In my constant search for God,
I forget that kindness and gratitude
Are pillar stones of God
And what is important to be right or to be kind?
In my selfishness,
I do not see,
The silent tears,
The quiet sobbing,
The loud rage,
In those beautiful eyes
I do not hear,
The despair, in their little voices, when they say ” I am okay”
The frustration, in their expressions, when they say “It is unfair”
The scream stuck, in their throats as they say ” I am sorry”
I do not taste,
The pain, in those tiny hearts,
The confusion, in those minds,
The fear, in those little bodies,
As their spirit is crushed
One word at a time
One day at a time
When they are told,
Good girl!
Your punishment is…
Behave!
What do they think?
What are they learning?
To be judged is good…
To be cruel is necessary…
To be controlled is the way of life…
And then I wonder, where did I go wrong?
I wanted to raise thinking adults
Who were compassionate and thankful.
But instead, I have another generation,
As selfish as the one before.
Looking for happiness…
I see their darkness
I hear their sadness
So why do I seek God?
When I could be seeking compassion.
When I could be seeking gratitude.
Poem by Hemal Mehta
Life, a daily exploration 