There's no dearth, of things to be in awe,
To be in wonderment about
the marvels of nature- from the blue sky, of daytime
to the twinkling stars in the night sky
to the mysterious depths of the huge ocean
Why, the human body is itself such a wonder
how the complex system works in unison
the cells repairing itself rejuvenating
the heart beating nonstop for years
until it's time to say good bye!
As a child we have no problem expressing wonderment
to watch open-mouthed, ask many questions
marvel at a beautiful rainbow, or the flickering fireflies
It's when we have lost the knack of embracing wonderment
when ego has stepped in or ennui has set in
that we start saying things like
oh yeah, the sunset seen it come and go
a number of times, what of it?
It’s then, that life becomes listless
The charm is gone, we just go through the motions
running after what someone else thinks is important
desiring to be labelled 'achiever', the 'successful one'
Eschewing wonderment is a big price to pay
after all, what's life sans a little bit of awe
expectation each day of new discoveries, curiosity, excitement
about the bountiful and mysterious world we live in...
NB: This poem was composed for and recited at the Seniors Today Poetry Meet on 4th April 2025 on the theme Vismaya/Wonderment
