Stoicism as a Way of Life
Written 23 November 2023
Placed 1st in :
Stoicism as Way of Life Poetry Contest
Sponsored by Sotto Poet
Stoicism as a Way of Life
In a world where piling of wealth
Is for many the goal of life
Often to detriment of health,
Where workplace is a seat of strife,
Where success is greeted with roars
Of hectic music and dances,
Where births are hailed with loud uproars,
Where week-ends are welcomed with trance,
Failures may become stumbling blocks,
A sorrowful source of sadness,
Often engender spells of shocks
And veil one`s own life with darkness.
The loss of a beloved one
May tear to tatters one`s own life
Ignite the downfall of someone,
With stress and stains souring life.
If one sticks to a stoic stance
And views the world with a cool glance,
Failures will be less harsh to bear
And the mind will be sound and clear,
Fateful events will fetch no tear
Fate will be taken for a ride
Life and death will entail no fear
Ill feelings will be cast aside.
A Stoic stance strings human nature
In accord with Cosmic Nature,
Guides man to the path of virtue
And to a rational world view.
Stressing Nature`s divinity,
It is a deep philosophy
That aims to evict human evils
For a way of life free from ills.
It sets a mid course to follow,
Teaches one`s feelings to retain,
Temper one`s sadness and sorrow
And joys of success to contain.
It beams clarity in the mind,
Sparks bright rays of positive thoughts,
Fills the world with its gleams of shine
And brings many hurdles to nought.
Such a stance takes fate for a ride,
Halts sad events to bear a tear,
Bursts of pride to be cast aside,
Life and death to entail no fear.
Its other positive aspect
Prompts for everyone deep respect,
Debars excess of emotion
And is the source of compassion.
Scanning deeply the inner self
Can confer such a stoic stance
And surely bestow on oneself
Strength to face every circumstance.
The stoic self is like a lake
Shining with kindness for others,
Gleaming with hopes ever awake,
Keen to treat others like brothers;
The pitch of rationality,
The seed of spirituality,
Is the bed of tranquility,
The real source of mindful peace,
The gateway to divinity
And the seat of eternal bliss.
Copyright ©
Krishnanand Guptar
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