Thought of the Day

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

An Ode to Free Will

They sat around the logs and talked, they were friends for life
They had seen together thick and thin, joy as well as strife
The talk was gay and happy, it was 'bout a life well spent
So spoke the Lion, Monkey, Zebra, Wolf and the Elephant

They talked about life in the jungle, all that they had done
They still did whatever they pleased, O! What fun! What fun!
"Free will" became the topic, it was what they all claimed
The Zebra though was quiet, and without his wit inflamed

The Monkey spoke of the trees that he would wander on
The bananas, the ropes, the pranks he played, so-on so-on
The friends felt the cheerfulness, the freedom of it all
They bellowed, and did not see the Zebra's head fall

The Lion talked about the stalk, the pray that he would chase
The fear that he would create in folk, strolls at an easy pace
The group felt for the victims, but relished their King's choice
They cheered, and did not see the Zebra close his eyes

The Elephant was resplendant, talking about his girth
How no tree was a match for him, on the whole rotting earth
Hearing about his time in water, put them on a high
During all this, they did not hear, the Zebra's heavy sigh

The Wolf reminisced about hunting with his pack
The pack did what they wanted, there was no looking back
He lauded that the friends all did exactly what came to mind
This free will thing was good, and they could be bad or kind

The Zebra could not control himself, he burst out as a dam
This free will thing you talk about, is nothing but a sham
O! Look at the threads on your hands and feet, friends
You marionettes! The puppeteer holds the other ends

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Escape From The Planet

Gandar woke up in a forest. He was lying on a green patch of grass. His head was groggy. Where was he? It came to him - Thera. Thera? Last place he wanted to be! The Therans and the Anders, his race, did not quite see eye to eye. Had not for a few centuries. How did he get here? That answer refused to come to him.

First, he had to find out if he was really on Thera. He started walking and reflected on the history. What started the feud was now shrouded in history; something probably small and insignificant which should have been resolved in five minutes; something which had seeded a hate on both sides which continued to fester and made the two sides sit on the brink of active engagement. The Therans and the Anders detested each other and actively engaged in jingoism. Getting caught on this planet, if that is where he really was, would not do. Moreover, if he were mistaken for a spy, which was likely, the impact would be well beyond him.