Duality

~ paeansunplugged
From Pinterest

The tussle in me is eternal and timeless
I am Ram as well as Raavan,
most times Ram triumphs,
but Raavan has his days too
the serpents of temptations abound all around
beguiling with promises of the unattainable
goodness has no rewards, only a few paeans sung in its praise
evil entices with edgy entrancing ecstasy

I  do earnestly want to be Ram all the time,
alas my flesh is weak and lets me down
when Raavan awakens in me,
that feeling of power  
makes me giddy with my own invincibility
later ashamed of myself, I burn down Raavan inside me

But since my Ram is not fair always
Raavan oft times rears his heads
the shortcomings of Ram plague me
the lofty mind of Raavan dazzles me
this grappling between the two
embodies the choices we are given
Ram and Raavan cannot coexist peacefully together
one will win, the other lose
every year Dusshera reminds us who should triumph.

Written for dVerse poetics. I am the host today and we are writing about the good and the evil in us.

100 thoughts on “Duality”

  1. I learn so much from poetry from other cultures and really enjoyed your poem, Punam. I love the sounds in the line ‘the serpents of temptations abound all around’ and ‘evil entices with edgy entrancing ecstasy’.

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      1. Poor Raavan. I have always felt for the underdog as the victorious write and distort the story.
        And I am so relieved you in kude the lofty mind of raavan…And the shortcomings of the so- called good ram.

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      1. Still, there is a mutuality of give and take that tempers the triumph. They are in good relationship with one another to the point they realize they are not really separate

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  5. I love how you framed that the struggle is eternal and both forces are with us. As you said, one will win, the other lose but we are always reminded of who should win. Enjoyed learning more about your festival and stories. Thanks for hosting.

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  6. Poor Raavan. I have always felt for the underdog as the victorious write and distort the story.
    And I am so relieved you include the lofty mind of raavan…And the shortcomings of the so- called good ram.

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  11. There’s always going to be the sides, struggling to, gain control over us, and most of times, we, suppress the more improper, the more unaccepted-by-the-society side of our, personality, because we don’t want to get in troubles with the outside, and yet, the other side still, needs to get, let out of that, kennel every now and then, because, locking it up too long, will have, some, awful, consequences when that side of our personality finally takes us, over.

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    1. I don’t know if one can lock it completely and if it is present in the same degree. Our surroundings, our upbringing and to some extent our genes mould our thoughts. Most people are good actually.

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  16. Punam…duality does drive everything. The victorious and the vanquished both have their stores. Both justified…and in that way…both just. Good one Punam! Delhi is it? Nice 🙂

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  19. As you said in one of the comments, all religions are more or less the same. Man (not Woman) is fundamentally good, and religion shows him the right path to follow, but evil is a temptation, often in the form of a woman, an attack from without, so really, not his fault. It’s so familiar, yet we’re still falling for it.

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  20. Pingback: I Am – Expressions Espresso

  22. It is apt for the prompt. I can’t decide if the hardwiring of this comes in childhood (me spanked in to being a good boy) or way back in my culture and biology. But the wiring sure is there.

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  23. All the real battle lines are within the human soul (“I am Ram as well as Raavan”), but there’s the exterior threats as well (“serpents” of temptation), and I like the way you balanced and brought both into play. I’m also struck by the “flesh is weak,” be it an allusion to St. Paul’s Letter to the Romans or a truth universally acknowledged because inherent in the human condition. I’m blown away too with the declarative force of your statements, Punam, delivered with self-awareness and unflinching honesty. And that last line, “every year Dusshera reminds us who should triumph,” suggesting another universality, that dharma/right behavior is known and the battle for it goes on. Beautiful lyrical contemplation. ❤️ (btw, I always remember my mother in her red sari, it was her favorite, and most of the time she only wore saris except in her professional life here. Thank you for your kind, lovely comments, Punam. They make my day!)
    ~ Dora

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    1. Dora, I don’t think anyone has ever read my words as thoroughly as you have! I am truly humbled. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your appreciation. I’ll truly treasure this comment. ❤️
      ( How wonderful that she wore saris. Moms are so special. Thank you for sharing with us. ❤️)

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  25. Nothing is everything Punam, as you know. There is always some part that’s not. In that juxtaposition you find the reality of life. The hot balance. The dialogue . The contradiction, and sometimes the denial. The pressure that stirs the thought, beats the heart. The yin & yang that sustains existence. If anything ever becomes everything — game over! Peace my friend… 🙂✌🏼❤️

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  27. finding a balance between the light and the shadow is an ongoing dance … your Hindu gods illustrate this so well. Great challenge, I see you are enjoying d’Verse as much as I did … so glad you finally got there 😉

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  30. I really enjoyed the push and pull between Ram and Raavan throughout your poem, Punam. I loved reading up on all the juicy details of your wonderful prompt over at the dVerse page. The Rama and Sita story is so evocative 🙂 Congratulations on your first hosting night! Alas, I was too tired to write anything for it. But I look forward to your next one ❤ X

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  32. Yes, there is conflicting behavior pulls within us for many outcomes. Each is prodded by differing desires.
    Thank you for hosting, I enjoyed writing for it. BTW, I have a picture of street light now posted.
    ..

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  33. “goodness has no rewards, only a few paeans sung in its praise/evil entices with edgy entrancing ecstasy..” True words for sure. The duality here in your two archetypes is both personal and societal, profound and petty–but I’ve heard it said that the true power of evil is its pettiness, its ability to seem small even as it destroys. A fascinating and fine bit of writing, and thanks so for a prompt which let me write a fairy tale–perhaps the first examples of good and evil I ever was exposed to as a Westerner.

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  36. Pingback: Duality - A Little TOO Picture Imperfect

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