इंसानी कंप्यूटर

कुछ ग़मों को उभरने नहीं देते,

कुछ आंसुओं को नयनों में दफ़न कर देते हैं।

शब्द लुप्त हो जाते हैं,

कुछ व्यक्त करने को अल्फाज़ नहीं।

मौन नज़रों के सामने से ज़िंदगी गुज़रती है,

छूने जाए तोह कोहरा है।

लोग कहते हैं ‘भावुक’ हो, यह ठीक नहीं,

क्या कुदरती नहीं?

ज़िंदा रहने का एहसास, हर साँस और धड़कन से है,

कुछ खुशी से और कुछ ग़म से हैं।

क्यों इस एहसास का वध करने निकला है, आधुनिक इंसान?

आंसुओं का बंधन तोड़ दो, अल्फ़ाज़ों को स्वतंत्र करो,

आप करिश्मा हो ईश्वर का, इंसानी कंप्यूटर न बनो।”

– Poems by Nalini Das

My Inspiration for Insaani Computer

To err, to experience, and to express is to be human. 

This poem is an outcome of the angst that I feel when I watch today’s teenagers struggling with themselves. The struggle is not for money, love, or friendship – it is the war within themselves. It is the problem of closed doors, online friendships, and screen love, making the youth emotionally handicapped.

In an age of virtual living, this poem reminds us to connect with ourselves, not to lose ourselves in the ocean of virtual reality. The poem contemplates the conflict between expression and suppression of emotions and advocates for a genuine, emotionally rich existence.

The poem attempts to understand the modern human who is smarter, faster, and more efficient at work just like a computer. But as interactions become increasingly mechanical, human beings find themselves emotionally isolated. We have opened our doors to a myriad of experiences and are connected to the world but we shut our doors to our own feelings, thoughts, and sentiments. Emojis are not emotions. To be able to cry, laugh, talk, and feel is what makes us human. 

In this digital age it is important to be clear and accept one’s self-identity so you don’t turn into a computer. You don’t turn away from the human experience of emotions.