Critique of Society

Shahriar Shahriari

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Short Poems

Poems - Critique of Society - Group 5
On Success

Success

Fake it till you Make it

Material Goal

Stop and Progress

Meaning

Being and Doing

Autumn

Success

Everywhere I go
Many people know
Of own experience
Or intuitively sense
That life is not a game
In which to win fame,
Nor power, nor riches,
Nor what life teaches.
Although we may win
Through goodness or sin
We may become rich fast
And it may even last
In pleasure we may bask
But sooner or late we'll ask
How we fulfill life's task?
Then pull down the mask
Find the price we paid
Friendships aside we laid,
Working with stress
Caused us much distress,
The toll on our health
Was not worth the wealth,
Even our head balding
Ourselves kept scolding.
In this whole affair
Games for which we care
Urged us do and dare
Caught us unaware.
We thought we played the game
And this life we did tame,
Yet when we pull down the mask
And ourselves honestly ask
We find in this game
Life is not to blame
For the game played us
We the slaves, life boss.
So what would we do
If the truth we knew?
For what should we care?
What's not castle in the air?
It's love and affection
And true communication,
To touch someone's soul
Partially or whole,
To empathize and feel
And melt walls of steel,
To merge and understand
And lend a helping hand
To friend and foe
With whatever we know.
To know and not forget
That when life us beget
We come empty handed
And remain stranded
Until naked we leave.
We ourselves deceive
If we let life play us
Our ego be our boss.
We are simply souls here
Though in bodies we appear.
So as one soul to another
My friend, my brother,
Let's ourselves commit
Make our lives worth every bit,
As souls flourish
Each other nourish.

© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
May 8, 1997

Fake it till you Make it

A friend of mine was under a lot of heat
Trying to succeed, desperately avoiding defeat;
He repeated a common expression of wit
Advising himself to fake it until he'd make it,
Trying to be things that he was not, I must admit
Made him nervous, insincere, fake and incomplete,
But worst of all, in this way his own soul he'd cheat
Lie to himself, his conscience violently beat.

Why should I pretend to be something I am not?
Sacrifice my integrity, the only thing I've got?
Only to succeed thus, a little or a lot
And in my own fake success, eternally rot?
© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
July 1, 1997

Material Goal

I met a young man, fiercely driven
His heart and soul to success given
His first gzillion he'd surely make
Before a heart attack his life take.

Next to him was a grand old man
Through his white beard, his fingers ran.
Calm, sincere, gentle, loving, wise
Serving others, his exercise.

I approached the wise old man
To advise our young friend, if he can
About life and material success,
And what in life is progress.

He said sole pursuit of material goal
Is to dig our own grave, bury our soul,
It's like a great big black hole
Draining our life energy, its role.
A material goal is a worthy goal
Only as a part of a larger whole.
© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
July 1, 1997

Stop and Progress

Action leads to progress, I was told
This philosophy of life I was sold
Relentless action brings pure gold
This is the way of the material fold.

Go, go, go, I thus proceed
For in life, one must succeed
Do, do, do, this was my creed
My body and soul I took no heed.

One day I stopped and asked why
I keep on going, try, try, try
Perpetually I'd do, then die
Thus I saw this great big lie;

Took time, listened to my soul and heart
Stopped; put the horse before the cart
Then I saw the whole, and my part
Life was hard no more, a learning art.

Now I follow my heart and soul
I see the world and play my role
Reach for perfection, that my goal
Follow my bliss, thus serve the whole.

When I need to run, I run, and then pause
When sit, I sit, seek my primal cause.
Perfection of whole, there are no flaws
For this I am now, though that I was.

If I don't know where to go,
Nor where I am, high or low,
Which direction, fast or slow
Matters not a bit, now I know;

And if I move, slow or fast
No matter how much I move past
Round and round I may go; at last
Surely, slowly, my life away cast.

Moving doesn't mean that I get somewhere
And if I stand, will I stay there?
progress is good, progress is fair
Conscious turtle moves past quick hare
Is it better to stand and be aware
Or be a relentless stream of hot air?
© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
April 1, 1997

Meaning

In life we think we pursue riches, success or even happiness
Yet in truth what we seek is meaning to our lives and purpose
For riches, success and happiness are merely empty temporal shells
But to know that our life was not futile is bliss and God's grace.
© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
May 29, 1997

Being and Doing

I wonder why
Some won't try
Till they die

Afraid to make
A mistake
Chance won't take

It is as if
A weak belief
Is their thief

I once was told
Of own accord
"Being" is gold

Whatever we do
We go through
Much or few

Enhance the soul
That is the whole
Purpose and goal

A thing or not
Little or a lot
No matter what

Perfect is "being"
Doing or seeing
Are all freeing

So my dear
Intently hear
Do not fear

To make a mistake
In life awake
Your chances take

You can't go wrong
For you belong
To Wise and Strong.
© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
May 13, 1997

Autumn

Green, yellow, orange, red, brown
Early autumn trees will crown
Emerald, Amethyst, Ruby and Opal
Jewels adorning the crown of Fall;
Glorious trees honored with pride
Then beneath the snowy blanket hide,
Hardship of docile winter they ride
Till they get through to the other side.
Quit dignified, in height of glory
This is what I learnt from the trees' story
Then rest, lie low, regroup and heal
Before you start on your next ordeal.

© Shahriar Shahriari
Vancouver, Canada
October 2, 1997

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