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Light as a Metaphor

I pick exactly two strands of the sun's rays and tie them into a bow. A present for that old man sitting out on his porch.  I walk up to him and hand over the gift. He attempts to smile but is so grief-stricken that his muscles merely twitch. He pauses for a moment, then says, "What gift?". I sit down beside him, watching people go by - gadgets in hand - completely cut off from the world. It is a sad sight from where we sit. He begins to recount his days from the past - playing cricket with his neighborhood friends, finding the love of his life, bearing children, and then his wife's eventual death. I listen empathically. He expresses sadness in how no one cares any more; that he sees no purpose to life now. There is a moment of silence before which he exclaims, "I feel the light!".

I leave the old man and walk into the darkness of the night. A youngster - perhaps 20-21? - is about to snort a drug up his nose, but stops midway as he sees me. He rolls up his sleeves, ready to fight. I approach him and in a moment, I am no longer a stranger. He has suffered much trauma; "there is an abyss of nothingness inside of me...", he laments.
"Expecto Patronum!" I yell. A whoosh of wind. A majestic phoenix rises into the air from burning blue-white light. I've just offered the young man imagination. "Hope!" he whispers, as dawn breaks into another day.

A pregnant woman at the other end of the world calls out to me. I rush to her aid. She is going to give birth to a child any moment now.  She knows it is a girl and sees no hope for the baby; the father will likely murder her before long. I look up at the heavens. I raise my fingers up in the air, painting a star here, moving a star there...yes, this one near Mars should move 49 degrees further north; this one here should move 67 degrees west. Perfect.  I have changed the course of history. The woman screams in pain. "Welcome to a new world little one", she cries, as a blazing meteor crosses the starlit sky.

I return home, exhausted from the adventures of the day. I load up the photographs I took of the elderly man, the youngster, and the pregnant woman.

Playing with light. What a joy it brings!

Comments

Viji Bala said…
Abstract, as always. Nevertheless, with good insight and enlightening, with a clear message and bearing the unmistakbale hallmark of 'shunyata'!
Anonymous said…
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Unknown said…
When i started work in software development company.I gave a new dad gift to my first salary. This is best moment for me and my family.
Gavin said…
Your old man story and pregnant lady story combo is amazing. I really like this story. After reading pregnant lady story i feel very bad. I have no idea what should do. When i was search property managers in spanaway. Then i read your post.

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