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Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Born Imperfect

This story came in my mail. I just loved it and had to write it as a poem. It also had a moral written under it, which I reproduce in original.
Moral:
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in them.
cracked_pot_flowers
He walked everyday
Carrying two huge pots 
Hung from a pole
Borne across his neck.
Walked this china man
For years and years
This water bearer
Carrying two huge pots.

One pot was perfect
It held a lot of water
The other was cracked
And leaked half the water.
The sad cracked pot
Arrived home half-full
This perfect pot
It held a lot of water.

The proud perfect pot
Beamed with success.
The poor cracked pot
Ashamed with failure
Unhappy n’ sad ‘cause
Its imperfection showed.
Made the other prouder
Beamed with success.

Two years of shame
Unbearable shame
It spoke out one day 
Broke down and cried
"Imperfectly I serve you 
Only half I deliver 
I suffer as I work
Unbearable shame."

Said the bearer to the pot
"Blessed are you, dear!
Don’t you see the flowers
On your side of the path.
Every sown seed sprouted
Watered daily by you.
Imperfect you may be but
Blessed you are, dear!"

(13th October 2006, Nellore)
© Nalini Hebbar/openmind - all rights reserved.

10 COMMENTS:

Matty said...

This is quite an inspirational story with a valuable lesson. Thank you.

Chandni (Chanz) said...

very nice.. And you did justice to the poem too, as expected.. :)

Sonia Sunny Thomas said...

Superb!! I had also received the email.. I like the way you have interpreted it into a poem...

delhidreams said...

liked it Nalini
the end is a startling turn of perspective
:)
and thanks for the indiblogger follow. hope we'll stay in touch.
regards,

Vinita Apte said...

fantastic.....Nalini...this was sooo good...the end was so perfect.

Parth J Dave said...

Aha... Another awesome one, Nalini!

Though I've read this poem earlier, reading it on your blog gives an entirely amazing experience!

We all are meant to be imperfect. No one can be perfect, because perfection is just an illusion. If we want to chase something, then chase excellence. Because excellence exists.

By the way, Nalini, I thought you read my reply to your comment about another guest post (http://bit.ly/clDEGB). Anyway, I'd love to have your another poem on my blog.. How can resist such an amazing request? Please do e-mail me your poem!

Chapters From My Life said...

Have heard the story before but it sounds so much better with the rhythm and rhyme... Good blog Nalini

Zave said...

Wow!
Loved this piece.
All smiles...

Rohit Agarwal said...

It's beautiful!...the beauty lies in its simplicity!

Nashsingh said...

I have read the story I think but the poetry enhances it. Some talent Ms Nalini!