A Christmas Wish

Rama, a dear friend and colleague, sent me this poem that she received along with a mail from the author - Naveen Thomas. I told her that I hated her for sending it to me; it moved me so much that I felt I had turned to dust and one could easily sweep me off the floor with a broom. I have too much love and a deep respect for Rama to be serious about the hating her part but I was serious when I told her that I would put this up on my blog.

Naveen Thomas, I hope you read this someday. Thank you and God Bless.

A Christmas Wish

- dedicated to all the people of Kandhamal, Orissa, especially to the 8000+ people still living in relief camps, and to all those who live under the shadow of violence, anywhere in the world.

It was almost 12 at night
I tiptoed to where my children lay
Christmas was here, here at last, it was just a few moments away.
The Christmas star was burning bright
and it showed me the way, as I slowly tiptoed, very slowly tiptoed
to where my children lay.

Last year we had a blast,
Christmas had been a merry day
This year we are on a fast, on this beautiful Christmas day

By then I had reached the spot
the spot where they lay,
my children's grave was bathed in light, in the silvery whey.
The Christmas star looked so bright
as it did that early Christmas morn,
much like the time in Bethlehem, when the little baby Jesus was born.

As in those days, Herod had said,
no baby boy should be alive, kill them all, show no mercy,
all I want is their head.

So it happened 2000 years later, in our very land,
in the land we call our home, they came,
and desecrated it with a sleight of hand
They burnt our places of worship
and set our fields on fire.
Next they came to our home with lathis and burning tyres.

As they looked at my sleeping children, I pleaded
and fell at their bloodied feet. Spare them, my brothers, and take my life, I cried.
but it fell on stone deaf ears.

2008 has been an eventful year for us.
driven out of home, plundered and murdered, were we
but Christmas this year has become, has become very real!
The baby who was born
on that cold Christmas night, grew up to show
that God's love is for all, yea for all, irrespective of who we were.

Give it, spread it, never withhold it, He said,
more for those who hate you, than for a friend.
As a witness of this love, you I send.

As I knelt down at my children's graves
I shed a silent tear. Yes, for my little children,
but also for those who shed their innocent blood.
With hearts cold with haterd, and eyes filled with fury,
no rest, no peace they knew
for as they killed my children, they killed a piece of themselves too.

With these thoughts raging in my head,
I wondered, if peace I would ever know,
Must be the same, I thought, for those, who had struck the fatal blow.

As I closed my eye in prayer, His Spirit did I feel
urging me to love them,
for they too needed to heal.
Filled with His Spirit, I shouted into the night,
Lord I have a Christmas wish. Help me to love as you did,
so much, that for us you even died!

- Naveen I. Thomas
Dec 24, 2008

Baba at Christmas

It was my Catholic mother who first told me the story of Christ and Christmas and I fell in love with Jesus; it was easy considering that my Papa was also called Jesus. I was a little girl then, not much older to Aarzoo. I hope to tell the story to my daughters someday and hope that I can sow the seeds of peace, joy and hope into their beings too.

As I sit here writing these lines, I think of the Christmases past when in Cochin, we used to have Baba and Amma over for lunch and it became tradition with the family. Parag used to join me in the kitchen and we would rustle up a fairly decent meal with Mummy cooking her special ginger garlic rice and chicken curry. Shibu, dear Shibu, would traipze in just in time for lunch. Baba used to sing a couple of carols and "Silent Night" was mandatory. I still remember the rich baritone of his singing voice and the manner in which the song would resonate with our home; it was as if the angels were playing the harp and bringing in the blessings of the festive season!!

Last year, Baba went away and Christmas was spent with Mano Mama, Lola Memi and Appu at their place in Pune. Amma was there too. The home in Bangalore left bare and no mention of the times in Cochin. I could not take it. Christmas would never be the same again. Would probably have let it be this year as well if it were not for Aarzoo who seemed was very excited at the prospect of attending the various parties in the Complex we live in. She also kept up a steady and ever increasing in decibel demand that I put up our Christmas tree. I did and it was well worth the effort just to see the delight in her face. Must say she did irritate me a hell of a lot with her constant singing; songs she made up for the most part set to the tune of jingle bells!!

The other reason I made a big deal about Christmas this year was because I wanted to sock it in the face of all the violence that has been a part of our lives. For Kauser, for the victims of Kandamal, for those who survived and live in relief camps, for those who fell to bullets and those that survived in Mumbai, for the victims of riots and war across the world. Against hatred that seems to consume us. Turn us into beasts of the worst kind. For my own soul and for the love that threatens to leave my being.

We had Tulsi and Appu over for lunch; a celebration of their love for each other. Kusum Bojawa came too after much cajoling; it is always such a delight to have her over. Runa, Samrat and Aditya, who are family now and a joy to be with, followed. Tripti didi graceful and beautiful as ever was the last to arrive. It was a happy time with much laughter and teasing, much shrieking from the little ones and a heavy meal. I missed Amma and Manoj who is on holiday in Cochin. Missed Shibu, Santosh and Bisu and Cochin and the times past when life was different. But I did hear the baritone in the background and knew in my heart that Baba was here today and had brought with him the angels and their harps to bless our home. And keep my soul from being consumed by hatred.