Last year came into my life and passed away steadily
It had become old and part of history readily
Stayed with me for twelve months – not more, not less
A new dawn of life is unfolding in every opening of my eyes
A new year begins where the old one ends
Last year’s oaths have become old, died, and ignored
I am still here with new hopes and fears
Oh, it is just a new start for my old habits and passions!
Adding more virtues and vices to the store of my ‘collections’
I am growing and dying in every passing year of my life
I come to this exit to make a new entrance to the highway
Next year’s history is a mystery, revealed only in time
Will I come again to make another beginning?
Will the smell of this rain bring a new leaf with it?
Not sure, still counting the blessings – be it better than the last?
The map of the world is so big, hard to spot my place in it
The world is bigger than I can travel in my lifetime
I better be a butterfly with a short and sweet life
Flying around the world spreading the wings of color and joy
Than living around like a Tasmanian devil or Fire Ants
Barking and biting in ‘dangerous devilish snare’!
Reconcile with your brethren, before you die
Bring no tear; wipe away every tear to make them smile
Time passes quickly; the present becomes past soon,
The future becomes the new present today,
With the rhythm of life in this passing world
Be present to the present moment to live it fully
Your greatness be exposed in serving the weak and the lowly
Examine your conscience before embracing the bed at night
Let the sun not set in your anger today – the Bible says
The stroke of midnight creates many more drunken people
I want to be drunk in my passion to love my brethren
Better to be holy until the last breath of my life on earth
Like the radiant light of the candle at the altar of the Lord
Dispelling the darkness of men and women in worship
Lord, I rest in your shade for my troubles to fade away
You are the alpha, omega, and the center of my life
Your love and embrace, that all I care about and crave for today
Let me muse through the world with amusing thoughts
With all my imperfections I submit myself to you
Today, I am opening a fresh page in the book of my life
Decorated my book with fragrance and flowers
Not sure, what is left in that book for the rest of my life here
The book from last year is already filled up
There are many dots and arrows in it
A few ‘red’ pages as if a pig has been slaughtered in it
Searching for fresh words of life
To fill the blank pages of my life in the coming year
Strange that we become pious and holy in an instant
As the silent limbo of my past life will come
Waking me up to be good and holy
Fr. Mathew Charthakuzhiyil