"What a piece of work is man;
" How noble reason!... " Hamlet exclaims,
"In action, how like an angel!
" In appearance, how like a god!
" The beauty of the world,
"The paragon of animals! "
But now, with his boundless knowledge
And the amazing gifts of modern science,
With powers of excellent construction
As well as terrible devastation,
How he shapes the changing world,
Baffles even the best of minds.
Shocking to see human beings, so often,
Become violent, ruthless and inhuman
Unable to restrain their emotions,
Misled by rumours and wrong notions,
Fill their confused minds with poison
That destroys reason and compassion.
Crowds furious, with anger burn,
Abuse and **** little children
And their own kith and kin.
Such senseless deeds are done,
Not by mindless beasts, but men!
Hate each other, distorting true religion
And fight wars to restore peace,
A paradox , indeed, of wild justice!
                     * M.G.Narasimha Murthy
* Some of the lines from Hamlet's famous soliloquy, Shakespeare

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
                           (DEEPAVALI)    
    
May countless lights  
Show delightful sights.
May there be no threat of violence,
No clouds of smoke,
No smell of sulphur,  
No sound of gunfire,
No scenes of ruined homes,
No sorrow that dims the light
In anyone's eyes,
May the light of knowledge and wisdom
Illumine the path to happiness.
May the light of joy and love
Sparkle in everyone's eyes
In every humble home.
May our fervent prayer
Lead mankind from darkness to Light.
May all nations together strive
To pave the way to harmony and peace.
              *M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India.   mgnmurthy4@gmail. com.
   Festival of Lights, 'DEEPAVALI' is celebrated all over India
     on 11 November 2015

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
                           (DEEPAVALI)*    
    
May countless lights  
Show delightful sights.
May there be no threat of violence,
No clouds of smoke,
No smell of sulphur,  
No sound of gunfire,
No scenes of ruined homes,
No sorrow that dims the light
In anyone's eyes,
May the light of knowledge and wisdom
Illumine the path to happiness.
May the light of joy and love
Sparkle in everyone's eyes
In every humble home.
May our fervent prayer
Lead mankind from darkness to Light.
May all nations together strive
To pave the way to harmony and peace.
              ***M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India.   mgnmurthy4@gmail. com.
  * Festival of Lights, 'DEEPAVALI' is celebrated all over India
     on 11 November 2015

The rosy hue of the evening sky
Fades into the grey of the earth;
Shadows weave a magic web
Around the hectic world.
On the desolate moor, dark and cold,
A lonely traveller plods his way.
As fearful fancies haunt his mind,
He prays for help  from Heaven above.
A glimmering star appears through gliding clouds,
Cheers his heart: his drooping spirit revives.
                
Far beyond the world of his dreams, it shines
And bids his sinking soul
Rise above the shadows of the gloomy world
And see the celestial light.
Restless and weary, amidst frightful sights,
With none to guide his faltering steps,
He struggles for a glimpse of the heavenly light.
"What vain struggle!" cries a voice deep within.
"The star that beckons you from the sky,
" Is but a reflection of the Light divine
"Enshrined in your own heart
" And pervades your MARVELLOUS MIND.
"Let thy inward eye pierce the veil
" And behold the splendour of the LIGHT within
"That will dispel darkness and thy path illumine."
                     ****   M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India.                      mgnmurthy4@gmail. com

Mother Teresa - love immortal
In frail human frame;
Angel of peace and compassion,
Knew no bounds of caste or creed:
With arms outstretched,
Waded through slums forsaken
To help the poor in their humble homes:
Orphans discarded, dying destitutes,          
Deserted cripples and lepers deformed,
Found in her a ministering angel
Whose gentle touch revived hope;
Brought solace and joy.  
Unmindful of praise or blame,
To serve the poor was her only aim,
And never did she crave for wealth or fame.
Like St.Francis of Assisi, she prayed -
" Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace,
" Where there is hatred, let me sow love,
" Where there is injury, pardon,
" Where there is doubt, faith,
" Where there is despair, hope......."
Life inspiring, a splendid saga
Of selfless service and sacrifice.
For ever she lives in the loving hearts
Of those who strive to rid the world
Of sorrow, misery and distress.
           **     M.G.Narasimha Murthy
Hyderabad, India.    mgnmurthy4@gmail

Dive into the dark depths
Of the unfathomable sea
Of the baffling human mind;
Explore the concealed layers
From its surface, ever active and restless;
Slowly sink into the sub-conscious
And the more powerful unconscious mind
That regulates vital functions ceaselessly,
Remaining silent and invisible, all the while.
* Move deeper until you reach the source
  And find life's perennial spring
   From from your innermost being
  Into the boundless universe, ever expanding,
  Beyond the confines of the sensuous mind.
  When this inward journey, spiritual,
   Brings insight into the subtle working  
   Of the hidden mind, you emerge wiser
   And stronger than ever before
   To weather the storms of life, ephemeral,
   And realize man's fervent prayer -
   "Lead us from Darkness to Light"-
   " Thamasoma Jyothirgamaya " ,
    The ultimate aim of all mankind.
                       **  Narasimhamurthy, M.G.

A SALUTE TO TEACHERS *  

Since time immemorial, in every land,
Saints and teachers, enlightened,
Have shown the way by lighting the lamp
Of knowledge and wisdom, true and fair,
To faltering mankind, mired in ignorance;
In situations painful and conflicting,
Unable to choose between right and wrong.
In the hoary tradition of true teachers
Of all religions the world has seen,
A luminous star, Dr.Radhakrishnan,  
Rose on the glorious Indian horizon,
Guided the world with knowledge, ancient and modern,
In the light of the Vedas and Upanishads
As well as the wise doctrines of other religions.
Great Plato's ideal of a philosopher king,
Was realized when he was elevated
To our nation's  highest position as President,
An inspiring teacher, par excellence,
Unfailing light to future generations.
       *     *     **  Narasimhamurthy. M.G.
*Dr.S.Radhakrishnan's birthday  (5  September ) is celebrated as TEACHERS' DAY.