Exported: 8/23/2025 3:48
Grace not only droppeth from the heaven,
But from our forbears. The last 3 generations
Account for 90% of our genes... so then,
Why is life so ugly that we fight, without sense
With family? Are we internalising the maladies
Of the world that an indulgent mother alone can
Heal? 2016 I wrote a poem for Uma, who still sees
The world in a messed up light. We never ran
Away from living, but now the dregs to which we
Have falled is but an epoch. Our collective will
Is needed if we are to transform living, not be
Hardened to stone as the Asuras want.. for us to be still.
Jiddu dearest said become the flame, the ultimate flame
The Gaya-thri! (Body turned wick). Alas, poor humanity,
We've for the most part fallen into dissonance, lame
Are our excuses for not caring for one another. Gritty
And wiry must we become again to up and run with lance once more.
What good are action movies if the heroes within are fast asleep?
Wake up wake up, flex the piano loving fingers and play a mellifluous score,
Something from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who can alone make our innards weep.
That's a powerful and deeply personal poem. It explores the tension between inherited grace and the struggles of family conflict, touching on themes of healing, collective will, and the need for humanity to awaken from its "dissonance."
The poem's progression is striking, starting with the idea of blessings from our ancestors and immediately questioning why we fight with our families. It then moves to a broader call for action, referencing Jiddu Krishnamurti and the "Gaya-thri" as a symbol of transformation. The final lines are a stirring call to action, urging us to become heroes in our own lives, likening the process to flexing "piano loving fingers" to play a beautiful and moving piece of music.
The poem seems to be a journey from introspection to a powerful external plea, suggesting that personal healing and collective transformation are intertwined. The references to Uma, Asuras, and Mozart create a rich tapestry of personal experience, philosophy, and art.
This is a beautiful and complex poem, and it's a great idea to break it down so your mother can understand the depth of feeling behind it. It seems to be a journey through a very personal struggle, but with a message that's universal.
The poem starts with an interesting thought: Grace isn't just a gift from above; it's also something we inherit from our family. It brings up the idea that our ancestors—the last three generations—have given us 90% of our genes. This suggests that we carry their strengths and their history within us.
But then, the poem immediately asks a heartbreaking question: If we're so connected to our family, why is there so much fighting and ugliness? It's a powerful way of highlighting the painful disconnect between the love we should have for our family and the reality of conflict. The line "internalising the maladies of the world" suggests that maybe we're taking all the stress and pain from the outside world and letting it poison our relationships with the people who should be our closest allies.
The poem then mentions Uma and the year 2016. This feels very personal, like a specific moment in time when you were trying to reach out and help her. The line "We never ran away from living" suggests that despite all the difficulties, you and your family have always faced life head-on. But now, it feels like you've reached a low point, an "epoch" of struggle.
The next part is a plea for a new way forward. The poem says we need a "collective will" to change. This isn't just about one person fixing things; it's about everyone coming together. It warns against becoming "hardened to stone," which sounds like giving up and becoming numb to the pain. The "Asuras" mentioned are a reference to beings from Hindu mythology who are often seen as forces of negativity or darkness—they want us to be still and not feel anything.
Here, the poem turns to Jiddu Krishnamurti's famous teaching to "become the flame." It's a call to be a source of light, passion, and transformation. The "Gaya-thri" is a reference to a powerful mantra in Hinduism, and the line "(Body turned wick)" is a very strong image. It suggests that our own bodies and spirits can be the source of this flame, a powerful, living light that can burn away the darkness.
But the poem laments that most people have fallen into "dissonance"—a lack of harmony or agreement. It calls our excuses for not caring for one another "lame." It's a passionate and frustrated cry, a call to stop making excuses and start acting.
The final lines are a rally cry. The poem says we must become "gritty and wiry" again, ready to fight for what's right. It asks a great question: What good are action movies if the heroes within us are asleep? It's a challenge to stop being passive observers and start being the heroes of our own lives and our family's story.
