#652 On The Regrets of a Middle-Aged Man (Letters to a Young Friend)

Dear friend,

You asked me about Regrets:

All I can say is that my own Youth,
Like that of many others, has had its trials.
I've wrestled with the shifting sands of my own flailing Truths;
The shifting quicksands of my own lies and denials.

In this time, my years of unrelenting middle age,
I look at my youth with no small amount of wonder;
My younger self was no daredevil, nor sage;
And now my life's laid bare to Time's plunder.

And yet, what's done is done - I'll own it all,
We are all servants in His majestic thrall.

#648 On Life’s Beginnings and Endings

Begin with this:
Your sole purpose of existence is
To serve Him, the one Lord of creation
The Master of worldly joys and heavenly bliss
In this life and in the next incarnation

For Life is just this:
To seek the pleasure of the one true Lord
To treat man and beast with utmost grace
To strive for His cause with pen and sword
To turn to Him for Mercy’s embrace

And to end with this:
May He bestow eternal favour
Upon you for your deeds assayed
And to walk the Path with not a waver
And arrive in Gardens of blessed shade.

#644 Tentang Cita Kefiraunan

Redamkanlah cita kefiraunan itu

Insafkanlah
Bahwa kau juga hanya insan biasa

Harus bangun pagi dan tidur
Harus akur pada segala keperluan haiwani
Harus akur pada aturan hidup dan mati

Insafkanlah jua
Bahwa semua citra dan paparan kuasa
Akan gagal jua akhirnya

Segala kantor dan pegawainya
Segala kereta mewah dan supirnya
Segala permaidani merah dan bunga manggarnya
Segala lautan manusia dan gemuruhnya

Harus padam dan lenyap
Bakal hilang dan tersenyap

Padamkanlah nafsu kefiraunan itu
Cukuplah bertahunan menunggang kuasa
Izrail menunggu dengan sabitnya.

#643 On Magnificence

"To be in the world,
But not to seek magnificence in the world,"
He reminded us;
But how many of us
Will walk out of this lecture hall
And disperse into our daily, mundane lives
Still unthinkingly striving
And hustling
For our own meagre idea of magnificence?

#639 On A Different Way To Live

What if I told you 
There is a different way to live:

No LinkedIn posts
No late night emails
No podcast hustles
No online surveils

Just wake up in the morning and
Smell the roses, watch the sky
Walk the beach, and feel the sand
Sift beneath your feet and sigh
In gratitude for this one life

Go on: you now hold the knife.