WHEN POWER GOES OFF

 

                    

 1.       All of a sudden,  power goes off

           All of a sudden, all signals stop;

           All communications cut off

           All transactions suddenly drop;

           No phone-calls, no messages, no T.V.s

           No whirring sound of gadgets, no movies.

 

2.        The whole city submerged in darkness, dark as hell

           Every dwelling became a prison-cell;

           The whole town plunged into pell-mell;

           No technology showed its magic spell;

          How many days people stay without illumination?

          Like cave-men searching for light in a den.

 

3.       People forgot their basic skills and needs;

          They solely relied on machines and tools

          To get their work done with effortless speed;

          Now no more can they enjoy and be cool;

          Dire necessity drove them crazy and mad

          They searched for candles with heavy feelings sad.

 

4.      They came out of their narrow suffocating cells

         To breathe fresh air and view the wondrous sight

         Of myriad stars shining like candles at night;

         They felt the touch of fresh, cool air and felt so well

         They fell into deep slumber and forgot their strain

         The touch of Nature rejuvenated their spirits again.

 

5.      Till now, heads down and glued to their lifeless tools

         Silent and stiff-lipped they lost their natural ways

         Of communion with others for so many days;

         Little they felt their feelings and slogged like fools;

         They enslaved themselves and lost their talents;

         Depending on machines, too many hours they spent.

 

6.     Their voices felt free to exchange their thoughts;

        Of their feelings with friends and their neighbours;

        They searched for apt phrases with earnest hearts;

        They felt a new sense of freedom, mingling with others;

        A new change in their outlook in intimate touch;

        Can machines better and foster their bonds so much? 

 

7.     With Keen perception surroundings they did behold

         No sense of haste, no machine-driven speed;

         At their own pace they worked with no sense of greed;

         They found a sense of freedom form routine-hold;

         Uncluttered by too many facts they tried to revive

         Their latent skills in order to survive.

 

8.      A short break from their dreary routine

         Gave them respite to see neighbouring sights;

         Never they felt so happy in watching fields and farms;

         Each tree and bush seemed so uncommonly serene;

         A sense of kinship with Nature unaware they found

         Free from deafening city’s blaring sounds.

 

9.      Unguided by too many technical tools

         A fresh vision they acquired from restful ease;

         In simple living they found true contented peace;

         No more bothered by hurried crushing schedule;

         Their dormant creative springs with instinctive insights

         Made them sing and dance with enthusiastic delight. 

 

10.   Their feelings rose with a fresh lease of life

        Their hidden hopes enlivened with new, rising dawn.

        Like flying birds or sprouting buds on the lawn.

        No more they felt restrained by rushing strife.   

       They felt the inner pulse and stood on their feet again.

       They need not compete now for luxuries vain.

 

11.   Too much dependence on machines will drain

        Our inner skills dry up and will rust

        Sheer sloth and craze for luxuries and lust

        Make us exhausted with stress and strain;

        Systems may be perfect but sometimes crack

        Robots may be perfect but sometimes rebel and attack.

 

12.   Be one with Nature and protect Her ever

        Machines, monstrous powers, keep them under control.

        Be not a slave to them; never lose your soul.

        With heartless machines destroy not Nature, never.

        Feel like a human being with blood and flesh.

        Don’t get stuck up like a fly in mechanical mesh.

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                                                            Somaseshu Gutala

 This poem is not a tirade against machines and gadgets. Really, technology is an indispensable part of modern man's life. But in his craze for machines and technology and to make his life more comfortable and indolent, man should not become a slave to machines and technology and lose his self-thinking, creativity, traditional and moral values. Materialism and machines enslave man and kill man's humane qualities and empathy. Man should use his wisdom and sense of discrimination to make use of technology within limits and be on his guard to see that machines and technology should not snatch away his creative qualities and humane values. At the same time for every small thing, he should not take the help of machines. He should give priority to self-efforts and individual abilities. He should also think of employability of common people and should not use machines to take away their daily livelihood. Beware of machines and technology. Use them wisely within limits and don't waste your time at the expense of your precious God-given gifts. Do not make your children addicted to mobiles T.V.s and machines. Machines are created by creative intellect and original thinking, vision and imagination. If man gets addicted to machines, he will lose his creative intellect and originality. Then the progress of modern civilization will come to a dead end and progress will come to a dead stop.

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   8th June, 2024                                          Somaseshu Gutala