Many Things Are Going On: By Dr. Harsh K. Luthar

The usual things are going on in many places.

War, hate, and killing of enemies

in order to love, protect, and nurture our own.

Inflicting punishment on others

yet remaining free of consequences

is not possible for us

as human beings or nations;

for the revenge that brings joy

also brings grief.

This is the nature of our suffering,

that we believe our sorrows are more precious

than the tears of our enemies.

The story of life is written on the faces

of both the watching and the watched.

Paralysis provides the context

for the breaking news stories on the dinner table.

It does not help that our fingers

cannot touch across the television screens

and the eyes cannot meet to offer consolation.

Guilt serves as a buffer for one

for the other, hope underlies fear.

Closure is never at hand in this sphere of duality.