it’s human nature, isn’t it, to focus on what we lack, rather than what we have?
that’s where the grass being green on the other side idea kind of comes from.
or those thoughts that start with “if only…”
if only i was there instead of here, things would be better.
if only i had this instead of that, i could be better.
why else would someone who has just published their first book, earned a growing fanbase, a steady career
feel like they haven’t accomplished enough in life?
why else would someone who has a caring family, several close friends, a loving relationship
feel like they’re alone and unwanted?
we call it a weakness, this tendency to focus on what is missing, rather than what is there.
“humanity’s fatal flaw” she called it.
but maybe it isn’t always so bad. maybe it’s not always a weakness. maybe it’s often our greatest strength.
because why do we focus on what we don’t have? to keep us moving forward, to keep us striving for that elusive place where things are better, we are better. we are scared of feeling completely at peace because maybe that would mean we are done. the story is done once we reach ‘happily ever after’.
and no one wants to be done.
so we keep looking for holes to fill – not just us as individuals, but us as the human race – so we can keep having something to do, something to head toward, or at least something to complain about, something to cry about, something to do something about other than close the book and say ‘the end. we have achieved a state of imperfect perfection. we are now done.’
i stepped on a puddle and drowned
and my head is underwater and i’m looking around
and all i hear are familiar sounds of wind chimes and children so
i sing and pretty bubbles come out of my mouth
everyone here is ready to go.
it’s been a hard year, with nothing to show.
from down this road, it’s only up we go.– up we go by lights
please don’t leave me. i’m so scared.
silly child. i’ll still be here. we’re all always going to be here.
what do you mean?
answer me this. what do you think we’re made of?
…i don’t know… skin and bones?
haha. that’s just our temporary container. something to hold what we all really are.
and what is that?
energy.
energy?
that’s what we are all made of. energy. and do you know something about energy?
i know nothing about anything.
energy can never be destroyed.
then… where do we go when we’re… gone?
well. energy never disappears. it only transforms.
transforms?
yes. changes form. sometimes, we’re skin and bones. sometimes, we’re balls of air. sometimes, we’re a spring breeze. but we’re still together. all of us. in this one, giant universe. that’s constantly transforming.
but… how can i see you again? how can i talk to you again?
you don’t have to worry about little things like that. the world is so much bigger than all of these little things. what matters is that we are not gone. we are never gone. we’ve simply changed. but we’re all, always together. every little thing that you see. we’re all part of one big, everlasting, ever-transforming, infinity.
including you?
including me. including you. us. we are infinity.
and i think one of the most beautiful things just might be
spring breezes in the summer
warm breezes in the winter
serendipitous surprises just because
just because you are who you are
and, love, this is all you ever needed to hear
orange lullabies and bedtime stories we still hold dear
and the sparrow chirps back when its babies call
the flowers dance even as the nights they fall
because someone out there just maybe, really knows
how this story was meant to go, yet
that doesn’t stop us from hoping, holding, making wishes
turning just any other dandelion from weed to wings as
the spring breeze blows even as far north as we are.
and ice-cream and stickers that glow in the dark
and animal hats and cake and wandering stars
still do sing, truly. so he takes her hand, truly.
and i think this just might be one of the most beautiful things
this life this love this everything in the everyday this
just because you are. you are.
[1] “hello world”
a musical piece made using SuperCollider:
the music: http://rainsharmin.com/code/HelloWorld-f.wav
the code behind it: http://rainsharmin.com/code/helloworld-supercollider.txt
idea behind this: a musical representation of the mash-up of art and technology & the act of (or attempt at?) giving life to something inherently mechanical
> alternate title: if (“i can sing”) == True
[2] “i_have_a_bug_in_my’
a perl poetry piece i wrote last year on battling with ocd:
http://rainsharmin.com/code/i_have_a_bug_in_my.txt
to run: save above file with extension “.pl” instead of “.txt”. in terminal or command prompt, navigate to folder containing the above file, and type “perl i_have_a_bug_in_my.pl“, press enter, follow instructions.
How long is it going to be like this?
Until things change.
Will they? Change?
They will.
How do you know?
Everything’s always changing.
And she’ll be okay?
We’ll all be okay.
A Collection of Poems and Words
AVAILABLE HERE
E-book: https://payhip.com/b/vUaP
Softcover/Hardcover: http://www.blurb.ca/user/store/rainsharmin
i wanted to write lyrics with these flowers
and thorns and stars you’ve tattooed across my arms and my chest; but maybe these thoughts and feelings are too scattered for song. so maybe i’ll write these uncaged words instead.
i ran into something unbelievable last winter.
it came into our lives in the fall. and it grew and grew. and by winter, it was so huge, that the whole world had to morph and widen and brighten to fit it. this morphing, and widening, and brightening was a journey filled with light and dark, learning and growth, hope and doubt, dreams and rude awakenings, shock and wonder.
these poems and lyrics and words are a documentation of that journey.
a journey through love, lies, and other things that exist.
rain sharmin • chasing clouds and catching stars 