This poem was born out of one of those restless moments when my mind wouldn’t stop ticking through endless lists—things to do, goals to meet, lessons to learn.
I remember pausing midway through a busy day and wondering: When does the soul really rest in peace? Is peace something we wait for at the end of life, or something we can find in the middle of chaos, while we’re still breathing and learning to be?
Here’s my poetic take on the idea. Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.
Teach me today.
In the now.
While I'm still alive.
While breath binds with my busy-ness—
racing and pacing behind
the checklists and wishlists.
Teach me now,
in this moment.
Tell me—
how does a soul rest in peace?
Is it when all the boxes on all the lists
are ticked before the ticking heart stops?
Or is it when one stops
to listen to the heart,
with no regard for the ticks—
checked or unchecked?
Or is it in that moment of epiphany—
when both the ticking heart
and the tailing lists
are illusions not worth brooding over?
Is life just a play of pretend?
If yes, how do I play it well—
in pretending to know
or knowing not to pretend
but simply play along?
Tell me now, teach me now—
in this very moment,
this very breath—
while there's still a thread of sanity.
When does a soul rest in peace?
Is it only after death,
or when there's nothing left to tick,
no fear of leaving behind,
no fear of being left behind?
Why don’t people say to the living,
“May your soul rest in peace”?
Does peace mean silence? End?
A full stop?
Nothingness?
Is the soul only identified at death?
Don’t we all long for peace?
If yes, does that mean we long for
aimless nothingness—
a kind of death no one speaks of after experiencing,
and no one experiences while still speaking?
You wish only for the dead
that their soul rest in peace.
But isn’t that what we all want?
Or does our fallacy lie
in reserving peace
only for the time of death?
Tell me now,
while I am still breathing—
would you wish my soul to rest in peace...
or not?
This post is part of the Blogchatter Half Marathon.
The way you explore seeking stillness in the midst of all the noise resonates so deeply.
Thank you!I guess it’s probably the age-factor too, Manali. Stillness has become something I actively seek now. Glad it resonated with you, dear 🙂
A poem that speaks of peace in life for the soul, not after death! That is such a valid point. If we could have time to stop and stare, breathe in the delights of life, life would be so harmonious.
Exactly! Peace while we’re living, not after everything is over. A little pause, a little breath… it changes so much. Thank you for sharing your thoughts,Deepti 🙂
Thought provoking poem …..heart and mind can’t rest , like breath it should be within us and making us feel all the emotions . In fact if we give rest to our mind we might go mad .you have woven this poem is beautiful
Thank you so much for sharing this thoughtful reflection. I’m glad the poem connected with you that way. Your words mean a lot to me. 🙂