The Confucius temple in Nanjing
Is located in the heart of the city center
Where good, bad and the indescribable happen
It’s not important where you are but ‘who’ you are
So what is a Confucius temple?
A meditation area, a drama school, a history room and of course
The large suspended bell in the courtyard
So that you can ‘call’ Confucius the ancient way!
The bell is fascinating – larger than life – royal – ‘waiting’
For your energy to be released .. in it
By sounding it as hard as u can with the large beam in front
Slammed as hard as you want over and over and over and over again….
I prepare myself and pull the beam as farthest as I can
And then push it the hardest, sending it hurtling towards the bell
With it travels my anger, my hurt, my unspent tears,
The demonic anger of my soul, and the rage of my memory I cannnot stand
The bell surprises me and rings – beautifully – resonating loud – throbbing
With the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard – like a ripple, echoing its voice
Ebbing away so gently that it feels it never stopped sounding
I have tears – how can it make love from hate so beautifully?
I repeat my missiles wanting to empty myself
And the bell sings on every hit
Until I am exhausted – bereft of strength or will
To fight love which has no defeat
Get wise like Confucius
There is someone who will love your hate
If a bell could do it for me
Finding someone could be easier than you think
Nanjing – June 2001
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Hi Alok,
Visited ur website for the first time today . All your writing is surely entertaining !
This particular poem got to me though. Dont know what i want to say , but am glad I had the opportunity to read it.
Pichu
“there is someone who will love your hate”
one of the most positive sentences I have encountered in my life. Thanks for coining it.
thank you so much. i wrote at a time when i was really really low and messed. i guess it showed up and got appreciated today!?