SikhSpectrum.com Monthly Issue No. 13, August 2003
Peace In The Midst of Pain
Palvinder Kaur Kandhari
The motivation for my poems arises from the basic need to make sense of my surroundings and to try to ascertain the purpose of life. For me, poetry is the most honest form to express something which at times is inexpressible with mere words. A poem can be interpreted in a multitude of ways and each reader's experience will differ. The most sublime example of this principle
being the Guru Granth Sahib. ~ Palvinder Kaur Kandhari
Pain is the greatest cure
drink it, open your eyes
to look within yourself
see past the filth and lies
Pain does not hurt the soul
not one mark can be seen
Only the ego is tender
where the blow has been
Joy is the reward
For walking on her side
Little do you realise
you are bound and tied
Joy conceals the pain
although it feels the prize
Once the truth emerges
you'll be forever wise
Pounding Drums
Lustful eyes cast a glance
Upon a beautiful creation
Drums begin to pound away
Calling the Senses to attention
The onslaught has begun
Daylight vanishes in the tide
Emotions pour through the gates
Compassion swept quickly aside
No mercy resides in my quest
Honour rests uneasy on my word
Territories must be marked
Before foreign drums are heard
Shatter that beautiful vision
Into a thousand useless parts
Let no man lay claim to that
Which I destined for my heart
As the battlefield lies asleep
The daylight quietly seeps through
As I stagger defeated…
I hear pounding drums anew
Mortal Freedom
Why do you choose to wander when the paths have been cleared
By the mortal blades of a thousand warriors?
Why do you choose to suffer when the veils of ignorance
Have been swept away by the winds of his praises?
Why do you choose to desire when the five pillagers
Have been exposed by mirrors of purity?
You may do as it pleases you my friend
Until the day dawns when you no longer
Have the power to choose anything
Except to wander, suffer and desire
Care Not
Care not for that arrangement
of flesh and bone
but rather for that companion
with whom you share your home.
Indulge not in those pleasures
that your senses plead
but rather obtain the key
with which you will be freed.
Lament not for those friends
who left footsteps in your heart
but rather follow the path
which was left for you to start.
Desire not that wretched life
of lust and gold
but rather beg for the company
unto whom truth was sold.
Cry not for that mortal soul
who refuses the love you give
but rather shed a tear
for the life of separation you live.
Cyber Sikh Museum
Secret Garden
Oh mind, wander like a child
Into that secret Garden of Grace
Pick the flowers of knowledge
The eternal reminders of this place
Oh mind, run like a child
Towards her loving arms
Feel the warmth of her embrace
As the petals rest in your palms
Oh mind, play like a child
With that friend so true
Inhale the sacred scent
As the fragrance diffuses through
Oh mind, laugh like a child
From deep within your heart
Rejoice in your new found love
Those flowers will never depart
Oh mind, sleep like a child
To the lullaby of the night
Dream of that day
You wandered into the light
Hope
In a world of broken dreams
I can hear your sacred name
In a house of broken dreams
It eradicates the pain
Within these dungeon walls
It delivers fresh hope
Within this deluded mind
The snake is merely a rope
Amongst those who lack hope
It rises way up high
Amongst those wanting answers
It provides the reasons why
Cup of Nectar
Bathe in the shower of Grace
Lets the fires burn out
Lets only ashes remain
Where once there was such doubt
Drink from the cup of Nectar
Let the tongue taste the sweet
Let the thirst remain in the past
Where bitterness once took a seat
Filled Belly
I forgot the Lord today
Filled my belly instead
Let the five come out to play
Made sure each one was fed
My old trusted friends
Helped me to forget
There is plenty of time
To clear that mountain of debt
Visions flashed before my eyes
Slander filled each ear
The tongue revelled in all the tastes
What in this life is there to fear?
Happiness filled the air
Such pleasures to behold
No need to savour each one
Plenty more yet to unfold....
My friends forgot me today
No more gifts at the door
They deserted me at once
Our friendship is no more
I forgot my friends today
Instead I looked deep inside
Where my true companion sits
Forever waiting at my side
Defeat
I have defeated them
They no longer hold me
Prisoner in my home
I have closed the gates
Opened the hidden door
They wait for my command
Their soldiers have fallen
I have silenced their cries
I lift my head up high
Challenging the Sun’s gaze
Countless warriors have
Been caught in Maya’s web
Great men have been consumed
Yet I taste victory!!!
But who is that standing at my side?
It is my oldest friend of all…smiling
The filth you carried
Still lingers untouched
Ropes that have held you
Through countless cycles
Have not been severed
The gates may be closed
But without the key
They will thrust open
As you lie asleep
Wise men do not revel
In their new found freedom
They tip toe amongst us
With their gazes lowered
Their pride lowered further
Live quietly my friend
Your songs of victory
Might awaken us
The True Senses
Deafen me, so I can hear only your words
And the world's noises fade
From my mind and from my soul
Let inner peace and truth be made
Blind me, let me see only your light
And not the flickers which blind
And disturb my finite youth
Mixing my feeling, clouding my mind
Destroy the part of me which doubts
And tries cleverly to find the ways
To rewrite your sacred words
In difficult moments of the day.
These poems may not be re-produced without express permission of the author.
![](javascript:openWin("http://www.sikhspectrum.com/082003/images/p1.jpg"))
![](javascript:openWin("http://www.sikhspectrum.com/082003/images/p2.jpg"))