A Connecting Outlook

An Individual Outlook I am an individual A living, breathing cluster of flesh and bone A bundle of emotions Joy and happiness Misery and sadness My problem is not that millions are stuck in the swamp of misery I am engrossed with the thought that Why am I stuck in it? Sickness and poverty is global in its magnitude Yet my tears are only for my being swept away by it Confined in this body my soul knows only my suffering How do I know that a being next to me is hurting just as much? Society is an abstract I am forced to deal with I accept communion just as my need I work towards it only for my own self If not fruit full I will brush it aside as easily As I weed out the lawn to keep it healthy So is there anything wrong with it If every one will take care of oneself We all could be much more happy Self-reliance is a virtue we all need to cultivate Now here comes another out look A Universal Outlook We may come and go alone But we depend on others for our survival Alone we perish together we thrive We are part of a whole Confined in our body Our soul is part of this vast cosmic consciousness Obscure is our vision yet it shines and shimmers Like water shimmers under rays of sun An illusion it may be but leaves an impression Deep enough for us to feel a longing For this universal consciousness Some time only way to experience it Is to feel the pain of others To wipe somebody’s tears Ignore your own suffering To alleviate pain of a grieving heart To our surprise often We help our self in the process A sense of calm satisfaction Working like a balm upon our wounded ego Self-interest in reverse action This is the secret of our survival Key to unlock the door of happiness We have to remind our self constantly Though we can’t follow the highest ideals Yet don’t want to become selfish individuals either There is a middle ground, a middle out look Just as valid as a dusk or dawn A small connecting point For you and I.