In Search of Maturity

A friend Neelakanthan Gopalan suggested a prompt "Maturity" and exhorted me to write a poem.  In this regard he shared some teachings of Adi Shankaracharya as well. This poem emerged from it....

 "You immature fellow" chided father

He  felt  Arun was a vagabond 

with no aim in life

wasting away hours with friends

who themselves had "No purpose"

no job, living on the earnings of their fathers

long after they have all become adults! 

Having heard for the umpteenth time 

father's  tirade of 'immaturity' 

one day the words struck a chord

That morning, instead of going to usual meeting place

a modest coffee shop in town 

Arun headed for the public library... 

Then, the next day and the day after that 

and many more days that followed

Arun found himself at the library 

when it opened in the morning 

and spend a lot of time there

to the annoyance of his friends.  

One day  when father as usual mocked "this immature fellow" 

Arun surprised himself and his father to say " Yes I am immature

but you are immature too! Let us both work on our immaturity" 

Then he reeled off  wise words from books in the library 

picked up from teachings of  Adi shankaracharya 

"The mature accept people as they are 

they stop trying to change others! 

drop expectations from a relationship 

learn to let go! 

stop comparing with others 

maturity is being at peace with yourself"   

After the outburst, he was drained of all emotions

totally exhausted and a little ashamed

Arun touched his father's feet, said he was sorry for all troubles 

wanted to learn a computer application course

would turn over a new leaf... 

A stunned father gave him money for course

as he left home to pay fees and join for program 

father shook his head "Yes maturity is required " he mused

not for just one but both of us

from now on, it would be all support and no complaints!   

Mother smiled happily

caught in the conflict between two dear ones

this was  her first smile 

in many days....