This poem by Henry Reed, published in 1946, is very close to my pacifist heart. Listen.
***
Today we have naming of parts. Yesterday,
We had daily cleaning. And tomorrow morning,
We shall have what to do after firing. But today,
Today we have naming of parts. Japonica
Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,
And today we have naming of parts.
This is the lower sling swivel. And this
Is the upper sling swivel, whose use you will see,
When you are given your slings. And this is the piling swivel,
Which in your case you have not got. The branches
Hold in the gardens their silent, eloquent gestures,
Which in our case we have not got.
This is the safety-catch, which is always released
With an easy flick of the thumb. And please do not let me
See anyone using his finger. You can do it quite easy
If you have any strength in your thumb. The blossoms
Are fragile and motionless, never letting anyone see
Any of them using their finger.
And this you can see is the bolt. The purpose of this
Is to open the breech, as you see. We can slide it
Rapidly backwards and forwards: we call this
Easing the spring. And rapidly backwards and forwards
The early bees are assaulting and fumbling the flowers:
They call it easing the Spring.
They call it easing the Spring: it is perfectly easy
If you have any strength in your thumb: like the bolt,
And the breech, and the cocking-piece, and the point of balance,
Which in our case we have not got; and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens and the bees going backwards and forwards,
For today we have naming of parts.
***
The poem has two voices in it. Once you distinguish the two voices, you realize what is going on. The scene is a classroom where an instructor is naming the parts of a rifle. The second voice is that of a day-dreaming student who takes bits and pieces of the lecture and relates them to what he sees out the window. The words that echo most strongly with me appear in the last verse: … and the point of balance, Which in our case we have not got …
We humans seem to be very poor at maintaining balance. We pay too much attention to the artificial and not enough to the natural world which has balance built into it. The point of balance, which in our case we have not got.
I found a very interesting analysis of the poem by Michael Quieto which concludes with
Guns and gardens, soldiers and bees: the poem relates the unrelated in order to draw a clear dichotomy between the forces of life and the forces of death. However, the poem goes further than merely contrasting opposites. The structure and language of the poem combine to demonstrate how one should become the other. The eschatological hope expressed by the harmonious image of this Eden begs and demands a transformation or conversion into communion with the natural order. The poem demonstrates that war is contrary to nature.
This post was previously published on March 18th, 2006. I have made a few minor changes. Also, this is an ask me anything. So what’s on your radar?
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 
beautiful !
and the almond-blossom
Silent in all of the gardens
Need to observe & absorb the wisdom flowering in nature’s works.
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It is very strange and unfortunate that all that Man ( who too is of Nature) creates, is termed “artificial”.
Somehow we have managed to be away and apart from all things else on this Earth, and are sticking out like a sore thumb without the point of balance.
A very beautiful and unique post.
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My apologies if I am repeating a question asked earlier. I ask because I cannot get to a satisfactory logical conclusion to the following dilemma.
In the past, conquering Islam has broken many temples and erected mosques over the ruined temples. What should be our ideal stance in modern India? Shall we remove all those mosques and resurrect the temples? Or shall we let the mosques stand because the original criminals (breaking those temples) are all dead? I am not comfortable punishing descendants for their ancestor’s crimes. Instead of breaking and building mosques/temples, shall we remember and remind future Hindu generations of the atrocities committed by some violent rulers in the name of Islam? That will enable the future generation to be on their guard without committing new crimes (like the forceful demolition of Babri Masjid).
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I will write in reply but it may take a bit of time. Thanks for the question.
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How do you see the concept of karma?
Do you believe in the principle of karma, as a theory of a chain of cause and effect in human life?
Or do you believe in the cycle of rebirths and karma, until one attains moksha?
I am asking since your blog is titled “Life is a Random Draw”, but the tagline says “It’s all Karma”. They are kind of like the opposite of each other, aren’t they?
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Good question. Thanks. Will answer in a future post.
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read it as a kid. Understood it around the middle. found it useful as an old man.
Naming of the Parts
—family values have been weaponized
this is the lower sling swivel.
—the pulpit has been weaponized
this is the upper sling swivel.
—the filibuster has been weaponized
this is the piling swivel.
—assault weapons have been weaponized
This is the safety-catch.
—children’s books have been weaponized.
this you can see is the bolt.
—the climate has been weaponized,
We call this easing the spring.
—the violent extremes have been weaponized.
this is the breech.
—gender identity has been weaponized.
this is called the cocking-piece.
—fetuses have been weaponized.
this is the cocking-piece.
—the Supreme Court has been weaponized
this is the cocking-piece.
—vote counts have been weaponized
this is the point of balance.
—witch hunting has been weaponized
which you have not got.
—messaging has been weaponized
You can do it quite easy If you have any strength,
which you have not got.
—an ex-president has been weaponized
which you have got, but cannot get rid of.
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