Satyam's Poem

I will reproduce Satyam's poem without his permission:

Ye phal kyun meethe aur taaze hai
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Bagiche mein,
meethe angoor, meetha tarbooz, taazaa papeeta, taazaa kharbooz.
itni mithaas aur taazgi, kitni mithaas aur taazgi.
kyun hai ye taazgi aur meethaa pan?
Kaisa rahtaa hogaa bageeche mein panapte in ped paudhon kaa man?
Nahi sambhav hai ye kisi kunthit hriday mein,
Na hi ye sambhav hai niraashaa aur bhay mein.
Is meethepan aur taazgi ke kucch bhi kaaran ho sakte hain.
lekin shaayad aisaa isliye hai kyunki ye ped paudhe humeshaa khush rahte hai.

I felt it was a work of commendable artistic prowess! Not because of poetic quality perhaps. This poem can't be converted into a song. It lacks metering. Technically, it's perhaps defficient on many counts.

I feel, the fact that Satyam could muse about the internal psychological state of flora through the taste of their fruits is a very lateral thing to do. That's the strongest point of the work.

He asked me if I found some truth in the poem. Well! I didn't. I didn't care. That wasn't the point after all. Looking scientifically, we don't have any proof of the existence of 'mind' in plants. It's too crazy to think about whether they are happy or sad.

Satyam has a strong subconscious connection built in his mind between the taste fruits and vegetarian food and the spiritual benefits of the same. I feel the fantastic lateral quality of this musing may have its root in that.

I am ready to believe that food can affect the psyche. I don't have any reason not to disbelieve it either. I am an agnostic in this respect. I strongly feel vegetarianism has some distinct advantages on ethical grounds. I have been a non-vegetarian; and I know that one major reason for continuing to eat that was that they are far too tasty. I knew it even then that the pain I am indirectly causing to a living, feeling, conscious creature was a natural thing for me to feel. I too, temporarily had taken shelter of arguments of even plants being living creatures, or man being on the top of the food chain etc. When I grew up, I could see, very independently, that I was deceaving myself and others. These arguments were very crooked and artificial. I felt, even though greed seems to be a very lowly reason to eat non-veg, it was still better and more valid than all the rest, because it was the true reason. I had no other go but to give up non-veg.

But there are certain things to remember. Vegetarianism, especially if imposed from birth, doesn't make anybody noble. And correlation between vegetarianism and peace of mind is very subtle, if at all. I have come across many vegetarians who can't be called non-aggressive in any way; and plenty of non-vegetarians who show saintly calmness. I feel, vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism, especially, if not chosen, but inherited, doesn't say anything about anybody.

Of course, vegetarianism or non-vegetarianism, if chosen, and not inherited, does provide a point to make estimates about the person's character! ;) Ya, ya! I am talking about myself! ;)

Another beautiful point that came out of the poem was that a person who remains happy and gay, without narrow-minded thoughts, pessimism and fear, his company will automatically become good to taste. :)

There's no disputing this. And there can't be a better way to say that after Satyam's poem.