Life is not exactly like a game of chess, where everything is black and white - by D

Chosen Topic:

Painting a Brighter Future

3rd prize – AA14

By D., an ‘A’ level student-inmate from Institution TM1

The walls are white, my shorts are blue.

The doors are blue, my shirts are white.

I have the right, to know what is true.

I know it’s true, that I’m not always right.

I seek the light, to find out a clue.

I need a clue, to discover the light.

It gets dark at night, leaving my mind to dyre.

To prepare the stew, I stay up all night.

I still possess the fight; my life is new.

If only I knew, there was no need to fight.

I haven’t lost my sight, I can see right through.

After all I’ve been through, now I cherish my sight.

Never was I bright, ignorant of what’s true.

Now I believe it’s true, that my future is bright.

Now I believe it’s true, that my future is bright…

Life is not exactly like a game of chess, where everything is black and white. In my opinion, it is not grey either. Instead, life is filled with a myriad of colours. I have realised that many of us do not really appreciate the beauty of colours in our life. In fact, I myself never did, until I was incarcerated. It is a pity that one needs to be confined within monochrome walls to realise the true value of colours, So what do colours actually represent and why do we need them? Colours symbolize our values and qualities; it influences every individual’s personality and perspective.

‘Of all God’s gifts to the sighted man, colour is the holiest, the most divine, the most solemn’ – John Ruskin. My astrological colour is red, which represents passion and energy. This means that when I am passionate about something, my energy levels will multiply, enabling me to pursue excellence in whatever I do. Red also represents love and success. The heart and blood is coloured in red. In whatever I do, I must follow my heart and do it out of love. I know I may have to sweat blood and tears in pursuit of my present and future endeavours to achieve success. If you realise, red is also ubiquitously used to warn and signal caution. As such, even as I follow my passion, I need to be aware and safeguard against harm to myself and others. 

On the contrary, yellow is a colour that is a lot less serious. Yellow kindles joy and happiness within me awakening my child – like tendencies. It imbues my life with fun and merriment. It reminds me to let loose and not take life too seriously, especially when pressure mounts. Therefore, even as I pursue my dreams, I will try to relish the journey as much as possible by engaging in my tasks jovially while also taking breaks when necessary. The interesting thing about colours is that when they blend, they create a whole new hue that symbolizes the amalgamation of existent values. 

Orange is the result of red fused with yellow. It creates warmth and uplifts me, inducing me with optimism. Orange represents holiness, divinity and spirituality. No wonder, it’s the colour that monks have chosen for centuries to maintain peace and harmony within themselves. This forces me to think that maybe I cannot change the world and I cannot control the externalities. But, I can control my thoughts, I can control what happens within me. This lesson would allow me to navigate the challenges imposed by the chaotic world.

‘The soul becomes dyed with the colour of its thoughts’- Marcus Aurelias. I cannot let my thoughts control me, or I will have to relive my past. So, I would have to get over my thoughts. Then the question arises, who is this ‘I’, if I’m not my thoughts or my mind, then who am ‘I’? ‘I’ represents the ego, a higher being then the mind itself.

To humble ego would require time, effort and sacrifice. It may be hard, but it’s not impossible. It is worth it because when the ego is lost, then one may experience the soul. In my religion, ancient sages have said that the soul is a part of God. Thus, to experience the soul means to experience God, the power responsible for my very existence, god, to me represents white, the colour of purity, innocence and perfection. White is also the colour that one may see when all other colours are spun in a wheel. This means that white contains all colours and thus, white contains life. However, I do not need to become white, instead I need to experience white. I do not need to become God, but I would like to experience God. This is one of my aspirations and I seek to embody the values that symbolize God - Specifically, equanimity, love, patience, devotion and most importantly wisdom. One who is wise would be a paragon of all other good qualities.

‘I believe the future is bright. I think people who see life painted in dark colours are the ones who do not take ownership.‘ - Maelle Gavet. As a child, my favourite colours were given and turquoise. I never knew why I loved these two colours, I just thought maybe, every new born entered this world with a distinct colour in their mind. But when I grew older, I found out the secret, The colours that one identifies with personifies his/her future deities and responsibilities. We all have come here for a reason. We may not know what for, but one also cannot deny it. 

For me, green and turquoise personify nature. Mother Earth is filled with a plethora of colours. Yet, the two main hues that represent her are green and turquoise. The forest (green) and the oceans (turquoise) surround us. They surround animals and they even surround themselves. I feel that, we humans are the only ones acting incongruously to nature. Every other living organism lives according to nature’s law; they comply and we go against. Every night I go to sleep, I do not wonder about what to do the next day. Instead, I imagine and dream of a utopian world that I may be able to create with my hard work and passion, once I leave prison, I want to be a voice for the natural environment that is being polluted every second with heaps of human waste.

I want to be a voice for the animals that are being tortured and tormented. Due to human greed, I want to be a voice for Mother Earth who is suffering under our dominion. Reviving nature from its brink of extinction is my top priority. This is because she is what we have, and she is why we are still here. She is green, generous, calming and revitalising. She is turquoise; brimming with empathy, compassion and clarity. In fact, turquoise is a blend of green, yellow and blue. It is intriguing to know that the turquoise ocean is a personification of emotional balance (green), child-like innocence (yellow) and tranquillity (Blue). Thus, I aspire to save her in any way possible and revive myself in the process so that I can leave this world when my time comes, with the satisfaction that I have done my part.

If there is righteousness in the heart, 

There will be beauty in character,

If there is beauty in character,

There will be harmony in the home.

If there is harmony in the home, 

There will be order in the nation. 

If there is order in the nation,

If there is order in the nation.

If there is order in the nation,

There will be peace in the world