Reflections During Recovery
submitted by Kripamaya das
Disease and old age are real. I was hoping they might skip over me. July 10th was my reality check when I checked into a hospital and had a chest X ray taken. The doctor found a small hole in my lung where the Ravana like bacteria had eaten away.
Now there are two bags in my life. On the left is an I.V. bag with the medicine to kill my lung infection. On the right is my japa bag, with the medicine to kill my false ego infection. Will the bags work? I pray they will. Especially the one on the right. I become a little reflective (a rare moment for me) and I thank Srila Prabhupada for bringing us the medicine of the holy name.
I hear about a tragedy from a friend of mine. It forces me to contemplate the quality of forgiveness. (Another rare moment for me). I make a lame attempt at writing a poem. My lame attempt dribbles out like this:
AMISH FLOWERS
Five flowers are lowered into the gloom
Of graves dug by hand before they could bloom
Nations shed tears
Outrage and fear,
Are the slender twisted threads
From the same shrouds of the dead
As chat rooms churn
“What can we learn?”
With quiet, gentle, grace, Mrs. Miller
Prays “Dear Father, Please forgive the killer
Of the flowers born from my womb”.
Like people, communities also get diseases…x ray is taken…revengeful Ravana like bacteria found ripping away at the heart. The holy names… forgiveness… these are healing medicines for wounded souls. But I feel frustrated. I pray for patience. I pray for forgiveness. I pray for a taste for Krishna’s names. I guess healing takes time.
Hare Krishna.
