Yesterday evening, as I came back from my walk, I saw the crescent moon with Venus nearby. What a sight!
I am guessing that the skies in the cities are clearing up and all of you will be able to enjoy the night sky. For those who wake up early in the morning, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are near each other, in the eastern sky, dazzling viewers. That must be fantastic to see. There is speculation that a similar coming together caused the Star of Bethlehem to be seen in 6 BCE. There is also news of a comet that could put up a big show before mid-April. So here is a new hobby for some of you.
Just have to share this haibun from Salil Chaturvedi:
No Getting Away
I sneak out of home at 5.30 in the morning. It’s still dark. It’s the third day of the lockdown. I worry that some neighbour, hearing my car, might report me to the authorities. I drive up the hill near our house. The air is perfumed with wild jasmine. I startle a couple of nightjars that are squatting on the road. My parents are a thousand miles away in self-quarantine. My wife has panic attacks when she sees the last three potatoes in the house. I collect some wild ukshi blossoms for her from the hill. I must get back before the neighbour’s wake up, but I linger to watch the sunrise.
lockdown dawn -
the sun also comes
with a corona
The haiku at the end actually took my breath away! A lot of Salil’s haiku does that to me - for a few seconds I forget to breathe.
However, in these times it is important to breathe - as my Insight Timer meditation of the day pointed out - take 5 deep breaths instead of the usual 3 - breathe in deep through the nose and let it all out through the mouth. That is of course, if you are in a safe place.
As stories of migrants come in from around India, there is little I can do but share those stories, hoping somewhere it will reach someone who can actually make a difference. Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General echoed the view that there is a breakdown in global governance. We absolutely have to work together globally. It was a man in despair on BBC hard talk last night.
Meanwhile the debates rage about whether the lockdown will help or not. I can only add my views - I don’t think it will wipe out the virus. However, it will give us a little more time to prepare for the full blast of it. I don’t think it is my pessimism speaking when I say we are in this for the next 3 to 4 months. 17 more days of lockdown, but another couple of months of being very very careful and wringing our hands in anguish and helplessness.
A small WhatsApp group has formed in Aldona and I have joined that from Pomburpha - we will deliver essential supplies and medicines to those in need and raise cash if needed, for those who run short. For now, at least I feel I am doing something.
Yesterday I realised that I have not watched anything on Netflix or Amazon Prime or Youtube for the last week. I spend about an hour watching news each day. I spend way too much time on Facebook - I need to cut that down. I will let WhatsApp be my only vice for a bit now.
The best thing that has happened to me this week (in addition to the fact that I am very privileged and have everything) is that finally my life seems to be falling into some kind of a routine. When in school I had a strict routine for myself from 6 am to 9.30 pm. After that I have never been able to get back to it. Now without planning or meaning to, I find myself in a nice easy routine each day. I am even bathing everyday though I don’t have to. An important part of that is this morning writing.
From today I am going to start sharing what I have written 5 days ago so that we can look back and laugh at how foolish we were. When I shared this with a friend, she responded wishing we were already 5 days ahead. We will get there - much altered, but we will get there.
No comments:
Post a Comment