Doing Is Believing Poem by Nikhil Parekh

When I heard about the tree; what I perceived was a wooden stalk embodied with
a conglomerate of dense leaves,
While it was only when I swung on its branches; did I come to realize the exuberance; as the vibrant breeze struck me in my eyes; the chirping of birds drowned me in entirety.

When I heard about the sea; what I imagined was a colossal assemblage of water with swirling waves,
While it was only when I swam in its choppy waters; did I come to realize the tanginess in its froth; the infinite numbers of big fish wading past my persona.

When I heard about the sun; what I conceived was a flaming ball of fire perched high up in the azure sky,
While it was only when I stood beneath the same; did I come to realize the passionate intensity of its rays; the magnificent glory of its golden shine.

When I heard about the deserts; what I envisaged was sprawling lands of sand; alluring mirages looming large and prominent,
While it was only when I traversed the same barefoot; did I come to realize the slipperiness of its soil; the acrimonious thorns of cactus grazing across my
petite flesh.

When I heard about ice; what I visualized was incongruous cubes of frozen water; silently oozing out droplets of cold liquid,
While it was only when I clambered up the snow clad mountain; did I come to realize the unfathomable waves of winter; the goose-bumps that ran down right up to my slender spine.

When I heard about the castle; what I fantasized was scores of palatial rooms; towering roofs leaping high and handsome into the sky,
While it was only when I walked through its rooms; did I come to realize the desolation circumventing its walls; the century old cobwebs dangling at whisker lengths from my chin.

When I heard about gold; what I apprehended was rotund biscuits; coated profoundly with a distinctive coat of pure saffron,
While it was only when I felt the same in my palms; did I come to realize its
pudgy texture; the perennial shimmer that mystically emanated from its body.

When I heard about GOD; what I comprehended was a celestial power reigning
supreme over the world,
While it was only when I met his reincarnation in person; did I come to realize the omnipotent power in his eyes; his unsurpassable ability to vanquish all pain prevailing on earth.

When I heard about love; what I cognized was languishing indiscriminately in
the aisles of desire; fervently embracing ones beloved to generate tremors of
excitement,
While it was only when I fell into it; did I come to realize the emotional bondage that resulted as an aftermath; the sacrifice involved to sustain the same.

And when I heard about life; I romanticized it to be a garden of scarlet roses; with its revitalizing redolence inundating my soul,
While it was only when I actually tried leading it; did I come to realize the barricades laid in all directions for me to confront; the ocean of adventure lying ahead; for me to plunge in and conquer.