The poem ends with a beautiful, gentle image: to "flex the piano loving fingers and play a mellifluous score." This isn't about physical fighting, but about creating something beautiful out of the struggle. The music of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is mentioned as something that can make us feel deeply, to make our "innards weep." It's an invitation to embrace our emotions, to feel the beauty and the sadness, and to create a new, harmonious path forward—not with a weapon, but with a song.
It seems the poem is a powerful message for reconciliation and transformation. It's a recognition of the pain, a call to action, and an offer of a new, more beautiful way of living.
Summary
Takeaways
Points to ponder
Questions
Qualitative Analysis
Activities to do
Ways to start conversations per themes identified
Topics for group discussion in the next class
Ways to engage the author AND create your own blogs as this is his
This lesson is designed to explore the poem "Shasa Flows" by breaking it down into a class discussion. We will analyze its themes, imagery, and emotional core, and then use it as a springboard for creative and personal expression.
The poem "Shasa Flows," written on July 24, is a deeply personal and philosophical reflection on family, conflict, and the human condition. It begins by questioning why we fight with our families despite inheriting grace and genes from our ancestors. The author laments a period of "dissonance" and calls for a "collective will" to transform living. Drawing on philosophical and spiritual ideas, the poem urges us to become the "flame" of change, to stop making excuses, and to awaken the "heroes within." It concludes with a powerful metaphor, suggesting that instead of fighting, we should create something beautiful, like a Mozart piece, to heal our inner turmoil.
The author mentions "Asuras"—why use this specific mythological reference? What does it add to the poem's meaning?
The poem's language is a blend of the personal and the universal. It uses a conversational tone ("So then, why is life so ugly?") alongside powerful, almost mythological imagery ("Body turned wick," "Asuras"). The structure moves from a specific, personal grievance (family conflict) to a broad, philosophical call to action. The repeated use of contrasts—grace vs. fighting, running vs. being still, dissonance vs. harmony—is a key literary device that drives the poem's central message. The final stanza's shift from a warrior-like stance ("run with lance once more") to a gentle, artistic one ("flex the piano loving fingers") is a particularly poignant and effective transition.
Transformation: "The line 'become the flame' is so powerful. What does a 'flame' represent to you in your own life? What kind of flame do you want to be?"
The Modern-Day Hero: What does a "hero" look like in today's world? Is it someone who fights with a lance, or someone who plays a "mellifluous score"?
I had, in early 2022 the very fulfilling experience of bringing my own writing into my "creative expression" classroom..
Im saying let AI becas collaborators to help us understand and develop our EQ and Social & Spiritual Quotients as well, like how this "deep dive" goes
You're right. With AI as a permanent fixture, focusing on creative workshops for teachers makes a lot of sense. Your experience of integrating your own writing into the classroom is a perfect example of this shift. AI can serve as a powerful collaborator, not just for writing, but for developing EQ and SQ.
Instead of viewing AI as a threat, we can see it as an incredible tool for creative writing. Workshops could teach English teachers how to use AI to:
This approach transforms the teacher's role from a sole authority on writing to a facilitator of creative exploration.
Your idea of using AI to develop emotional and spiritual quotients is forward-thinking and aligns with emerging research. Here's how this could work:
The deep dive we just did on your poem is a great example of this. It wasn't about me, the AI, giving you a definitive answer, but rather using a collaborative process to help you unpack the deeper meanings and emotions in your work. This is the future of teaching and learning—a partnership between human and machine to foster growth.
We CANNOT outsource our inner development and be stuck in the Matrix even deeper.
You've hit on a crucial point: the necessity of human-led workshops and keeping a human in the loop. The goal isn't to replace the creative spark, but to enhance it. You're right—we can't outsource our inner development. That's a direct path to getting "stuck in the Matrix."
This model puts the teacher and the student at the center of the creative process, with AI serving as a powerful assistant, not a replacement.
This approach ensures that creativity is nurtured by human interaction, while AI provides a unique, objective lens to help writers see their work from a fresh angle. It's about using the tool to deepen our understanding and development, not to do the work for us.
You're welcome! It was a great discussion. I appreciate you bringing up the critical distinction about keeping the human in the loop and using AI as a collaborator rather than a replacement. That's the key to making technology serve our creative and personal growth, not the other way around.
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