At a vantage point,
at the top of a mountain,
though our views are often blocked
by clouds or mists,
we never stand alone.
On our shoulders,
and on our neck,
the touch and the breath of those who are gone
always declare their presence
although we sometimes fail to feel.
And in this valley of choices and chances,
the past screams and the future waves,
we must both scream and wave back.
Context
This poem highlights the necessity to acknowledge the coexistence of our past memories and our future prospects.
We tend to define our lives in terms of the choices we make and the opportunities we get. Although we are obsessed with the idea of constant progress and the contemplation of what the future might offer, we often ignore the efforts and sufferings of our ancestors. By failing to acknowledge the roles of our forefathers in shaping both our present and future, we lose an essential part of our identity. Our existential crisis majorly arises from this negligence.
I once read somewhere that sustainable development is simply the act of making progress without reducing the future generations’ chances of survival.
Thus, sustainability and harmony can never be achieved until we choose to become a continuation of yesterday which will smoothly flow into the landscape of tomorrow.