‘Just for a minute’

I remember when I was a child,
my mother held my hands, said in serene-tune
‘Son, do not be so busy ever, that you can’t
remember God ‘just for a minute’

When I started going to school,
played with the children on the street jubilantly,
fighting small-fights, doing summersault in the pond,
I remembered God even if it is ‘just for a minute’

Now it is a sort of habit I’ve got.
Wherever I go, whatever I do,
however busy I may be, I remember God to thank even if it is ‘just for a minute’

On a fine day, ‘I asked God, do you remember me?
To my surprise God said, ‘I remember you just every minute’

j.john britto xavier

'Cains' updated.....

On his way back home
God spotted a café, got in to log in
Complaint-filled ‘inbox’
from every end of the earth, disheartened God.
God said, ‘O! human beings, What have you done?
The cry of deforested land
knocks at my door
The contaminated water
cries for a fresh breath
The Ozone layer calls for ‘fast recovery’
No escape for endangered entity?’
‘O! So-called first worlds
Are the third-worlds your dumping ground?
Why your carbon footprints so large in other’s land?
Don’t you hear the cry of small Islands in your heated rooms?
You love things and use people!
live to consume? When’ll you live to love?’
Hurt human beings scraped, ‘Are we keepers of the everything?
Are we keepers of the third worlds’
God replied, ‘You, Cains updated. That’s you are.
Mind-the-gap and get-connected in the four-fold relationship
Live in love with yourself, neighbors, nature and ME’

right here or out there......

A common question confronted me,
“Where is God?”
Questioning mind googled for answer
Some claimed “right here”, others hoped, ‘Out there”
Confused heart needed clarification
at the feet of an experienced person
I quizzed, ‘Sir, is God right here or out there”
He said, “God is everywhere”
There is no ‘either’ ‘or’ but ‘and’
I can affirm ‘God is with us’,
but can’t deny, ‘God’s presence out there’

j.john britto xavier

know and know not

O, God!
With You
What is impossible
I know not…….

Without You
Nothing is possible
I know it…..

j.john britto xavier

theory: gravity and poverty

i remember when i was thirteen
my teacher threw things up, they came down
she looked into our eyes and said:
“pull of the earth brings them down”
Theory of gravity got chiseled in green minds then,
I learnt the achievements of human beings
Pushing the pull behind, stepping into space later….

I remember when I went to the college
Professor lecturing on poverty
Income. calory intake, being criteria
Her sharp words didn’t win my understanding then
In the flood-fed Bihar
Gravity-pulled stomach of an unfed old woman
Authorized, attested the theory of poverty then
Now I find millions of proofs for the theory
Will the theory be history? When?

j.john britto xavier

a journey beyond.......

i walk
all alone
among the known
known know me not
am i an alien?
it is a journey beyond......

different roads travelled
various paths walked
unknown among the known
to know 'the Unknown'
to be with 'the beyond'
it is a journey beyond....

to look out
why don't you look in
to sign out
very soon sign in
to be with 'the beyond'
it is the journey beyond......

shedding the selfishness
centering on selflessness
a self-less self
in search of 'the beyond'
to be with 'the beyond'
it is a journey beyond.......

o! busy beings
become aware of 'NOW'
know yourself
be yourself
give yourself
to be with 'the beyond'
it is a journey beyond'.......

j.john britto xavier

different facets of silence

some came

broke in the neibhour's door

i closed my door

they raped the lady

i said nothing.

watched through window.

could my sound have prevented it?

may be!

an inmate

spoke. spoke. spoke.

i said nothing.

my silence listened.

he went with a smile.

could my words have diverted it?

may be!

As i plug in to the room

do i switch on music?

do i try to read something?

why can't i be silent?

are my thoughts louder in silence?

am i afraid of silence?

may be!

i log in

google myself

i speak God listens

God speaks I listen

there's silence....peace....

is that enlightment?

may be!

j.john britto xavier