Estimating The Speed Of Darkness Poem by RAJ NANDY

ESTIMATING THE SPEED OF
DARKNESS

In the Physics class I had been told,
That Light was the fastest thing know!
With a speed of 186,000 miles per second,
Light could punch through veils of darkness,
To make all things visible and bright!
And that the light rays got enticed and bent,
By the unseen mesmerizing forces of gravitation,
Creating for the observers a magical spell
of optical illusion;
As the great Einstein had disclosed after long
and serious deliberations!
But even till this day, I am not fully satasfied,
And keep wondering without any pretence,
As to what could possibly be the speed of
Darkness!

I read the Book of Genesis, the story of
creation, which narrates; -
That in the beginning only Darkness had
prevailed on the face of the deep;
Till God said, let there be Light, and there
was Light!
Therefore I concluded, that this Darkness must
be all pervasive;
And it must be omnipresent, not only in space
and time,
But also in the human mind! !
The darkness of illiteracy, poverty and our
blind belief in superstitions;
Not forgetting racial segregation!
The darkness of the world of drugs, driving
humans to the depths of depression, -
To be lost and drowned without any ray of
hope, or salvation!
And finally those darkness of the deep,
Where lost souls cry out without sleep!
Clamouring to be re-born, to behold brightness
once more!
Thus darkness gets associated in our minds,
As something repulsive and evil; -
As the realm of the very devil!
And with all things that are opposite of
goodness and bright!
But my mind still kept groping in the dark,
remaining rather restless,
Wondering what could possibly be the speed
of Darkness!

Then one day, I met a student from High School,
He said that the answer was rather simple,
And that I should remain cool!
He explained that; -
Since Darkness always took flight, at the very
sight of Light,
Being mortally afraid of all illumination and
blinding dazzle,
It never permits Light to overtake it in the race!
And therfore, it always maintains a speed far
greater,
Than Light, its eternal pursuer!
Since being ahead in the competition,
Remains its sole objective and mission,
Thereby making those light rays,
To keep chasing its mortal adversary,
forever and eternally;
In its relentless effort to drive Darkness away!
And now I realise, that it is far better to remain
vigilant, and keep driving evil away,
Than to come under its dominance and sway!
Which makes me to seek the Lord's divine
blessing and light, as I kneel to pray;
Lighting a candle on the altar of life!

-Raj Nandy
New Delhi
02 Mar