As Seeing Are the Blind

As seeing are the blind,

unseeing are the wise:

who tremble against the tides of truth

that come crashing against the shores:

threatening

loud

demanding

to sweep them away.

 

As seeing are the blind,

unseeing are the wise:

always glimpsing

only glimpsing;

at the waves of actuality.

Before they look at each other

turn their backs and:

run

scamper

race

to the refuge of the dock

nestled in the clouds

surrounded by a white picket fence.

 

Yes—

below the blinding sun

among the hazy sky

above the beckoning tides

they feel it is

perceptive

to stay.

 

And yes—

they glance at the blind beneath their feet:

swimming

diving

discovering: seeing

And they always laugh

only laugh, at their

sightlessness

as if

that is worse

than mindlessness.

 

Yes—as they

drift

in the gentle breeze

of a utopian spring day

like kites made airborne

by the gentle tug of a

young child’s twine.

 

After all—

it is the moon that

creates high tides,

and the wise sit:

cautiously

below the blinding sun.

 

As unseeing are the wise,

and seeing are the blind.

 

_____________________________________________________________________________________

 

A few days ago, I came across e.e. cumming’s “[as freedom is a breakfast food].” A poem that, filled with contradictions, metaphors, and implicit knowledge, inspired me with just one line: “as seeing are the blind.” The succinct way in which he was able to describe a topic that my mind had been fretting over, encouraged me to write this poem.

https://goo.gl/ePhuiM

Through it, I wished to discuss the perplexing way in which, despite having access to the world as citizens of an increasingly

liberal society, many are choosing to remain uninformed. Many are refusing to seek truth by challenging conventions, instead rejoicing in pursuing fiction if it promises a sense of security. I have come to recognize that, for some, any kind of security is an adequate definition of contentment: to be satisfied with knowing what one feels safe to know, to learn what feels safe to learn.

 

However I, personally, fail to see the tranquility in that. It is childlike, to me, to be able to see things, but only acknowledge what makes one happy. What is the exhilaration in knowing there are things one does not know? What is the joy in limiting oneself from reason and logic, following something mindlessly just because it is “meant to be”?

I see truth in reality, in learning, in being exposed to the unbiased facts and remaining unsheltered from actuality, not seeking shelter from it. When stereotypes and preconceived notions seem to overrule logic and reasoning, that is a sign of blatant blindness—especially for those who have the opportunity and reach to be enlightened. Too often, our sources of information are biased. Too often, they show us what we wish to see, and we accept and follow, thinking ourselves to be wise when we are really unseeing of the truth. This elicits ignorance.

 

That is why I always pick up the newspaper my dad brings home.

Why, whenever I travel to Pakistan, I take time to listen to my grandparents’ stories.

To listen to my cousins’ perceptions on current events: to learn how a society across the world differs in grasping reality.

Such differences are what allow me to broaden my exposure to the world, to feel satisfaction emerge in knowing I am using my eyes, my mind, my body to be well-informed.

 

For me, fulfilment comes when I am knowledgeable about the world around me to the greatest possible extent. I do not believe in blind faith: in resting comfortably beneath a blinding sun, when there are tides of truth waiting to be probed.

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6 thoughts on “As Seeing Are the Blind

  1. Dear Ayisha,
    I commend you for having such an intriguing beginning to your blog post. Scrolling through the feed of posts, I could not help but stop at yours as the title made me desire to continue reading the rest of it. Your writing almost mimicked the style in which the poem was written which made all your ideas even more intriguing. The tone of the blog flows when you transition from the poem to your own writing. This transition alone adds unique beauty to your writing.

    One thing I would suggest for improvement would be to dial down the complex language used throughout the piece. I find that your over use of these words is over shadowing the actual content within your blog which is unfortunate because it’s such an empowering piece. Another suggestion would be the use of more pictures or other media pieces. This could make the blog even more interesting than it already is.

    Overall, your blog was very well written and reading it allowed me to view the concept mentioned with a new perspective. Now, I too want to understand the perceptive of the world from my family in Pakistan and allow my self the experience of broadening my exposure to the world.

