my poems published. I thank my ex-wife, Shama, for offering helpful suggestions during the development of some of my poems. My thanks are also due to my sister, Sarla, and her husband, Dr. Mohan Wali; and to my esteemed friends: Dr. Steve Merrill, Dan Christ, and Denny Wilshire, for critiquing my poems.

The publication of Reflections on Being Human was made possible by iUniverse, whom I heartily thank with my special gratitude to: A. Spencer (editor), Sarah Disbrow (editorial consultant manager), Joel Pierson (editorial department manager), Ashley Jenkins (editorial services associate), Dianne Lee (Check-in coordinator), Jeff D. Stevens (Publishing consultant), and to Jane Solas and Robin Sawyer (publishing services associates).

The idea for cover design was conceived by my friend, Cheténa, and brought to life by iUniverse’s designer, Casey Reuter. I am grateful to them and to Alysha Smagorinsky for designing the interior of the book.

PART I

Reflections from Life

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Life

"The universe is change;

Our life is what our thoughts make it."

—Marcus Aurelius

"The calm circumference of life

When I would fain have kept,

Time caught me in the tide of strife

And to center swept."

—Hafez

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Life

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"What mortal, when he saw,

Life’s voyage done, his heavenly Friend,

Could ever yet dare tell him fearlessly:

I have kept uninfringed my nature’s law?

Mathew Arnold, Human Life

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Oh, I have yet to go a few miles more,

Make a few calls at this and that store,

And visit one more beckoning shore,

Lest I forget to pay what I owed before.

Let me finish this business, and nothing more.

Then I will see you.

In the budding spring of my youth,

I didn’t look for the hidden truth,

For love and learning came naturally smooth.

All was arranged neatly in its assigned booth,

But without any sense of the missing truth.

Then did I think of you?

The glory of summer was no simple matter.

There were many desires to quench

And hungry passions to feed—sooner than later.

In these pursuits, there were some egos to flatter.

Right or wrong, success alone seemed to matter.

Then did I think of you?

As the summer peaked, new vanities grew,

Drawing attention to things I hardly knew;

For the glamour of power and position in society,

A fuzzy line between prowess and prudence I drew.

My passion for sham recognition demonically grew.

Then did I think of you?

Now, when I am old and in the season of fall,

The green in nature having turned gold,

A strong voice seems to beckon persistently and call,

Lifting its eye from books of yore, encompassing all

That matters