
Treasure your present!
Wandering through the forest, I searched for meaning,
meaning to life, and, all that was happening.
Going back to the past, I tended to forget,
losing what I wanted, something I now regret.
‘Continue walking!’ my heart kept saying.
‘Don’t stop here!’ my mind kept praying.
I looked for a way, I found none around..
‘O look for light!’ my heart did scream aloud.
I searched in vain, a way, a ray of light,
none did I find, not even, a bread to bite.
The day wore away, with troubles a plenty,
I lost my sight, all hope, if any..
Darkness surrounded, and with it, came the fear,
hungry and thirsty, I broke into tears.
The past, I came to bury, in this forest of silence,
now I wonder, ‘where were my senses!’
Noises did I hear, the trees did I fear,
sanctity had I destroyed, which, to them was dear.
A quest it was, to bury, my worrying past,
in a forest of silence, I doubted I would last.
Close were they coming, they wanted me out..
‘Wake up! Wake up!’ I could hear a shout.
I opened my eyes, my heart stopped screaming,
I was lying on my bed, I was just dreaming.
I looked at my watch, it was quarter past nine,
the sun was blazing, yet, nothing seemed fine.
Where was I? What had just happened?
I thought and thought, all the more frightened.
To bury my past, I had entered the forest of silence,
I had left my present, to wander, in no presence.
Taught was I, a lesson, to not forget,
‘Leave back your past, TREASURE YOUR PRESENT!’Mais poemas aqui.
Aashu was the first ‘boss’ in my first week in Taizé. I was sent to Olinda to take care of three Portuguese children (Catarina, Lara and Samuel) who also marked me!
I went there upset, because I really wanted Oyak, to repeat the experience of 2 years ago: to communicate a lot, have fun, meet new people … but soon I realized that this adventure in France would not be in (almost) nothing like my first time. Much of that I owed to my Indian friend! He, too shy, never spoke much in the first days … but with time he showed the GREAT person that he is!
The reality in India is completely different from what we know in Portugal. Aashu found himself ‘forcerd’ to leave the parental home to study, to have a future (so far all the same!). But his studies are based on the study of theology, a different aspect of us: Aashu is Orthodox and so he was ‘delivered’ by his parents to the Indian Orthodox Church. The bishop decides where will he study, what to do, etc.. To anywhere in the world! Contacts with his parents only when the bishop authorizes. He was already for months without knowing anything of their parents, siblings and did not know when he would return to know.
Aashu quickly became one of my ‘brothers’ in Taizé! He was my confidant, was a little bit like my spiritual guide … I had conversations with him that would be very difficult to have with any of my friends in Lisbon.
We worked together in my first week and we ended up living together at the last … in silence … where we crossed in more than one time in our daily walks. He lives’ Christ and God like few people I know, has an innate way for photography and above all to poetry (a poem follows below the Aashu, will the original version in English, because I’m not worthy of translating a work of art).
Before I leave Taizé (Aashu was still there for another few weeks), I received a cross from his hands … The Orthodox Cross… and since that day I carry it with me every day on my wallet!
In the end I remember a request from Aashu that I could not done! He had a little bench that he asked to all that were important to him to write on it. I never did … I didn’t because deep down I always believed that it would seal a goodbye …. I believe in ‘see you soon’. And if God made our lives cross, we will see again. In Taizé, in Lisbon, Mumbai or anywhere in the world.
Aashu, I have you in my heart as one of the most wonderful persons that I’ve known in Taizé! Don’t change and forgive me because I’ve published here one of your wonderful poems!
More poems here.
JOAO!! I can never thank you enough. It was a great time I had there with you.. and what you wrote about it really touches me each time I read it. Thanks a lot bro! We will meet again for sure. ♥