    Great job. I look forward to reading more of your writing.

    Sincerely,
    Sidra Tirmizi

    1. Dear Sidra,

      Thank you so much for your kind words! It is remarkable to know you were introduced to a new perspective by reading my blog, and that you are willing to broaden your exposure to the world because of it. That was exactly the effect I was hoping to leave.

      Your suggested improvements made me re-read my piece, and I agree with you. I would dial down complex language in order to emphasize the message, and I would also definitely add more media pieces.

      Thank you again,
      Ayisha

  2. Dear Ayisha,

    It astonishes me how you were able to use just one line from a poem you were inspired by to create such an amazing piece of your own. Throughout your poem you did a great job of making several connections with different walks of life. This allows different readers, each with their own unique personalities and interests to connect with your writing. But because of the way your metaphors were gracefully intertwined, all off of those diversified readers will be able to come back to your universal theme of seeking knowledge. Your response did a great job of highlighting the major aspects of your poem while also informing the reader of your underlying thoughts while choosing each word for your piece.

    There is very little you can do to improve this amazing piece. You have excellent diction and syntax, both of which contribute towards the smooth flow of the writing. If anything, I would suggest adding more of a personal touch to your response. Was there ever a time in your life you realized you were blind to the society around you? What inspired you to be so passionate about making yourself aware of the world? The part where you started connecting it to your life through your family and relatives did a lot to root the piece. Just add more!!

    It was an absolute pleasure to read your poem and it highlighted to me the importance of always staying aware and playing an active role in my community. Your response is also extremely accurate, as throughout our friendship, I have noticed that you always go out of your way to be informed and do your best to encourage those who are ignorant in some areas, me included. I look forward to reading and being inspired your future writings because I know that they will be just as good, if not better, as this one.

    Your Friend,
    Madhav

    1. Dear Madhav,

      Your praise was far too kind! Thank you for being able to connect with the poem, and finding significance in the meaning behind it. It really allows me to identify my strengths and utilize them better in the future.

      Your suggestion of adding a personal touch is valid; looking back at my piece, your guiding questions make it clearer to see where I could have implemented this. To answer them, yes: every time I watch the news, reach for the newspaper, or open up an article online, I feel as though I have been lifted out of a darkness I hadn’t known enveloped me. Every time I learn something new, I recognize my past self as being comparitively ignorant and blinded to the world, and that realization is what drives my passion of being aware.

      Thank you, again, for taking the time to read my thoughts.

      Regards,
      Ayisha

  3. Dear Ayisha,

    First off, you’re an amazing writer and I thank you for sharing this piece. The way in which you incorporated the poem into the beginning of your piece and then connecting it to your own life with such a unique perspective ultimately made the piece very reeling in, for me as the reader. Choosing to connect to a small piece of the poem made your analysis very effective and easy to connect to which I find very valuable. As well, your writing style is similar to that of the poem, with regards to the way you present your ideas which really adds unity.

    As I said before, you are an amazing writing and so it was hard for me to suggest anything to improve on. One thing, that I did find, though, was that your analogies and connection sort of lessened near the ending. I would suggest going more in depth into your real life examples or present more examples so that an even stronger and more insightful connection with the reader is maintained.

    Overall, I thank you once again for sharing your unique perspective and I really enjoyed reading your writing. I hope you take my suggestion into account and look forward to reading more of your work over the course of the semester.

    Sincerely,
    Bhawan

    1. Dear Bhawan,

      Thank you for your generous, considerate words. It is a relief to know I was able to make my piece unified; I was concerned about whether I would be able to weave the poem into its exposition smoothly. I am also delighted to hear you were alerted to a unique perspective, as my overarching message and goal with this blog was awareness to, and the discovery of, present ideas in the world around us. You epitomized this.

      I agree with the suggestions you have provided, and will definitely ensure my writing remains more uniform in its style with greater depth in the future.

      Regards,
      Ayisha

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