Emotive gratitude.
------------------------
Two minutes ago an image popped,
into my head.
An image seen sometime ago,
of a feature about a lab,
and some experiments on behaviour.
I remember seeing, in this feature,
rats running on and on;
Inside a drum-like wheel,
running a marathon with no end.
This got me thinking,
is this the rat race I am in?
And the thought got me all worked up inside,
Worked up enough to depress me.
And the mood would have stayed with me,
so I tried to snap myself out of it.
I tried to rationalize my life with the luxuries I own,
like my comp, my music, my games, my movies.
But nothing seemed to matter at this hour
So I looked again; at things dear to me,
my books and my home.
But none of this helped me,
dispel the gloom that my heart had slipped into.
Then my wandering gaze fell;
upon the smiling face of my consort,
in sweet repose.
And I smiled.
My mind went back over our daily routine;
of the quick 'have a good days' of the mornings,
the pleasure of our regular spats,
the peace of our shared supper.
The fun we had wrestling over some problem,
the burying of the hatchet to sleep.
And I smiled again.
An then my mind skipped a track,
and I remembered my friends;
of daily banter, criticisms and support,
and I tried to count my friends but there were too many,
And I smiled a little more.
Then my mind went down a dangerous path,
to my work-day,
And I thought my mind must be crazy,
for why was it trying to depress me again?
But I saw the security my job gave,
and I saw a hope for tomorrow,
and a whole new set of pals.
I thought back on the day,
and I saw friends help me get me through it,
with their jokes, their sarcasm,
their time and their labour.
And my heart skipped a beat.
I thought of my pops and moms,
and sisters both,
And my surrogate fathers and mothers,
and the dear siblings of my own choice.
And again my eyes rest on my wife,
And this time I share her smile,
And at this moment I am happy,
happier than a king.
Love is indeed a wonderful thing,
And though I care little for 14 of Feb;
Here’s a little love,
And thanks,
And a little prayer;
To all my buddies in every size and form,
And a special kiss to my closest buddy,
Who shares my adventure with me.
- Brij (12th Feb 2004)
