Tragedies and Transcendence - A Poem

The Meaning of Life Seen Through our Personal Tragedies

I was working on an article based on personal tragedies for a magazine, when I came across these two words tragedies and transcendence. In a moment my thoughts took flight and words flowed like a stream. Joys and sorrows are part of life. If we accept one we need to accept the other too. We cannot have just the goodies in life, life loses its balance and its charm.

Life makes perfect sense only in the light of pain and loss, only then do we realize the real value of our life. Wallowing in ones losses and weltering in misery can only make the already existing pain excruciating. Looking around and seeing the pain of others not only pales our pain in comparison but it also helps us transcend beyond ourselves.

2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so all that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God.

This scripture explains how we need to turn our pain to comfort others.

Everyone undergoes suffering of some sort in life, it would be pointless if we did not use this life experience to elevate our way of thinking and help others. I personally feel that my life ought not to be just about me, it should be about how I learn from my experiences and lift myself and others who go through similar situations and lend them a helping hand. This is my take in life and this is what this poem is about.

Tragedies and Transcendence

After pain and loss have struck their blow,

Miseries long and endless grow,

When love has flown,

And the heart feels down,

Sheer loneliness fills the day,

It’s easy to let life slip away.

Troubled soul so brutally dazed,

Tears once flowed have now utterly ceased,

And in your own eyes,

You seem estranged,

Like a specter you move on,

Yet, delving deep into yourself,

Then you spy a faint light shine,

Fresh meanings you give your pain,

New resolve to your life it brings,

Renewed life with fresh hope springs,

Looking beyond your selfish needs,

Unconsciously you are freed,

From doubts, grief and inner strife,

Knowing there is much more to life,

Energized by the firm resolve,

Suffering and conflict to dissolve,

Hunger and pain to decrease,

To the unfortunate bring solace and ease,

Hurt and grief eliminate,

Simile and hope reinstate.

A hint of a smile plays on your lips,

Your own pain into oblivion slips,

Peace wells from deep within,

Where hurt and misery had once been,

The purpose of life seems suddenly bright,

The soul swells with warmth and light,

Rising above petty selfishness,

To a higher living of selflessness,

A tragedy now turned,

Into transcendence!